Solar customers are struggling to find installers that carry Tesla's Powerwall home battery, according to a survey of solar installers from the solar shopping website EnergySage.
Over 55% of the over 870 installers participating in the survey said customers have requested Tesla's Powerwall, but just 12% of participating installers said they carry the Powerwall.
Tesla was the second-most requested solar brand during 2018, with LG ranking first, according to the survey. Forty-two percent of participating installers said customers had requested Tesla products, while 45% said customers had requested LG products.
The production ramp-up for the Model 3 sedan contributed to a shortage of battery cells available for energy products during 2018, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call. Musk said he expects Tesla's energy business to grow at twice the rate of its automotive business in the long-term.
The company said in its fourth-quarter earnings letter that it is increasing production of its energy storage products and intends to double installations to over 2 GWh in 2019.
Tesla is shifting away from using partner companies like Home Depot to drive solar sales and increasing its emphasis on selling energy products in company-owned stores, the company said in the fourth-quarter letter.
A Tesla representative declined a request for comment, but directed Business Insider to comments made by the company and Musk about the production and sale of its energy products.
Tesla has also faced difficulties meeting demand for its solar roof tiles, which the company has attributed in part to safety and durability tests for the tiles.
Have a Tesla news tip? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@bjinnox.com.
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