2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Antrim, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Antrim.
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 Antrim?
High Performance Buildings Incentive Program
Commercial loans/loan guarantees: $2 million
Grants: Lesser of 10% of project costs or $500,000
Wind and Geothermal Incentives Program
Manufacturer grants: $5,000 per job created within 3 years
Loans for geothermal systems: $3 per square foot of space served up to $5 million; also limited to 50% of eligible costs for residential systems.
Loans for wind energy production projects: $5 million
Grants for wind energy production projects: $1 million
Grants for feasibility studies: 50% of cost up to $175,000
Loan guarantee grants: Up to 75% of deficient funds up to $5 million
Solar Alternative Energy Credits
High Performance Building Incentives Program
First Energy (MetEdison, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power) - Residential Solar Water Heating Program
FirstEnergy (MetEdison, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power) - Residential Energy Efficiency Programs
Refrigerator: $75
Clothes Washer: $25- $50
Clothes Dryer: $50
Freezers: $25
Dehumidifiers: $25
Fridge/Freezer Recycling: $50
HVAC
HVAC tune up: $50
Furnace Fan Motor: $150
Ductless Minisplit AC : $200
Central AC: $100 - $200
Air Source Heat pump: $250 - $500
Geothermal Heat Pump: $600
Packaged Terminal AC: $75
Packaged Terminal Heat Pump: $150
Programmable Thermostat: $25
Others
Solar Water Heat: $500
Heat Pump Water Heater: $500
Home Energy Audit: $250
Lighting: Available as in-store discount in participating stores
Adams Electric Cooperative - Energy Efficiency Loan Program
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are designed to make renewable energy usage more affordable via financial incentives for those who install solar panels on their homes. The incentives might include upfront discounts, cash back or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, some by the Pennsylvania government and some by your specific utility company, county or municipality. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Rebates: Solar companies may help you claim a rebate, or partial refund after purchase, for your solar panels. Counties or states will also offer limited-time rebates at various times. If you receive a rebate, that amount will usually come off your total price before tax credits are calculated.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for cash that typically becomes part of your taxable income. Typically, a certain (small) threshold of energy production must be met before your solar system is eligible for SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. These kinds of incentives are typically handled by your state government.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are applied at the point of sale for your solar system. Property tax exemptions let you exclude the added value of your solar system when you're calculating how much property tax you need to pay on your home.
- Net Metering: Make sure you talk with your Antrim utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This will allow you to receive credit towards your utility bill every month for the value of excess energy generated by your solar panels. You could receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
Best National Provider
SunPower
- Most efficient panels on the market
- National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
- Expensive
- Customer service varies by local dealer
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
- Great warranty coverage
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Concierge service ensures steady communication
- Slightly limited service offerings
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Federal Solar Incentives
When you think about solar incentives, you probably think of federal incentives first. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of 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 can be applied to a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system has to have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to be eligible for the credit. Originally, the ITC covered 30% of all system costs (panels, accessories, equipment and labor), although this amount has fluctuated over the last few years between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you are eligible for. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To better understand how the ITC will apply to you, get in touch with your local Antrim solar panel installer and request more information.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act made revisions to the ITC, now called the Clean Energy Credit. The new Clean Energy Credit extends until 2035. You can now receive a 30% credit for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. This credit will then decrease annually until the date of expiration. Starting in 2023, it will also be easier to claim credits for energy storage systems under this new program.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. To fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, speak with your local Antrim solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. Similar to federal incentives, these may include rebates, tax credits and more. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. Your local solar incentives may come from the Pennsylvania government, or from your specific county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Antrim
You can qualify for solar incentives from the federal government and the Pennsylvania government, as well as from your local utility company. The increased availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped increase solar adoption nationwide. Getting in touch with your local Antrim solar panel installation expert is the right first step towards getting the most money possible when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's Antrim, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How much will solar panels save me on my electric bill in Antrim annually?
Once you add solar panels to your Antrim home, you can anticipate savings of approximately $701.39 per year, or around $13,326.34 over 20 years.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can lower your carbon footprint by 250 pounds of CO2 a year when you switch to solar panels. This adds up to roughly 5,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, which means that switching your home over reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
If I change out my appliances for ones that can utilize solar energy, are there incentives I can claim?
The new Inflation Reduction Act creates 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.
Can I claim incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but generally yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to be sure you are claiming all the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
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.