As renewable energy is becoming more of a common-day commodity for home and business owners, the marketplace is opening up far and wide to quelch the demand for solar power. Dozens of companies are jumping on the bandwagon to be the provider of solar, creating stiff price competition to reach the most customers. In lieu of this race to take business, an increasing number of solar panels from countries like China are being sold and shipped to the USA at record low prices. These panels are so cheap that they are driving some American companies into insolvency competing against China’s enormous workforce, lax workplace laws, and low wages. This brings two issues to the forefront of American concerns.
How is the American economy affected as a whole by outsourcing its renewable energy systems? What are the implications of importing solar power generation systems?
The U.S. solar industry employed 260,077 workers last year which is nearly a 25% increase in the number of jobs from 2015. That hike was largely driven by a massive increase in solar panel installations. If those jobs are lost to countries like China, Japan, or Germany, that could mean an excess of $10 billion per year taken out of the local American economy—or worse—it could keep Americans dependent on increasingly more expensive and less available resources like fossil fuels to power homes and businesses.
Is the quality of these import panels justified for the price? Is it really worth paying less for less? What is the return on investment?
There is one company that, despite recent hardships of their own, has survived the ongoing wave of overseas panels that have been selling all across the USA. SolarWorld has been in business for 42 years, making them America’s most trusted and lasting solar panel manufacturer. They are so trusted in fact, some of their regular clients include NASA, the White House, as well as numerous federal government office buildings. Needless to say, when energy reliability and durability are at stake, SolarWorld is called upon the most for its proven quality. SolarWorld America, their subsidiary located in Portland, Oregon, is still in business producing their high-quality crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels and solar power systems to the national marketplace. And now they have introduced dual-warranty protection to their customers, making their products even more dependable. The Dual Warranty plan goes into effect immediately in the event the original warranty can no longer be supported (due to expiration, invalidation, etc.). This provides an extra layer of protection guaranteed on their solar equipment, so customers can worry less and get on with living.
This new package known as SolarWorld Assurance provides these protections with no premiums, no deductibles, and with transferable policy ownership. This means that the customer controls the policy with no obligations. SolarWorld's optional Dual Warranty plan is for solar power systems between 3 and 20 kilowatts. After registering for the Dual Warranty, customers will receive a certificate of coverage and hold the ownership of the policy. If they decide to sell their home, both the original SolarWorld Sunmodule standard warranty and Dual Warranty protection are completely transferable to the new owner. By contrast, most imported solar panels are not tested for quality or durability, conduct less solar energy, and come with a warranty for only 10 years or none at all.
Solar power advocates all across America are hoping that SolarWorld will continue to lead the way in the American marketplace for locally produced solar power generation systems. In light of all the business that has been outsourced to cheap production costs of other nations, one thing is for certain—there is still a local market for American-made quality. If you are a home or business owner and wish to see how much you can save going solar with SolarWorld, click here and begin that journey to Energy Independence today!
by Ged Friedman