2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Guilderland, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Guilderland.
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 Guilderland?
State of NY Commercial PACE Financing Program
Residential Solar Tax Credit
Refundable Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit (Corporate)
NY-Sun Loan Program
Small Business and Not-for-Profit Organizations:
Participation Loans: up to $100,000 (at low interest rate)
On-Bill Recovery loans: $50,000 at 2%
Residential Wood Heating Fuel Exemption
Local Option - Solar Sales Tax Exemption
Solar Sales Tax Exemption
Local Option - Real Property Tax Exemption for Green Buildings
Energy Conservation Improvements Property Tax Exemption
Local Option - Solar, Wind & Biomass Energy Systems Exemption
NY-Sun PV Incentive Program (Residential, Low-Income, and Small Business)
Residential:
Long Island Region: $0.00/W (MW blocks have been fully subscribed)
Con Edison Region: $0.30/W
Upstate Region: $0.35/W
Low-to-Moderate income customers: $0.80/W (up to 10 kW)
Small Commercial (Non-Residential):Long Island Region: $0.00/W (MW blocks have been fully subscribed)
Con Edison Region: $0.60/W
Up State Region: $0.45/W
Multifamily Affordable Housing Adder: additional $0.40/W (up to 50 kW)
Ground Source Heat Pump Rebate Program
Large Systems (> 10 cooling tons): $1,200/cooling ton
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
Refundable Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit (Personal)
On-Site Wind Incentive Program
Tier II: 10,000 kWh - 125,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $1.00/annual kWh
Tier III: 125,000 kWh - 1,000,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $0.30/ annual kWh
Tier IV: Greater than 1,000,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $0.15/ annual kWh
These incentives are additive.
Anaerobic Digester Gas-to-Electricity Rebate and Performance Incentive
- Capacity Incentive: Varies on the construction and design of the system
- Performance Incentive: $0.025/kWh production payment for new systems for up to 10 years (estimated using a capacity factor of 75%)
- Interconnection Incentive: up to 75% of the costs exceeding $5,000
- Project Enhancement Incentives: Available for Black Start Capability, Hydrogen Sulfide reduction, design for accepting food waste and others
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are designed to encourage homeowners to switch to renewable energy by offering incentives meant to lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. Incentives might include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, while others are handled by the New York government or your specific utility company, county or municipality. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panels may qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions are applied at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the added value of the solar panels when you are calculating property taxes on your home.
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get after your solar system is up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Guilderland utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your monthly utility bill. In some places, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you might get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions that lower the amount of income tax you owe the government. (A tax credit is different from a tax deduction.)
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your local utility company, or by your county or state. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you purchase a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are likely the first thing that you think of when thinking about solar incentives. The solar incentive that you're most familiar with is probably the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a specified percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC applies to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Initially, the credit applied to 30% of the total cost – for panels, accessories, equipment and labor – although it may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar project was undertaken. There is no cap on the claim amount.
Your local Guilderland solar panel installation expert can offer more information about the ITC and how it might apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). With the new provisions, solar installation projects begun after January 1, 2022, and finished by December 31, 2032, may be eligible 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. The program expansion also makes claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before, starting in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to talk with your local Guilderland solar panel installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also offered at the local or state level. Like with federal incentives, these could include tax credits, rebates and more. Certain incentives are offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. These local incentives might come from your county or municipality, or from the New York government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Guilderland
The variety of available solar incentives has helped tremendously increase the use of solar power nationwide over the past 15 years. You may receive solar incentives from your local utility company, the New York government or the federal government. Speak with your local solar panel installation expert today to find out more information and to save as much money as possible on a solar system for your Guilderland home.
EcoWatch's Guilderland, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for solar incentives?
It's a smart idea to get in touch with your local Guilderland solar installer for a better understanding of which incentives your project will qualify for. In most cases, solar incentives apply to new solar panel systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) within a specified date range. Some incentives, like those provided at the level of the New York government, might have other requirements.
If I already have a solar system installed on my house, can I still claim incentives?
If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If you installed your system between 2006 and 2021, you may qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the date of installation. Speaking with a representative from the company that installed your system, or any local Guilderland solar installer, can help you learn more about what incentives you qualify for.
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I install solar panels on my house in Guilderland?
Typically, Guilderland homeowners who install solar panels save around $751.46 per year, or approximately $14,277.67 over 20 years after making the switch.
Who installs solar panel systems near me?
To find the right solar panel installer for you, check out our guide to Guilderland's top solar panel companies.
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.