The “oNE Big Beautiful Bill” Has Passed – What’S Next for epc’s?

Written By abby buchmiller

How Smart Solar Operators Are Navigating the 2025 ITC Phaseout and Policy Shifts

The Big Beautiful Bill just became law. But while policymakers pat themselves on the back, the entire industry is scrambling.

Because behind the scenes, this bill fundamentally shifts how residential solar gets sold, fulfilled, and financed.

EPCs now face a ticking clock on incentives, tighter compliance expectations, and more volatile pipelines than ever. The question isn’t if you’ll be affected—it’s how fast you can adapt.

Let’s break down what changed, what’s at risk, and what smart operators are doing next.

What Changed (and Why It Matters)

Section 25D – Residential ITC Ends Dec. 31, 2025

Homeowners who purchase systems via cash or loan will lose the 30% tax credit after this date. You’ll see urgency spike- and subsequent drop off fast in 2026.

Section 48E – TPO & Commercial Credit Continues

Third-party-owned and commercial projects still qualify for the 30% ITC—if:

  • They start construction within 12 months of the bill and are placed in service within 4 years.

  • Or, if started after that window, are placed in service by the end of 2027.

  • Storage paired with solar can still claim the credit beyond 2027.

FEOC – Sourcing Restrictions Will Hit Fast

Stricter rules on panels and inverters sourced from “foreign entities of concern” are set to reshape BOM decisions overnight.



Key Risks for Residential EPCs

1. Pipeline Volatility

Q4 2025 will surge with “beat the clock” buyers. Sales velocity will jump—but so will cancels and chaos if your ops team isn’t ready to flex.

2. Hiring Whiplash

Most EPCs will overhire this summer to prep—then lay off hard in Q1. That’s lost time, money, and trust.

3. Design & BOM Disruption

Expect more redesigns as material options shift under FEOC constraints. That means delayed permits, missed install windows, and throttled cash flow.

4. Documentation Demands for 48E

Third-party projects now face tighter reporting requirements—labor, sourcing, placement timelines—all of which must be provable.

5. Survey Quality Control Gaps

Not all survey vendors are equal. A cheap survey that misses critical detail = rework, delays, and failed inspections when time is most critical.

Pro Tip for EPCs and Operators

If your install calendar isn’t full in Q4 2025, help someone else’s team.

Overflow install support is the easiest way to keep crews productive and margins healthy—even as incentives tighten.

Win for them. Win for you.

What Smart Operators Are Doing Differently

  • They’re not spinning up new teams.

  • They’re not gambling on “good enough” vendors.

  • They’re calling Radicl.



Here’s why:

  • We’re More Than On-Demand. We’re On-Point.

Surveys, permits, installs, and inspections—booked in real-time, staffed by trained techs, QC-backed, and nationwide.

  • Only Radicl Delivers Surveys Built for the Finish Line

Custom templates. Internal live QC. Full data capture. Our surveys reduce go-backs and set the job up to flow cleanly through PTO.

When deadlines are do or die, don’t trust your project to the cheapest line-item on the quote. You need certainty, not surprises.

  • Fixed Unit Costs = Margin Protection

Shared resource model. SPA pricing. Predictable payouts. No more margin erosion from overstaffing or underplanning.

  • Audit-Ready Documentation

Photographic proof and milestone QA included—especially important for 48E and TPO projects with strict reporting needs.




📘Free Guide: Calm in the Chaos

Need a real ops strategy for the post-bill landscape?

We built one—specifically for EPCs navigating the ITC phaseout, FEOC restrictions, and Q4 install chaos.

👉 Download “Calm in the Chaos: An EPC’s Guide to Navigating Policy Change with Confidence”

What’s Inside:

  • The facts about 25D, 48E, and navigating “placed in service” deadlines

  • How to split your design team and prevent bottlenecks

  • What to outsource first (and why it matters)

  • How to pre-schedule overflow installs without blowing your budget

  • Margin protection strategies using fixed-unit fulfillment

  • and more

No fluff. No filler. Just a tactical plan to get your ops team across the finish line.

Ready to meet with our team? Click the link below to build your install-ready plan.

abby buchmiller