JPMorgan says interest in solar energy for homes remains high so buy these stocks for the long term

Published Thu, Sep 7 202311:30 AM EDTUpdated Thu, Sep 7 202312:09 PM EDT

There could be better-than-expected uptake in residential solar energy — and that can mean good news for some stocks in the space, according to JPMorgan. A new survey from the firm shows promise for residential solar, with "robust" interest bolstering a positive view on the sector in the long term, analyst Mark Strouse said in a note to clients Wednesday. That's welcome news for investors as the industry struggles in the market. Notably, the Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) is down more than 24% this year and in Thursday's session hit its lowest point since September 2020. "We believe the survey results signal that homeowner interest for adding residential solar systems is stronger than currently low investor sentiment and recent under performance of residential solar stocks indicates," he said. Long-term investors can find value in high-quality residential solar as the market gains favor over time, he said. He pointed to Sunrun , Sunnova , Enphase and Solaredge as good picks in the area. All four of the stocks have underperformed both the broader market and Invesco ETF. Analysts see major upside ahead, with the average predicted gains suggesting shares can more than double for Sunrun and Sunnova, while Enphase and Solaredge are expected to gain around 60% and 85%, respectively. Around three of every five homeowners surveyed said they were interested in residential solar, a figure that Strouse described as positive given the relatively miniscule current market penetration. But he noted that homeowners are wary about upfront costs, with a majority unwilling to pay more than $5,000. With prices falling and financing costs stabilizing, however, installations could outpace base forecasts, Strouse said. Ultimately, the survey showed that homeowners interested in solar will likely install it, but it may not be a near-term decision. More homeowner education on costs and the solar market can also help larger residential installers such as Sunrun and Sunnova, as well as SunPower . More than half of respondents surveyed across income brackets also reported needing at least 15% savings to be interested in installation. Elsewhere, Strouse still favors utility-scale solar. For the second half of this year, he recommends Array Technologies , Shoals Technologies and Nextracker in this space. Notably, Array has been able to buck the broader industry downturn and is up more than 27% this year. — CNBC's Gina Francolla and Michael Bloom contributed to this report.