Tesla has told employees that supply chain issues are now affecting its access to solar panels – resulting in project delays.
Over the last year, much has been said of supply chain issues affecting Tesla’s vehicle business, but these issues are also affecting its less known solar business.
Electrek has obtained an email Tesla sent to solar employees last week to warn them that it will delay some installations:
“We confirmed with the supply chain team that some supply constraints would impact our ability to schedule installations for PV retrofits.”
Tesla expects a 3-4 MW impact on installations this quarter and notes that some installations might need rescheduling towards the end of next month.
Tesla has been credited for expertly surviving the significant supply chain issues that are plaguing the auto industry, as it managed to grow this year while most major automakers are in decline or stalling.
With its solar business, it looks like the impact will be manageable. The loss of 3-4 MW is not major when Tesla currently installs solar at a rate of 80-90 MW per quarter.
Earlier this year, we reported that Tesla launched a new larger solar panel with a 420-watt capacity. The company has also made several significant changes to its solar business, like discontinuing its solar subscription business.
Tesla is also now providing its full “Tesla Energy ecosystem” of solar and energy products to third-party installers in order to accelerate deployment. For its own installations, the company has been trying to increase demand through an update to its referral program.
Solar installations have significantly increased over the last year, with the solar roof tile ramp-up contributing more over the last few months. Earlier this month, Tesla also released new solar tiles with a much higher power capacity.
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