2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Pell City, AL - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Pell City.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
Solar installers are experts in maximizing your solar tax credits and rebates.
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Updated February 03, 2024
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Pell City?
Local Option- Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Faclities
Alabama Power - Residential Heat Pump Loan Program
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are designed to encourage more Americans to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. You may qualify for different types of incentives, such as discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the Alabama government and others from the federal government. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the government. Tax credits differ from tax deductions.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in one of two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, which is applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when calculating property tax for your home.
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant after your solar panels are up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Pell City utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your utility bill each month. In some places, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other places you might make back a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be offered by your local utility company, or by your county or state. These rebates are essentially cash back that is applied after you pay for a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
Best National Provider
SunPower
- Most efficient panels on the market
- National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
- Expensive
- Customer service varies by local dealer
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are likely to be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about solar incentives. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a specified percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to the total cost of installing solar panels, including the panels themselves as well as labor, equipment and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence located in the United States that you own. Originally set at 30% of total costs, the credit has fluctuated over time, and you may qualify for different amounts depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
Curious how the ITC might apply to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Pell City solar panel installer to get more information.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act expanded and extended the ITC, now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit. Homeowners can now receive a credit of 30% of the total costs of solar system installation for projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed before the end of 2032. The credit percentage will then decrease yearly until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. The program expansion also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, starting in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To best understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you, speak with your local Pell City solar installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Rebates, tax credits and more can be claimed at multiple levels. Along with federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. These incentives may be handled by your county or municipality, or by the Alabama government. Some incentives may be available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Pell City
You can apply for solar incentives from the Alabama government and the federal government, as well as from your local utility company. The increased availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped increase nationwide solar energy use enormously. It is a good idea to talk to your local Pell City solar installation expert for more information about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting the largest number possible for your solar system.
EcoWatch's Pell City, AL Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Generally, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on a property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including ones handled by the Alabama government or by your county/municipality, sometimes have additional qualifications. Get in touch with your local Pell City solar installer to discover what incentives your project may qualify for.
My home already has solar panels installed. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If you installed your system between 2006 and 2021, you might qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the year it was installed. Reaching out to the company that installed your system, or any local Pell City solar installer, can help you understand what incentives you can apply for.
What are the best solar panel installation companies near me?
To find the best solar panel installers near you, read our article on the best solar companies in Pell City.
If I switch my appliances out for ones that can use solar energy, are there credits I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act introduces multiple incentives meant to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Our goal is to reach as many people as we can with sensible solutions like solar energy. Our team of full-time local researchers collects solar price and installation data for every city in America then compiles it to create these digestible city guides. If you want to read our solar expert's opinion on the top solar companies featured here, follow this link.
Solar incentive research was conducted by Melissa Smith and Karsten Neumeister. Local data analysis was conducted by James Savino. See something we missed or could do better? Email the editor.