Dive Brief:
- Greentech Media reports SolarCity co-founder and CTO Peter Rive is leaving the company, capping a stream of executives exiting since it was acquired by Tesla.
- The Buffalo News notes that with Rive's departure, "all of the rooftop solar installer's highest-ranking executives have either left or plan to leave." Rive's brother and former SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive left the company in June, with plans to start his own company sometime next year.
- Rive helped develop the "solar roof," Tesla's roof-mounted solar panels that mimic the design of traditional shingles.
Dive Insight:
There's no word yet on where Rive will head to next, but in a note to employees, he said work on solar roof "is being transitioned to other Tesla engineering leaders, who are among the brightest, most accomplished on the planet."
He added he plans to spend more time in the outdoors, with his family and offer his expertise to solar non-profits in the near-term.
Last year, Musk unveiled an integrated solar roof and battery storage product at an event in Los Angeles and began taking preorders for solar roofs a few months ago. The new roof systems will integrate with the Powerwall 2.0 battery system, and Tesla is touting them as cheaper and more durable than a traditional roof.
Since being acquired by Tesla last year, a string of executives has left SolarCity. In addition to the Rive brothers, Chief Policy Officer Jon Wellinghoff left in April after serving as SolarCity's policy chief for a little more than a year. The Buffalo News notes that CFO Tanguy Serra also quit SolarCity after the company was acquired.
Tesla has plans for up to five factories, including SolarCity's factory in Buffalo, which it considers its second location after the Nevada Gigafactory. By 2018, that location will produce 35 GWh/year of lithium-ion battery cells.
