A month after Congress killed the solar tax credit, the industry is anything but dead
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- July 4, 2025 was the last day to safe-harbor a new solar project and still claim the 30% federal solar tax credit, after the One Big, Beautiful Bill killed both that credit and the $7,500 EV tax credit.
- SEIA and Wood Mackenzie now project an 18-21% residential solar market slide post-credit — far softer than the doomsday collapse many had predicted.
- Electrek reader surveys indicate many homeowners didn't know about the 30% tax credit to begin with, helping explain why demand didn't crater.
- Battery attachment rates for new home solar installations hit up to 45% in 2025, up from roughly 6% in 2020, as buyers prioritize energy resilience and independence over savings.
- GM Defense microgrid expert Jim Reilly posted about pairing a GM Energy home backup battery with a GMC Sierra EV charged by his rooftop solar, calling it "Energy Dominance."
- Reader Craig Merrow reported his 6.5 kW PV array generates 16-38 kWh/day against just 5-6 kWh/day of household use, with battery storage eliminating heating and utility bills and concerns about outages.
Why it matters: The projected 18-21% residential slide is dramatically gentler than the industry-killing collapse many predicted, and a 45% battery attachment rate signals the home solar business is restructuring around resilience and energy independence rather than tax-incentivized savings — good news for storage-focused installers and battery makers, while pure-PV shops built on credit-driven sales face the steepest adjustment.
