Webinar Series · Session 01

Kickoff & State of Solar 2026

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Aerial view of urban solar rooftop array

Webinar Session 01

Kickoff & State of Solar 2026

Where the market is moving, what utilities are doing, and the 3 trends every installer needs to price into proposals this year.

Solartronics USA · Installer Webinar Series

Slide 1 / 21

Technician installing a solar inverter and home battery system

I. Where the Market Is Moving

01 / 05

Solar + Battery Packages

The market is moving away from simply "installing panels" and toward complete energy management systems.

Blackout protection
Energy independence
Lower peak utility costs
Battery storage is becoming expected, not optional

Slide 2 / 21

Smart thermostat mounted in a modern home interior

I. Where the Market Is Moving

02 / 05

Smart Energy Homes

Homes are becoming integrated systems.

Solar + batteries + EV chargers
Smart panels and generators
AI-driven energy monitoring
The installer of the future is an energy solutions provider

Slide 3 / 21

Close-up of solar panels against a clear blue sky

I. Where the Market Is Moving

03 / 05

Self-Consumption Instead of Grid Export

Under newer utility policies, homeowners benefit more by using their own solar energy.

Use your own solar energy
Store the excess
Minimize exports back to the grid
Shifts design toward batteries, load management, consumption optimization

Slide 4 / 21

Multiple electric vehicles charging at an indoor charging station

I. Where the Market Is Moving

04 / 05

Electrification Growth

Electricity demand is rising — and that means bigger solar opportunities.

EV adoption
Electric appliances
Heat pumps
Rising baseline electricity demand

Slide 5 / 21

Hands stacking gold coins, symbolizing financial structures

I. Where the Market Is Moving

05 / 05

Financing & Subscription Models

Consumers increasingly prefer payment over ownership.

Low upfront cost
Monthly payment structures
Leasing & PPAs
Energy-as-a-Service

Slide 6 / 21

Silhouetted high-voltage transmission tower against a vivid sunset

Part Two

What Utilities Are Doing

Utilities are adapting because distributed solar changes how electricity flows through the grid.

Slide 7 / 21

Power lines silhouetted against an orange sunset sky

II. What Utilities Are Doing

01 / 04

Reducing Solar Export Compensation

Programs like NEM 3.0 cut what homeowners get paid for sending energy back.

Utilities want energy consumed locally
They no longer rely on grid exports for profitability
Export-heavy system designs lose ROI fast

Slide 8 / 21

Aerial view of a bustling electrical substation

II. What Utilities Are Doing

02 / 04

Expanding Time-of-Use (TOU) Pricing

Electricity costs more during high-demand periods.

Utilities encourage battery usage
Off-peak charging and energy shifting
This is why batteries are becoming critical

Slide 9 / 21

High-voltage electrical substation at dawn

II. What Utilities Are Doing

03 / 04

Investing in Grid Modernization

The grid is becoming more digital and automated.

Smart meters
Grid monitoring
Demand response systems
Distributed energy management

Slide 10 / 21

Public electric vehicle charging station with eco design

II. What Utilities Are Doing

04 / 04

Preparing for Electrification

Utilities expect huge demand increases — and infrastructure investment to follow.

EV charging at scale
AI & data centers
Electrified homes & industrial loads
Infrastructure expansion → higher future rates likely

Slide 11 / 21

Bearded electrician in a hardhat installing a solar PV panel with a drill

III

Part Three

The 3 Biggest Trends

Every solar installer needs to price these correctly today.

Slide 12 / 21

Worker inspecting an array of industrial battery storage cells

III. The 3 Biggest Trends

Trend 1

Battery Integration Is Becoming Standard

Homeowners are no longer buying "solar only" systems as often.

"Will my power stay on during outages?"

"Can I run my AC during blackouts?"

"Can I avoid peak utility rates?"

Slide 13 / 21

Technician working on a solar panel installation with cables and tools

III. The 3 Biggest Trends — Trend 1

Pricing Today

Installers Must Now Price...

Battery-ready systems

Critical load panels

Backup circuits

Hybrid inverters

Battery expansion options

Slide 14 / 21

Hand pointing at a financial chart on a whiteboard

III. The 3 Biggest Trends — Trend 1 · Why This Matters

A low-priced solar quote without battery planning can lose deals immediately.

Battery readiness is now a baseline expectation for the buyer.

Slide 15 / 21

Two workers installing an electrical service panel

III. The 3 Biggest Trends — Trend 1

Pricing Impact

Battery Integration Affects...

Labor

Electrical upgrades

Permitting

Interconnection

System design

Load calculations

Slide 16 / 21

Wide view of an industrial electrical substation with power lines

III. The 3 Biggest Trends

Trend 2

Utility Rate Changes & NEM Policies

Utilities are changing the economics of solar rapidly. Installers must understand:

NEM 3.0
Time-of-Use rates
Demand charges
Export compensation
Peak-hour pricing

Slide 17 / 21

Solar panels installed on a residential rooftop

III. The 3 Biggest Trends — Trend 2

Customer Mindset

Today's Customers Care About...

Self-consumption

Battery storage

Peak shaving

Energy arbitrage

Slide 18 / 21

Stacks of coins forming an upward arrow representing financial growth

III. The 3 Biggest Trends — Trend 2

Pricing Impact

Your Proposals Must Now Include...

The old "offset your bill with panels only" sales model is fading.

Battery ROI
Consumption offset modeling
TOU optimization
Future utility escalation assumptions

Slide 19 / 21

Electrician in a lift repairing overhead power lines

III. The 3 Biggest Trends

Trend 3

Labor, Financing & Soft Costs Are Rising

Many installers underprice systems because they focus only on equipment. The real cost drivers now include:

Financing & dealer fees

Permitting

Engineering

Labor shortages

Insurance & compliance

Truck rolls & inspections

Customer acquisition

Slide 20 / 21

Solar technician inspecting installed rooftop solar panels

III. The 3 Biggest Trends — Trend 3 · Pricing For Sustainability

Installers Must Price For

Sustainable margins

Callbacks

Warranty support

Future service

Inflation

Financing costs

"Price for the business you want to run in 2027 — not the one you ran in 2022."

Slide 21 / 21

Part I

Where the market is moving

5 slides · battery, smart homes, self-consumption, electrification, financing

Part II

What utilities are doing

4 slides · NEM 3.0, TOU pricing, grid modernization, electrification prep

Part III

3 trends every installer must price

9 slides · battery integration, NEM, rising soft costs

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