Tesla Stops Selling Solar Roof Tiles, Refocuses on Regular Solar Panels
Tesla is calling it quits on its Solar Roof tiles after almost ten years of trying to integrate the energy-capturing shingles into everyday households. The company has told its certified third-party installer network that Solar Roof is no longer available to order and that it will supply only conventional solar panels going forward.
Two sources “close to the program” told Electrek that Tesla found Solar Roof financially unviable. The shingles required special glass tiles instead of standard solar panels, which needed custom equipment to make. The higher manufacturing cost was not offset by customer demand.
The system was also hard to install, costly to service, and had long wait times for repairs. Some customers even reported temperature control issues, likely due to reduced airflow compared with rack-mounted panels. Still others claim prices ended up much higher than expected, with quotes allegedly increasing by up to 100% after signing a Solar Roof contract. This culminated in a class action lawsuit that Tesla settled in 2023.
Now, Tesla is shifting its residential solar strategy toward conventional panels and energy storage. Existing Solar Roof owners should still be covered under warranty, but prospective buyers will no longer be able to order Solar Roof tiles. The Solar Roof URL on Tesla’s website already redirects to its solar panels page.
This doesn’t mean the end of solar roofs. Companies like GAF and Merlin Solar offer solar shingles, which are an excellent concept but difficult to perfect in practice. Still, Tesla leaving the market could slow mainstream acceptance of the idea.
