Trump launched big new solar tariffs. Here's what it means.

The White House has ordered new tariffs on imported polysilicon, the raw material used to make most solar panels, along with related products like wafers, cells, and finished modules. Starting December 4, the U.S. will enforce minimum prices on these imports: $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for wafers and ingots, 22 cents per watt for solar cells, and 38 cents per watt for finished solar modules. There's also a 15% tax on other polysilicon-derived products. The move comes from a national-security trade process that has held up legally in the past, unlike some of Trump's other tariffs.

For homeowners, the practical effect is likely higher prices on solar equipment. The U.S. still doesn't make enough polysilicon, wafers, or cells domestically to meet demand, so many of those materials will keep coming from overseas — now at these new, higher minimum prices. Analysts note the new price floor for imported panels runs about 40% above the current median U.S. market price, and domestically made panels could rise too if manufacturers can't get affordable wafers and cells. The tariffs are meant to boost U.S. solar factory investment, and companies can avoid some costs if they get government approval to build new plants by January 2029. But in the near term, if you're weighing rooftop solar, expect equipment costs to trend upward rather than down.