2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Cheltenham, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Cheltenham.
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 May 04, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Cheltenham?
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
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
The phrase "solar incentives" generally refers to financial incentives put in place by solar companies and the government to encourage the use of renewable energy by making the installation and use of solar panels more affordable. You might be eligible for several kinds of incentives, such as discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the Pennsylvania government and others from the federal government. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be offered by your state or county, or by your local utility company. These rebates work as partial refunds that are applied after you purchase a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions go into effect at the point of sale for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the added value of your solar system when calculating how much property tax you need to pay on your house.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs are credits that can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for money that normally counts as 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. These kinds of incentives are generally handled by your state government.
- Net Metering: Make sure you speak with your Cheltenham 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 your solar panels generate. You could receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much in taxes you owe the federal government.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are likely the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. It's likely that you've heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a certain percentage of the money you spend on solar panels for your home.
The ITC applies to a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels must have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006 for you to claim the credit. The ITC originally paid out 30% of all costs (panels, accessories, equipment and labor), although the amount has fluctuated over the 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.
Reaching out to your local Cheltenham solar panel installer is the best way to learn more about how the ITC could apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The new Clean Energy Credit now runs until 2035. You can now apply for a 30% credit for solar systems that began installation after January 1, 2022 and are completed by the end of 2032. The credit will then decrease annually until it expires. Starting in 2023, it will also be easier to get credits for energy storage systems under this new program.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The best way to understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you is to talk with your local Cheltenham solar panel installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Tax credits, rebates and more might be claimed at multiple levels. Along with federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. Incentives may be provided by your county or municipality, or by the state of Pennsylvania. Some incentives may be available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Cheltenham
Solar incentives can be offered by the federal government, the Pennsylvania government or your local utility company. The variety of available solar incentives has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. If you're ready to make the switch to solar energy, calling your local Cheltenham solar panel installation expert is an excellent place to start.
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EcoWatch's Cheltenham, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for solar incentives?
Typically, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the Pennsylvania government or by your county/municipality, could have additional qualifications. Speak with your local Cheltenham solar installer to discover what incentives your project will qualify for.
I already have solar panels installed. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
An excellent idea would be to talk to someone from the company that installed your system — or get in touch with a local Cheltenham solar installer — to better understand which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
What are the top solar panel installation companies near me?
To learn about the best solar panel installers near you, take a look at our article on the top solar companies in Cheltenham.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can reduce your carbon footprint by 250 pounds of CO2 a year by switching to solar panels. This adds up to around 5,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, meaning that switching your home over lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that use solar energy, are there any incentives I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides multiple incentives that reward homeowners for making eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include tax credits and rebates for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
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.