2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Oakland, MI - Tax Credits & Rebates

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

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

Solar incentives help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is in place to encourage more Americans to switch their home over to renewable energy. Solar incentives may include cash back, upfront discounts or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, some by the state of Michigan and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:

• Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Oakland utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. They will then deduct this value from your monthly utility bill.
• Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund after the purchase of your solar system. 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 Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in one of two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, 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 paying property tax on your home.
• Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the government.

Federal Solar Incentives

When people think of solar incentives, federal incentives are likely the first thing that comes to mind. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is probably the best-known federal solar incentive. The ITC allows you to claim a tax credit for a specific 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, accessories, equipment and labor. This credit can apply towards solar panels installed on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. Originally, you could claim 30% of the total cost, although the amount you can claim may range between 26-30%. There is no maximum claim amount.

Wondering how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Get in touch with your local Oakland solar panel installation expert to get more information.

The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). The new Clean Energy Credit now runs until 2035. American homeowners are now eligible for a 30% credit for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. This credit will then be decreased by a few percentage points every year until the date of expiration. The expansion also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, starting in 2023.

Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Oakland solar panel installers are the best people to answer your questions regarding the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.

State & Local Solar Incentives

Not all solar incentives are federal; tax credits, rebates and more may be offered at the state and local level. These incentives might be distributed by the Michigan government, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Oakland

The variety of available solar incentives has helped tremendously increase the use of solar power nationwide over the past 15 years. You may receive solar incentives from the federal government, the Michigan government or from your local utility company. It is a good idea to talk to your local Oakland solar installer to learn more about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting all the money you can for your solar system.