Rooftop solar installers feel like a dog that’s been repeatedly kicked.
President Donald Trump has made solar more expensive—or at least slowed the long-term decline in costs—by imposing tariffs on imported photovoltaic panels and other parts. Trump also signed a measure last year that phased out the main federal tax credit for rooftop solar.
The policy shifts have led to significant decreases in sales for installers, based on my conversations this week.
Wood Mackenzie, a research firm, projects that new residential solar generating capacity will fall 21 percent this year compared to 2025. That’s enough to put many U.S. solar companies out of business and to force those that remain to slash costs.
“It’s been a chaotic year,” said Cindy Rohaly, co-owner of GAI Energy, a designer and installer of solar and energy storage systems in Flora, Indiana, northwest of the Indianapolis metro area.
