2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Bartow, FL - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Bartow.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Bartow?
Property Tax Abatement for Renewable Energy Property
Non-Residential: 80% of the added value
Florida PACE programs
Lakeland Electric - Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are designed to mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is designed to encourage more Americans to switch to renewable energy. Different types of incentives, like cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, may be available to you. Certain incentives may be offered by the state of Florida, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Net Metering: Don't forget to speak with your Bartow utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This will allow you to receive credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy generated by your solar panels. You could receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
- Rebates: Some solar companies will help you claim a rebate, or partial refund after purchase, for your solar system. Counties or states will also sometimes offer limited-time rebates. The value of a rebate will usually come off your total price before any tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which would allow you to ignore the value of your solar system when paying property tax on your home. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
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
When people think of solar incentives, federal incentives are likely the first thing that comes to mind. You might have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This incentive is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a predetermined percentage of the money you spend on solar panels for your home.
The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. Originally, the tax credit was for 30% of the total cost – for panels, accessories, labor and equipment – although that amount may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
Curious how the ITC might apply to your specific situation? Get in touch with your local Bartow 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 Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032. After 2032, the credit percentage will decrease slightly each year until the program expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you, talk to your local Bartow solar installation expert.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also offered at the local or state level. Like with federal incentives, these could include tax credits, rebates and more. These incentives might be given out by the Florida government, or by your county or municipality. Some incentives may be ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Bartow
Solar incentives can be provided by your local utility company, the federal government or the Florida government. The variety of available incentives has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. Getting in touch with your local Bartow solar panel installation expert is an excellent first step towards making sure you get all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's Bartow, FL Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for different solar incentives?
Broadly, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the Florida government or by your county/municipality, sometimes have additional qualifications. Get in touch with your local Bartow solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project may qualify for.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my house?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you can help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. You can also reduce the CO2 emissions from your home by 50 pounds yearly, or roughly 1,000 pounds over 20 years.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The federal solar tax credit, formerly known as the ITC and now named the Clean Energy Credit, is slated to end on 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 use a combination of solar and another type of renewable energy to power my home?
Yes, you can employ multiple types of renewable energy to power your home, such as a combination of solar and geothermal. You can also combine renewable energy generation with a backup source of non-renewable energy. You should discuss your proposed plan with your local Bartow solar installation expert, to make sure you know what you'll need and what types of incentives you will or won't 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.
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.