2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Poway, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Poway.
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 Poway 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 Poway?
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/
Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are in place to encourage more people to switch to renewable energy. Incentives might include things like discounts, cash back or credit on your utility bill each month. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, while others are offered by the California government or your utility company, county or municipality. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Tax Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much in taxes you owe the federal government.
- Tax Exemptions: These can come in the form of property tax exemptions, which would allow you to ignore the value of your solar system when paying taxes on your house. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Poway utility company that will apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. They will then subtract this value from your utility bill each month.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives are usually handled at the state level. Once your solar panel system meets the threshold (normally a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that can be sold to your utility company or other buyers. The money you make is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Rebates: A solar rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar panels. Rebates 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 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 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 some familiarity with. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a predetermined percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to the total cost of solar panel installation, including the panels themselves as well as labor, accessories and equipment. You can claim this credit 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 claim amount.
To know exactly how much the ITC could save you, talk to your local Poway solar panel installation expert.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). With the new provisions, solar installation projects begun after January 1, 2022, and finished by December 31, 2032, may be eligible for a 30% tax credit. This credit amount will then see a slight annual decrease until the current Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. The expansion to the program also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, beginning in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Poway solar panel installer can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are often also state solar incentives in addition to those provided by the federal government. Rebates, tax credits and more may be available at a more local level. The incentives — which might be provided by your county or municipality, or by the state of California — may be offered on an ongoing basis, or for only a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Poway
Solar incentives can be provided by your local utility company, the California government or the federal government. The variety of available solar incentives has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. Speaking with your local Poway solar panel installer is an excellent first step towards getting the most money possible when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's Poway, CA 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.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including ones handled by the California government or by your county/municipality, may have additional qualifications. Get in touch with your local Poway solar installer to discover what incentives your project will qualify for.
If I installed solar panels on my house a few years ago, can I still claim incentives?
Your best bet is to talk to someone from the company that installed your solar panels – or reach out to a local Poway solar installer — to learn about which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the newly 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%.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can reduce your carbon footprint by 250 pounds of CO2 annually by installing solar panels. This adds up to approximately 5,000 pounds over 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means that switching your home over reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
Can I qualify for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you receive but in most cases yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Speak to your solar installer or a local tax professional to ensure 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.