FEOC compliance is the number one question solar buyers ask in 2026, and the answer determines which module manufacturers survive. In this episode, Tim Montague talks with Chris Lettman of Imperial Star, Benoy Thanjan of Reneu Energy, and the host of the Solar Maverick podcast, and Dean Solon of Create Energy at InterSolar San Diego 2026. 

Here's what you'll learn in this conversation:

• Find out how Imperial Star offers "domestic light" module configurations that let developers hit their required domestic content percentage without overpaying for content they don't need.
• Learn why some module manufacturers will disappear this year as FEOC compliance separates companies with verified supply chains from those without. 
• Understand what the ITC phase-out by 2028 means for project economics and why Dean Solon says the industry needs to "break free of that pacifier." 
• You'll hear why Dean Solon built Create as an open-architecture system where project owners control their own data without recurring software fees. 
• Learn how battery storage is expanding beyond California and Texas into Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Benoy Thanjan notes that residential customers in Florida are now buying storage for peace of mind during blackouts, not purely for economic payback.

The FEOC compliance deadline that took effect in January 2026 is reshaping the entire solar supply chain. With the ITC phasing out by 2028 and battery storage markets expanding into new states every year, solar professionals need to understand their module sourcing options, domestic content configurations, and post-incentive business models right now.

Connect with the Guest

Chris Lettman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislettman/

Benoy Thanjan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bthanjan/

Deon Solon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-solon-b8876649/

Imperial Star: https://www.imperialstar.com/

Reneu Energy: https://www.reneuenergy.com/

Create Energy: https://www.create.energy/

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