2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Chalco, NE - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Chalco.
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 Chalco?
Dollar and Energy Savings Loans
Residential: $125,000;
Multifamily dwellings with 3 or more units: $250,000
Non-Residential: $500,000;
Home Electronics: $25,000;
Office Electronics: $50,000
Alternative Fuel Projects: $500,000
Telecommunications Projects: $250,000
Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Community Renewable Energy Projects
Nebraska Public Power District - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs
High Efficiency Heat Pump: $300 - $2,500
Heat Pump Water Heater: $300 - $500
Cooling System Tune-Up: $30
Attic Insulation: $0.15/sq. ft.
Local Option - Property-Assessed Clean Energy Financing
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are in place to encourage more Americans to switch their home over to renewable energy. Incentives can include things like discounts, cash back or credit on your utility bill each month. Some incentives are handled federally, while others are handled by the state of Nebraska or your specific utility company, county or municipality. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, which is applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the added value of your solar system when paying property tax on your house.
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax that you owe the government.
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are typically given before any solar tax credits are calculated. Rebates may be given by your local utility company, by your county or by your state.
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get once your solar system is up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Chalco utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
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
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
When people think of solar incentives, federal incentives might be the first thing that comes to mind. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC originally covered 30% of the cost of installing a solar system, and has fluctuated slightly over the years between 26-30%. The percentage you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. The total installation cost includes the panels themselves as well as the cost of equipment, labor and accessories. There is no maximum amount you can claim. The ITC applies to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, on your primary or secondary residence. The residence must be owned by you and in the United States.
Wondering how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Chalco solar panel installation expert to get more information.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act made revisions to the ITC, now called 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. At this point, 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.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, speak with your local Chalco solar installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. Similar to federal incentives, these might include rebates, tax credits and more. The incentives — which may be provided by the state of Nebraska, or by your county or municipality — may be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Chalco
The nationwide use of solar energy has significantly increased in the last 15 years, in part thanks to the growth in the number of solar incentives. You may get these incentives from your local utility company, the Nebraska government or the federal government. We suggest talking to your local Chalco solar installation expert for more information about these incentives and to ensure that you're getting the largest number possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's Chalco, NE Solar Incentives FAQs
How much will a solar system save me annually on my electric bill in Chalco?
Once you add solar panels to your Chalco home, you can anticipate savings of around $860.18 per year, or around $16,343.48 over 20 years.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that can use solar energy, are there any incentives that I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides multiple incentives meant to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these 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 initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you receive but typically yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Speak to your solar installer or a local tax professional to make sure you are claiming all the incentives you're eligible for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I claim incentives for adding solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property?
Many solar incentives are intended to apply to a property located within the United States that you own, and most secondary residences will fall into this category. Other solar incentives may be available for commercial properties, depending on the details. We recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to best understand what incentives will apply to your specific situation.
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.