Engineer Paul Outram said the company made it through a solar market crash in the mid-1980s after tax incentives for solar users expired.

Sun Earth and other solar firms are now faced with the possibility that newer tax breaks created in 2005 could fade away like a sunset.

He estimated that the elimination of tax credits for solar customers could reduce Sun Earth's sales 30percent to 40percent.

The federal government's 30 percent tax credit for homes and businesses that invest in solar technology is scheduled to expire at the end of this year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

On Feb. 27, the House of Representatives passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act. The bill's provisions include an eight-year extension of that tax credit for businesses and a six-year extension for residences.

The Senate has not yet acted on the bill. President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation.