2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Wake Forest, NC - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Wake Forest.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Wake Forest?
Duke Energy - NC Solar Rebate Program
Nonresidential: $0.50/W-AC
Nonprofit: $0.75/W-AC
Property Tax Abatement for Solar Electric Systems
All other systems: 80% of the appraised value
Active Solar Heating and Cooling Systems Exemption
EnergyUnited (Electric) Residential Energy Efficiency Program
Heat Pumps (16 SEER): $300/unit
Duke Energy (Electric) - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Geothermal Heat Pump: $400 + $50 with added smart thermostat
Heat Pump Water Heater: $350
Attic Insulation or Attic Air Sealing: $250
Duct Sealing: $100
Variable-Speed Pool Pumps: $300
NC GreenPower Production Incentive
PV larger than 5 kW: must enter bid process
Wind up to 10 kW: $0.09/kWh
Wind larger than 10 kW: must enter bid process
Local Option - Financing Program for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Local Option - Green Building Incentives
Duke Energy Progress - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Geothermal Heat Pumps: $400 + 50 with smart thermostat
Heat Pump Water Heater: $350
Attic Insulation & Air Sealing: $250
Duct Sealing: $100
Pool Pump: $300
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. This category of financial incentives is designed to encourage more people to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. You may be eligible for different types of incentives, including cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Some incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the North Carolina government and others from the federal government. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
- Net Metering: Don't forget to talk to your Wake Forest utility company about signing a net metering contract. This allows you to get a credit towards your utility bill every month 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.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): In general, solar systems that produce over a specific (generally small) amount of electricity can qualify for SRECs or other similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and the like are typically provided at the state level. You can sell SRECs to your utility company or another buyer, and the money you receive is normally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system might qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions are applied at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions let you ignore the value that solar panels add when you are calculating property taxes on your house.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be provided by your state or county, or by your local utility company. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you pay for a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Federal Solar Incentives
When thinking about solar incentives, federal incentives are likely the first thing that comes to mind. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is the most well-known federal solar incentive. The ITC offers a tax credit for a specific percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to the total cost of installing a solar system, including the panels themselves as well as equipment, labor and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own, as long as it is located in the United States. From its original value of 30% of the total cost, the credit has fluctuated slightly between 26-30%, and you may qualify for varying percentages depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
Talking to your local Wake Forest solar panel installation expert is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to you.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). Now, solar installation projects begun after January 1, 2022, and finished by December 31, 2032, might qualify for a 30% tax credit. This credit amount will then decrease slightly each year until the end of the current Clean Energy Credit in 2035. Beginning in 2023, it will also be easier to qualify for credits for energy storage systems with the new act.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Wake Forest solar panel company can answer your questions and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided by state and local governments. Like with federal incentives, these can include tax credits, rebates and more. Incentives might be provided by your county or municipality, or by the state of North Carolina. Some incentives may be available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Wake Forest
There are a number of different solar incentives: those given by local utility companies, those provided by the North Carolina government and those given by the federal government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has grown enormously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. We suggest talking to your local Wake Forest solar installation company for more information about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting all the money you can for your solar system.
EcoWatch's Wake Forest, NC Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
It's a smart idea to get in touch with your local Wake Forest solar installer for a better understanding of which incentives your project will qualify for. Typically, solar incentives apply to new solar systems installed on property you own (in the U.S.) within a specified date range. Some incentives, like those provided by the North Carolina government, might have other requirements.
My home already has solar panels installed. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
You should plan to talk to someone from the company that installed your solar system – or reach out to a local Wake Forest solar installer — to better understand which incentives you may 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. Systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my home?
You can reduce your carbon footprint by 300 pounds of CO2 annually when you install solar panels. This adds up to roughly 6,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, meaning that switching your home over lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The Clean Energy Credit (previously referred to as the federal solar tax credit, or the 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.
If I switch my appliances out for ones that can use solar energy, are there any credits that I can claim?
Under the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are a variety of new financial incentives to encourage you to make eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details regarding these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
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.