2023 was another year of highs and lows for the solar industry. Fine-print details of the Inflation Reduction Act’s many solar-related provisions steadily rolled out and captured the interest of C&I and utility contractors looking for extra tax credits, while emerging technology like smarter inverters and bidirectional chargers promised more selling points for residential installers.
Between the positive advancements came struggles too. A large national installer shuttered the majority of its branches, a study flagged some serious wire management install issues and a solar panel manufacturer’s U.S. plant was raided by federal agents.
It’s never a dull moment in the solar industry. Below are the Top 10 most-read stories on SPW from the past year. Stay on top of U.S. solar industry happenings in 2024 and beyond by following SPW on Twitter and subscribing to our weekly enewsletter.
10. Made-in-USA trackers, solar panels, inverters and more qualify for 10% ‘domestic content’ adder under certain rules
SPW readers kept a keen eye on IRA guidance coming down from the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury and the IRS in 2023. The domestic content bonus applies to projects built using required amounts of domestic-produced steel, iron and manufactured products.
9. New SolarEdge inverters allow for larger systems without main panel upgrades
With new embedded power control system (PCS) technology, some SolarEdge inverters can now monitor, balance and control the currents on the main panel busbar and help homeowners avoid a costly main panel upgrade.
8. Enphase enters commercial market with new three-phase microinverter
Residential microinverter leader Enphase entered the commercial market with a new product for small three-phase applications and high-powered solar panels.
7. ADT Solar to close 22 of 38 branches
In November, ADT announced it was restructuring its solar business it acquired from Sunpro in 2021 and closing 22 of 38 branches. The company said its total solar revenue for Q3 2023 was $58 million, down 68% compared to Q3 2022.
6. Solar inspection report finds field-made solar connectors, wire management caused most safety issues
An analysis of more than 60,000 PV system health datapoints from hundreds of independent project assessments found the majority of issues were related to wire management and field-made solar connectors.
5. SolarEdge bringing bidirectional EV charger to RE+
SolarEdge took its new bidirectional EV charger on the road in 2023. The product enables solar-powered Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) functions for customers looking to get more out of their EVs.
4. House Ways and Means Committee proposes repeal of IRA in new tax bill
For the second time in 2023, the Republican-led House of Representatives proposed a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill did not advance.
3. Applications now open for IRA low-income bonus credit
The Dept. of the Treasury, the IRS and the Dept. of Energy began accepting applications for the IRA’s Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program in October 2023. After the initial 30-day application window, the administrators revealed they received applications representing more than 8 GW of generation capacity for the 2023 program.
2. IRS releases guidance on direct pay and transferability under IRA
The IRS published guidance on the IRA’s new option for direct pay and transferability of tax credits, which aimed to expand renewable energy tax benefits to non-tax-paying entities. The new provisions apply to organizations including nonprofits, state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and others.
1. JinkoSolar U.S. operations raided by federal agents
Before the AD/CVD investigation came to an end in August, local news outlets reported that JinkoSolar’s solar panel manufacturing plant in Jacksonville, Florida, was raided by federal agents in the spring. Although a large Chinese producer of solar panels, Jinko also has a manufacturing presence in Malaysia and ships many modules for the U.S. market from its Southeast Asian operations.