2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Merriam, KS - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Merriam.
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.
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Updated September 15, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Merriam?
Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption
Wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar thermal, solar PV, and other solar energy systems: the assessed value of the system
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are meant to encourage people to switch their home over to renewable energy by offering incentives that lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. Various types of incentives, including discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, may be available to you. Certain incentives may be provided via the Kansas government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while other incentives are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panels may qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions come into effect at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when you are calculating property taxes on your home.
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant once your solar panels are up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Merriam utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your monthly utility bill. In some places, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you may be refunded a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. Rebates might 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: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount of tax you owe the federal government. These are different from tax deductions.
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Federal Solar Incentives
When you think about solar incentives, you probably think of federal incentives first. It's likely that you've heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. The ITC is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a certain percentage of the money you spend installing solar panels.
The ITC can be applied to the total cost of installing a solar system, including the panels themselves as well as accessories, equipment and labor. You can claim this credit for panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own, as long as it is located in the United States. Originally set at 30% of total costs, the credit has fluctuated over time, and you may qualify for different amounts depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
To better understand exactly how much money the ITC could save you, get in touch with your local Merriam solar panel installer.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act made revisions to the ITC, now titled the Clean Energy Credit. With the new provisions, solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed by the end of 2032 can qualify for a 30% tax credit. The amount of the credit will then see a slight annual decrease until the current Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. The expansion also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, beginning in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The best way to fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you is to talk with your local Merriam solar panel installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also 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. Local solar incentives may come from your county or municipality, or from the Kansas government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Merriam
You can qualify for solar incentives from the federal government and the Kansas government, as well as from your local utility company. The increased availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped increase solar adoption nationwide. Call your local solar panel installer today to discover more about the various programs and to save the most money possible on solar panels for your Merriam home.
EcoWatch's Merriam, KS Solar Incentives FAQs
Can I receive any incentives when I add solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully 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 additional incentives available specifically for commercial properties, depending on the details.
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to a representative from the company that installed your system — or reach out to a local Merriam solar installer — to clarify which incentives you may qualify for. If your system was installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much will a solar system save me on my electric bill in Merriam annually?
Typically, homeowners in Merriam who install solar panels save around $1,046.76 per year, or around $19,888.37 over 20 years after making the switch.
What are the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. A solar system can also lower the CO2 emissions from your home by 450 pounds yearly, or roughly 9,000 pounds over 20 years.
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.