Why is USA Residential Solar So Expensive? The Real Reason U.S. Solar Is So Expensive #344

Why is USA Residential Solar So Expensive? The Real Reason U.S. Solar Is So Expensive #344

From Clean Power Hour by Tim Montague, John Weaver

April 14, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

In this episode, Tim Montague interviews Geoff Greenfield about the high costs of residential solar in the U.S. and the evolution of the solar industry.

Solar modules once cost $8 per watt. Geoff Greenfield bought his first panels from a classified ad in Home Power magazine. Twenty-six years later, he leads an EPC division building 67 MW projects and negotiating 100 MW contracts. In this episode of The Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague sits down with Greenfield to trace the full arc of the U.S. solar industry, from off-grid battery systems with lead-acid batteries to utility-scale construction backed by a multi-billion-dollar general contra...

People in this episode

Host: Tim Montague

Guest: Geoff Greenfield

Topics covered

  • residential solar
  • solar industry
  • cost of solar
  • EPC division
  • utility-scale construction

Keywords

  • solar modules
  • cost per watt
  • off-grid battery systems
  • lead-acid batteries
  • utility-scale projects

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Home Power magazine

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