• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Tech

Why Tesla Slashed Its Solar Panel Prices

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 2, 2019, 3:32 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Tesla hopes to heat up its struggling renewable energy business by slashing prices for its solar panels.

The company will now charge customers $1.75 to $1.99 per watt of solar panel energy capacity. That’s 16% less than the national average of $2.08 per watt that U.S. residential customers typically pay, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The price cuts are a blatant “attempt to stimulate demand, which has been very soft for Tesla on the solar panel front,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told Fortune.

Once a big hope for Tesla, solar has slumped over the past year because of what the company described as “a cumbersome buying experience” for customers. But analysts question whether the company can turn around its solar business because of the strong competition.

The stakes high for Tesla as it tries to simultaneously revive its solar division and ramp up its electric car production after failing to meet its goals. On Thursday, the company announced that it needed to raise $1.5 billion through a convertible note and share sale to keep its business afloat.

First quarter revenue in Tesla’s division that includes solar panels and other renewable energy initiatives slid to $324.7 million from $410 million in the same period in 2018. Solar deployments fell to 47 megawatts in the first quarter of 2019, down from 76 megawatts in the year-ago period.

Tesla’s latest price cuts, reported by the The New York Times earlier this week, are its second in six months. In November, the company said that it would reduce prices for residential solar by up to 25%, saving customers up to $5,000.

Speaking about those initial price cuts, Shah told Reuters that they would change the dynamic so “the customer comes to you rather than you going to the customer.” But Tesla’s solar sales continued to fall, leading to the news this week that it would make further cuts about which it declined to provide more details.

Earlier this month, Tesla tried to fix its clunky shopping experience for solar panels by letting customers buy them directly through its website. Before, customers had to go through a third party or get a sales consultation from a Tesla salesperson.

Tesla declined to comment to Fortune.

In 2016, Tesla expanded into solar by acquiring the residential solar panel maker SolarCity for $2.6 billion. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also had a small stake in SolarCity, said at the time that the acquisition put Tesla on a path to building an “integrated sustainable energy company” that could compete in more than just the car business.

Since then, Musk and his team have been working on restructuring the solar business and finding ways to fend off competition.

Competitive Woes

Last year, Tesla lost its position as the top U.S. residential solar company to competitor SunRun in terms of deployments, according to data from research firm Wood Mackenzie. In the first three quarters of 2018, the latest data from the research firm, SunRun installed 163 megawatts of residential solar while SolarCity installed 156 megawatts over the same period.

Despite Tesla’s price cuts, SunRun, and another Tesla competitor, Vivint Solar, are continuing with business as usual. A Vivint Solar spokesperson told Fortune that it has nothing new to announce about its prices while a SunRun spokesperson said the company “welcomes…efforts to reduce costs” and said that SunRun continues a long-term policy of working to reduce “soft costs” like permits that can push the solar costs higher.

The SunRun spokesperson added that what customers need more than anything is improved customer service that can walk them “through the process of going solar.”

Ives, the analyst, told Fortune that Tesla’s price cuts are a risky strategy. They could increase Tesla’s already sizable losses, which amounted to $667.6 million last quarter.

And considering that Tesla’s price cuts haven’t worked, Vivint and SunRun need not try to match them, Ives said. Instead, he predicted that the rivals would take a “wait-and-see approach.”

Even with the price cuts—or perhaps because of them—Ives is skeptical about Tesla’s solar division. The business has been a drain on Tesla overall, he said, and most investors share little optimism about it.

“The solar business continues to be a head-scratcher,” Ives said.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the national average that U.S. residential customers pay per watt of power for solar. It is $2.08 per watt, not $2.98 per watt. Tesla’s new price is actually 16% less than the national average, not 41%.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
1 hour ago
In this photo illustration, a Cisco logo is displayed on a smartphone with Artificial Intellingence (AI) symbols in the background.
AICFO Daily
Cisco is rolling out AI agents to every single one of its 90,000 employees
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 1, 2026
2 hours ago
senate
CommentaryCongress
One rare bipartisan AI bill is moving through Congress. Here’s why it deserves to pass
By Neil Björkman and Betsy BrewerJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
I know how Gen Z can survive the ‘jobpocalypse’ because I built an AI company — in 2015
CommentaryCareers
I know how Gen Z can survive the ‘jobpocalypse’ because I built an AI company — in 2015
By Jeremy FainJuly 1, 2026
4 hours ago
OCBC rolls out its ‘avatar banking’ platform with ‘Wendy’ and ‘Wayne,’ two virtual financial advisors, as banks integrate AI into wealth management
AsiaSingapore
OCBC rolls out its ‘avatar banking’ platform with ‘Wendy’ and ‘Wayne,’ two virtual financial advisors, as banks integrate AI into wealth management
By Angelica AngJuly 1, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo: Rocks balancing on driftwood, sea in background.
AIMarkets
Leveraged stock bets are ‘very concentrated in the AI ecosystem,’ Goldman Sachs warns
By Jim EdwardsJuly 1, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 30 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 30 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
7 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.