©Tesla. A review of Tesla's solar rooftop program by consulting group Wood Mackenzie found it was not meeting its installation goals. Photo of Tesla.MARCH 30 (UPI) - A solar panel project led by Elon Musk's Tesla falls short of its goal of seeing 1,000 installations a week, according to an analysis by consulting group Wood Mackenzie.
Wood Mackenzie, in a summary of Tesla's program released Thursday, noted that about 3,000 installations have been completed since the company's solar rooftop began operating in 2016, a shortfall on its goal.
Tesla expects to install 1,000 roofs in 2019 and aims to install 1,000 per week in 2020.
However, Wood Mackenzie notes that in 2022, Tesla is averaging just 21 a week. The best performance was an average of 32 systems installed per week in the first quarter of the year.
“Wood Mackenzie Solar Practice has used a distributed project-level dataset for the first time to aggregate a complete rooftop solar installation,” said Max Issokson, lead author of the report, in an e-mailed report. mail to UPI. "Analysis shows Tesla missed stated growth expectations."
Advisory groups estimate that Tesla's program accounted for less than 0.03% of the total market last year.
First, Tesla says installing a solar roof is cheaper than a traditional roof "because in many cases, it ultimately pays for itself by reducing or eliminating your home's electric bill."
Musk faces another challenge, reports CNBC. While garnering shareholder support for the $2.6 billion takeover of SolarCity, Musk's malfunctioning prototype was later sued by Tesla shareholders claiming it was a bailout.
Musk ultimately won, but the shareholders took the case to the Delaware State Supreme Court.
Solar energy is on the rise in the US economy. The Department of Energy plans to connect 29 gigawatts of new solar capacity to the grid this year, with renewable energy providing a 24 percent share of total electricity generation.
