Climate Changed

U.S. Solar Companies Are Stockpiling a Massive Amount of Panels

  • Sunrun is collecting enough equipment to build 500 megawatts
  • Vivint, SunPower also adding inventory before credit shrinks
Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
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America’s rooftop solar installers are stockpiling massive volumes of panels and other equipment before a key federal tax credit for the industry starts shrinking next year.

On Tuesday, Sunrun Inc. -- the nation’s largest rooftop solar installer -- said it’s collecting enough equipment to help qualify 500 megawattsBloomberg Terminal worth of planned installations for the full investment tax credit, which currently covers 30% of a project’s costsBloomberg Terminal. For comparison: Sunrun deployedBloomberg Terminal 373 megawatts in all of 2018.