2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Vista, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Vista.
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 Vista 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 Vista?
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 designed to make renewable energy usage more affordable via financial incentives for those who install solar panels on their homes. You may qualify for several types of incentives, such as cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Some incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the California government and others from the federal government. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in after your solar system is up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Vista utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you might make back a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): In general, solar systems that produce over a specific (generally small) amount of electricity will qualify for SRECs or other performance-based incentives. SRECs and similar incentives are typically given at the state level. SRECs can be sold to your utility company or another buyer, and generally the money you make is normally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount of tax you owe the federal government. These are different from tax deductions.
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are usually given before any solar tax credits are calculated. These rebates may be provided by your local utility company, by your county or by your state.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in one of two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, which is applied when you purchase solar panels. The second is property tax exemption, which allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when calculating property tax for your home.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is the most commonly known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides a tax credit for a specific percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC covers solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, and allows you to deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, accessories, equipment and labor. This credit can be claimed on solar panels installed on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. The original claim amount 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.
Have questions about how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Contact your local Vista solar panel installer to get more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The new Clean Energy Credit is valid until 2035. You can now receive a 30% credit for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. The credit will then see a slight annual decrease until it expires. The expansion also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, starting in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The easiest way to understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you is to talk with your local Vista solar panel installation expert.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. Like with federal incentives, these may include tax credits, rebates and more. These solar incentives — which may be provided by the state of California, or by your county or municipality — could be offered on an ongoing basis, or for only a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Vista
There are a number of different solar incentives: those offered by local utility companies, those offered by the federal government and those offered by the California government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has increased enormously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. Your local Vista solar panel installation company can give you more information about which incentives you may qualify for, and get you on track to switch to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Vista, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
If my house already has solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
You should plan to talk to the company that installed your solar panels – or reach out to a local Vista solar installer — to learn about which incentives you might qualify for. If your solar panels were 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%.
What are the best solar panel installation companies near me?
To find the right solar panel installer for you, check out our guide to the best solar companies in Vista.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my house?
Solar energy is renewable — by switching where you get your energy, you can help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. A solar system can also reduce the CO2 emissions from your home by 250 pounds a year, or around 5,000 pounds in 20 years.
Can I use a combination of solar and another type of renewable energy to power my home?
You can use multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy, to power your home. Be sure to discuss your plan with your local Vista solar installation expert. They can help you with the plan for your project and give you an understanding of various incentives that you may or may 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.