2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Middletown, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Middletown.
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 Middletown?
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" generally refers to financial incentives designed to encourage the adoption and use renewable energy by making installing and using solar panels more affordable. You may 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 New York government and others from the federal government. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering contract with your Middletown utility company. This agreement may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. They will then subtract this value from your utility bill each month.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund after the purchase of your solar system. These could be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Credits: Unlike tax deductions, tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax that you owe the government.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system might qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions are effective 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 house.
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
- Great warranty coverage
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Concierge service ensures steady communication
- Slightly limited service offerings
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Federal Solar Incentives
When thinking about solar incentives, federal incentives may be the first thing that comes to mind. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the most well-known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides you with a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies to the total cost of installing solar panels, including the panels themselves as well as labor, equipment and accessories. You can claim this credit 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. The tax credit ranges from 26-30% of total costs depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
To best understand how the ITC might apply to you, call your local Middletown solar panel installer and ask for more information.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act made revisions to the ITC, now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installations undertaken between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 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 claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Middletown solar panel company is the best resource for answering your questions regarding the new Clean Energy Credit and how it will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Not all solar incentives are federal; rebates, tax credits and more might also be offered at the state and local level. Some incentives are offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. Your local incentives could come from the New York government, or from your specific county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Middletown
There are a number of different solar incentives: those provided by local utility companies, those provided by the federal government and those provided by the New York government, to name a few. Solar energy utilization has grown enormously in the last 15 years, thanks to these incentives. When you're ready to make the switch to solar energy, reaching out to your local Middletown solar panel installation expert is a great first step.
EcoWatch's Middletown, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
If my house already has solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to the company that installed your system – or call a local Middletown solar installer — to learn about which incentives you may qualify for. If your system was installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently 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?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you can help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. Solar panels can also lower the CO2 emissions from your home by 100 pounds yearly, or around 2,000 pounds over 20 years.
Can I claim incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
Yes, you can receive both rebates and tax credits towards the cost of your solar panels. Depending on which incentives you are eligible for, they may apply in a different order. Make sure that you speak with your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm that you are claiming incentives correctly and that you're getting the most money possible.
Can I get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
Many solar incentives apply to a property you own that is located within the United States; most secondary residences will fall under this distinction. There may be other solar incentives available for commercial properties, depending on the specifics. We recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully 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.