Bold Names The Home-Solar Boom May Have Gone Bust. What’s Next for Solar Power?
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Sep 6, 2024 
Phred Dvorak, an energy and climate reporter, and Colin Touhey, CEO of Pvilion, dive into the shifting landscape of solar energy. They discuss the impressive surge in residential solar power and the challenges that homeowners now face, like high costs and interest rates. The conversation highlights the decline in U.S. rooftop installations amid rising global demand. Additionally, they explore innovative solar fabrics that can power devices and portable solar solutions that could revolutionize energy usage in everyday life.
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Shifting Solar Landscape
- Rooftop solar installations in the US grew significantly, increasing the amount of electricity generated.
- Despite this growth, distributed power generation like rooftop solar is being overshadowed by large-scale solar farms.
Rising Soft Costs
- Solar panel installation costs have decreased, but other expenses like labor and financing have increased.
- 'Soft costs', not hardware costs, make up two-thirds of solar installation expenses, impacting overall affordability.
California Solar Decline
- California, despite incentives, saw a decline in home solar sales due to reduced payments for excess energy fed back to the grid.
- Utilities argue this change is necessary to balance costs and grid stability as solar power fluctuates.