2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Southgate, MI - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Southgate.
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 Southgate?
Michigan Saves - Home Energy Loan Program
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 to help people install solar panels on their homes. These incentives could include upfront discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are given by the federal government, some by the state of Michigan and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Net Metering: Make sure you talk with your Southgate utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This will allow you to receive credit towards your utility bill every month for the value of excess energy your solar panels generate. You may receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the federal government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be offered by your state or county, or by your local utility company. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you purchase a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption, which allows you to ignore the added value of your solar system when paying property tax on your house.
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
Solar Veteran
Michigan Solar Solutions
- Great warranty coverage
- Outstanding customer service
- Offers products from leading manufacturers
- Slightly limited service offerings
- No leases or PPAs
Outstanding Local Installer
Strawberry Solar
- Outstanding customer service
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Educational, no-pressure sales approach
- Limited warranty coverage
- No leases or PPAs
- Limited brands of solar equipment available
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that you think of when you think about solar incentives. You've likely heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a specified percentage of the money you spend installing solar panels.
The ITC applies to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Originally, the tax credit was for 30% of the total cost – for panels, accessories, equipment and labor – although it may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the claim amount.
To best understand how the ITC will apply to your situation, get in touch with your local Southgate solar panel installation expert and ask for more information.
In August 2022, the ITC (now titled the Clean Energy Credit) was bolstered by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Clean Energy Credit has increased the current credit up to 30% for solar installations undertaken between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2032. After this, the credit percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the program expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to speak with your local Southgate solar panel installers directly.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Tax credits, rebates and more might be provided at multiple levels. In addition to federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones as well. These incentives may be offered by the Michigan government, or by your county or municipality. Some incentives may be available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Southgate
The large number of solar incentives available has enormously increased the use of solar power nationwide over the past 15 years. You can get solar incentives from your local utility company, the federal government or the Michigan government. We suggest talking to your local Southgate solar installation expert to learn more about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting the largest number possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's Southgate, MI Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Broadly, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the Michigan government or by your county/municipality, might have additional qualifications. Speak with your local Southgate solar installer to discover what incentives your project will qualify for.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my house?
You can reduce your carbon footprint by 500 pounds of CO2 annually when you install solar panels. This adds up to approximately 10,000 pounds over 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means that switching your home over lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
I want to trade in my old appliances for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any credits I can claim?
The new Inflation Reduction Act introduces several incentives designed to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include tax credits and rebates for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I receive incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order in which incentives are applied might vary depending on which incentives you receive but in most cases yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Speak to your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify you are claiming all the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I use multiple types of renewable energy to power my home?
You can use multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy, to power your home. Make sure you talk through your ideas with your local Southgate solar installer. They can help you with the plan for your project and educate you on the various incentives that you will or won't qualify for.
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.