Tesla misses Solar Roof installation targets – by a long, long way

When the Tesla solar roof was first launched back in 2016, the goal was 1,000 installations a week by 2020. Now, it has been revealed in a new report from research firm Wood Mackenzie that the grand total since that time is just 3,000 across the whole of the US.

The Wood Mackenzie analysis shows that the average installations per week reached only 21 in 2022, and the largest quarter for installations was the first quarter of 2022 with 32 systems installed per week.

“The Tesla Solar Roof, an innovative roofing system made of glass tiles with embedded photovoltaic cells, attracted considerable attention after its initial launch several years ago,” said Max Issokson, research analyst and lead author of Wood Mackenzie’s ‘Five Years In: Tesla Solar Roof deployments miss expectations’ report.

“But granular installation data has always been elusive, making it challenging to analyse the product’s growth – until now.”

The United States boasts an estimated 5 million roofs built every year across the country, but the Solar Roof only accounted for less than 0.03% of the total roofing market in 2022.

Importantly, the Tesla Solar Roof does actually have competition from GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar roofing system.

“GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar roofing system is better positioned to achieve widespread adoption,” Issokson says. “The product is faster and easier to install, and the company captures customers when they are considering roof replacements.

“As the residential solar industry continues to grow, solar roofing solutions will play an important role in offering customers flexibility and alternatives to conventional modules.

“The future potential of Tesla’s Solar Roof will rely on the company’s ability to simplify and streamline installations and tap into a broader customer base.”