2024 Solar Incentives Guide for West Little River, FL - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in West Little River.
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 West Little River?
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/
The phrase "solar incentives" refers to a range of financial incentives designed to make installing and using solar panels more affordable. This is done to encourage people to switch to renewable energy. Incentives can include things like discounts, cash back or credit on your utility bill each month. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, while others are handled by the Florida government or your specific utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get after your solar system is up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your West Little River utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other places you might make back a percentage of the value.
- Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which can let you exclude the value added by your solar panels when paying taxes on your home. You may also qualify for an exemption on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Tax Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much income tax you owe the government.
- Rebates: Rebates, or cash back after a purchase, are usually applied before any solar tax credits are calculated. These rebates may be offered by your local utility company, by your county or by your state.
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. It's likely that you've heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. The ITC is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a specified percentage of the money you spend on solar panels for your home.
The ITC applies towards 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, labor, accessories and equipment. You can claim this credit for 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 certain projects may qualify for only 26%, depending on the details. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
To best understand how the ITC may apply to your situation, get in touch with your local West Little River solar panel installer and request 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). For solar systems installed between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2032, homeowners may be eligible for a credit equal to 30% of the total cost. This percentage will decrease annually after 2032 until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. The program 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. To best understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you, reach out to your local West Little River solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to those provided at the federal level, there are often also state solar incentives. Rebates, tax credits and more may be available at a more local level. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others might only be available for a limited time. They might be provided by your county or municipality, or by the Florida government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in West Little River
There are many types of solar incentives: those provided by local utility companies, those offered by the federal government and those offered by the Florida government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has grown enormously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. When you're ready to make the switch to solar energy, reaching out to your local West Little River solar panel installation expert is an excellent place to start.
EcoWatch's West Little River, FL Solar Incentives FAQs
If I change out my appliances for ones that use solar energy, are there incentives that I can claim?
Under the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are several new financial incentives for making eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details regarding these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
Can I apply for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in might vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but typically yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Talk with your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm you are claiming all the incentives you're eligible for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I use a combination of multiple types of renewable energy to power my home?
Yes, you can use multiple types of renewable energy to power your home — for example, a combination of solar and geothermal. You can also use both renewable energy sources and a non-renewable backup source of energy. Be sure to discuss the details of your plan with your local West Little River solar installation expert, so that you understand what you'll need and what incentives you might or might not qualify for.
What if I add a solar system to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property? Can I still qualify for incentives?
Many solar incentives apply to a property located within the United States that you own; most secondary residences fall into this category. There may be other solar incentives available for commercial properties, depending on the details. We recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to better understand what incentives apply to your specific situation.
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.