2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Indio, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Indio.
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.
Get a free quote from one of our trusted Indio solar installers to see how much you can save.
Please enter a valid 5-digit zip code!
Why you can trust EcoWatch
What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Indio?
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
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/
The phrase "solar incentives" broadly refers to financial incentives that are in place to encourage the adoption and use renewable energy by making solar panels more affordable. Incentives may include things like discounts, cash back or credit on your utility bill each month. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, while others are provided by the California government or by your utility company, county or municipality. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other similar performance-based incentives are typically handled at the state level. Once your solar panel system meets a certain threshold (generally a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that you can then sell to your utility company or other buyers. The money you make from the sale is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount of tax you owe the federal government. These are different from tax deductions.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the added value of your solar system when calculating property tax for your home.
- 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 county or your state. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before calculating tax credits.
- Net Metering: Make sure you speak with your Indio utility company about signing a net metering contract. This allows you to receive credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy generated by your solar panels. You may receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
- Great warranty coverage
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Concierge service ensures steady communication
- Slightly limited service offerings
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the most commonly known federal solar incentive. The ITC offers a tax credit for a set percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. The credit initially covered 30% of the total cost – for panels, equipment, labor and accessories – although that amount may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the claim amount.
Speaking with your local Indio solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to your situation.
The ITC has been renewed and expanded following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The new Clean Energy Credit is valid until 2035. You are now eligible for a 30% credit for solar systems that began installation on or after January 1, 2022, and will be done by December 31, 2032. This credit will then be decreased by a few percentage points every year until its expiration. The expansion also makes claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before, beginning in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Indio solar panel installers are the best people to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to those provided at the federal level, there are often also state solar incentives. Rebates, tax credits and more might be available at a more local level. These incentives — which might be provided by the state of California, or by your county or municipality — may be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Indio
Solar incentives might come from the California government, the federal government or your local utility company. The variety of incentives available has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. Speak with your local solar panel installation company today to find out more information and to save the most money possible on a solar system for your Indio home.
EcoWatch's Indio, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for solar incentives?
Broadly, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the California government or by your county/municipality, may have additional qualifications. Talk to your local Indio solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project will qualify for.
I already have solar panels. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
If your solar system was installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If your system was installed between 2006 and 2021, you may qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the exact installation date. Reaching out to the company that installed your system, or any local Indio solar installer, can help you understand what incentives you qualify for.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my house?
Solar energy is a renewable energy source — by changing where you get your energy, you help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. Solar panels can also lower the CO2 emissions from your home by 500 pounds yearly, or roughly 11,000 pounds over 20 years.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The Clean Energy Credit (previously referred to as the federal solar tax credit, or the 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 apply for incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but typically yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm 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.