Tesla Offers Solar Panel Rental Again, Gets Sued by Walmart for Panel Fires
takyon writes:
Tesla pitches a solar rental program to boost its renewable energy business
Tesla is pitching customers on a new rental offering for solar power as a way to revive the flagging fortunes of its renewable energy business.
Once among the largest installers of renewables in the country through SolarCity, Tesla has seen its share of the market decline significantly since its acquisition of SolarCity three years ago. In the second quarter Tesla deployed only 29 megawatts of new solar installations, while the number one and two providers of consumer solar, SunRun and Vivint Solar installed 103 megawatts and 56 megawatts respectively.
[...] Unlike SunRun and Vivint, which both used partnerships with homebuilders and retailers like Home Depot, BJ's Wholesale, Costco and Sam's Club to acquire customers, Tesla ended door-to-door marketing and abandoned its partnership with Home Depot. The company began relying almost entirely on direct sales to power its solar business and eschewed the no-money-down lease model, which SolarCity had used so effectively.
Under the new system, Telsa is offering customers the option to rent solar systems for anywhere from $65 for a small installation to $195 for its largest installation. Customers only need to pay a fully refundable $100 charge.
Walmart sues Tesla over solar panel fires at seven stores
Walmart is suing Elon Musk's electric vehicle and clean energy company after Tesla solar panels atop seven of the retailer's stores allegedly caught fire, according a court filing.
The Walmart suit alleges breach of contract, gross negligence and failure to live up to industry standards. Walmart is asking Tesla to remove solar panels from more than 240 Walmart locations where they have been installed, and to pay damages related to all the fires Walmart says that Tesla caused.
The Walmart suit, filed in the state of New York, alleges that: "As of November 2018, no fewer than seven Walmart stores had experienced fires due to Tesla's solar systems - including the four fires described above and three others that had occurred earlier." The filing details evacuations, damaged property and inventory.
Also at Reuters.
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