Reuters: Walmart settles solar panels dispute with Tesla

Walmart has agreed to drop a lawsuit against Tesla Inc.

The discounter has withdrawn its complaint against Tesla Inc. over solar panels that the retailer said were faulty, according to a filing with the New York State Supreme Court. Walmart filed a lawsuit against Tesla accusing it of “widespread negligence” that led to repeated fires of its solar systems. The solar energy systems, which were installed and maintained by the electric car maker, were responsible for fires at least seven locations, destroying significant amounts of merchandise in the stores and requiring substantial repairs, totaling millions of dollars in losses, Walmart said in the lawsuit.

In a joint statement provided by Tesla on Tuesday, the companies said they were “pleased to have resolved the issues raised by Walmart” concerning the installations, and looked forward to “a safe re-energization of our sustainable energy systems,” Reuters reported. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Walmart became a SolarCity customer in 2010 and, during the next six years, fitted 244 of its store rooftops with solar panels as part of its renewable energy push (Tesla acquired SolarCity in 2016.). Under the terms of its solar energy contracts, SolarCity, and then Tesla, was required to install, maintain and operate the panel systems, according to the lawsuit.