2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Omaha, NE - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Omaha.
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 Omaha?
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 encourage people to switch their home over to renewable energy by providing financial incentives meant to lower the burden of solar panel installation and use. Incentives can include things like discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, while others are handled by the state of Nebraska or your utility company, county or municipality. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- 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.)
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are usually applied before any solar tax credits are calculated. These rebates might be offered by your local utility company, by your state or by your county.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are applied at the point of sale for your solar system. Property tax exemptions let you exclude the value that your solar panels add when you calculate how much property tax you need to pay on your house.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in after your solar system is up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Omaha utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some places, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other places you may make back a percentage of the value.
Best Technology
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- 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 you hear the term "solar incentives," federal incentives might be the first thing that comes to mind. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is the best-known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides a tax credit for a specific percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies to the value of solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system has to have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property you own for you to be eligible for the credit. The ITC originally paid out 30% of all costs (panels, equipment, accessories and labor), although the covered amount has fluctuated slightly over time between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you are eligible for. There is no cap on the claim amount.
Talking to your local Omaha solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to you.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). Homeowners can now qualify for 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 on a yearly basis until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. The program expansion also makes claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before, starting in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Omaha solar panel installers are the best people to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it applies to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Rebates, tax credits and more can be claimed at multiple levels. On top of federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. Incentives might be handled by your county or municipality, or by the state of Nebraska. Some incentives might only be available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Omaha
There are many types of solar incentives: those given by local utility companies, those given by the Nebraska government and those offered by the federal government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has increased enormously in the last 15 years, thanks to these incentives. Your local Omaha solar panel installer can give you more information about which incentives you may qualify for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Omaha, NE Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
In most cases, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on a property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the Nebraska government or by your county/municipality, might have additional qualifications. Speak with your local Omaha solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project will qualify for.
If I installed solar panels on my house a few years ago, can I still claim incentives?
If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If you had your system installed between 2006 and 2021, you might qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the year it was installed. Speaking with the company that installed your solar system, or any local Omaha solar installer, can help you learn what incentives you can apply for.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my home?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 500 pounds of CO2 annually by installing solar panels. This adds up to around 10,000 pounds in 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, meaning that switching your home over reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
Can I apply for 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 are eligible for but generally yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to be sure you are claiming all the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
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.