2024 Solar Incentives Guide for New Hartford, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in New Hartford.
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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Updated February 03, 2024
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in New Hartford?
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
Residential Wood Heating Fuel Exemption
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.
Residential Solar Tax Credit
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%
Local Option - Real Property Tax Exemption for Green Buildings
Energy Conservation Improvements Property Tax Exemption
Local Option - Solar Sales Tax Exemption
State of NY Commercial PACE Financing Program
Solar Sales Tax Exemption
Ground Source Heat Pump Rebate Program
Large Systems (> 10 cooling tons): $1,200/cooling ton
Refundable Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit (Corporate)
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)
Refundable Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit (Personal)
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 phrase "solar incentives" broadly refers to financial incentives that are in place to encourage increased use of renewable energy by making the installation and use of solar panels more affordable. The incentives may include cash back, upfront discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are handled by the federal government, some by the state of New York and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the government. (A tax credit is different from a tax deduction.)
- Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which can let you ignore the value of your solar system when paying taxes on your house. You could also look for exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are normally given prior to any solar tax credits being calculated. These rebates might be offered by your local utility company, by your state or by your county.
- Net Metering: You can sign a net metering contract with your New Hartford utility company that will 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.
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 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
Federal solar incentives are likely to be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC is applied to the total cost of installing a solar system, including the panels themselves as well as equipment, accessories and labor. You can claim this credit for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own and that is located in the United States. From its original value of 30% of the total cost, the credit has fluctuated slightly between 26-30%, and you may qualify for varying percentages depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
To better understand exactly how much money the ITC could save you, get in touch with your local New Hartford solar panel installer.
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. Homeowners are now eligible for a credit equal to 30% of the total costs of solar system installation for projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed before the end of 2032. The percentage will then decrease on a yearly basis until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Beginning in 2023, it will also be easier to obtain credits for energy storage systems under this new program.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you, speak with your local New Hartford solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Tax credits, rebates and more might be claimed at multiple levels. In addition to federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. These incentives — which might be given by the state of New York, 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 New Hartford
Solar incentives might come from the federal government, the New York government or your local utility company. The large number of solar incentives available has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. We suggest talking to your local New Hartford solar installation expert to learn more about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting the most money possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's New Hartford, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my house?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you help lessen the strain on our planet's resources. You can also reduce your home's CO2 emissions by 100 pounds annually, or around 2,000 pounds in 20 years.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The Clean Energy Credit (previously referred to as the federal solar tax credit, or ITC), is scheduled to end on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
Can I qualify for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in might vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but usually yes, you can receive 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.
What if I add solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property? Will 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, as long as it is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available specifically for commercial properties, 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.