2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Steubenville, OH - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Steubenville.
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 Steubenville?
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 help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. These financial incentives are in place to encourage more homeowners to make the switch to renewable energy. Incentives may include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, while others are offered by the Ohio government or your specific utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the government. Tax credits differ from tax deductions.
- Tax Exemptions: These might come in the form of property tax exemptions, which allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when paying property tax on your house. You could also look for exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs are credits that can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for money that typically becomes part of your taxable income. Generally, there is a small threshold of energy production to meet before your solar system can earn SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and similar incentives are normally handled by your state government.
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after your purchase of a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in after your solar panels are up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Steubenville utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some places, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other areas you might get refunded a percentage of the value.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Federal Solar Incentives
When thinking about solar incentives, you likely think of federal incentives first. You might have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a predetermined percentage of the money you spend on solar panels for your home.
The ITC was originally for 30% of the total cost of solar system installation, although it has fluctuated slightly over time between 26-30%. The percentage you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. The cost of installation includes the panels themselves as well as the cost of labor, equipment and accessories. There is no maximum claim amount. 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.
Contacting your local Steubenville solar panel installation expert is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to you.
In August 2022, the ITC (now called the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can now receive a credit of 30% of the total costs of solar system installation for projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed before the end of 2032. This percentage will then begin to decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. The program expansion also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, starting in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Steubenville solar panel company is the best resource for answering your questions regarding the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Not all solar incentives are federal; tax credits, rebates and more may be offered at the state and local level. These incentives may be given out by the Ohio government, or by your county or municipality. Some are available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Steubenville
Nationwide solar energy use has significantly increased in the past 15 years, in part due to the growth in the number of solar incentives. You can obtain these incentives from your local utility company, the Ohio government or the federal government. Call your local solar panel installation company today to find out more information and to save the most money possible on a solar system for your Steubenville home.
EcoWatch's Steubenville, OH Solar Incentives FAQs
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
If your solar system was installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If your system was installed between 2006 and 2021, you might qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the year it was installed. Talking to the company that installed your solar system, or any local Steubenville solar installer, can help you understand what incentives you might want to apply for.
What are the highest-rated solar panel installation companies near me?
To find the best solar panel installer in your area, check out our guide to the top solar companies in Steubenville.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my house?
Solar energy is renewable — by switching where you get your energy, you can help lessen the strain on our planet's resources. You can also lower the CO2 emissions from your home by 400 pounds yearly, or roughly 8,000 pounds over 20 years.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that can use solar energy, are there credits that I can claim?
The new Inflation Reduction Act provides multiple incentives designed to reward homeowners for making eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
What if I want to add a solar system to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property? Do I still qualify for incentives?
While we recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully understand what solar incentives apply to you, many incentives apply to a second home, provided that it is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available for commercial properties specifically, depending on the details.
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.