• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Elon Musk Plans to Unveil New Solar Roof on October 28

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 22, 2016, 5:14 PM ET
Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk News Conference
Elon Musk, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tesla Motors Inc., attends a key delivery ceremony of the company's premium electric sedan Model S vehicles to customers in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. Tesla may partner with Toyota Motor Corp. again in the future, Musk said. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesYuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Solar company SolarCity, which is in the process of being acquired by electric car maker Tesla, plans to show off a new product, a roof integrated with solar panels, at an event on October 28 in San Francisco.

Tesla CEO and SolarCity chairman, Elon Musk, made the announcement on Twitter on Thursday morning, and said the combined company would unveil a solar roof with an integrated battery and a Tesla charger.

While SolarCity (SCTY) has offices in San Mateo, Calif., Tesla has its factory in Fremont, Calif., and a new retail outlet in downtown San Francisco. The companies’ merger is expected to close in the coming months, but it could also be delayed by a series of shareholder lawsuits.

Musk announced plans for SolarCity’s new roof product in early August, on one of SolarCity’s earnings calls. It was the first call Musk had joined since he announced earlier in the summer that Tesla planned to purchase the solar installer.

For more on SolarCity’s efficient, affordable solar panel watch our video.

Traditional rooftop solar panels are attached to roofs using metal mounting systems. But SolarCity plans to sell an actual roof that’s integrated with a series of solar panels. Musk said that the product would be attractive to homeowners that are looking to buy a new roof.

SolarCity’s planned solar roof shows how the company is shifting focus to new solar products as the market for home rooftop solar systems has gotten more competitive and difficult in some states. The product launch, and teasing the unveiling via Twitter, also appears to be an example of Musk’s influence on the company as it undergoes the merger.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Musk has long been hyper-focused on products at Tesla and is Tesla’s “Product Architect,” in addition to being its CEO and largest shareholder.

The solar industry has been working on these type of combined roof and solar panels, called “building integrated” solar, for years. A handful of companies have developed these rooftop solar systems, but many of these products haven’t gained traction because they usually cost more than standard solar panels, and also generate electricity with less efficiency. Dow Chemical recently stopped selling its solar shingle product due to underwhelming sales.

Tesla and SolarCity have been spending heavily over the past few years, as the companies try to grow rapidly. Tesla is building a massive battery factory outside of Reno, Calif. to make batteries for its planned Model 3 electric car.

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
An unusual Fed ‘rate check’ triggered a free fall in the U.S. dollar and investors are fleeing into gold
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 26, 2026
12 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Trump was surging after the Venezuela raid—then came Jerome Powell, Greenland, and Minnesota. Now it feels like a ‘historic hinge moment’
By Jason MaJanuary 25, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Gates Foundation plans to give away $9 billion in 2026 to prepare for the 2045 closure while slashing hundreds of jobs
By Sydney LakeJanuary 23, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Sweden abolished its wealth tax 20 years ago. Then it became a 'paradise for the super-rich'
By Miranda Sheild Johansson and The ConversationJanuary 22, 2026
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Minnesota-based CEOs, including Fortune 500 bosses, call for ‘immediate de-escalation of tensions’ after fatal shooting
By Jason MaJanuary 25, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
'The Bermuda Triangle of Talent': 27-year-old Oxford grad turned down McKinsey and Morgan Stanley to find out why Gen Z’s smartest keep selling out
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 25, 2026
1 day ago

Latest in Tech

markets
InvestingMarkets
S&P 500 wins back all losses from Greenland dip, gold and silver surge even higher
By Stan Choe and The Associated PressJanuary 26, 2026
11 minutes ago
PoliticsBillionaires
Billionaire Tom Steyer says he’d vote for California wealth tax
By Eliyahu Kamisher and BloombergJanuary 26, 2026
2 hours ago
Palantir CEO Alex Karp during an interview at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
InnovationImmigration
Palantir/ICE connections draw fire as questions raised about tool tracking Medicaid data to find people to arrest
By Tristan BoveJanuary 26, 2026
4 hours ago
AIHiring
Job seekers are suing an AI hiring tool used by Microsoft and Paypal for allegedly compiling secretive reports that help employers screen candidates
By Patrick Kulp and Tech BrewJanuary 26, 2026
4 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Why two Gen Z college dropouts are combatting financial nihilism with a credit card startup
By Leo SchwartzJanuary 26, 2026
12 hours ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta abruptly halts teen access to its AI characters
By Alexei OreskovicJanuary 26, 2026
13 hours ago