2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Falls, OH - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Falls.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Falls?
Hamilton County - Home Improvement Program
Local Option - Special Energy Improvement Districts
Energy Conservation for Ohioans (ECO-Link) Program
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates Program (SRECs)
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. These financial incentives are intended to encourage more homeowners to switch to renewable energy. Incentives might include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, while others are handled by the state of Ohio or your specific utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Rebates: Rebates, or cash back after a purchase, are typically applied before any solar tax credits are calculated. Solar rebates might be given by your local utility company, by your state or by your county.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system might qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the value that solar panels add when you are calculating property taxes on your home.
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get after your solar panels are up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your Falls utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may make back a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government. (A tax credit is different from a tax deduction.)
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and similar performance-based incentives may be available to you if you have a solar system that produces more than a specified (usually small) amount of electricity. This category of incentives is usually handled by the state government. You can sell your SRECs to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you receive in return is generally considered part of your taxable income.
Best Solar Financing
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Federal Solar Incentives
When thinking about solar incentives, you probably think of federal incentives first. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of the cost of your solar system.
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 must have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property you own for you to be eligible for the credit. Initially, the ITC applied to 30% of all system costs (panels, accessories, labor and equipment), 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 claim amount.
To know exactly how much the ITC could save you, talk to your local Falls solar panel installer.
The ITC has been renewed and expanded following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. After this, the percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the end of the program in 2035. The expansion to the program also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, starting in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The easiest way to understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you is to talk with your local Falls solar panel installation expert.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided by state and local governments. Like with federal incentives, these can include rebates, tax credits and more. Some incentives are ongoing, while others may only be available for a limited time. Incentives may be offered by the Ohio government, or by your county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Falls
Solar incentives can be provided by the federal government, the Ohio government or your local utility company. The large number of incentives available has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. Your local Falls solar panel installation expert can provide you with more details about which incentives you should apply for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Falls, OH Solar Incentives FAQs
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I install solar panels on my house in Falls?
When you add solar panels to your house in Falls, you can expect to save around $811.71 per year, or approximately $15,422.52 over the next 20 years.
Who installs solar panels near me?
To find the best solar panel installer in your area, check out our guide to Falls' best solar panel companies.
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 slated to end on 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 get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property?
Many solar incentives apply to a property located within the United States that you own, and most secondary residences fall under this distinction. Other solar incentives may be available for commercial properties, depending on the specifics. We recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully understand what incentives will apply to your specific situation.
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.