2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Norwich, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Norwich.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2023 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 September 15, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Norwich?
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 phrase "solar incentives" refers to a range of financial incentives put in place to make installing and using solar panels more affordable. This is done to encourage people to switch to renewable energy. Different types of incentives, including cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, might be available to you. Some incentives may be provided via the New York government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the federal government. These differ from tax deductions.
- Net Metering: You can sign a net metering contract with your Norwich utility company that will apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. Your utility company will then deduct this value from your utility bill each month.
- Tax Exemptions: These might come in the form of property tax exemptions, which let you ignore the value of your solar system when paying property tax on your home. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be provided by your local utility company, or by your county or state. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after your purchase of solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
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Federal Solar Incentives
When someone says "solar incentives," you likely think of federal incentives first. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 and allows you to deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, accessories, equipment and labor. You can claim this credit for solar panels installed on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. The original amount you could claim was 30% of the total cost, although depending on when the project was completed, your credit may range from 26-30%. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
Contacting your local Norwich solar panel installation expert is the best way to learn more about how the ITC may apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, added more provisions to the ITC (as well as renaming it to 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. After 2032, the credit percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the program expires in 2035. 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. The best way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to reach out to your local Norwich solar panel installers with your questions.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided at the state and local level. Like with federal incentives, these might include tax credits, rebates and more. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. Local solar incentives may come from your county or municipality, or from the New York government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Norwich
There are a variety of solar incentives: those offered by local utility companies, those offered by the New York 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. We suggest talking to your local Norwich solar installation company for more information about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting all of the money you can for your solar system.
EcoWatch's Norwich, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
Can I get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to best understand what solar incentives apply to you, many incentives 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 specifically for commercial properties, depending on the details.
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 had your system installed between 2006 and 2021, you might qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the exact installation date. Talking to the company that installed your system, or any local Norwich solar installer, can help you learn what incentives you can apply for.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my home?
Solar energy is a renewable energy source — by changing where you get your energy, you can help lessen the strain on our planet's resources. A solar system can also lower your home's CO2 emissions by 100 pounds a year, or around 2,000 pounds over 20 years.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The federal solar tax credit, formerly called the ITC and now called the Clean Energy Credit, is set to end January 1, 2035. The current 30% credit will end in 2032, replaced by a 26% credit in 2033 and a 22% credit in 2034.
Can I claim incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
Yes, you can receive both tax credits and rebates towards the cost of solar panels. Depending on precisely which incentives you are claiming, they may apply in a different order. Be sure to talk to your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify that you are claiming the correct incentives and that you're getting the most money possible.
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.