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The halls of Congress have been buzzing with clean energy conversations this month, and EnergySage has been right in the thick of it. We've been meeting with lawmakers to make the case that the residential solar tax credit (Section 25D of the U.S. Tax Code) needs to be preserved beyond this year.

Last week, we teamed up with installers who represent the thousands of small businesses that would be directly impacted if the credit were cut. This week, we're back with an even broader coalition—more installers, solar financing companies, manufacturers, and industry trade associations like the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Why the urgency for this fight? The residential solar tax credit is set to be eliminated at the end of this year, a full decade ahead of its original schedule. That's a problem we can't afford to ignore.

If you want to go solar, installing it now rather than later can save you around $9,000 and allow you to earn back your investment more than four years sooner than you would otherwise. Solar payback periods—the amount of time it takes to recoup the cost of installing a solar panel system—are on track to become significantly less favorable to homeowners by the end of the year. 

Jim Wood, President and CEO of SEG Solar Inc., a solar manufacturer based in Texas, wrote a letter to Republican lawmakers urging them to save the federal solar tax credit. Without government tax credits supporting the industry, it will shrink dramatically—and thousands of good manufacturing jobs in red states are at risk of disappearing.

Repealing clean energy tax credits as the GOP proposed in the reconciliation bill currently making its way through Congress would have nationwide consequences, but some states are better positioned to keep solar energy affordable than others.

A Texas subsidiary of Sunnova Energy, a leading U.S. solar installer and lease provider, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday amid a series of challenges for the parent company.

Nearly half of solar shoppers on the EnergySage Marketplace added batteries to their solar panel system purchases in the second half of 2024. The new GOP bill would increase prices and stall momentum.

As President and COO of EnergySage, I'm not typically one to sound alarm bells. But today, I need to be direct with you about the state of clean energy policy: Clean energy programs that directly benefit people like you are under attack on Capitol Hill. Specifically, the residential solar tax credit—which puts thousands of dollars back in average homeowners' pockets—is at serious risk of ending early.

If you’re considering going solar now or in the near future, my best advice is not to wait any longer.

Solar loans with high interest rates are increasingly offered with much lower fees, which is making loans with higher interest rates more affordable than they may initially seem, according to EnergySage Intel's latest Solar & Storage Marketplace Report.

While a low interest rate is a welcome sight for most borrowers, it doesn’t always translate to the lowest overall cost. It’s important to look at the annual percentage rate (APR) on your loan, which considers all of the fees, closing costs, and your interest rate together to determine the actual cost of the loan.

One-third of quotes in the second half of 2024 included panels rated above 450 watts, up from 1% a year earlier. Low-output panels are being phased out quickly, but looming tariffs may slow progress.