#334 The 30% investment tax credit is going away. The safe harbor window closes July 3, 2026. After that, commercial solar stands on its own. So what separates the companies that thrive from the ones that disappear?
Costa Nicolaou, founder and CEO of PanelClaw, joins Tim Montague at RE+ Northeast in Boston for a direct conversation about surviving and growing in the post-ITC market. This episode covers domestic manufacturing strategy, FEOC compliance, logistics innovation, and three specific moves every solar installer and EPC should make right now.
Episode Highlights
- The ITC was a runway, not a permanent subsidy. Costa frames the 30% credit as a 10-year opportunity to build manufacturing capacity, drive innovation, and prepare for an unsubsidized market. The companies that treated it as a margin cushion instead of a building tool are the ones at risk.
- PanelClaw doubled its US manufacturing capacity in 2022 and expanded again. The company operates a full just-in-time domestic production model. No inventory. Enough capacity to serve the entire US flat roof market from American facilities.
- PanelClaw is the only flat roof racking company with 100% FEOC compliance for the January 1 through July 3, 2026 window. Their products qualify for the complete domestic content stack: rail, structural fastener, and production.
- ClawLogic gives EPCs real-time visibility into every order. Line items, pallet sizes, pallet weights, ship dates, and a live truck tracker. Costa modeled it after Amazon's delivery tracking experience. The platform has been live for three years. No competitor in flat roof racking has replicated it. PanelClaw is now launching ClawLogic in Europe.
- Tim calls out manufacturers directly on logistics failures. His son, a commercial solar project manager, reports daily problems with late shipments, missing parts, and wrong delivery sequences. Crews sitting idle on rooftops cost real money. Tim tells manufacturers to sharpen their logistics or lose customers.
- Costa delivers three rules for solar installers preparing for the post-ITC market. First, resist the race to the bottom. Cheap upfront turns expensive on the back end. Second, pursue extreme collaboration across the value chain. Racking companies, engineering firms, developers, EPCs, building departments, and insurance companies need to stop working in silos. Third, ask every supplier about their innovation roadmap. If they cannot answer, they are not the right long-term partner.
- Rising electricity prices and falling solar costs create strong economics for commercial rooftop solar even without the ITC. Tim notes that wind, solar, and batteries account for over 90% of new energy added to the US grid. The fundamentals remain strong.
This episode is for commercial solar installers, EPCs, developers, and asset owners who need a clear plan for the post-ITC market. The safe harbor window is closing. FEOC compliance deadlines are active now. The decisions you make this year on partners, manufacturing, and operations will determine whether your company leads or exits by 2028.
Connect with Costa Nicolaou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantino-costa-nicolaou-4790182/
Website: https://www.panelclaw.com/panelclaw-us/
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