2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Suffern, NY - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Suffern.
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 May 04, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Suffern?
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 term "solar incentives" broadly refers to financial incentives that are in place to encourage the adoption and use renewable energy by making installing and using solar panels more affordable. Various kinds of incentives, like cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, 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. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are effective at the point of sale for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the value that your solar panels add when calculating how much property tax you need to pay on your house.
- Tax Credits: Unlike tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant after your solar panels are up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Suffern utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other places you might receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. Rebates could be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The rebates are usually applied before calculating tax credits.
Federal Solar Incentives
When you think about solar incentives, you likely think of federal incentives first. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the best-known federal solar incentive. The ITC offers a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC applies to the total cost of installing a solar system, including the panels themselves as well as labor, equipment and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own and that is located in the United States. The tax credit ranges from 26-30% of total costs depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
To better understand how the ITC could apply to your situation, speak to your local Suffern solar panel installation expert and request more information.
In August 2022, the ITC (now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit) was bolstered by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed by the end of 2032. At this point, the percentage will decrease slightly each year until the program expires in 2035. Starting 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 understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, talk to your local Suffern solar installation expert.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Tax credits, rebates and more might be claimed at multiple levels. On top of federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. These incentives might be distributed by the New York government, or by your county or municipality. Some are ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Suffern
Solar incentives can be provided by the federal government, the New York government or your local utility company. The growing number of solar incentives available has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. Your local Suffern solar panel installation company can help you learn more about which incentives you might qualify for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
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EcoWatch's Suffern, NY Solar Incentives FAQs
I already have solar panels. Does my system qualify for any incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to the company that installed your solar system — or call a local Suffern solar installer — to better understand which incentives you might qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much will solar panels save me on my electric bill in Suffern annually?
When you add solar panels to your Suffern home, you can anticipate savings of about $1,277.73 per year, or about $24,276.81 over the next 20 years.
What are the top solar panel installation companies near me?
To find the top solar panel installation companies near you, read our article on Suffern's top solar panel companies.
What are the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
Solar energy is renewable — by switching where you get your energy, you can help lessen the strain on our planet's resources. Solar panels can also reduce your home's CO2 emissions by 100 pounds a year, or roughly 2,000 pounds over 20 years.
I want to trade in my old appliances for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any incentives I can apply for?
With the passage of the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are a number of new financial incentives for making eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details about 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.