2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Sun Village, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Sun Village.
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 Sun Village?
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. Financial incentives like these are designed to encourage more homeowners to make the switch to renewable energy. Incentives might 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 solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund after the purchase of 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 tax credits are calculated.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): In most cases, solar systems that produce over a threshold (normally small) amount of electricity will qualify for SRECs or other similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and performance-based incentives in general are typically offered at the state level. SRECs can be sold to your utility company or another buyer, and the money you receive is normally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in one of two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to exclude the added value of your solar system when calculating property tax for your house.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering contract with your Sun Village utility company that will apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. They will then deduct this value from your utility bill each month.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
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 solar incentives are probably the first thing that you think of when thinking about solar incentives. You might have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This is a tax credit equal to a predetermined percentage of the money you spend on solar panels for your home.
The ITC covers solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, and under this program you can deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, equipment, labor and accessories. This credit can be claimed on a solar panel system 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.
Reaching out to your local Sun Village solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The Clean Energy Credit runs until 2035. Any solar installation project that is completed between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2032, may qualify for a 30% tax credit. This amount will then decrease slightly on a yearly basis until the current program ends. Beginning in 2023, it will also be easier to qualify for credits for energy storage systems under the new laws.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Sun Village solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions regarding the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. Like with federal incentives, these could include tax credits, rebates and more. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. These local incentives might come from the California government, or from your specific county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Sun Village
There are many kinds of solar incentives: those offered by local utility companies, those given by the California government and those provided by the federal government, to name a few. Solar energy utilization has grown tremendously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. Reach out to your local solar panel installation expert today to discover more about the various programs and to save as much money as possible on solar panels for your Sun Village home.
EcoWatch's Sun Village, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
Who installs solar panel systems near me?
To find the top solar panel installation companies near you, read our article on Sun Village's top solar panel companies.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my home?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 250 pounds of CO2 annually by installing solar panels. This adds up to roughly 5,000 pounds in 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means that switching your home over 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 the ITC), is scheduled 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 claim incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in could vary depending on which incentives you receive but in most cases yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Talk with 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.