Deadline-Driven Panic Has Passed — the Structural Supply Shortage Behind It Has Not, showed Q1 2026 A1 Solar Index
A deadline passes. A supply constraint does not.”
CORAL SPRINGS, FL, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — U.S. solar buyers paid 3.55 percent above median listing prices in Q1 2026 — down from 13.42 percent a quarter earlier, but still above asking across six of eight active markets, according to the Q1 2026 A1 Solar Index. Median listing prices rose a modest 2.1 percent quarter-over-quarter to $0.347 per watt.
The compression reflects normalization, not softening. Q4 2025 was driven by two simultaneous shocks: import duties that closed major low-cost supply routes, and the December 31 expiration of the federal residential solar tax credit that pushed buyers to rush procurement. Both deadlines passed — but the supply constraint they exposed did not.
Six of eight active U.S. regions still paid above median listing prices in Q1 2026 — and in several markets, by a wide margin. West South Central buyers paid 98 percent above the local median, South Atlantic 63 percent above, Mountain 52 percent above. Buyers are not overpaying out of panic — they are overpaying because tariff-compliant, specification-grade inventory is not available at listed prices.
Additional findings from the Q1 2026 A1 Solar Index:
The composite index closed at 83, up five points from Q4 2025, as inventory doubled quarter-over-quarter — though levels remain at just 42 percent of the Q1 2025 peak, leaving the market with far less buffer than historical norms
Two regions — New England and Pacific — paid below the median listing price, confirming that buyer leverage still exists where local supply is more competitive
All three key raw material inputs — silver, aluminum, and non-Chinese polysilicon — are rising heading into peak installation season, pointing to further price pressure in Q2 2026
The Q1 2026 A1 Solar Index tracks three dimensions of market health — price stability (40%), inventory levels (30%), and demand change (30%) — sourced from real buyer transactions, not surveys or forecasts. Brand performance across 87 manufacturers, regional maps, and state incentive breakdowns are all covered in the full Q1 2026 report.
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A1 SolarStore is one of the leading U.S. suppliers of solar panels and energy equipment, serving customers from individual homeowners to commercial contractors. The A1 Solar Index is a proprietary quarterly indicator built exclusively on real marketplace transaction data.
Egor Uchvatov
A1 SolarStore
press@a1solarstore.com
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