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An industry survey conducted by SolarReviews and NABCEP found that two-thirds of solar installers expect high electricity prices to boost demand. 61% of those surveyed stated that pv magazine is their main source of news on the solar sector.
Informational site and developer of solar calculators SolarReviews and the North American Board of Certified Energy Professionals (NABCEP) have partnered to publish an inaugural report on the experience of solar installers in the marketplace.
The national survey on the solar energy sector had almost 500 participants, of which 62% were from residential installation companies and small businesses, 6% from commercial installers, 6% from operations and maintenance companies, 4.5% to electricians, 4% to installers of public services and 17.4% to other participants.
Rising electricity prices were the top reason customers are looking to solar, with 66% of respondents saying prices are driving demand. In addition, 62% of those surveyed stated that the Inflation Reduction Act is expected to improve their business.
It should be noted that 61% of those surveyed stated that pv magazine is their main source of news on the solar sector. This makes pv magazine the number one trade publication, followed by Solar Power World (53%), statewide industry trade groups (40%) and Solar Builder (19%).
In addition, 63% of those surveyed listed solar industry conferences as their most trusted source of news, many of whom cited pv magazine as a prominent media outlet.
According to respondents, the top panel brands they buy are Qcells (66%), REC (41%), Canadian Solar (30%), Silfab Solar (25%) and JinkoSolar (20%).
The top inverter brands are Enphase Energy (74%), SolarEdge Technologies (60%), Sol-Ark (24%), SMA (23%), Fronius (14%), and Generac (13%).
Enphase was also the first choice for energy storage systems (58%), followed by Tesla, SolarEdge, Generac and LG Chem, all hovering around 25% of respondents.
“Enphases post-installation customer service is the best. Panel brands are mostly dependent on our distributors availability,” says Ellen Castle, A1A Solar Contracting respondent.
Installers are divided on the growth they expect by 2023. Some 37% say they expect to sell a little more solar, while 36% expect much more. About 16% of installers said they expect to sell the same amount of solar in 2023 as in 2022, while 11% expect a drop in sales.
Installers continue to modify their offer as demand for new technologies arises. About 15% of the installed systems were oversized to meet future demands for an electric vehicle that charges at home. More than 80% of residential installers said they now offer battery energy storage, while 67% said they offer EV charging ports. About 40% of residential installers said they offer electrician services, and 28% of installers also do roofing work.
Respondents stated that 21% of solar jobs included energy storage, while California, Florida and Texas have battery installation rates approaching 30%. Rising electricity prices, more frequent power outages, and changes in net metering policy are expected to further drive battery adoption.
In the financing category, the largest group of customers opt for solar-specific loans (44%), closely followed by cash purchases (42%) and power purchase agreements or leases (10%). Mosaic is the leading lending platform (20%), followed by Sunlight Financial (17%) and Goodleap (12%).
When asked about the main obstacles to success, participants ranked the high cost of financing as the top concern (42%), followed by customer acquisition (42%), difficulty hiring enough employees (38%) , inflation (33%) and regulations and permit and interconnection costs (31%).
Respondents say the effects of inflation translate into increased operating costs (70%), higher prices driving demand for solar power (66%), and higher wages for workers (63%).
As solar companies struggle to find employees, respondents say the greatest need is to find qualified installers (71%). They are followed by qualified electricians (67%) and construction workers (51%).
Respondents indicated that 11% of their employees were NABCEP certified. Interestingly, 42% of installers said they require installation workers to earn Continuing Training Units (CEUs) every year, and 74% said they cover the costs of CEUs.
When asked about current supply chain issues, respondents were divided. Some 34% of respondents said they experienced better supply chain conditions in 2022 than in 2021, while 26% said they were about the same, and 41% said component supply problems were worse. than the previous year. Due to the shortage of international products, 42% of those surveyed stated that they resorted to sourcing domestically produced solar components. |
