2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Onondaga, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Onondaga.
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 Onondaga?
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 mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. This category of financial incentives is designed to encourage more homeowners to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. Incentives could include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, while others are offered by the state of New York or by your utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your local utility company, or by your county or state. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after you purchase solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: These might come in the form of property tax exemptions, which can let you exclude the value added by your solar panels when calculating the taxes you pay on your house. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering contract with your Onondaga 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.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much income tax you owe the government.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. A federal incentive many people are probably familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This incentive is a tax credit for a specific percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be credited towards the value of solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels have to have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to claim the credit. Originally, the ITC covered 30% of all installation costs (panels, equipment, accessories and labor), although the total amount has fluctuated slightly over time between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you are eligible for. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
Wondering how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Get in touch with your local Onondaga solar panel installer to get more information.
In August 2022, the ITC (now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners are now eligible for a credit equal to 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed before the end of 2032. The credit percentage will then decrease yearly until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you, get in touch with your local Onondaga solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided by state and local governments. As with federal incentives, these might include rebates, tax credits and more. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others may only be available for a limited time. These incentives might be given by your county or municipality, or by the New York government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Onondaga
Nationwide solar energy use has increased enormously in the last 15 years, in part thanks to the growth in the number of solar incentives. You may get these incentives from your local utility company, the New York government or the federal government. Your local Onondaga solar panel installer can provide you with more details about which incentives you should apply for, and get you on track to switch to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Onondaga, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
I already have solar panels. Do I qualify for any incentives?
You should plan to talk to someone from the company that installed your solar system – or reach out to a local Onondaga solar installer — to learn about which incentives you might 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. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
Who installs solar panels near me?
To find the right solar panel installer for you, check out our guide to the top solar companies in Onondaga.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that can utilize solar energy, are there credits that I can claim?
The new Inflation Reduction Act creates a variety of new financial incentives to encourage you to make eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details about these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
Can I use a combination of solar and another type of renewable energy to power my home?
You can power your home with multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy. Make sure you talk through your plan with your local Onondaga solar installation expert. They can help you plan your project and also help you understand the various incentives that you might or might not qualify for.
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.