Trade,Technology & Manufacturing
The solar industry develops cutting-edge technology and is part of a fast-growing global marketplace. The global trade and environmental impacts of these technologies are a key focus at SEIA, along with efforts to ramp up and build a robust solar supply chain here at home, increasing domestic manufacturing capacity and U.S. jobs.
Solar Energy Overview
Solar power is energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. The U.S. solar market is growing rapidly as the industry scales up new innovative technologies and drives down manufacturing and installation costs. There are several ways to harness solar energy: photovoltaics, solar heating & cooling, concentrating solar power, and passive solar.
Domestic Manufacturing
There are multiple benefits to growing domestic renewable energy manufacturing, including creating jobs, spurring economic development, promoting U.S. leadership in advanced technologies and innovation, and ensuring an ethical and sustainable solar supply chain. Manufacturing investment also presents an opportunity for cost reduction and can also enable the U.S. to accelerate deployment and meet long-term climate goals.
A U.S. Clean Energy Manufacturing Renaissance
In parallel with SEIA’s goal of solar comprising 30% of the U.S. electricity mix by 2030, we have also set a target of 100 GW of renewable energy manufacturing capacity, including 50 GW of solar manufacturing production, by 2030. This 100 GW target is designed to increase the U.S.’s ability to supply not only domestic solar energy projects but also export markets.
International Trade
SEIA supports fair and free trade of solar equipment to grow the American solar industry, which is strengthening our national security and driving local and national economic growth.
SEIA's Work on Trade
As a trade association that represents 1,000 member companies across the entire solar supply chain, SEIA seeks to promote and protect the interests of the 9,000 U.S. companies engaged in the solar industry and the more than 230,000 American workers they employ.
Get involved through SEIA's Committees and Divisions
Learn MoreSolar + Storage
Storage is playing a revolutionary role in the further advancement of solar. States with higher storage penetrations will lead an unmistakable trend in the solar industry.
The Solar + Storage Opportunity
Energy storage is beginning to play a larger role in the U.S. solar industry and energy markets as a whole. Federal, state and local policy makers are making decisions now that will dictate to what extent storage can and will be used. The U.S. energy storage industry comprises hundreds of companies and thousands of American workers that manufacture, distribute and install residential, commercial and utility-scale energy storage systems across the country.
Cybersecurity
Solar and storage technologies play a critical role in ensuring U.S. energy independence and national security. Cybersecurity has become a top priority for the industry as clean energy is deployed on the grid in record-breaking numbers every year. SEIA is collaborating with industry stakeholders and security experts to prepare for domestic and foreign cybersecurity threats to ensure that solar and storage remain reliable and safe energy resources as we transition to a clean energy economy.
Clean Energy & Cybersecurity
Solar and storage play a critical role in ensuring U.S. energy independence and national security. SEIA is at the forefront of strengthening the solar industry’s resilience to cybersecurity threats.
Related News
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act which includes long-term solar and storage tax incentives, investments in domestic solar manufacturing and other critical provisions that will help decarbonize the electric grid with significant clean energy deployment.
U.S. Solar Industry Sees Worst Quarter Since 2020
The U.S. solar industry had its lowest quarter of installations since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight report released today by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie.
President Biden's Action Saves Solar Jobs, Invests in American Solar Manufacturing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following is a statement by Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) on President Biden's announcement on clean energy manufacturing in the United States.