2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Lakeland Highlands, FL - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Lakeland Highlands.
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 Lakeland Highlands?
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 intended to make renewable energy usage more affordable through financial incentives for those who install solar panels on their homes. These incentives might include cash back, upfront discounts or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are given by the federal government, some by the Florida government and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are applied at the point of sale for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the value added by your solar system when you're calculating how much property tax you need to pay.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be provided by your state or county, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after you purchase a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
- Net Metering: You can sign a net metering contract with your Lakeland Highlands utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. Your utility company will then deduct this value from your utility bill each month.
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
Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about solar incentives. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is the most well-known federal solar incentive. The ITC offers a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system must have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to be eligible for the credit. Initially, the ITC applied to 30% of all costs (panels, labor, equipment and accessories), although the total amount has fluctuated slightly over time between 26-30%. The amount you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To better understand how the ITC will apply to your situation, reach out to your local Lakeland Highlands solar panel installer and request more information.
The ITC was renewed and increased in scope after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. Homeowners can now receive a credit of 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects that began after January 1, 2022, and will be finished by the end of 2032. The percentage will then begin to decrease on a yearly basis until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. The program expansion also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, starting in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The easiest way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to talk with your local Lakeland Highlands solar panel installation expert.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. Similar to federal incentives, these may include tax credits, rebates and more. Some incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. Local solar incentives could come from your county or municipality, or from the Florida government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Lakeland Highlands
There are many types of solar incentives: those given by local utility companies, those offered by the federal government and those provided by the Florida government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has grown enormously in the last 15 years, partially thanks to these incentives. Speak with your local solar panel installer today to discover more about the various programs and to save as much money as possible on solar panels for your Lakeland Highlands home.
EcoWatch's Lakeland Highlands, FL Solar Incentives FAQs
I already have solar panels installed. Do I qualify for any incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to someone from the company that installed your system – or reach out to a local Lakeland Highlands solar installer — to clarify which incentives you might qualify for. If your system was installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The federal solar tax credit, formerly called the ITC and now called the Clean Energy Credit, is scheduled 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 initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but in most cases yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Speak to your solar installer or a local tax professional to make sure you are claiming all the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I use solar and another type of renewable energy in combination to power my home?
You can power your home with multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy. Make sure you go over your plan with your local Lakeland Highlands solar installation expert. They can help you as you plan for your project and also help you understand the various incentives that you might or might 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.
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.