This is still a great time for consumers to go solar even with the new United States tariff on the imports of solar panels

The Trump regime declared Monday that it would force taxes on solar panels as well as washing machines because of objections from domestic manufacturers that they were being hurt by cheap imports. That's because any price jump in solar panels is likely to be minor—and there are loads of other considerations for homeowners to make the switch.
The price of solar panels, especially from China, has dropped sharply in recent years, fueling consumer demand and a booming business for U.S. solar installers.
Any price increase on panels isn't likely to halt that growth, says Noah Ginsburg, a director at Solar1, a New York-based nonprofit that connects consumers with installers.
Woolf and Ginsberg both say that solar energy continues to be a good investment for homeowners, especially in regions of the country with high energy costs, like New York State, which has the most expensive energy in the continental U.S.
In fact, Woolf says that homeowners who are considering installing solar energy might want to act sooner rather than later.
 

The biggest solar panel rebates are being eliminated

For one thing, one of the largest solar subsidies is going away. Currently, taxpayers can claim a 30 percent federal tax credit on the cost of solar installation. The credit decreases to 26 percent in 2020 and 21 percent in 2021, before being phased out completely in 2022.
In addition to the federal subsidies, there are many state and local incentives for solar installation.
In New York, for example, there is a 25 percent state tax credit, a 20 percent property tax abatement, and an up-front New York State Energy Research and Development subsidy that reduces the cost of a solar installation by 10 percent when homeowners hire eligible contractors, Ginsburg says.

The new tariff could harm you in other ways even if solar panel installation is not your plan for the future

Since solar panels have been so inexpensive, electric power utilities have pledged to expand their use of solar panels to conquer their carbon footprint and meet local government sustainability criteria, says Frank Maisano, spokesman for the Trade Action Coalition, which serves utilities, retailers, and energy service companies, amongst others.

In addition, large corporations such as Google, Amazon, and Walmart, in reaction to consumer demand, have committed to building large solar farms for their own energy use. Solar projects of this scale could become considerably more expensive to build, Woolf says.

Eventually, these costs will be passed on to consumers in one way or another, he says.

"Without a doubt, a government tariff makes solar less competitive compared to other sources," says Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of Solar Energy Industry Association, an industry group. "However, we still believe solar is a good investment for American consumers due to the economic and environmental benefits it provides." 

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 
20 years. 

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.