Page 6 - North American Clean Energy March April 2018 Issue

guest editor's note
Why One Solar CEO is “Unfazed by the New Tari ”
by Scott Cramer
As the CEO of a small solar company relying on foreign imports, what I know to be true of our country and the industry in which I work casts a shadow on any frustration I’m supposed to have over the 201 Trade Case decision.
e solar industry is like America itself: Full of good intentions, strong, enduring, resilient, and willing to ght to improve not just the human condition, but also the most sacred place in our nation’s psyche – the sole item preceding the
Given that the tari will only cause job losses and cut corners in the customer experience
for solar companies that have over-leveraged themselves with debt, consumers will be less overwhelmed by the options made available
to them, and more likely to make an intelligent decision when going solar.
History and Economic Structure Make Tari Manageable
Given the 2.5-gigawatt threshold, nancially stable solar companies had plenty of time to import a large number of panels to o set the e ect of the impending tari .
While the tari s may not mean immediate return for American solar companies who’ve relied on foreign imports, it means a better outcome for solar prospects, which should be the objective of every American solar business.
Additionally, the 201 Trade Case tari will bring solar companies closer to forecasting how price changes a ect the real consumer demand for solar panels.
is becomes increasingly true if the future bodes toward fewer solar tax credits and rebates, which will generate newfound innovation.
A Proportional Scale Back on Chinese Imported Solar Cells Means Product Diversification and Quality
Over the past decade, many American solar companies, at the expense of their customers, have relied heavily on the cheapest solar panel prices from China to sustain their deeply-leveraged, debt-laden business models.
Despite China taking a harder hit than any other country because of the tari , JinkoSolar has announced plans to build a solar factory in Florida.
Although roughly 10 percent of all American-imported solar cells came from China prior to the tari , that’s still a hefty percentage of American solar relying on an imported Chinese product; although low-priced and o ering its own unique bene ts, this does not expose consumers to the full spread of solar panel features the American market has missed out on over the past decade.
Yes, a tari on solar panels from China will increase prices, but it will also direct American solar companies and their prospects toward higher quality solar panels.
Homeowners Will Still be Able to Go Solar for Zero Down No-cost solar in America is a major misconception, because the phrase is really meant to express that prospects can go solar for zero down, which, although convenient, isn’t going solar for free.
It’s better than free, and will remain better than free because it’s an investment that makes consumers money. Consumers who don’t let the trade case decision keep them from bene ting from the ROI of residential solar, will be glad they remained bullish on their investments.
Simply put, when major trade decisions that impact an entire industry are set forth by a select few, and intended to bene t only a select few, the market will correct these small players’ mistakes, even if many fear the mistakes to be incorrigible.
Scott Cramer is the CEO, of Go Solar Group, a family-owned, full-service solar company that was founded in Utah after a service mission in Africa. Go Solar Group continues to bring a ordable, quality solar products to Utah and Reno, Nevada residents who want to support building a cleaner, healthier Earth.
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www.gosolargroup.com
white picket fence in the last and greatest components of the American Dream – our homes – which are now powered by solar in larger numbers than ever.
at trend will still continue year over year. I’m unfazed by the new tari , and I feel many American solar companies relying on foreign imports have reason to feel the same.
In hopes of helping other solar executives understand the opportunity to grow and prosper, in spite of the tari , I’ve outlined the below principles we must follow and remember if we are to move forward in the way I know we can.
Unpacking the 201 Trade Case
e rst 2.5 gigawatts of foreign-imported solar cells will be excluded from the tari , giving unprepared companies relying on foreign imported solar cells more breathing room than expected.
Although America imports roughly 80 percent of its solar cells, there are upsides to the decision.
e 30% tari issued is far less than the 50% tari advocated by Suniva and SolarWorld. Although 30% seems like a lot, the bulk of American solar companies’ costs aren’t in panel imports.
The Tari Will Reveal Which Solar Companies Can be Trusted to Invest in the Customer Experience
e payo on rooftop solar takes years for customers to receive, and sometimes decades to magnify, so it’s imperative consumers invest their hard- earned money in solar companies that are pro table enough to maintain a positive customer experience.
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