2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Stillwater, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Stillwater.
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 Stillwater?
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 intended to make renewable energy usage more affordable through financial incentives for individuals who install solar panels on their homes. Different types of incentives, such as discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, may 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 others are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions that lower the amount of income tax you owe the federal government. (A tax credit is different from a tax deduction.)
- Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which would allow you to exclude 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.
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant after your solar panels are up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your Stillwater utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your utility bill each month. In some areas, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you might receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be offered by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you pay for a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
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Momentum Solar
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Federal Solar Incentives
When someone says "solar incentives," you likely think of federal incentives first. You've likely heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. The ITC is a tax credit equal to a specified percentage of the money you spend installing solar panels.
The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. The credit initially covered 30% of the total cost — for panels, equipment, labor and accessories — although the percentage may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar project was undertaken. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To best understand how the ITC will apply to you, call your local Stillwater solar panel installer and ask for more information.
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. The Clean Energy Credit runs until 2035. Solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed by the end of 2032 may qualify for a 30% tax credit. This amount will then decrease slightly on a yearly basis until the end of the current program. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The easiest way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you is to reach out to your local Stillwater solar panel company with your questions.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are often state solar incentives available in addition to federal ones. Rebates, tax credits and more may be available at a more local level. Some incentives are ongoing, while others are only available for a limited time. They may be provided by the New York government, or by your county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Stillwater
The variety of solar incentives available has helped tremendously increase the use of solar power nationwide over the last 15 years. You can get solar incentives from the federal government, the New York government or from your local utility company. We recommend talking to your local Stillwater solar installation expert to learn more about these incentives and to make sure that you're getting the largest number possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's Stillwater, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
Typically, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the New York government or by your county/municipality, could have additional qualifications. Speak with your local Stillwater solar installer to find out what incentives your project may qualify for.
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to the company that installed your solar panels — or call a local Stillwater solar installer — to better understand which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were 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 the best solar panel installation companies near me?
To find the right solar panel installer for you, check out our guide to the best solar companies in Stillwater.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 100 pounds of CO2 annually when you switch to solar panels. This adds up to roughly 2,000 pounds in 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means that making the switch reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
Can I qualify for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order in which incentives are applied might vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but usually yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to ensure you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
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.