30% imported solar panel tariff

[White+Nerdy]

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT intend this to be a political post. Just the facts, ma’am.

That said, politics have led to President Trump imposing a 30% tariff on imported solar panels. This will likely affect those of us who are still building out out dwellings and looking to install a solar system.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

Are there good domestically made panels?

 

[Van Lady]

I ordered my Renogy kit today. Glad I did.
Thanks for posting. I was not aware.

 

[KathyC]

Hopefully, we'll see more domestic manufacturing. I read an article earlier today that indicated Tesla says that it started making traditional solar panels at the Buffalo factory last summer and has so far hired 500 people to keep the process moving. They are also using the Buffalo plant to make the solar roof tiles.

 

[Primal1]

Are there good domestically made panels?

I've been trying to find out where Renogy is made, I've seen USA and China claims, but can't seem to find an answer on Renogy's site.

 

[Van Lady]

I've been trying to find out where Renogy is made, I've seen USA and China claims, but can't seem to find an answer on Renogy's site.

I ordered a Renogy kit today (before I knew about this tariff info). I asked were the components were manufactured. He said the panels are made in Thailand and the controller/etc. in China.

 

[Primal1]

Ouch, I figured as much, I found several sites that said Renogy made its panels in the USA, but I didn't see any info on Renogy's site so I suspected it might be imported. I'm going to have to buy at least 200W in the next few months but I wasn't ready yet.

 

[RVTravel]

The last paragraph of that article states

"The provision under which Trump took action has been used rarely, and its tariffs are almost always struck down by the WTO. The last time it was used was in 2001 for steel imports, and the WTO overturned the penalties."

 

[White+Nerdy]

The last paragraph of that article states

"The provision under which Trump took action has been used rarely, and its tariffs are almost always struck down by the WTO. The last time it was used was in 2001 for steel imports, and the WTO overturned the penalties."

I hope that’s the case this time!

 

[John TF]

It's called history , generally speaking solar was invented , developed etc. here in the US , there were many manufactures here ,
Most media said it didn't work , would not pay for it's self , etc.
Then they allow stolen tech back into the country from mostly china , we lost companies , jobs etc.
Now we are getting all kinds of junk , where you going to go with a 20 -25 yr. warranty on panels .
The industry needed some competition , but not a wholesale give away of manufacturing jobs .

 

[jimindenver]

The last tariff was the year I bought my new American made Navajo 250w's and the owner was saying it would affect even the charge controllers. The price of the controller never changed and panels became even less expensive. So either it was removed or the manufactures decided to take less profit.

Look to your local craigslist for panels. I have been checking the southern Arizona areas and finding amazing deals on new panels.

 

[lenny flank]

Won't stand. It violates WTO rules and China is certain to file charges. Whether one likes the World Trade Organization or not (and I don't) the simple reality is that the WTO sets the terms of international trade, not any individual country, and no country has ever successfully defied the WTO--the US itself has already tried several times and failed utterly. It'll fail this time too.

It'll take a while for a ruling to be issued, but once it is, all those tariffs will go away.

 

[breeze]

That's cool with me personally. Grape Solar sold at Home Depot is from Oregon and they are killer watts per panel (180 to 300.) Of course they will go up if their competition goes up (and some panels have funky lot buys too, like Chinese co's.) From looking at the bang for the buck (i.e. - CAPACITY per roof/panel), they are a number one alternative if they fit (w/ Dometic AC) on roof.  

 

[John61CT]

Last I heard Grape's panels are made in China and S.Korea, only "assembled" in the U.S.

I think that's true for 90% of panels sold by "American companies" whatever that is supposed to mean these days.

 

[KathyC]

Last I heard Grape's panels are made in China and S.Korea, only "assembled" in the U.S.

from their website:

Grape Solar utilizes contract manufacturing which means we design the specifications and set the quality standards for our panels which are made in over 30 different factories throughout the world. These factories are located in Japan, Korea, China, and Canada. If a customer requires Made in America panels, we can deliver.

 

[John61CT]

Sunpower puts US investments on hold

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nsion-on-hold-over-trump-tariff-idUSKBN1FF00X

 

[breeze]

from their website:

Grape Solar utilizes contract manufacturing which means we design the specifications and set the quality standards for our panels which are made in over 30 different factories throughout the world. These factories are located in Japan, Korea, China, and Canada. If a customer requires Made in America panels, we can deliver.

Thanks Kathy! Home Depot just said made in America, so I did not look any further; and they are the only high capacity alternative, if I can get by their puzzle of minimum buys. As the experts have said, any type of solar panel will do, so... I may just get one 300w (or larger if they have a larger one.)

Lol, I need to IGNORE him on my smart phone too

 

[lenny flank]

Meh, most of the Toyotas sold in the US are made in the US. Meanwhile, Ford and GM make over half their profits (and cars) overseas--and assemble a large portion of their North American cars in Mexico. So which one is the "American" company"?

There is no such thing anymore as an "American company". They simply don't exist. Everything you buy, from the laptop you are using right now to half the lunch you ate this afternoon, came from someplace else. That is the reality of a global economy.

 

[Technomad]

Tarriffs are bad economics. They are politically driven, but they never do what they are intended to do, because the economy cannot be managed that way... and in fact is unmanageable. (Which is good, because centralized control over economics never works, otherwise communism would have been more successful.)

 

[lenny flank]

Could you please keep the political crap out of it? Nobody cares about it.

Thanks.