2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Coolbaugh, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Coolbaugh.
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 Coolbaugh?
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 are designed to encourage homeowners to switch their home over to renewable energy by providing incentives that lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. You may be eligible for various kinds of incentives, including discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Some incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the state of Pennsylvania and others from the federal government. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption, which allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when calculating property tax for your home.
- Rebates: Rebates, or cash back after a purchase, are typically given before any solar tax credits are calculated. Solar rebates can be offered by your local utility company, by your state or by your county.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government. (A tax credit is different from a tax deduction.)
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other similar performance-based incentives are normally handled at the state level. Once your solar panel system meets a predetermined threshold (usually a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that can then be sold to your utility company or other buyers. The money you make from the sale is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Coolbaugh utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. Your utility company will then deduct this value from your monthly utility bill.
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
Federal solar incentives are likely to be the first thing that you think of when you think about solar incentives. You might have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This incentive 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 can be credited towards the value of solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels must have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property you own for you to claim the credit. The ITC initially covered 30% of all costs (panels, equipment, labor and accessories), although this amount has fluctuated over time between 26-30%. The amount you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
To more fully understand how the ITC will apply to your situation, speak to your local Coolbaugh solar panel installer and ask for more information.
In August 2022, the ITC (now called the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can now qualify for a credit equal to 30% of the total costs of solar system installation for projects that began after January 1, 2022, and will be finished by the end of 2032. The percentage will then begin to decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. The best way to fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you is to get in touch with your local Coolbaugh solar panel installation expert.
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 as well. These incentives might be provided by the Pennsylvania government, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives are ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Coolbaugh
There are a variety of solar incentives: those provided by local utility companies, those offered by the federal government and those offered by the Pennsylvania government, to name a few. The use of solar energy has grown tremendously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. Your local Coolbaugh solar panel installation company can give you more information about which incentives you can apply for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's Coolbaugh, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
Who installs solar panels near me?
To find the right solar panel installer for you, check out our guide to the top solar companies in Coolbaugh.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my house?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you help lessen the strain on our planet's resources. Solar panels can also lower your home's CO2 emissions by 250 pounds annually, or roughly 5,000 pounds in 20 years.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The Clean Energy Credit (previously called the federal solar tax credit, or the ITC), is slated to end on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
I want to switch my appliances out for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any incentives I can apply for?
The new Inflation Reduction Act introduces multiple incentives meant to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I qualify for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in might vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but in most cases yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Speak to your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm 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.