2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Susanville, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Susanville.
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 Susanville 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 Susanville?
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
LADWP - Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Program
Base price will step down over time as certain MW goals are met
Self-Generation Incentive Program
Incentives will step down over time. See below for incentive amounts.
Property Tax Exclusion for Solar Energy Systems and Solar Plus Storage System
Local Option - Municipal Energy Districts
Renewable Market Adjusting Tariff (ReMAT)
Lassen Municipal Utility District - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Freezer: $50
Clothes Washer: $35
Dishwasher: $35
Smart Power Strip: $10
Room AC: $75
Air Source Heat Pumps: $100 - $125 per ton
Ground Source Heat Pump: $1,000 per ton
Central A/C: $25 - $75 per ton
Evaporative Cooled A/C: $100 per ton
Ductless Mini-Split A/C: $50-$100 per ton
Whole House Fan: $25
Storage Water Heater: $200
Heat Pump Water Heater: $350
Electric Heater: $20 - $30
LED Bulb: $2.50/bulb
LED Holiday Lights: $3 per string
Ceiling Fan: $25
Plumas-Sierra REC - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
ENERGY STAR Freezer: $75
ENERGY STAR Washing Machine: $35
ENERGY STAR Dishwasher: $35
ENERGY STAR Light Emitting Diode (LED) Bulbs: $5
Ceiling Fan: $25
Retire a Secondary Refrigerator or Freezer without replacement: $50
Storage Water Heater/Heat Pump Water Heater (>30 Gal): $150
Windows: $1.50-$3.00/sq. ft.
Insulation: $0.25 - $0.35/sq. ft.
Room AC: $75
Central AC: $25-$75
Air-Source Heat Pump: $150 - $350
Ground Source Heat Pump: $600
LED Holiday Lights: $3.00/70-bulb string
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are intended to encourage people to switch their home over to renewable energy by offering incentives that lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. You might be eligible for different types of incentives, including cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the state of California and others from the federal government. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Rebates: A solar rebate is a partial refund after the purchase of your solar panels. Rebates may be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The rebates are usually applied before tax credits are calculated.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs are credits that can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for cash that is generally considered part of your taxable income. In most cases, there is a small threshold of energy production to meet before your solar system can earn SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. These kinds of incentives are generally handled by your state government.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions go into effect at the time of purchase for your solar panels. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the added value of your solar system when you're calculating how much property tax you need to pay.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in once your solar system is up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Susanville utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some areas, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you may receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. A federal incentive that most people are likely to be familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This is a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be credited towards the value of solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system has to have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property owned by you for you to be eligible for the credit. Initially, the ITC applied to 30% of all system costs (panels, accessories, equipment and labor), although the amount has fluctuated slightly over the last few years between 26-30%. The amount you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the claim amount.
Contacting your local Susanville solar panel installation expert is the best way to learn more about how the ITC may apply to you.
The ITC was both renewed and expanded by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installations undertaken between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2032. After this, the credit percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the program expires in 2035. The expansion to the program also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, beginning in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you is to reach out to your local Susanville solar panel installers with your questions.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to those provided at the federal level, there are often also state solar incentives. Tax credits, rebates and more may be available at a more local level. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. Local solar incentives might come from your county or municipality, or from the California government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Susanville
You can apply for and receive solar incentives from the California government and the federal government, as well as from your local utility company. The growing availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped greatly increase nationwide adoption of solar energy. Reach out to your local solar panel installer today to learn more and to save the most money possible on solar panels for your Susanville home.
EcoWatch's Susanville, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
If I already have a solar system installed on my house, can I still claim incentives?
If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If you had your system installed between 2006 and 2021, you may qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the date of installation. Speaking with a representative from the company that installed your solar system, or any local Susanville solar installer, can help you understand what incentives you qualify for.
How much can I save on my electric bill annually if I add solar panels to my Susanville home?
Once you add solar panels to your house in Susanville, you can anticipate savings of around $1,465.11 per year, or about $27,837.09 over the next 20 years.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The federal solar tax credit, previously called the ITC and now titled the Clean Energy Credit, is set to end January 1, 2035. The current 30% credit will end in 2032, replaced by a 26% credit in 2033 and a 22% credit in 2034.
Can I claim incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order in which incentives are applied might vary depending on which incentives you receive but in most cases yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Get in touch with your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
Can I get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to best understand what solar incentives apply to you, many will apply to a second home, so long as that home is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available specifically for commercial properties, depending on the specifics.
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.