2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Kent, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Kent.
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 Kent?
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/
The term "solar incentives" includes a range of financial incentives designed to make installing and using solar panels more affordable. This is done to encourage people to switch to renewable energy. You might be eligible for various types of incentives, such as discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the state of New York and others from the federal government. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions go into effect at the time of purchase for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the value added by your solar system when calculating how much property tax you need to pay.
- Net Metering: You can sign a net metering agreement with your Kent utility company. This agreement may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. Your utility company will then subtract this value from your utility bill each month.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund after the purchase of your solar panels. Rebates might be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The rebates are usually applied before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount of tax you owe the federal government. These are different from tax deductions.
Best National Provider
SunPower
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Momentum Solar
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Sunrun
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Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are likely to be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about solar incentives. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is the most well-known federal solar incentive. The ITC allows you to claim a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system must have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property you own for you to be eligible for the credit. The ITC initially covered 30% of all system installation costs (panels, equipment, accessories and labor), although this amount has fluctuated over the years between 26-30%. The amount you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To better understand how the ITC may apply to your situation, get in touch with your local Kent solar panel installer and ask for more information.
The ITC was both renewed and expanded by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The new Clean Energy Credit extends until 2035. You can now receive a 30% credit for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. The credit will then be decreased by a few percentage points every year until it expires. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Kent solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions regarding the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be offered at the local or state level. As with federal incentives, these could include tax credits, rebates and more. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others might only be available for a limited time. They may be offered by your county or municipality, or by the New York government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Kent
Solar energy use nationwide has gone up tremendously in the past 15 years, in part thanks to the proliferation of solar incentives. You can obtain these incentives from the New York government, the federal government or your local utility company. Your local Kent solar panel installation expert can provide you with more details about which incentives you should apply for, and get you started on the path to switching to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Kent, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
How much will solar panels save me on my electric bill in Kent annually?
Typically, homeowners in Kent who install solar panels save about $851.54 per year, or approximately $16,179.28 over 20 years after they make the switch.
What are the top solar panel installation companies near me?
To find the best solar panel installation companies near you, read our article on the top solar companies in Kent.
What are the environmental benefits of switching to solar?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. Solar panels can also lower the CO2 emissions from your home by 100 pounds annually, or roughly 2,000 pounds over 20 years.
What if I am planning to add a solar system to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property? Do I still qualify for incentives?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully understand what solar incentives apply to you, many incentives will apply to a second home, so long as that home is in the United States and owned by you. There may be additional incentives available for commercial properties specifically, depending on the details.
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.