Published 1/24/18 @ 7:30pm
In September, Boston Solar wrote a blog post about the potential national tariff on imported solar panels and how it would affect solar panel pricing and availability. For the past few months, the case has been in the hands of the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Trump Administration. On Monday, the President officially announced that he will impose a 30% tariff on ALL imported solar panels. The tariff will decline in 5% increments over a four-year span, ending at 15% by 2022. The tariff will go into effect on February 7th, 2018.
What Does This Mean for me?
Boston Solar Customers (install complete or contract signed):
If you are already a Boston Solar customer, this does not affect you whatsoever.
Boston Solar Potential Customers:
Boston Solar has been aware of this potential tariff since it was announced and followed it closely. With the current administration’s energy focus, we knew there was a high probability that it would go into effect in early 2018. With this knowledge, we worked closely with our distributor and solar panel partners to ensure we could receive the best pricing and enough availability to keep our prices low. The good thing is, we have ample solar panels at pre-tariff pricing, but only while supplies last. We do foresee solar panel pricing increasing at some point because of this tariff but aren’t sure of how much or when. We believe the residential solar sector will have the least impact.
We continue to say, now is the time to go solar. With the tariff on the horizon and the current Massachusetts incentive changing, the sooner you pull the trigger, the better! Obviously, there will still be an attractive ROI after the change in incentive and tariff implementation, but payback will be somewhat longer.
Is There an Opportunity to Review the President’s Decision?
The ITC is expected to review the remedy in the summer of 2019, with hopes to submit a report to the President by January 2020.
As a member of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Boston Solar is invested and dedicated to the fight for solar. SEIA is the driving force behind solar energy and is building a strong solar industry to power America through advocacy and education. As the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry, which now employs more than 260,000 Americans, SEIA represents all organizations that promote, manufacture, install and support the development of solar energy. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to build jobs and diversity, champion the use of cost-competitive solar in America, remove market barriers and educate the public on the benefits of solar energy.
For the past few months, SEIA has launched a series of campaigns in opposition of the tariffs. SEIA believes these tariffs will unnecessarily set back solar and hurt the economy. They are disappointed by the outcome of the trade case; however, their next steps will be to continue to advocate against the tariffs while focusing on strategic measures to ensure the solar industry’s long-term success.
We urge those that are researching solar to get a free estimate now and talk to one of our solar consultants. We know that solar is a financial investment, but we also know that payback is quick, for savings that last a lifetime.
If you have any questions about this tariff, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. My information is below.
I’d also like to thank you for reading our blog and your interest in solar. To our customers, thank you for supporting Boston Solar and the solar industry. We do believe that solar is a viable energy source and will continue to fight for the future of the industry.
Questions? Contact:
Natalie Holtgrefe
Director of Marketing @ Boston Solar
natalie.holtgrefe@bostonsolar.us
617-858-1645 x225
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