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Tesla-SolarCity plant at Riverbend in South Buffalo. [Source: Derek Gee/Buffalo News] Tesla-SolarCity plant at Riverbend in South Buffalo. [Source: Derek Gee/Buffalo News]

Energy

Tesla Solar Roof tile production begins at Gigafactory 2, customer installs soon to follow

Tesla-SolarCity plant at Riverbend in South Buffalo. [Source: Derek Gee/Buffalo News]

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Tesla has begun production of its highly-anticipated Solar Roof tiles from the company’s Gigafactory 2 facility in Buffalo, NY. According to an email sent by Tesla, production of the photovoltaic glass roof tiles began last month and the company expects first customer installations to begin in the following months.

The announcement made by Tesla follows a series of production delays, since CEO Elon Musk first unveiled the company’s glass roof tiles more than a year ago. Tesla initially expected the rollout of the solar shingles to begin in 2017, with the manufacturing of the first two types of tiles — smooth and textured — to start during summer. Due to unforeseen delays, however, the mass production and installation of the shingles was ultimately pushed back, first to late 2017, and later, to 2018.

Over the past few months, several sightings of Solar Roof installations were observed by the Tesla community. These installations, however, turned out to be exclusive only to select employees of the California-based electric car and energy company. The glass solar roof tiles were being manufactured in Tesla’s Fremont factory at the time, a facility that is, while capable, unable to produce tiles on the same pace and scale as Gigafactory 2.

For the most part, Tesla has been fairly silent about the progress of its Solar Roof production. There were signs that a ramp-up was happening, such as solar cell manufacturer Panasonic opening new jobs for product expansion, as well as our report on a Tesla patent featuring an adhesive that can conduct electricity through the solar tiles. With Tesla’s recent announcement, however, the timeline for Solar Roof installations has become significantly clearer.

If any, the fact that the Solar Roofs are now being manufactured in Gigafactory 2 means that the photovoltaic tiles are rolling off the production line faster than ever. This ramp-up seems to be well within Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s expectations. Musk, after all, stated in a 2016 interview that he believes the 1.2 million-square-foot Buffalo, NY facility is capable of potentially producing up to 10 gigawatts of solar products every year.

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RELATED: How much will a Tesla Solar Roof cost on my home?

Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Hugh Bromley believes that the Solar Tiles’ appeal will not only be limited to the United States, as other countries such as Australia might prove to be lucrative markets for the Silicon Valley-based energy company.

“It may actually do well in overseas markets where solar-photovoltaic is cheap, and homeowners are used to paying a premium for building materials and cars — such as Australia,” Bromley said in an email, according to a Bloomberg report.

 

Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles are quite unique in the way that they are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Developed in collaboration with SolarCity, the Solar Tiles look almost indistinguishable from conventional roof tiles despite featuring a full-fledged solar panel. Being constructed from tempered glass, the tiles are pretty durable too, capable of surviving impacts that would otherwise compromise traditional roof materials like terracotta and slate. Paired with Tesla’s Powerwall 2 unit, the Solar Roof has the potential to give customers true independence from conventional power grids.

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If you’re on the market for a solar roof or considering the installation of solar panels for your home or business, consider getting a customized solar cost estimate from a local installer through our partner at UnderstandSolar

 

 

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Energy

Tesla Energy celebrates one decade of sustainability

Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla Energy recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a dedicated video showcasing several of its milestones over the past decade.

Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.

Tesla Energy Early Days

When Elon Musk launched Tesla Energy in 2015, he noted that the business is a fundamental transformation of how the world works. To start, Tesla Energy offered the Powerwall, a 7 kWh/10 kWh home battery system, and the Powerpack, a grid-capable 100 kWh battery block that is designed for scalability. A few days after the products’ launch, Musk noted that Tesla had received 38,000 reservations for the Powerwall and 2,500 reservations for the Powerpack

Tesla Energy’s beginnings would herald its quiet growth, with the company later announcing products like the Solar Roof tile, which is yet to be ramped, and the successor to the Powerwall, the 13.5 kWh Powerwall 2. In recent years, Tesla Energy also launched its Powerwall 3 home battery and the massive Megapack, a 3.9 MWh monster of a battery unit that has become the backbone for energy storage systems across the globe.

Key Milestones

As noted by Tesla Energy in its recent video, it has now established facilities that allow the company to manufacture 20,000 units of the Megapack every year, which should help grow the 23 GWh worth of Megapacks that have already been deployed globally. 

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The Powerwall remains a desirable home battery as well, with more than 850,000 units installed worldwide. These translate to 12 GWh of residential entry storage delivered to date. Just like the Megapack, Tesla is also ramping its production of the Powerwall, allowing the division to grow even more.

Tesla Energy’s Role

While Tesla Energy does not catch as much headlines as the company’s electric vehicle businesses, its contributions to the company’s bottom line have been growing. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Tesla Energy deployed 10.4 GWh of energy storage products. Powerwall deployments also crossed 1 GWh in one quarter for the first time. As per Tesla in its Q1 2025 Update Letter, the gross margin for the Energy division has improved sequentially as well.

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Tesla Energy shines with substantial YoY growth in deployments

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Credit: Tesla Megapack

Tesla Energy shined in what was a weak delivery report for the first quarter, as the company’s frequently-forgotten battery storage products performed extraordinarily well.

Tesla reported its Q1 production, delivery, and deployment figures for the first quarter of the year, and while many were less-than-excited about the automotive side, the Energy division performed well with 10.4 GWh of energy storage products deployed during the first quarter.

This was a 156 percent increase year-over-year and the company’s second-best quarter in terms of energy deployments to date. Only Q4 2024 was better, as 11 GWh was recorded.

Tesla Energy is frequently forgotten and not talked about enough. The company has continued to deploy massive energy storage projects across the globe, and as it recorded 31.5 GWh of deployments last year, 2025 is already looking as if it will be a record-setting year if it continues at this pace.

Tesla Megapacks to back one of Europe’s largest energy storage sites

Although Energy performed well, many investors are privy to that of the automotive division’s performance, which is where some concern lies. Tesla had a weak quarter for deliveries, missing Wall Street estimates by a considerable margin.

There are two very likely reasons as to why this happened: the first is Tesla’s switchover to the new Model Y at its production facilities across the globe. Tesla said it lost “several weeks” of production due to the updating of manufacturing lines as it rolled out a new version of its all-electric crossover.

Secondly, Tesla could be facing some pressure from pushback against the brand, which is what many analysts will say. Despite the publicity of attacks on Tesla drivers and their vehicles, as well as the company’s showrooms, it would be safe to assume that we will have a better picture painted of what the issue is in Q2 after the company reports numbers in July.

New Tesla Model Y was a best-seller in China in March 2025

If Tesla is still struggling with lackluster delivery figures in Q2 after the Model Y is ramped and deliveries are more predictable and consistent, we could see where the argument for brand damage is legitimate. However, we are more prone to believe the Model Y, which accounts for most of Tesla’s sales, and its production ramp is likely the cause for what happened in Q1.

In what was a relatively bleak quarter, Tesla Energy still shines as the bright spot for the quarter.

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Energy

Tesla lands in Texas for latest Megapack production facility

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has chosen the location of its latest manufacturing project, a facility that will churn out the Megapack, a large-scale energy storage system for solar energy projects. It has chosen Waller County, Texas, as the location of the new plant, according to a Commissioners Court meeting that occurred on Wednesday, March 5.

Around midday, members of the Waller County Commissioners Court approved a tax abatement agreement that will bring Tesla to its area, along with an estimated 1,500 jobs. The plant will be located at the Empire West Industrial Park in the Brookshire part of town.

Brookshire also plans to consider a tax abatement for Tesla at its meeting next Thursday.

The project will see a one million square-foot building make way for Tesla to build Megapack battery storage units, according to Covering Katy News, which first reported on the company’s intention to build a plant for its energy product.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed on the company’s Q4 2024 Earnings Call in late January that it had officially started building its third Megapack plant, but did not disclose any location:

“So, we have our second factory, which is in Shanghai, that’s starting operation, and we’re building a third factory. So, we’re trying to ramp output of the stationary battery storage as quickly as possible.”

Tesla plans third Megafactory after breaking energy records in 2024

The Megapack has been a high-demand item as more energy storage projects have started developing. Across the globe, regions are looking for ways to avert the loss of power in the event of a natural disaster or simple power outage.

This is where Megapack comes in, as it stores energy and keeps the lights on when the main grid is unable to provide electricity.

Vince Yokom of the Waller County Economic Development Partnership, commented on Tesla’s planned Megapack facility:

“I want to thank Tesla for investing in Waller County and Brookshire. This will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for their Megapack product. It is a powerful battery unit that provides energy storage and support to help stabilize the grid and prevent outages.”

Tesla has had a lease on the building where it will manufacture the Megapacks since October 2021. However, it was occupied by a third-party logistics company that handled the company’s car parts.

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