February 11, 2016 | By RGR Marketing Blog

What’s in Store for Solar in 2016?

 

If you’re in the solar business, then you know that 2015 was a good year for the industry as a whole. Hopefully your business was lifted by the rising tide that is solar energy’s rapid growth.

But you may be wondering whether or not 2016 will be able to maintain the breakneck pace solar set over the past year. So which solar trends should you follow in 2016? Keep reading for some insight...

Say It With Me: 10 Gigawatts

Most analysts agree that the coming year will be another record-breaker for new solar installations. It’s been strongly suggested that by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, the U.S. will have installed an additional 10GW of solar generation capacity.

That’s enough to power eight time-traveling Deloreans, or in real-world terms, 7.5 million homes. All told, an additional 10 GW will bring our total solar energy capacity to 40 GW. That’s a lot of juice!

Watch Out for Falling Prices

Falling equipment prices have certainly aided solar’s campaign to win hearts and minds. For most consumers, environmental quality is an ever-growing concern, but financial incentives are a much stronger driver on an individual level. Expect to see an increasing number of rank-and-file consumers going green to keep more “green” in their wallets.

Keeping It Local

Unlike wind farms, solar installations are a very scalable energy solution, making them perfect for individual homeowners who are tired of waiting for “Big Energy” to see the light and are ready to take matters into their own hands.

Solar’s small-scale deployability also makes it an ideal venture for small local and regional installation firms like yours. 2016 should be a great year for you, provided you have a solid lead generation strategy for your solar installation business.

In the East: A Bigger Game, Fewer Players

Solar energy will continue its awe-inspiring growth in Asia and the Middle East, and that’s good for the global stability of the solar industry as a whole. It’s anticipated that China alone will install upwards of 43 GW. However, China’s industrial economy is forecasted to slow, which could spell trouble for marginal solar manufacturers.

Off-Grid Living Still Not Ready for Prime Time

Tesla’s Powerwall storage system garnered a lot of attention over the past year, but industry insiders say widespread adoption of battery backup systems is still a few years away. Still, you may want to offer battery backup systems for the early adopters and those looking to put solar energy to use in isolated locations, if you’re not already doing so.

Big Energy Won’t Give Up Without a Fight

The large utilities know that solar is a key part of our energy future, but don’t expect them to go quietly into the night, so to speak. The staunchest holdouts will continue to lobby for special treatment from legislators and energy commissions, and the more forward thinking will work to co-opt solar energy’s momentum and oust smaller local and regional players. Most will do a bit of both. C’est la vie.

The Solar Investment Tax Credit Rides Again!

As you’re doubtlessly aware, the demise of federal Solar ITC has again been forestalled, which is good news for solar consumers and solar businesses like yours. However, that doesn’t mean the policy battle is over – far from it. At the state and utility level, it’s safe to predict continued friction between solar proponents and utilities.

Will 2016 Set Records for Your Company?

We certainly hope that the coming year will be the best one on record for your solar business, and we’d like to help make that happen. If you’re in need of quality solar leads, we hope you’ll consider partnering with RGR. Thanks for reading!

[Photo via: Pri]

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