1 5 , ▁Sol ar City ▁had ▁ 1 5 , 2 7 3 ▁employees ; ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁it ▁had ▁ 1 2 , 2 4 3 ▁employees . ▁Sol ar City ▁elimin ated ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁its ▁total ▁work force ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁The ▁company ▁did ▁so ▁to ▁preserve ▁c ash . ▁The ▁job ▁cut s ▁affected ▁workers ▁across ▁the ▁entire ▁company : ▁ 2 2 % ▁of ▁jobs ▁were ▁cut ▁in ▁operations , ▁install ations , ▁and ▁manufact uring ; ▁ 2 7 % ▁in ▁sales ▁and ▁market ing . ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁company ' s ▁history ▁that ▁Sol ar City ▁cut ▁its ▁work force . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁planned ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁$ 5 ▁million ▁in ▁charges ▁to ▁cover ▁its ▁planned ▁lay offs . ▁The ▁company ▁also ▁cut ▁the ▁sal aries ▁of ▁its ▁two ▁co - found ers ▁from ▁$ 2 7 5 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁$ 1 ▁per ▁year . ▁ ▁Sub s idi ary ▁of ▁T es la ▁Inc . ▁( 2 0 1 6 – present ) ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁T es la ▁announced ▁in ▁a ▁joint ▁statement ▁with ▁Sol ar City ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁acqu iring ▁the ▁company ▁in ▁an ▁all - stock ▁$ 2 . 6 ▁billion ▁mer ger . ▁T