Solar costs are going up — and not just because of demand
Going solar is getting pricier in the U.S., and Trump-era tariffs targeting China may be to blame.
Alexa St. John reports for the Associated Press.
In short:
- China dominates global solar manufacturing, and new tariffs from the Trump administration are jacking up prices on key solar components, especially glass and solar cells.
- U.S. companies, buoyed by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, have invested billions in homegrown production, but they still can’t compete with China’s scale — meaning both domestic and foreign panel prices are rising.
- As installation costs go up and pricing remains uncertain, solar companies warn adoption will slow, particularly for homeowners and smaller installers already squeezed by interest rates.
Key quote:
“Really everybody’s losing when you think about it, because the systems are costing more for the customers and it’s also just making it more difficult, in some ways, for us to do business.”
— Brian DiPaolo, assistant sales manager at Cleveland-based solar installer YellowLite
Why this matters:
Tariffs may aim to boost American industry, but they’re also making clean energy harder to afford. For homeowners already feeling the pinch of high interest rates, that dream of slashing power bills with rooftop solar feels further away. Higher prices mean fewer rooftop solar systems, less carbon reduction, and more missed opportunities for families trying to save money and fight climate change at the same time.
Read more:
