The global financial crash that began in fall 2008 has slowed the growth of the solar thermal industry in the U.S., but not its optimism.

Despite the opportunity to replace millions of traditional electric and oil hot water systems in the U.S., the solar thermal market only began to grow again in 2003, with the introduction of tax credits. Now, for the handful of U.S. solar thermal manufacturers sharing this small market, a variety of new incentives will prove as effective as high energy costs at driving robust solar thermal sales in the U.S.