2025 Solar Incentives Guide for East Point, GA - Tax Credits & Rebates

What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in East Point?

Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/

Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are in place to encourage more homeowners to convert their home partially or fully 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 Georgia government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:

• Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)
• Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, which is applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the added value of your solar system when calculating property tax for your house.
• Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get after your solar panels are up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your East Point utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your utility bill each month. In some areas, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may make back a percentage of the value.
• Rebates: Your solar installer might help you claim a rebate, or partial refund of your purchase, for your solar system. States or counties will also sometimes offer limited-time rebates. Any rebates you receive will usually come off the total price before tax credits are calculated.

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some familiarity with. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC applies to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Initially, the credit applied to 30% of the total cost – for panels, equipment, labor and accessories – although it may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the claim amount.

To understand exactly how much the ITC could save you, speak with your local East Point solar panel installation expert.

In August 2022, the ITC (now called the Clean Energy Credit) was bolstered by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. For solar system installations that begin after January 1, 2022, and are completed by the end of 2032, homeowners can receive a credit for 30% of the total cost. The percentage will then decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Beginning in 2023, it will also be easier to obtain credits for energy storage systems with the new act.

More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local East Point solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it applies to you.

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 offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. Local solar incentives could come from your county or municipality, or from the Georgia government.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in East Point

You can apply for and receive solar incentives from the federal government and the Georgia government, as well as from your local utility company. Growing availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped increase solar adoption nationwide. Getting in touch with your local East Point solar panel installer is an excellent first step towards getting all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.