2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Shawnee, OH - Tax Credits & Rebates

What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Shawnee?

Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/

Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are intended to encourage more Americans to make the switch to renewable energy. You may qualify for various kinds of incentives, such as cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Some incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the state of Ohio and others from the federal government. Categories of solar incentives include:

• Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant once your solar panels are up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Shawnee utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may get refunded a percentage of the value.
• Rebates: Solar rebates can be offered by your local utility company, or by your state or county. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you purchase solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
• Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives are usually handled at the state level. Once your solar system meets a predetermined threshold (normally a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that can then be sold to your utility company or other buyers. The money you receive is usually considered part of your taxable income.
• 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.)
• Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are applied at the time of purchase for your solar panels. Property tax exemptions let you ignore the added value of your solar system when you're calculating how much property tax you need to pay.

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Federal Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are likely the first thing that you think of when you think about solar incentives. 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 predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC was originally for 30% of the cost of solar system installation, although that number has fluctuated slightly over the years between 26-30%. The percentage you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. The total installation cost includes the panels themselves as well as the cost of labor, accessories and equipment. There is no maximum amount you can claim. The ITC applies to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, on your primary or secondary residence. The residence must be in the United States and owned by you.

Your local Shawnee solar panel installer can provide more information about the ITC and how it applies to your situation.

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. For solar systems installed between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2032, homeowners may be eligible for a credit equal to 30% of the total cost. The percentage will then decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.

Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to get in touch with your local Shawnee solar panel installers.

State & Local Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are not your only option; tax credits, rebates and more are often offered at the state and local level. These incentives — which might be handled by your county or municipality, or by the state of Ohio — could be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Shawnee

The large number of solar incentives available has helped tremendously increase the nationwide adoption of solar energy over the last 15 years. You might qualify for solar incentives from your local utility company, the Ohio government or the federal government. When you're ready to make the switch to solar energy, getting in touch with your local Shawnee solar panel installation expert is a great first step.