2023 Solar Incentives Guide for North Druid Hills, GA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in North Druid Hills.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2023 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
Solar installers are experts in maximizing your solar tax credits and rebates.
Get a free quote from one of our trusted North Druid Hills solar installers to see how much you can save.
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Updated September 15, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in North Druid Hills?
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
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is intended to encourage more Americans to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. You may be eligible for various kinds of incentives, including cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Some incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the Georgia government and others from the federal government. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Rebates: Rebates, or cash back after a purchase, are usually given before any solar tax credits are calculated. Rebates can be given by your local utility company, by your state or by your county.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in once your solar system is up and running. If you have a net metering agreement in place with your North Druid Hills utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some places, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar system could qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the value that solar panels add when you are calculating property taxes on your home.
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
When you think about solar incentives, you likely think of federal incentives first. The solar incentive that you're most familiar with is probably the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a specified percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC covers solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 and lets you deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, equipment, labor and accessories. You can receive this credit for solar panels installed on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. The original amount you could claim was 30% of the total cost, although depending on when the project was completed, your credit may range from 26-30%. There is no maximum claim amount.
To more fully understand how the ITC might apply to you, reach out to your local North Druid Hills solar panel installer and request more information.
The ITC was both renewed and expanded by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. After 2032, the percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the end of the program in 2035. The expansion also makes claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before, beginning in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local North Druid Hills solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided at the state and local level. Similar to federal incentives, these might include rebates, tax credits and more. Incentives might be offered by your county or municipality, or by the state of Georgia. Certain incentives may be available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in North Druid Hills
There are many types of solar incentives: those provided by local utility companies, those provided by the federal government and those provided by the Georgia government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has grown tremendously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. Reaching out to your local North Druid Hills solar panel installation company is the best first step towards making sure you get all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's North Druid Hills, GA Solar Incentives FAQs
Can I get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to better understand what solar incentives apply to you, many incentives will apply to a second home, so long as that home is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available specifically for commercial properties, depending on the specifics.
How do I learn if I qualify for different solar incentives?
In most cases, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including ones handled by the Georgia government or by your county/municipality, sometimes have additional qualifications. Talk to your local North Druid Hills solar installer to discover what incentives your project will qualify for.
How much will solar panels save me annually on my electric bill in North Druid Hills?
When you add solar panels to your home in North Druid Hills, you can anticipate savings of about $1,053.62 per year, or about $20,018.87 over 20 years.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
Solar energy is a renewable energy source — by changing where you get your energy, you help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. You can also lower your home's CO2 emissions by 450 pounds annually, or around 9,000 pounds over 20 years.
Can I apply for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but usually yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify you are claiming all of the incentives you qualify for 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.