2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Athens, GA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Athens.
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 Athens?
Biomass Sales and Use Tax Exemption
Georgia Power - Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Program
Central AC Replacement: $50
Air/Duct Sealing: $300
Attic Insulation: $250
Heat Recovery Water Heater with Heat Pump: $250
Heat Pump Water Heater: $250
Solar Water Heater: $250
Home Energy Assessment: $150
Smart Thermostat: $75
Heat Pump conversion: $250
Multifamily
Central AC Replacement: $25
Air/Duct Sealing: $150
Attic Insulation: $125
Heat Recovery Water Heater with Heat Pump: $250
Heat Pump Water Heater: $250
Solar Water Heater: $250
Home Energy Assessment: $75
Smart Thermostat: $38
Heat Pump conversion: $125
Central Georgia EMC - Residential Energy Efficiency Home Plus Loan Program
Jackson EMC - Right Choice Sun Power Rebate Program
Walton EMC - HomePlus Loan Program
Walton EMC - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs
Water Heater: $200/unit
Heat Pump: $200/unit
Heat Pump Water Heater: $200/home
Waste Heat Recovery System: $200/home
New Homes
Underground Wiring Refund: Up to $500
Water Heater: $200/unit
Heat Pump Water Heater: $200/home
Waste Heat Recovery System: $200/home
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. This category of financial incentives is intended to encourage more people to switch their home over to renewable energy. The incentives can include upfront discounts, cash back or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, some by the Georgia government and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get once your solar panels are up and running. If you have a net metering agreement in place with your Athens utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other areas you might make back a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: A solar rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. These could be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The cash back that you get from the rebates is normally applied before calculating tax credits.
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the government.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions go into effect at the time of purchase for your solar panels. Property tax exemptions let you exclude the value added by your solar system when calculating how much property tax you need to pay on your home.
Best National Provider
SunPower
- Most efficient panels on the market
- National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
- Expensive
- Customer service varies by local dealer
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
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. 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 specified percentage of the money you spend installing solar panels.
The ITC covers 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, equipment, accessories and labor. You can receive this credit for a solar panel system 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 the amount you can claim may range between 26-30%. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
Your local Athens solar panel installation expert can offer more information about the ITC and how it applies to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as retitling it 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. At this point, the percentage will decrease slightly each year until the end of the program in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you is to talk with your local Athens solar panel installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided at the state and local level. Similar to federal incentives, these could include rebates, tax credits and more. Incentives may be handled by your county or municipality, or by the state of Georgia. Some incentives may be available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Athens
The nationwide use of solar energy has gone up tremendously in the past 15 years, in part thanks to the growth in the number of solar incentives. You may get these incentives from your local utility company, the Georgia government or the federal government. We suggest talking to your local Athens solar installation expert for more information about these incentives and to make sure that you're getting the most money possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's Athens, GA Solar Incentives FAQs
Who installs solar panel systems near me?
To discover the best solar panel installation companies near you, take a look at our article on Athens' best solar panel companies.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my house?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 450 pounds of CO2 annually when you switch to solar panels. This adds up to approximately 9,000 pounds in 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, meaning that switching your home over lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
If I change out my appliances for ones that can utilize solar energy, are there benefits I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act introduces a number of incentives meant to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I receive incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you receive but typically yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Talk with your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
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.