2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Concord, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Concord.
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 Concord?
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/
Solar incentives encourage people to make the switch to renewable energy by providing incentives meant to lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. Incentives might include things like discounts, cash back or credit on your utility bill each month. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, while others are handled by the state of Pennsylvania or by your specific utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be provided 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.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives are generally handled at the state level. Once your solar panel system meets a certain threshold (typically a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that you can then sell to your utility company or other buyers. The money you make from the sale is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Net Metering: Be sure to speak to your Concord utility company about signing a net metering contract. This allows 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 Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when calculating the taxes you pay on your house. You may also qualify for an exemption on sales tax at the time of purchase.
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
Solar Veteran
Trinity Solar
- Many financing options
- Family-owned and -operated
- Makes charitable contributions
- Limited service area
- Relatively short workmanship warranty
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some familiarity with. You've likely heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This incentive is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a certain percentage of the money you spend installing solar panels.
The ITC initially applied to 30% of the total cost of installing solar panels, although that number has fluctuated slightly over the last few years between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you qualify for. The total installation cost includes the panels themselves as well as the cost of accessories, equipment and labor. There is no maximum amount you can claim. The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on your primary or secondary residence. The residence must be owned by you and in the United States.
Your local Concord solar panel installation expert can offer more information about the ITC and how it applies to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The Clean Energy Credit has increased the current credit up to 30% for solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032. After 2032, the credit percentage will be reduced slightly each year until the program expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Concord solar panel company is the best resource for answering your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it applies to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to those provided at the federal level, there are often also state solar incentives. Rebates, tax credits and more may be available at a more local level. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. Your local incentives may come from your county or municipality, or from the Pennsylvania government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Concord
The expanding number of available solar incentives has enormously increased the adoption of solar energy nationwide over the last 15 years. You may receive solar incentives from your local utility company, the Pennsylvania government or the federal government. Speaking with your local Concord solar panel installation company is the best first step towards getting the most money possible when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's Concord, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
My home already has 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 Concord solar installer — to learn about which incentives you might 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 systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
What are the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can decrease your carbon footprint by 300 pounds of CO2 a year by switching to solar panels. This adds up to roughly 5,000 pounds over 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means that making the switch lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The federal solar tax credit, previously called the ITC and now called the Clean Energy Credit, is scheduled to end on January 1, 2035. The current 30% credit will end in 2032, replaced by a 26% credit in 2033 and a 22% credit in 2034.
Can I use a combination of solar and another type of renewable energy to power my home?
You can use multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy, to power your home. Make sure you go over your plan with your local Concord solar installer. They can help you plan your project and also help you understand the various incentives that you will or won't 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.