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3 Stocks to Buy as Solar Power Set to Drive 50%+ of New Capacity
ZACKSยท 2025-09-15 14:56
Industry Overview - The U.S. solar industry experienced a 24% year-over-year decline in installations during Q2 2025, with all segments except commercial solar shrinking due to unfavorable federal policies and trade challenges [1][3] - Solar photovoltaic (PV) accounted for 56% of the new electricity-generating capacity added to the U.S. grid in the first half of 2025, maintaining its status as the dominant form of new generating capacity [2] Trends Impacting the Industry - The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that total U.S. electricity generation will grow by 2.3% in 2025, with solar power contributing the largest share of this increase [3] - Federal policies, particularly the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), have cut federal tax credits and introduced new requirements that may adversely affect solar manufacturing capacity and investment [4] - Tariffs imposed in 2025 have increased component and operational costs, with module costs rising by 13% year over year due to the AD/CVD case on solar cells and modules [5][6] Financial Performance - The solar industry has underperformed compared to the Oils-Energy sector and the S&P 500, with a collective loss of 22.5% over the past year, while the Oils-Energy sector rose by 4.5% and the S&P 500 surged by 18.8% [9] - The industry is currently trading at a trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA of 5.52X, compared to the S&P 500's 18.22X and the sector's 5.07X [12] Notable Companies - **Sunrun Inc.**: Announced the pricing of a securitization of leases and power purchase agreements, raising over $1.5 billion in financing in Q3 2025, supporting profitable growth [15][16] - **Shoals Technologies Group**: Announced the groundbreaking of the Maryvale Solar and Energy Storage Project in Australia, which will deliver 243 MW of solar capacity and 172 MW of battery storage, enhancing its international presence [20][21] - **Tigo Energy Inc.**: Completed compliance testing for its Tigo EI Residential solution in Slovakia, enhancing its market position and expected to improve sales by 91.9% in 2025 [25][26]