Hartford Business Journal

12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 11, 2025 Sam Schneider, CEO and co-founder of Earthlight Technologies, stands by a rooftop solar installation his Ellington-based company completed at Land Rover Hartford. HBJ Photo | Michael Puffer Solar Flare-Up CT solar firms report surge in activity as end of federal tax credits looms according to Mike Trahan, execu- tive director of the Connecticut Solar & Storage Association. The state's high electric rates and past govern- ment support of solar made it fertile ground for the industry, he said. Now, Trahan said his members are discussing a state legislative proposal aimed at offsetting the federal pullback. It could include boosting subsidies for solar adoption, easing permitting hurdles and costs, and revisiting a 2017 law that virtually prohibited solar fields over 2 mega- watts on forest and prime farmland. "I think the industry here is resilient enough to handle what has happened at the federal level," Trahan said. "But there has to be some action on the part of the state to mitigate what the Congress and the President have done." Longer payback Earthlight is one of the state's largest solar employers, with 160 staff in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Oregon. Most employees work out of the company's modern, net-zero headquarters in Ellington. Even with the pullback in federal support, Schneider anticipates a residential solar system will remain a compelling option in Connecticut and other states with high energy costs. It typically takes five years for savings to cover the cost of a home solar system, which averages $32,000, Schneider said. Without the 30% federal credit, payback would stretch to eight or nine years — about the same as in 2021, when power was By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com N ot long after the One Big Beautiful Bill was submitted to Congress in May, the phones at Ellington-based alternative energy company Earthlight Technol- ogies began to light up with home- owners eager to install solar panels before Republicans stripped away a 30% federal tax credit. In an average month, Earthlight typi- cally signs up 60 to 80 homeowners for rooftop solar installations. In June, the alternative energy company sold 137 systems, CEO and co-founder Sam Schneider said. "We ramped-up installation crews over the last several months when we knew this was coming," Schneider said. "We had a big influx of new customers for home residential for 2025." The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, championed by former President Joe Biden, extended tax breaks for home- owners and businesses installing solar and other renewable energy sources through 2032. In a stark reversal, the Big Beautiful Bill cuts off a 30% credit for house- holds at the close of 2025. Businesses can still qualify for tax credits for systems installed by 2027 or under construction before July 4, 2026. The commercial solar tax credit is usually 30% but can rise to 70% for projects that meet certain criteria, such as using U.S.-made materials or being located in low-income areas. The Big Beautiful Bill also includes new restrictions on clean energy tax credits for "foreign entities of concern," which could affect companies that use solar components made in China. Connecticut has just over 50 home solar installation companies employing about 2,000 people, Mike Trahan ELECTRICITY GENERATION SOURCES IN CT (2023) NATURAL GAS BIOMASS, PETROLEUM, HYDROELECTRIC AND WIND NUCLEAR SOLAR 60% 33% 3% 4%

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