Solar Panel Tariff May Influence Solar Panel Purchase Costs 

President Donald Trump decided recently to slap 30% tariff on imported solar panels on imported solar panels, and Trump's may cost jobs for the American solar panel industry job force.  

In the most significant blow he’s bought to the renewable energy industry yet, President Donald Trump decided on recently to slap tariffs on imported solar panels in a move that critics say could decrease down a fast-growing sector and eliminate tens of thousands of national manufacturing jobs.

Solar Panel Tariff Reason

The administration's judgment followed a trade lawsuit brought by two U.S. solar manufacturers. They disputed that cheap solar equipment from China and other countries bothered their businesses. Trump had long declared to boost manufacturing jobs by impairing down on Chinese imports.

"The President’s action makes clear again that the Trump Administration will always defend American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses," the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, stated in a declaration declaring Trump's choice.

But the large majority of the U.S. solar industry rejected an import tax, saying it would increase the cost of solar power and undercut an industry that employs more than 260,000 people, according to the nonprofit Solar Foundation, more people that work in coal or natural gas, two energy sources supported by Trump. Approximately half of U.S. solar jobs are in installation, with others in construction, sales, product development and other divisions of the industry.

Solar Power Industries Warn

The Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade organization, said recently that Trump's decision would decimate American manufacturing jobs, not produce them. The trade organization said that of the 38,000 solar manufacturing jobs in the U.S., only 2,000 include making cells and panels, which are incorporated by Trump's import tax. The other 36,000 manufacturing jobs include other equipment used on massive solar farms and rooftop solar installations.

The trade association predicted the import tariff would eliminate 23,000 jobs this year.

"There’s no doubt this decision will hurt U.S. manufacturing, not help it," Bill Vietas, president of RBI Solar in Cincinnati, stated in a declaration published by the trade association. "Government tariffs will increase the cost of solar and depress demand, which will reduce the orders we're getting and cost manufacturing workers their jobs."

The solar sector has been increasing, stoked by dramatically falling expenses and state and local policies to support clean power. The U.S. installed nearly 15 gigawatts of solar energy in 2016, according to the clean-tech consulting firm GTM Research, up from 2 gigawatts five years prior and a tenth of a gigawatt a decade preceding. Substantial solar farms have developed across the open desert in states like Arizona, California, and Nevada, and rooftop solar systems have become frequently more popular for residences and businesses.

That growth was made possible by cheap imported solar panels, mainly from China.  And, even though these tariffs have been dealt with the American solar industry, there is still time to get the lowest-priced solar in history. While there is no “one size fits all” answer to the question of how much do solar panels price, most homeowners find that installing solar panels is a cost-effective alternative. The soundest way to find out if it is right for you is to get an estimate, we at HahaSmart can help you get those answers immediately with the price checker tool. How much solar power you need and how much you can save on your energy bills each month.