Tesla can never be faulted for its contribution to increasing employment, whether it’s US-based, in Europe, or China. And now it seems Tesla is continuing to offer more jobs, this time at its factory at Giga New York. New job listings on LinkedIn show the company is advertising over 30 vacancies at the solar production facility in Buffalo. The positions are varied and include production operations, roof installers, equipment maintenance, engineering, and much more.
Reportedly the solar factory is operating 24 hours on a six-day schedule to keep up increasing demands. And this confirms Tesla is accelerating its solar production and installation, which correspond to the EV company’s expansion into the energy sector, both on home soil and abroad. Tesla has come up with a number of initiatives to expand its consumer market in solar energy. Last year October, they lower their prices, then came up with an incentive program stating their goal is to build the best clean energy products and help Tesla owners share their excitement and experiences with others.
In Tesla’s Q2 2020 Earnings Update letter, they outlined their goals that would entail ramping up efforts in their solar production:
“Solar Roof installations roughly tripled in Q2 compared to Q1. We continue to expand our installation team to increase the deployment rate. Recently, we made home retrofit solar even more affordable in the U.S., while also offering an increased efficiency panel. At $1.49 per watt, the average Tesla solar system is now one-third less expensive than the industry."
The United States has one of the world’s most expensive rates for solar panels and energy production but Tesla has managed to come in and cut the pricing per watt, making it a third less expensive than the industry average in the U.S. They have a substantial advantage in being able to cut soft costs from its solar program such as facilitating the purchase of solar products online, which is the same strategy it's used for their electric cars. Keeping their sales channel digital is a major factor in minimizing operational costs. They don’t need to showcase their products in physical stores, or hire salespeople to manage the locations. Through minimizing expenses, Tesla’s energy division has been able to sustain itself through the recent economic dip.
Most of us might see Tesla only as an electric vehicle manufacturer, but its production of energy generation and storage products is booming too making it a serious player in the solar arena. Thanks to its cost-effective strategy, Tesla Energy looks to be taking the lead in becoming the number one choice for household solar energy.
ABOUT GIGA NEW YORK
In 2017, Tesla began production of solar cells and modules at Gigafactory 2 – a 1.2 million-square-foot facility in Buffalo, New York. In 2019, Tesla added new production lines that will support electrical components for Supercharger and energy storage products. To date, Tesla has created nearly 2000 jobs at Gigafactory 2 and continues to ramp operations and production at the facility.
Originally a steel manufacturing site, the 88-acre property located along the Buffalo River was transformed to produce solar panels and solar cells. The factory’s original occupant entered into an agreement with the Research Foundation for the State University of New York. Tesla secured Gigafactory 2 through its acquisition of SolarCity in 2016.
In line with agreements with the State of New York, Tesla aims to create 5,000 clean energy jobs in the state within the next 10 years, predominantly in Buffalo, making the city a hub for sustainable innovation and advanced manufacturing.
