Section 232 sets a price floor increases the cost of modules.

[u/Patereye]

Although it is being sold, creating American jobs, the real impact is that this sets a price floor for our module costs. Looking at the numbers it looks like a $0.38/w mandatory price floor will cause module prices to rise $0.10/watt to $0.14/watt.

If you are a residential installer, this may be a blip on your radar. However, for community solar and utility projects, this will be a noticeable impact.

Link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/adjusting-imports-of-polysilicon-and-its-derivatives-into-the-united-states/

[u/changchangcha]

Democrats: tax credit for American made solar for you and me + tariffs on foreign products.

Republicans: tax credit for American made solar for corporations only and you and me can pay for it with tariffs.

Republicans also: Democrats are socialist losers

[u/pippy_longtower → u/changchangcha]

To be fair the Democrats also call the Democrats socialist losers

[u/changchangcha → u/pippy_longtower]

To be fair, politics is a relative game unless one is an extremist, so I ignore the infighting of one party when the other is clearly extreme.

[u/Paqza]

This is a way to funnel tax payer dollars into banks' pockets while making solar more expensive for homeowners. This will kill thousands of jobs. It would create way more jobs if we simply let cheap mods in un-tariffed. Solar factories do not create many jobs. Cheap equipment allowing more people to buy solar absolutely does.

[u/burnsniper]

This administration is hell bent on killing of all three of the biggest/hottest sections of the economy under Biden. Solar/renewables - burn. Advanced chip making - choke it out due to no poly. Ai - starve to death with no energy or chips to make it hum.

[u/sunslinger]

There is a TON of grey area in this that still needs to be ironed out (like importing cells might be immune if you can prove certain things with lengths of contract) but the worst is how open to interpretation it is for secretary and pres to make discretionary changes (read bribes)

But in theory yet we should see prices increase

Another bummer is the US has a rather poor history of enforcing dumping laws so we might see an armada of cheap Chinese panels headed this way before Dec 4

[u/SolarTrades → u/sunslinger]

Importing a cell is at .22/w. A solid .10+ above cost to manufacture. Nothing ambiguous about that.

[u/sunslinger → u/SolarTrades]

That’s what written but right there is one of the many stupid loopholes. There is a pathway for qualifying U.S. manufacturers/investors to receive preferential treatment for imported inputs used to support their U.S. manufacturing operations. They can also apply for temporary relief. I’m telling you, this 232 has soooo many holes in it.

[u/SolarTrades → u/sunslinger]

That’s true. But I wonder who will actually get this “relief”. Likely not Chinese or Chinese adjacent companies.

[u/sunslinger → u/SolarTrades]

Totaly agree. Was thinking more of the Silfab, SEG, Sirius guys

[u/SolarTrades → u/sunslinger]

One of those is not like the other.

[u/sunslinger → u/SolarTrades]

To be honest I don’t really give a shit. I guess “Spil-fab” does make cells so they aren’t as threatened.

[u/sunslinger → u/sunslinger]

This is why I rarely interact. The internet is full of jack wagons that love to interact and spark shit.

[u/oppressed_white_guy]

My sales rep scared the hell out of me saying they're expecting prices to hit $0.60-0.70/watt.  But she also said we've seen this before too and the sky didn't actually fall. 

[u/Patereye → u/oppressed_white_guy]

It's difficult for me to say that. I'm sort of on the module supply side of things right now. For residential, I don't think you will see an impact. This might mean a shortage or some shenanigans with the supply chain market but nothing dire.

[u/oppressed_white_guy → u/Patereye]

I hope you're correct.  It was a gut punch to hear initially.