2023 Solar Incentives Guide for West, OH - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in West.
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 March 14, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in West?
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 are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. Financial incentives like these are in place to encourage more Americans to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. Incentives can include things like discounts, cash back or credit on your utility bill each month. Some incentives are handled federally, while others are provided by the Ohio government or your utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much income tax you owe the government.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): Generally, solar systems that produce more than a predetermined (usually small) amount of electricity can qualify for SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and similar incentives are typically given at the state level. SRECs can be sold to your utility company or another buyer, and generally the money you make is normally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in one of two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when calculating property tax for your house.
- Net Metering: Be sure to talk with your West utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This will allow you to get a credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy generated by your solar panels. You may receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: Solar rebates may be offered by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after your purchase of solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. You might have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This is a tax credit equal to a predetermined percentage of the money you spend installing solar panels.
The ITC applies to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Initially, the credit applied to 30% of the total cost — for panels, labor, accessories and equipment — although that amount may range from 26-30%, depending on the installation date of your solar system. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To more fully understand how the ITC could apply to you, speak to your local West solar panel installer and request more information.
In August 2022, the ITC (now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can now receive a credit equal to 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed before the end of 2032. This percentage will then begin to decrease yearly until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Starting in 2023, it will also be easier to obtain credits for energy storage systems under the new laws.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local West solar panel company can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided by state and local governments. Like with federal incentives, these can include rebates, tax credits and more. The incentives — which may be given 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 West
Solar incentives can be offered by the federal government, the Ohio government or your local utility company. The variety of available solar incentives has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. If you're prepared to make the change to solar energy, getting in touch with your local West solar panel installation expert is a great first step.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries (coming 2022)
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
EcoWatch's West, OH Solar Incentives FAQs
Can I get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property?
Many solar incentives are intended to apply to a property located within the United States that you own; most secondary residences fall under this distinction. There may be other solar incentives available for commercial properties, depending on the specifics. We recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to better understand what incentives will apply to your specific situation.
If I already have a solar system installed on my house, can I still claim incentives?
You should plan to talk to the company that installed your system — or speak to a local West solar installer — to better understand which incentives you may qualify for. If your system was installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I add solar panels to my West home?
On average, West homeowners who install solar panels save about $735.84 per year, or about $13,980.92 over 20 years after they make the switch.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can decrease your carbon footprint by 400 pounds of CO2 a year when you switch to solar panels. This adds up to roughly 8,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, meaning that making the switch reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
Can I use multiple types of renewable energy to power my home?
Yes, you can use multiple types of renewable energy to power your home — for example, a combination of geothermal and solar. You can also combine renewable energy generation with a non-renewable backup source of energy. Make sure that you discuss your proposed plan with your local West solar installation expert, to make sure you know what you'll need and what kinds of incentives you may or may not qualify for.
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.