2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Centreville, IL - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Centreville.
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 Centreville?
Special Assessment for Solar Energy Systems
Solar Renewable Energy Credits
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 individuals who install solar panels on their homes. Different types of incentives, such as cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, might be available to you. Some incentives may be provided via the state of Illinois, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while other incentives are federal. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Net Metering: Make sure you speak to your Centreville utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This allows you to get a credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy generated by your solar panels. You could receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for cash that is generally considered part of your taxable income. In most cases, there is a small threshold of energy production to meet before your solar system is eligible for SRECs or other performance-based incentives. These kinds of incentives are generally handled at the state level.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. These may be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The rebates are usually applied before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions go into effect at the time of purchase for your solar panels. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the added value of your solar system when you're calculating how much property tax you need to pay.
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 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
When thinking about solar incentives, federal incentives may be the first thing that comes to mind. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the best-known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides you with a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. Initially, the credit applied to 30% of the total cost – for panels, accessories, labor and equipment – although the percentage may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To better understand how the ITC may apply to you, reach out to your local Centreville solar panel installer and ask for more information.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act laid out new provisions for the ITC, now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit lasts until 2035. Solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032 may qualify for a 30% tax credit; this amount will then decrease slightly each year until the current program ends. Starting in 2023, it will also be easier to obtain credits for energy storage systems with the new act.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The easiest way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you is to speak with your local Centreville solar panel installers directly.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be offered at the local or state level. As with federal incentives, these may include tax credits, rebates and more. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. These local incentives could come from your county or municipality, or from the Illinois government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Centreville
Solar incentives can be offered by your local utility company, the Illinois government or the federal government. The large number of available incentives has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. Your local Centreville solar panel installation company can provide you with more details about which incentives you can apply for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Centreville, IL Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Generally, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on a property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the Illinois government or by your county/municipality, may have additional qualifications. Talk to your local Centreville solar installer to discover what incentives your project may qualify for.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my home?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 500 pounds of CO2 a year when you install solar panels. This adds up to approximately 13,000 pounds in 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means that switching your home over reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The Clean Energy Credit (formerly named the federal solar tax credit, or the ITC), is scheduled to end on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
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 could vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but in most cases yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Get in touch with your solar installer or a local tax professional to be sure you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
Can I claim incentives for adding solar panels to a vacation home, rental property 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 can be claimed on a second home, provided that it is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available for commercial properties specifically, depending on the specifics.
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.