2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Mountain Home, AR - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Mountain Home.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2023 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 March 14, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Mountain Home?
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. Financial incentives like these are intended to encourage more people to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. Incentives could include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, while others are handled by the state of Arkansas or by your specific utility company, county or municipality. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant once your solar panels are up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Mountain Home utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you might get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar system could qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions come into effect at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions let you ignore the added value of the solar panels when calculating property taxes on your house.
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are usually given before any solar tax credits are calculated. Solar rebates may be given by your local utility company, by your county or by your state.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in the amount of tax that you owe the government.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. A federal incentive many people are probably familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC is a tax credit for a specified percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC applies to the total cost of solar panel installation, including the panels themselves as well as labor, accessories and equipment. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own, as long as it is located in the United States. 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 amount you can claim.
Reaching out to your local Mountain Home solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC applies to your situation.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act laid out new provisions for the ITC, now titled the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit bolsters the current credit, increasing it up to 30% for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. At this point, the credit percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the end of the program in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Mountain Home solar panel installation experts can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Rebates, tax credits and more might be provided at multiple levels. Along with federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones as well. These incentives — which may be handled by the state of Arkansas, or by your county or municipality — could be offered on an ongoing basis, or for only a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Mountain Home
You can qualify for solar incentives from the Arkansas 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 solar adoption nationwide. Getting in touch with your local Mountain Home solar panel installation company is the right first step towards getting the most money possible when you switch to solar energy.
Best Technology
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EcoWatch's Mountain Home, AR Solar Incentives FAQs
Can I claim incentives for adding solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to best understand what solar incentives apply to you, many can be claimed on a second home, so long as that home is in the United States and owned by you. There may be additional incentives available for commercial properties specifically, depending on the specifics.
How can I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Generally, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the Arkansas government or by your county/municipality, may have additional qualifications. Get in touch with your local Mountain Home solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project may qualify for.
My home already has solar panels. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
Your best bet is to talk to a representative from the company that installed your system — or get in touch with a local Mountain Home solar installer — to clarify which incentives you might qualify for. If your system was installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
If I switch my appliances out for ones that utilize solar energy, are there credits I can claim?
Under the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are a number of new financial incentives for making eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details regarding these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
Can I receive incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order in which incentives are applied could vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but usually yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to make sure you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
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.