Tesla has updated its online configurator with a new solar panel heavily emphasizing its US manufacturing at Gigafactory New York. It’s a surprising new product launch for a business that Tesla has seemingly been dismantling for the last two years.
For years now, we have been reporting on the slow decline of Tesla’s solar business.
After acquiring SolarCity in 2016, Tesla’s solar deployment has never reached the highs of its predecessor. The situation became dire over the last few years as Tesla stopped scheduling projects in many markets and eventually stopped reporting its solar deployment numbers entirely in 2024.
Instead, the company shifted its strategy to become a supplier, launching an “Installer Day” and pushing its hardware through third-party certified installers rather than its own internal teams.
But late last year, we saw a flicker of life when Tesla announced it would restart solar panel production in Buffalo. Now, we have the full specs of that product, and it looks like Tesla is finally doing what it promised nearly a decade ago: building its own unique solar module.
The new module, listed as TSP-420, appeared on Tesla’s website today.
Made in Buffalo, Finally
The most prominent feature of the datasheet is the statement: “Proudly made on Earth by humans and assembled in Buffalo, New York, in the United States of America.”
“Assembled in Buffalo” does point to someone outside the US producing the solar cells and Tesla assembling the panels at Gigafactory New York in Buffalo.
But this is still significant. Gigafactory New York (originally built for SolarCity and paid for by the state of New York) was supposed to be the largest solar factory in the Western Hemisphere. However, after the acquisition, Panasonic took over manufacturing there before exiting the facility in 2020. Since then, the factory has been mostly used for Supercharger components and Autopilot data labeling.
For the last few years, Tesla has been white-labeling panels from other manufacturers like Q Cells. This new datasheet confirms they are bringing manufacturing back in-house with a proprietary design.
Giga New York is back to being a solar factory to some degree.
The Specs: 18 Power Zones?
The specs show a 415W and 420W module, which is standard for the current market, we previously reported on Tesla adopting 420W panels back in 2021.
However, the technology inside seems different. Tesla claims the new panel features “18 Power Zones” compared to 6 in a standard panel.
Standard half-cut solar cells usually split a panel into two independent sections (top and bottom) to handle shading better. If Tesla is claiming 18 zones, they are likely using a shingled cell design or a custom string layout that allows the panel to maintain output even when significant portions are shaded.
The datasheet also confirms the integration of the Zep-derived rail-less mounting hardware, which Tesla claims allows the panel to sit closer to the roof for a “minimalist aesthetic” – a tech acquired through the Solar City bailout a decade ago.
Electrek’s Take
On one hand, I am happy to see Tesla finally utilizing Gigafactory New York for its original purpose. The “Power Zones” tech sounds genuinely useful for shading issues, and if they can control the manufacturing cost, it could be a competitive product.
There are some smaller panels out there that have 420 watts of capacity, but if it can handle shading better, it could be more efficient.
On the other hand, what does this mean for Tesla’s solar business?
Tesla has spent the last two years firing its solar scheduling teams and canceling customer orders en masse. They explicitly pivoted to third-party installers. Is this panel only for Tesla’s internal crews (which are now skeletal)? Or will they sell this premium, US-made panel to third-party installers?
I think it’s going to be the latter.
If they sell it to third parties, it competes directly with the commodity panels those installers love to use. If they keep it for themselves, they need to rebuild an installation workforce they just spent years dismantling.
It feels like Tesla’s solar strategy is still a bit of a yo-yo. But at least for now, the solar business has a pulse.
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