2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Garden Grove, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Garden Grove.
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 September 15, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Garden Grove?
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 property The 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
Self-Generation Incentive Program
Incentives will step down over time. See below for incentive amounts.
Renewable Market Adjusting Tariff (ReMAT)
LADWP - Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Program
Base price will step down over time as certain MW goals are met
California Solar Initiative - Solar Thermal Program
Single Family Residential Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $29.85 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: Funding has been exhausted
Commercial/Multifamily Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $20.19 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: $0.42 per estimated kWh displaced *** Note, funding has been exhausted in this category for SCE and PG&E
Solar Pool heating: $5.00 per estimated therm displaced
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are designed to encourage homeowners to make the switch to renewable energy by providing financial incentives meant to lower the burden of solar panel installation and use. You might qualify for various kinds of incentives, such as cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the California government and others from the federal government. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get once your solar panels are up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Garden Grove utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you might make back a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. These might be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The cash back that you get from the rebates is normally applied before calculating tax credits.
- Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which would allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when paying taxes on your home. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Tax Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much in taxes you owe the federal government.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives may be available to you if you have a solar system that produces more than a specified (typically small) amount of electricity. These types of incentives are typically handled at the state level. You can sell your SRECs to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you make is normally considered part of your taxable income.
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Federal Solar Incentives
When people think of solar incentives, federal incentives might be the first thing that comes to mind. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies towards solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 and allows you to deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, equipment, labor and accessories. You can claim this credit for solar panels installed on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. The original claim amount was 30% of the total cost, although the amount you can claim may range between 26-30%. There is no maximum claim amount.
Talking to your local Garden Grove solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to you.
In August 2022, the ITC (now called the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installations undertaken between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2032. At this point, the percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the program expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. To best understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you, speak with your local Garden Grove solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided by state and local governments. As with federal incentives, these can include tax credits, rebates and more. Some incentives are offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. These local incentives might come from the California government, or from your specific county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Garden Grove
The expanding number of available solar incentives has enormously increased the use of solar power nationwide over the past 15 years. You can get solar incentives from the federal government, the California government or from your local utility company. We suggest talking to your local Garden Grove solar installation expert to learn more about these incentives and to make sure that you're getting all of the money you can for your solar system.
EcoWatch's Garden Grove, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
What if I want to add a solar system to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property? Can I still qualify for incentives?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to better understand what solar incentives apply to you, many can be claimed on a second home, provided that it is in the United States and owned by you. There may be additional incentives available specifically for commercial properties, depending on the specifics.
How can I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Broadly, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the California government or by your county/municipality, could have additional qualifications. Talk to your local Garden Grove solar installer to find out what incentives your project may qualify for.
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
You should plan to talk to someone from the company that installed your solar panels — or reach out to a local Garden Grove solar installer — to clarify which incentives you might qualify for. If your system was installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The Clean Energy Credit (previously called the federal solar tax credit, or ITC), is slated to end on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
Can I use both solar and another type of renewable energy to power my home?
You can power your home with multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy. Be sure to talk through your ideas with your local Garden Grove solar installer. They can help you with the plan for your project and educate you on the various incentives that you might or might not qualify for.
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.