2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Saratoga Springs, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Saratoga Springs.
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 March 14, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Saratoga Springs?
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 meant to encourage homeowners to switch their home over to renewable energy by providing incentives that lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. Various types of incentives, like cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, might be available to you. Some incentives may be provided via the state of New York, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while other incentives are federal. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are typically given prior to any solar tax credits being calculated. Solar rebates can be provided by your local utility company, by your county or by your state.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system might qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions are applied at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions let you exclude the added value of the solar panels when calculating property taxes on your house.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Saratoga Springs 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.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the government. These differ from tax deductions.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. You may have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This incentive is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a certain percentage of the money you spend on your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Initially, the credit applied to 30% of the total cost — for panels, equipment, accessories and labor — although it may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar project was undertaken. There is no cap on the claim amount.
Your local Saratoga Springs solar panel installer can provide you with more information about the ITC and how it might apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The new Clean Energy Credit now runs until 2035. American homeowners are now eligible for a 30% credit for solar systems that began installation on or after January 1, 2022 and will be done by December 31, 2032. This new credit will then see a slight annual decrease until it expires. 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 understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you, talk to your local Saratoga Springs solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are more than just federal solar incentives; tax credits, rebates and more may be offered at the state and local level. Some incentives are ongoing, while others might 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 Saratoga Springs
You can qualify for solar incentives from the federal government and the New York government, as well as from your local utility company. The increased availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped increase solar adoption nationwide. Your local Saratoga Springs solar panel installation company can help you learn more about which incentives you can apply for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
- Great warranty coverage
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Concierge service ensures steady communication
- Slightly limited service offerings
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
EcoWatch's Saratoga Springs, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
It's a smart idea to get in touch with your local Saratoga Springs solar installer for a better understanding of which incentives your project will qualify for. Generally, solar incentives apply to new solar systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) between the dates specified by the incentive. Some incentives, like those provided at the level of the New York government, might have other requirements.
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to the company that installed your system — or get in touch with a local Saratoga Springs 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. Solar systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much will a solar system save me annually on my electric bill in Saratoga Springs?
When you add solar panels to your Saratoga Springs home, you can anticipate savings of approximately $697.77 per year, or approximately $13,257.69 over the next 20 years.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can reduce your carbon footprint by 100 pounds of CO2 annually by switching to solar panels. This adds up to approximately 2,000 pounds in 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, meaning that switching your home over reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
If I change out my appliances for ones that can utilize solar energy, are there incentives that I can claim?
Under the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are a variety of new financial incentives that are available when you make eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details on these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
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.