2024 Solar Incentives Guide for West Bloomfield, MI - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in West Bloomfield.
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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Updated February 03, 2024
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in West Bloomfield?
Michigan Saves - Home Energy Loan Program
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are designed to make renewable energy usage more affordable via financial incentives for those who install solar panels on their homes. You may qualify for different types of incentives, including cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the state of Michigan and others from the federal government. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your local utility company, or by your state or county. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you purchase solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are applied at the point of sale for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the value that your solar panels add when you're calculating how much property tax you need to pay on your home.
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant after your solar system is up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your West Bloomfield utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you might receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
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Michigan Solar Solutions
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Strawberry Solar
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Federal Solar Incentives
When thinking about solar incentives, you probably think of federal incentives first. An incentive many people are probably familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC is a tax credit for a given percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies to the value of a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels have to have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property owned by you for you to be eligible for the credit. The ITC initially covered 30% of all system installation costs (panels, accessories, labor and equipment), although the amount has fluctuated slightly over the last few 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.
Your local West Bloomfield solar panel installation expert can provide you with more information about the ITC and how it might apply to your situation.
The ITC was both renewed and expanded by 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 yearly until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local West Bloomfield solar panel company can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to those provided at the federal level, there are often also state solar incentives. Rebates, tax credits and more may be available at a more local level. Incentives may be given by the state of Michigan, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives might only be available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in West Bloomfield
Nationwide solar energy use has gone up tremendously in the past 15 years, in part thanks to the proliferation of solar incentives. You might receive these incentives from your local utility company, the Michigan government or the federal government. Contact your local solar panel installation expert today to discover more about the various programs and to save as much money as possible on solar panels for your West Bloomfield home.
EcoWatch's West Bloomfield, MI Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for solar incentives?
Broadly, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including ones handled by the Michigan government or by your county/municipality, might have additional qualifications. Speak with your local West Bloomfield solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project may qualify for.
I already have solar panels installed. Does my system qualify for any incentives?
You should plan to talk to the company that installed your solar panels – or get in touch with a local West Bloomfield solar installer — to better understand which incentives you might 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 systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The Clean Energy Credit (formerly named the federal solar tax credit, or 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 claim incentives for adding solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to best understand what solar incentives apply to you, many will apply to a second home, so long as that home is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available specifically for commercial properties, depending on the details.
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.