2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Fair Oaks, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Fair Oaks.
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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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Fair Oaks?
Property Tax Exclusion for Solar Energy Systems and Solar Plus Storage System
Western Riverside Council of Governments - Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) Financing Program
Minimum financing: $5,000
The financing may not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the market value of the property, up to the first seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) of the property’s market value, and ten percent (10%) of the remaining value of the Property above seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) minus any PACE assessment on the propertyThe total amount of any annual property taxes and assessments shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the property's fair market value, determined at the time program financing is approved.
Local Option - Municipal Energy Districts
Renewable Market Adjusting Tariff (ReMAT)
LADWP - Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Program
Base price will step down over time as certain MW goals are met
SMUD - PV Residential Retrofit Buy-Down
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives help mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. Financial incentives like these are designed to encourage more homeowners to make the switch to renewable energy. Solar incentives can include upfront discounts, cash back or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are handled by the federal government, some by the California government and some by your specific utility company, county or municipality. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panels may qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions come into effect at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions let you exclude the value added by your solar panels when calculating property taxes on your house.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be provided by your local utility company, or by your county or state. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after you purchase solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Net Metering: Don't forget to speak with your Fair Oaks utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This allows you to receive credit towards your utility bill every month for the value of excess energy your solar panels generate. You might receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and similar other performance-based incentives might be available to you if you have a solar system that produces over a specified (typically small) amount of electricity. These types of incentives are usually handled at the state level. You can sell your SRECs to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you make is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much income tax you owe the federal government.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, and lets you deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, accessories, labor and equipment. You can receive this credit for solar panels installed on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. The original amount you could claim was 30% of the total cost, although depending on when the project was completed, your credit may range from 26-30%. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
Wondering how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Fair Oaks solar panel installer to get more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). Homeowners are now eligible for a credit equal to 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed before the end of 2032. The percentage will then decrease yearly until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you, talk to your local Fair Oaks solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are more than just federal solar incentives; tax credits, rebates and more might also be offered at the state and local level. These solar incentives — which might be provided by your county or municipality, or by the state of California — may be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Fair Oaks
Solar energy use nationwide has increased enormously in the last 15 years, in part due to the increase in availability of solar incentives. You can obtain these incentives from your local utility company, the federal government or the California government. If you're prepared to switch over to solar energy, talking to your local Fair Oaks solar panel installation expert is an excellent place to start.
EcoWatch's Fair Oaks, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to a representative from the company that installed your system – or reach out to a local Fair Oaks solar installer — to better understand which incentives you might qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much will solar panels save me on my electric bill in Fair Oaks annually?
Generally, Fair Oaks homeowners who install solar panels save about $1,334.57 per year, or approximately $25,356.75 over 20 years after they make the switch.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my house?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 250 pounds of CO2 a year when you install solar panels. This adds up to approximately 5,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, which means that making the switch lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The Clean Energy Credit (previously referred to as the federal solar tax credit, or ITC), currently ends on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
I want to switch my appliances out for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any credits I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act includes provisions for a number of incentives meant to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include tax credits and rebates for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
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