EV and Solar/Wind Tax Credits

[jebatty]

Looks like these credits survived in the GOP tax bill.

 

[woodgeek]

EV rebates too!

 

[vinny11950]

It looks like the solar panels are about to get more expensive.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/business/trump-tariffs-washing-machines-solar-panels.html

Not sure how I feel about this. On one hand it may help US solar producers, but I doubt it will have a long term impact in getting the solar panels made here, as I don't think investors will want to risk their money on artificial pricing that could easily go away.

On the other hand, the tariffs will only help to slow down solar installations in the US, making them less competitive against other options, which may be the goal of the tariffs, just to piss off the renewable crowd. Trolling on a larger stage.

 

[Where2]

It looks like the solar panels are about to get more expensive.

Will be interesting to see if the multiple grid supplier PV plants I put proposals in on last week come off the ground. They were all offshore panels.

Tempting to buy another 6kW while they're under $0.65/W...

 

[jebatty]

"... a 30% tariff pencils out to roughly $0.10-$0.15/watt, which could reduce utility-scale solar installations by 9%."
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-issues-30-tariff-on-solar-panel-imports/515265/

 

[begreen]

I call BS on the idea that this tariff is a jobs creator. In the net it will be a jobs killer trading off thousands of current existing and good paying jobs in exchange for hundreds of hypothetical jobs. Think Carrier here. Ironically and cynically the two companies that lobbied for protect are not American and both are teetering on bankruptcy. This tariff would be better called a coal and oil interest protection edict.
http://fortune.com/2018/01/22/solar-trade-case-trump-says-yes-to-new-tariffs-that-target-china/

SEIA predicted that the tariffs could decrease the projected 11 gigawatt of solar forecasted to be installed in the United States this year by 2 GW and lead to the loss of 23,000 jobs this year.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-tariff-angering-u-s-installers-idUSKBN1FB30B

 

[woodgeek]

The annoying thing about all this BS is that it just puts the US even further behind an inevitable transition...that will march forward despite the US.

 

[peakbagger]

I dont think its much of an impact. Panel costs are so cheap these days that install and BOS parts are a much larger percentage of installed cost. The rush was on when panels got to around $2 a watt. Even with tariffs I think they come in less than $1 a watt. Folks are voluntarily increasing the price of their installed system by the amount of the tariff by using micro-inverters where they are not needed. (Note, micros make sense for some installs with shading but for many installs it just makes it easier for the installer as the math is lot easier)

Heck my original panels were around $6 a watt and my Evergreens were around $1 a watt and my Shucos were around $0.95. I see close out panels in the $0.70 range so the tariff will bring them back to my costs until some offshore company starts a sham assembly plant to get around the tariff.

 

[begreen]

Apparently the devil is in the details here. According to a Reuter's article the tariff doesn't kick in until 2.5GW of panels have been sold. And the tariff is only on fully assembled panels and cells, not the components.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-holds-some-good-news-for-tesla-idUSKBN1FC37D

Anyone see a China->Mexico->US solar channel developing muy rápidamente?