2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Oswego, IL - Tax Credits & Rebates

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

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

The term "solar incentives" generally refers to financial incentives implemented by the government and by solar companies to encourage the use of renewable energy by making installing and using solar panels more affordable. Different kinds of incentives, like cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, may be available to you. Some incentives may be handled by the Illinois government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while other incentives are federal. Categories of solar incentives include:

• Net Metering: Net metering factors in once your solar system is up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Oswego utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your monthly utility bill. In some locations, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may make back a percentage of the value.
• Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when paying property tax on your house. You could also look for exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
• Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
• Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for money 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 normally handled at the state level.
• Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar panels. These could be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The rebates are usually applied before calculating tax credits.

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. You may have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. The ITC is a tax credit equal to a predetermined percentage of the money you spend on your solar system.

The ITC applies to a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system has to have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to claim the credit. Originally, the ITC covered 30% of all installation costs (panels, equipment, labor and accessories), although the total amount has fluctuated over the years between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you are eligible for. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.

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

The ITC was renewed and increased in scope after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. Homeowners can now receive a credit equal to 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects that began after January 1, 2022, and will be finished by the end of 2032. The percentage will then begin to decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. The program expansion also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, beginning in 2023.

Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to get in touch with your local Oswego solar panel company.

State & Local Solar Incentives

Rebates, tax credits and more might be provided at multiple levels. In addition to federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. Some incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. These local incentives could come from the Illinois government, or from your specific county or municipality.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Oswego

Nationwide solar energy use has gone up significantly in the past 15 years, in part thanks to the increase in availability of solar incentives. You may get these incentives from the federal government, the Illinois government or your local utility company. If you're ready to make the change to solar energy, talking to your local Oswego solar panel installation expert is an excellent place to start.