Tesla teams with Home Depot for solar panel system showcases

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Tesla is gearing up to take its solar aspirations to home-improvement shoppers across the country.

Find Tesla’s solar offerings at your local Home Depot

Reuters reports the high-profile maker of electric vehicles is set to bring some of its solar wares to Home Depot stores during the first half of 2018.

Using 12-foot displays, Tesla employees will demonstrate and talk up the benefits of solar panels and Powerwall batteries to interested shoppers.

Look for the dedicated selling areas to pop up in about 800 Home Depot stores over the next few months.

The average system from Tesla starts at $10,000 and Powerwall batteries sell for $7,000.

Sources cited by Reuters also say Tesla is in talks with Lowe’s to establish a similar sales presence in their stores.

There’s also speculation that Tesla may eventually feature its solar roof shingles in home-improvement stores.

The company made a big splash in 2016 with attractive shingles that generated energy and helped cut down on your electric bill. But with an average price tag $52,000, widespread adoption of the shingles has been a bridge too far for many homeowners.

Solar industry watchers will recall that Tesla acquired Solar City in late 2016. At the time, Solar City was one of the leading marketers accounting for a 30% share of the U.S. solar installation market from 2014 through 2016.

But Tesla struggled with marketing its solar offerings after taking over Solar City. Instead of retaining the door-to-door residential canvassing that made Solar City a powerhouse, Tesla opted for a more exclusive approach.

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The high-end auto manufacturer decided to sell its solar products exclusively at its own network of dealerships. That decision no doubt limited the solar products’ exposure to a broader audience.

Now the Home Depot plan looks set to reverse that trend and push Tesla toward sunny skies with its solar sales once again.