2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Blaine, MN - Tax Credits & Rebates

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

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

Solar incentives are meant to encourage people to switch their home over to renewable energy by offering incentives meant to lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. You might be eligible for different types of incentives, including discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the Minnesota government and others from the federal government. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:

• Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the added value of your solar system when you're calculating the amount of property tax you need to pay on your home.
• Rebates: Solar rebates might be offered by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you pay for solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
• Net Metering: Don't forget to speak to your Blaine utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This allows you to receive credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy your solar panels generate. You might receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
• Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that you think of when thinking about solar incentives. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. Initially, the credit applied to 30% of the total cost — for panels, equipment, accessories and labor — although that amount may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar project was undertaken. There is no cap on the claim amount.

To better understand how the ITC will apply to your situation, call your local Blaine solar panel installer and ask for more information.

In August 2022, the ITC (now referred to as 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 installation projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed by the end of 2032. After this, the percentage will decrease slightly each year until the program expires in 2035. The program expansion also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, beginning in 2023.

More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Blaine solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it will apply to you.

State & Local Solar Incentives

Not all solar incentives are federal; tax credits, rebates and more might also be offered at the local or state level. These incentives may be distributed by the Minnesota 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 Blaine

Solar incentives might be offered by the federal government, the Minnesota government or your local utility company. The variety of solar incentives available has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. When you're prepared to make the change to solar energy, talking to your local Blaine solar panel installation expert is a great first step.