Israeli Firm Doral Buys $470 Million in Solar Panels for U.S. Projects
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Israeli renewable energy company Doral is purchasing approximately $470 million in solar panels for three large-scale projects in the United States. The move is driven by the U.S.'s favorable tax incentives and infrastructure for massive projects, contrasting with challenges in Israel like grid limitations and land availability. Despite a recent slowdown in the U.S. solar market, the technology continues to see record global growth, with Doral aiming to secure certainty in its investments.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Doral is acquiring solar panels worth about $470 million for three U.S. projects totaling 1.45 gigawatts.
- The U.S. projects benefit from federal tax incentives and potential domestic panel manufacturing.
- Israel faces challenges like grid limits and land availability for large-scale solar development.
- The U.S. solar market saw a 14% decrease in new capacity additions in 2025.
- Globally, solar panels continue to drive record growth in renewable energy installations.
- Doral's contract includes provisions to manage potential import tariff fluctuations.
Israeli renewable energy company Doral has announced agreements to purchase solar panels worth approximately $470 million for three projects in the United States, totaling about 1.45 gigawatts of capacity. These U.S. projects have already secured eligibility for federal tax benefits, and a significant portion of the panels are expected to be manufactured domestically.
The decision to invest in the U.S. rather than Israel, despite Israel's abundant sunshine and Doral's local presence, stems from the challenges of implementing large-scale solar projects in Israel. Professional bodies point to limitations in grid capacity, available land, and the pace of project connections as significant hurdles. In contrast, the U.S. offers the ability to establish massive projects alongside a robust system of tax incentives that can substantially improve project economics.
This deal occurs amidst a challenging period for the U.S. solar industry, which saw a 14% decrease in new solar capacity additions in 2025 compared to 2024 due to policy shifts and tax incentive uncertainty. However, solar power still accounted for 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added to the U.S. grid that year, and combined with energy storage, they represented 79% of additions.
Doral's contract also addresses concerns about tariffs. Import duties known at the time of the agreement are included in the prices, with provisions for price reductions or refunds if tariffs are not paid or are reimbursed to the supplier. Furthermore, the expectation that a substantial part of the panels will be manufactured in the U.S. mitigates exposure to import policies, suggesting Doral is seeking certainty in a market increasingly influenced by political decisions and tariffs.
Globally, solar panels remain a dominant force in renewable energy, with 2025 setting a record for new renewable energy additions worldwide, over three-quarters of which came from solar. This marks the 23rd consecutive year of record-breaking growth in renewables, indicating solar technology is far from obsolete. The future focus is expected to shift from the installation of solar panels to where they can be deployed rapidly, how much energy can be stored alongside them, and how much of these investments will remain in Israel.
