Recent aerial photographs obtained by Teslarati show that Tesla’s installation of its rooftop solar array for Gigafactory 1 outside of Reno, Nevada is progressing well. As could be seen in the images, which were taken on March 12, 2018, the California-based electric car and energy company has installed six sets of solar panels on the north end of the facility so far.
Gigafactory 1 was designed with sustainability in mind. Tesla’s description of the sprawling facility alone states that the factory is set to be powered exclusively by renewable energy sources, including a massive solar array that would be installed on its roof. In Tesla’s handout for an investor event, the Elon Musk-led firm described its plans of installing the largest rooftop solar array in the world and the system’s impressive specs. As the facility started taking form, however, the Nevada Gigafactory’s solar panels have proven elusive.
“GF1 is an all-electric factory with no fossil fuels (natural gas or petroleum) directly consumed. We will be using 100% sustainable energy through a combination of a 70 MW solar rooftop array and solar ground installations. The solar rooftop array is ~7x larger than the largest rooftop solar system installed today.”
Leaked images of the first set of solar panels in Gigafactory 1’s roof were released by Building Tesla late last month. The publication, which tracks the progress of Tesla’s structures over time, was able to get a snapshot of the rooftop solar array on February 21, 2018. During that time, only one set of solar panels were completed, and another one was being installed.
If Teslarati’s aerial photos are any indication, it seems like Tesla was able to install almost five more sets of solar panels over the last couple of weeks. Here are the photos we obtained of Gigafactory 1.
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- An aerial shot of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 outside Reno, Nevada, taken during a flyover on March 12, 2018. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- An aerial shot of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 outside Reno, Nevada, taken during a flyover on March 12, 2018. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- An aerial shot of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 outside Reno, Nevada, taken during a flyover on March 12, 2018. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- An aerial shot of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 outside Reno, Nevada, taken during a flyover on March 12, 2018. [Credit: Teslarati]
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- An aerial shot of Gigafactory 1 outside Reno, Nevada, taken during a flyover on March 12, 2018 and showing Tesla’s ongoing construction of a rooftop solar array. [Credit: Teslarati]
Now estimated to cost more than $1.3 billion in construction costs, the Nevada Gigafactory is still only a fraction of its planned size. Nevertheless, it is heartening to see that Tesla is starting the construction of the Nevada Gigafactory’s photovoltaic system. It does, after all, fit in well with the company’s current strategy of growing from within and optimizing its existing facilities before expanding its physical footprint.
As we noted in a previous report, Gigafactory 1’s footprint has been the same since August 2017. Reports from Buildzoom, however, reveal that the facility has seen a flurry of activity last year, with the Elon Musk-led firm filing 112 new building permits for Gigafactory 1 in 2017. The improvements, which cost Tesla another 379.9 million, included 50 addendums — enhancements for facilities already in operation — including upgrades for its microgrid laboratory, chiller yard, and general improvements in Sections F and G. A permit for a metrology lab, which would ensure that components are manufactured according to specifications, was also filed.
Currently, the Nevada Gigafactory, which is tasked with the production of the Model 3’s battery packs and drivetrain, boasts a footprint of 1.9 million square feet, with 4.9 million square feet of operational space across several floors. While the now-$1.3-billion facility is already impressive, however, Gigafactory 1 is still only 30 percent complete. Once finished, it is expected to cover an area of 13 million square feet and boast a battery production capacity of 35 GWh annually, making it the largest building in the world by physical footprint.
Energy
Tesla Semi factory is getting a celebration nobody expected
Tesla will inaugurate its Nevada Semi factory September 24, five months after production quietly began ramping.
Tesla says it will officially inaugurate its new Semi factory in Nevada next month. The Tesla Semi account posted the announcement on X, sharing a graphic titled “Semi Rollout” with a date of September 24. No further details were given about the format of the event or who would attend.
While Tesla’s dedicated Semi plant in Sparks, adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada, opened back in April, with the first trucks rolling off the high volume line on April 29, the timing for the factory inauguration comes at a surprise. The ribbon cutting event five months into production is a break from how Tesla has usually handled its other factories, where the first truck or car off the line typically served as the milestone moment.
Inauguration of new Semi factory in Nevada next month pic.twitter.com/a8kAlxrOOn
— Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) August 24, 2026
The 1.7 million square foot factory was built as part of a $3.6 billion expansion Tesla announced in early 2023, and it shares a site with the battery cell lines that feed the Semi’s structural pack, a decision meant to remove the supply bottleneck that delayed the truck for years. The plant is designed for 50,000 trucks a year at full ramp. Semi program director Dan Priestley has said production “is now ramping” rather than claiming it has reached scale.
Nine years passed between the Semi’s 2017 unveiling and this stage of production, with the truck slipping from an original 2019 target through hand built pilot units for PepsiCo and a slow build out of the Nevada plant. An inauguration event now gives Tesla a stage to talk up that ramp and reset expectations for how many trucks it can begin delivering at scale.
The September date also lines up with the Semi’s next milestone. Tesla confirmed the truck is heading to Europe with a full unveiling at the IAA Transportation trade show in Hannover, Germany, running September 15 through 20. Between the Nevada event and the Hannover reveal, Tesla has roughly a week and a half in September to make the case that the Semi is now a truck being built and sold on two continents rather than tested in a handful of fleets.
Tesla Energy has introduced the Powerwall Lease in conjunction with Tesla Electric, making the service available in Texas. This new option delivers whole-home backup power using two Powerwall units for a net monthly cost of $35 after credits, accompanied by a low fixed electricity rate.
Under the lease terms, customers pay a one-time order fee of $100. The base lease payment for the two Powerwalls is approximately $122 per month during the first year, subject to a 3 percent annual escalator thereafter. Enrollment in a qualifying Tesla Electric Backup plan or Virtual Power Plant plan provides an $87 monthly credit.
Powerwall Lease is now available with Tesla Electric in Texas
Whole-home backup for $35/month, with a low fixed electricity rate
– Two Powerwalls, $0 installation
– Storm Watch outage protection
– One app to manage it all pic.twitter.com/oTzqc6K3aF— Tesla Energy (@teslaenergy) August 13, 2026
This credit lowers the effective cost to roughly $35 per month plus applicable tax.
Installation of the standard system carries no additional charge. The package features Storm Watch for outage protection and allows complete management through a single Tesla application. The system supplies continuous whole-home backup capability.
The Powerwall system enables households to maintain electricity during severe storms that disrupt the utility grid. When outages occur, the batteries automatically provide seamless backup power to the home.
Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants
Tesla Storm Watch monitors weather forecasts and ensures the units are fully charged ahead of anticipated severe weather events so that power remains available throughout the disruption, keeping lights, refrigeration, and other essential systems operating without interruption.
Availability is restricted to select Texas locations where retail electric choice exists. Participants must lease exactly two Powerwall units and maintain continuous enrollment with Tesla Electric. Solar panels cannot be included under this particular lease arrangement.
The monthly credit activates automatically once the system is installed, receives permission to operate, and enrollment is confirmed. To retain the credit, customers are required to stay enrolled in Tesla Electric and fulfill all program conditions.
Nonstandard installations that involve electrical upgrades or special permitting may lead to extra expenses and might impact eligibility for the credit, so be sure to check with either your installer or Tesla to ensure you will still qualify.
Elon Musk
Inside Tesla’s secretive $10 Billion “Project Crystal Sun” filing
Tesla filed for a $10.1 billion Fort Bend solar factory, but the site isn’t confirmed.
Tesla has filed paperwork in Texas for a second massive manufacturing project in the same week it locked down its chip fabrication site, this time for a $10.1 billion solar cell plant in Fort Bend County. The filing, submitted July 22 under the state’s Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act and first surfaced by Sawyer Merritt on X, lists an internal project name of “Project Crystal Sun” and targets a site off FM 762 and FM 1994 near Richmond, about 40 minutes outside Houston.
Tesla is planning to build a $10.1 billion vertically integrated solar cell manufacturing facility in Fort Bend County, Texas, about 40 minutes from Houston, according to a new public application filing.
Tesla is aiming to start construction this year and finish in 2028, with… pic.twitter.com/f3HIK5HGST
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 7, 2026
The application, prepared by Kroll Tax Services on Tesla’s behalf, spans five parcels totaling roughly 3,000 acres within the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. Tesla wants a 10 year property tax limitation in exchange for the investment, split as $1.5 billion in real property and $8.6 billion in equipment and personal property. The company projects 9,712 permanent jobs once the plant reaches full operation, with 1,147 peak construction jobs during a build window running from this year through 2028 and commercial operations targeted for the first quarter of 2029.
Tesla is not fully committed to Fort Bend County yet. The filing states the company is weighing the site against an unnamed out of state alternative, and frames the tax abatement as what would make Texas competitive against that option. If the district and county decline the incentive, Tesla says it may build elsewhere.
Tesla Megapack Megafactory in Texas advances with major property sale
The plant would handle the full solar cell production chain in one facility, according to the filing, covering wafer and ingot manufacturing, coating, metallization and printing lines, cell testing, automated material handling and cleanroom infrastructure. That scope points to Tesla vertically integrating a part of its supply chain it currently sources largely from overseas partners, mirroring the approach behind its expanding Megapack production in Brookshire, Texas, where Tesla has already built out two buildings for its grid battery business.
The timing lines up closely with Tesla and SpaceX’s other big Texas commitment this month. SpaceX confirmed its Terafab chip factory would land in Grimes County days before this filing surfaced, with construction on that $16.8 billion project starting almost immediately after local officials met with residents. Terafab is meant to produce the AI chips running Tesla’s Optimus robots and Full Self-Driving software, while a solar cell plant would feed a different part of the business, the panels and storage systems Tesla sells to homeowners, businesses and utilities, and increasingly needs to power its own data centers.
Musk has talked about building domestic solar manufacturing capacity before, tying it to the amount of power Tesla’s AI ambitions will require.
Elon Musk hints at Tesla Cybercab’s next market
Tesla Cybercab improvements are already on the minds of company engineers
