2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Clarksdale, MS - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Clarksdale.
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.
Get a free quote from one of our trusted Clarksdale solar installers to see how much you can save.
Please enter a valid 5-digit zip code!
Why you can trust EcoWatch
What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Clarksdale?
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. Various kinds of incentives, like discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, might be available to you. Certain incentives may be handled by the state of Mississippi, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, which is applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption, which allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when calculating property tax for your home.
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant once your solar panels are up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Clarksdale 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 is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you may get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount of tax you owe the government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar panels. These might be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before calculating tax credits.
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies to the total cost of solar panel installation, including the panels themselves as well as labor, equipment and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence located in the United States that you own. The tax credit ranges from 26-30% of total costs depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
Wondering how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Clarksdale solar panel installer to get more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032. After this, the credit percentage will be reduced slightly each year until the end of the program in 2035. The expansion to the program also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, starting in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To best understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, talk to your local Clarksdale solar installation expert.
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. Incentives may be handled by the state of Mississippi, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives may be available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Clarksdale
Solar incentives can come from the Mississippi government, the federal government or your local utility company. The large number of solar incentives available has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. Your local Clarksdale solar panel installation company can help you learn more about which incentives you might qualify for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Clarksdale, MS Solar Incentives FAQs
I already have solar panels installed. Does my system qualify for any incentives?
You should plan to talk to someone from the company that installed your solar panels – or get in touch with a local Clarksdale solar installer — to better understand which incentives you might qualify for. If your solar panels were 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%.
How much will a solar system save me annually on my electric bill in Clarksdale?
When you add solar panels to your home in Clarksdale, you can expect to save approximately $863.73 per year, or approximately $16,410.78 over 20 years.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that utilize solar energy, are there incentives that I can claim?
The new Inflation Reduction Act provides several incentives designed to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I claim incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
Yes, you can claim both rebates and tax credits towards the cost of your solar panels. Depending on precisely which incentives you are receiving, they may apply in a different order. Be sure to speak with your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify that you are claiming incentives correctly and that you're getting the most money you can.
Can I use solar and another type of renewable energy in combination to power my home?
You can power your home with multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy. Make sure you go over your plan with your local Clarksdale solar installer. They can help you with the plan for your project and give you an understanding of 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.