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

SolarCity Lowers Annual Guidance on Weaker Home Solar Demand

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 1, 2016, 2:25 PM ET
Lyndon Rive
contract Armin HarrisPhotograph by Gregg Segal for Fortune

As it goes through the process of being acquired by electric car maker Tesla Motors, solar installer SolarCity has lowered its forecast for how many solar panels it would install this year, blaming weaker than expected bookings in the first half of the year.

The news on Monday sent SolarCity’s (SCTY) shares down 8% in morning trading to $24.56.

The solar company doesn’t plan to announce its full second quarter earnings until Aug. 9, but it likely had to release some financial metrics early because of updated deal terms for its acquisition that were also disclosed on Monday.

Tesla (TSLA) announced that it planned to acquire SolarCity in late June, but the deal announced on Monday was slightly less lucrative for SolarCity. SolarCity shareholders will now receive fewer shares of Tesla—0.110—than the 0.122 to 0.131 shares that were originally proposed.

To see inside Tesla’s Gigafactory watch our video.

Tesla now plans to buy the company for $25.37 per share versus the original anticipated range of $26.50 to $28.50 per share. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk reiterated on a call with analysts on Monday morning that he had recused himself from the deal negotiations because he is also SolarCity’s chairman and therefore was unfamiliar with the change in the offer price.

“I know about as much as you do how this price was obtained,” he said.

SolarCity said that it now planned to install 900 to 1,000 megawatts of rooftop solar panels in 2016, below its previous annual guidance of 1,000 to 1,100 megawatts. For comparison’s sake, 1,000 megawatts of energy is about how much electricity one large coal or natural gas plant produces.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

At the same time, SolarCity preannounced that it installed 201 megawatts in the second quarter of this year, which was more than the 185 megawatts of solar panels than it had previously anticipated installing in that time period.

In addition, SolarCity said it planned to introduce two new products in the second half of this year. One will be a combined solar panel and storage product, presumably working with Tesla, and a new type of solar panel product.

Analysts with JP Morgan said the lowered guidance fueled concern that demand “is tapering” for home rooftop solar panels in more mature markets” like California.

Analysts with Cowen and Company said that SolarCity faces “advancing competition, an aggressive cost reduction profile that needs to be successfully implemented, and an over-exposure in general to the U.S. solar market, given upcoming subsidy changes.”

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
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I've studied nonviolent resistance in war zones for 20 years and Minnesota reminds me of Colombia, the Philippines and Syria
By Oliver Kaplan and The ConversationFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago

Latest in Tech

Sam Altman speaking into a mic.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s new model leaps ahead in coding capabilities—but raises unprecedented cybersecurity risks
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
4 hours ago
tiktok
CybersecuritySocial Media
Gen Z is rebelling against TikTok USA by installing another app—founded by an Oracle alum
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
5 hours ago
Amodei
Big TechBattle for Talent
Tech giants are shelling out up to $400K for AI evangelists to defend against surging American skepticism
By Jake AngeloFebruary 5, 2026
7 hours ago
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
AIEye on AI
Hey Alexa—Amazon may be teaming up with OpenAI. Here’s why that matters
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
8 hours ago
Palmer Luckey,
SuccessCareers
Forget a degree—$30 billion defense startup Anduril will fast-track your job application if you can win its AI drone-flying contest
By Preston ForeFebruary 5, 2026
9 hours ago
lewis, lee
InvestingMarkets
Michael Lewis and Tom Lee hold court on the $1 trillion software-stock carnage: ‘I think fear is not a bad thing to be long right now’
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
10 hours ago