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electrek says:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was on SolarCity's conference call for its second quarter financial results today, which is unusual for the Chairman, but understandable considering the impending deal for Tesla to acquire the solar installer. During the call, Musk announced that SolarCity will unveil a "solar roof" as opposed to "solar modules on a roof".
[...] The CEO [Lyndon Rive] explained that it will open up a new market for the company. Rive added that there are 5 million new roofs installed every year in the US and if your roof is about to need to be replaced, you don't want to invest in solar panels to install on it since you are about to take it down, but if the solar panels are the roof and you need to redo it anyway, there's no reason not to go with a power-generating roof. Musk sees a "huge" market for the roofs nearing their end of life.
[...] Based on the comments from Musk and Rive's announcement that two products will be unveiled by the end of the year, it looks like SolarCity is about to unveil 2 solar products, one for existing roofs and one integrated with the roof. They plan to manufacture those modules at SolarCity upcoming 1 GW factory in Buffalo. Peter Rive, SolarCity's CTO, said that the company now plans for the module assembly line to start producing in Q2 2017.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that:
SolarCity Corp. is facing near-term roadblocks as installations slow and the pending acquisition by Tesla Motors Inc. hinders its financing efforts. For billionaire Elon Musk, the long-term picture is more significant, as he rolls out more products and services that will make the biggest U.S. rooftop solar company a key part of his energy strategy.
[...] "Because of the Tesla Motors acquisition proposal, we experienced greater-than-usual delays in closing new project financing commitments," Chief Executive Officer Lyndon Rive said in the statement [on Tuesday, Aug 9].
[...] SolarCity's net loss in the second quarter widened to $55.5 million, or 56 cents a share, from $22.4 million, or 23 cents, a year earlier. Excluding some items, the loss was $2.32, less than the $2.53 average of 11 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales rose to $185.8 million from $102.8 million.
In the meantime, SolarCity is developing a roofing product that will incorporate photovoltaic capabilities. Musk said it would appeal to homeowners who don't like the look of rooftop systems, as well as people with aging roofs.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by RedBear on Wednesday August 10 2016, @05:10PM
This is what I like about Elon Musk. He really seems to understand what excites people, and that the true roadblock to the adoption of clean energy solutions like solar panels and electric cars is enthusiasm for the technology. He knew that Tesla had to first make an awesome, fast sports car in order to get people truly excited about electric cars. And he's been talking about these "attractive" solar panels for several years too. He understands that a significant portion of the potential market for rooftop solar energy are people who simply can't stand the way industrial-looking solar panels will screw up the look of their expensive house. He gets that we need to make this technology invisible and/or beautiful in order to appeal to the masses and overcome roadblocks like conservative Home Owners Associations that refuse to give people permission to install solar panels simply because they don't fit the "look" of a neighborhood.
Personally, I can't wait to see the product they've come up with that will supposedly not look as utilitarian and "bolted on" as standard solar arrays. I know there are a few solar products already existing, like I've seen one that looks like a typical slate roof product, but Tesla has a decent track record with design aesthetics and I hope they'll come up with something truly interesting to expand and excite the rooftop solar market. We'll see in a few months, I guess.
¯\_ʕ◔.◔ʔ_/¯ LOL. I dunno. I'm just a bear.
... Peace out. Got bear stuff to do. 彡ʕ⌐■.■ʔ
(Score: 2) by n1 on Wednesday August 10 2016, @06:38PM
Yes! We want form over function damn it, and it better come with innovative financing/lease options whilst still being out of reach of the people who would actually tangibly benefit any time soon.
One day, after we get the next shiny thing after the next one finished, then we'll get to the wider public benefit of these trendy innovations in technology from Musk.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday August 10 2016, @06:45PM
So the exact same arc as the computer revolution, then? Yes, please.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Wednesday August 10 2016, @08:08PM
Even a normal solar panel roof is out of reach for most people without financing : (
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 10 2016, @08:38PM
> One day, after we get the next shiny thing after the next one finished, then we'll get to the wider public benefit of these trendy innovations in technology from Musk.
Has that ever not been the way it worked?
Can you name one significant technical innovation that took the market "bottom up" rather than "top down?"
Maybe selfie-sticks?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday August 11 2016, @01:13AM
Can you name one significant technical innovation that took the market "bottom up" rather than "top down?"
Hmm, container shipping, supertankers, fast food, escalators, vaccinations, audio mixing, printing press, newspapers, and semi-trailer trucks.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday August 11 2016, @01:47AM
Well cell phones came pretty close to that.
The time between the very expensive ones and cheap enough for joe factory job was amazingly short.
And the switch over from crap flip phones and candybars to smartphones was even shorter.
You could almost say it was driven not by the captains of industry but rather by teenagers.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.