The race to reshore solar manufacturing in the United States is proceeding at a breakneck pace, as polysilicon, wafer, cell, and module facilities across the country build out the foundation for a truly domestic solar supply chain. That growth has played out across categories, to the tune of a nationwide 300% increase in solar cell production and a 37% increase in PV module production through the end of 2025.

For C&I solar developers and EPCs, the maturation of U.S. manufacturing and domestic content thresholds creates a clear financial and strategic opportunity. But fluctuating federal policy and regulatory headwinds — real or potential — make a nuanced module procurement approach more important than ever.

Examining the C&I Solar Policy Landscape

Domestic content is now squarely a project finance issue. The 30% base Investment Tax Credit (ITC) remains available for all projects that begin construction before July 4, 2026. Additionally, the 10% ITC bonus available for projects meeting certain domestic content thresholds increases the credit from 30% to 40% .

That bonus can prove to be the difference between a project moving forward or getting shelved, giving developers greater certainty in their financial models when margins are tight and interest rates remain high .

This leaves developers and EPCs with one big question. How do you lock in value and incentives for specific 2026 projects?

Safe harboring remains a solid strategy, or you can become more selective about who you work with. Prioritizing manufacturers that are transparent about the source and percentage of individual module components with domestic content will be critical to ensuring the module qualifies for incentive adders, offering developers compliance peace of mind and certainty moving forward.

The Clock is Ticking as Solar Tax Credit Thresholds Keep Rising

All projects that began construction after June 16, 2025, need to meet a 45% domestic content threshold to qualify for the 10% bonus adder. That requirement then increases by 5% annually, reaching 50% in 2026 and 55% in 2027. In short, miss the threshold, lose the 10% credit. Given that supply chain delays and permitting often take 3–6 months (or more), developers should be starting procurement conversations now — if they haven’t already — in order to maximize payoff.

There’s a broader case for domestic sourcing, too, beyond the tax incentives. It doesn’t take a geopolitical expert to look around and realize that staying domestic can improve supply chain resilience and insulate operations from tariff risks and energy cost volatility.

The push for domestic supply chain self-sufficiency has reached a critical mass. As electrification expands, solar will be instrumental in powering every sector of society — but only if domestic manufacturing drives further adoption.

There are other simple reasons for deploying domestic content: Traceability is simpler to verify and document with domestic suppliers. And there’s growing pressure from investors, offtakers, and corporate buyers for more transparent, domestically sourced supply chains.

Trinasolar's Domestic Content Roadmap: Built for C&I Solar Projects

Trina's commitment to U.S. manufacturing is part of the organization’s long-term product strategy, with a clear domestic content roadmap and local partners to help reach the goal line sooner than you thought possible.

What does that mean for your project? It’s documentation support and ITC bonus eligibility, all in one, on your home turf. The incentives are real, but the window to act is narrowing. Sourcing domestically manufactured modules is one of the clearest levers C&I solar developers have to strengthen project economics right now.

Developers and EPCs that align early with transparent, U.S.-aligned suppliers like Trinasolar will be best positioned to capture available incentives, reduce risk, and keep projects moving forward on schedule.

Reach out to a local Trinasolar team member today to learn how soon your next C&I solar project can qualify for domestic content thresholds, so you can scale and succeed in 2026 and beyond.