Tesla Solar Roof: What It Cost and Why Tesla Discontinued It
Quick answer: Tesla stopped selling the Solar Roof in August 2026. At launch in 2019 it was advertised at about $42,500 before incentives for a 10 kW roof on a 2,000 sq ft home, and prices rose sharply after that. Roughly 3,000 were installed in the US, and Tesla says it will honor existing warranties.
Tesla’s Solar Roof promised a roof that looked like a normal high-end roof but made electricity from every sunny tile. After a decade of delays, price increases and far lower sales than promised, Tesla stopped selling it in August 2026. Here’s what the Solar Roof was, what it cost, why it ended, and what current owners should know.
What the Solar Roof was
Instead of mounting panels on top of an existing roof, the Solar Roof replaced the whole roof. Some tiles contained solar cells and others were look-alike inactive tiles made of the same tempered glass, so from the street the roof looked uniform. The system was paired with a Tesla solar inverter and, in most later installations, one or more Powerwall batteries.
Tesla rated the tiles for Class A fire resistance, high winds and hail, and backed them with a 25-year warranty covering the tiles, power output and weatherization.
What it cost
Pricing changed a lot over the years:
- 2019: When Tesla launched its third-generation Solar Roof, it advertised an example price of about $42,500 before incentives for a 10 kW roof on a 2,000 square foot home.
- 2021: Tesla raised prices at least twice, in some cases after customers had already signed contracts, and began requiring a Powerwall with every Solar Roof. Some quotes nearly doubled. A class action over the increases was settled for just over $6 million in 2023.
- Later years: Installed Solar Roof projects commonly ran well above the cost of a new conventional roof plus standard solar panels.
Systems finished by the end of 2025 could qualify for the federal residential solar tax credit on the solar portion. That credit ended for installations completed after December 31, 2025.
Why Tesla discontinued it
Elon Musk once talked about installing 1,000 Solar Roofs a week. The real pace never came close. Wood Mackenzie data cited by Electrek puts total US installations at roughly 3,000 systems through the end of 2022, a tiny share of residential solar. Installations were slow and labor-intensive, and each roof was essentially a custom construction project.
In August 2026, Electrek reported that Tesla had told certified installers it would no longer supply Solar Roof tiles, and the Solar Roof page on Tesla’s website began redirecting to its conventional solar panel page. According to Electrek’s source, Tesla had concluded internally that the product was not financially viable. Tesla now sells conventional solar panels and the Powerwall for homes.
If you already own a Solar Roof
- Warranty: Tesla has said it will honor existing warranties and continue to provide replacement parts. Keep your contract, warranty documents and service records in one place.
- Repairs: Installers have questioned how long spare tiles will be available and expect repair labor to be expensive. If tiles are damaged, contact Tesla support first and document everything.
- Insurance: Confirm that your homeowners policy covers the full replacement value of a solar roof, since replacing it with a conventional roof plus panels could cost a lot.
- Selling your home: Gather production data, electric bills and warranty transfer information. Buyers and appraisers may have questions about a discontinued product.
Alternatives if you wanted a Solar Roof
- Conventional solar panels on a new roof usually cost much less and produce more per dollar. All-black panels with low-profile mounts can look quite clean.
- Other solar shingles and tiles are still sold, including GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar and CertainTeed’s Solstice Shingle. See solar shingles explained.
- A battery such as the Tesla Powerwall 3 can still be paired with any new solar system.
