2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Earl, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Earl.
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 Earl?
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 help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. Financial incentives like these are designed to encourage more people to make the switch to renewable energy. These incentives can include upfront discounts, cash back or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are given by the federal government, some by the Pennsylvania government and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Earl utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. They will then deduct this value from your monthly utility bill.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase for your solar system. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the value that your solar panels add when you're calculating the amount of property tax you need to pay on your home.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives might be available to you if your solar system produces more than a specified (typically small) amount of electricity. Performance-based incentives are normally handled by the state government. You can sell your SRECs to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you make is normally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the federal government. These differ from tax deductions.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. Rebates could be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before calculating tax credits.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some familiarity with. 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 specified percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC applies towards solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 and under this program you can deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, accessories, labor and equipment. This credit can be claimed on a solar panel system installed on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. Originally, you could claim 30% of the total cost, although certain projects may qualify for only 26%, depending on the details. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
To find out exactly how much money the ITC could save you, get in touch with your local Earl solar panel installation expert.
The ITC was both renewed and expanded by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. With the new provisions, solar installation projects that are completed between 2022 and 2032 may be eligible for a 30% tax credit. This credit amount will then see a slight annual decrease until the current Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The easiest way to fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to talk with your local Earl solar panel installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are more than just federal solar incentives; rebates, tax credits and more might also be offered at the state and local level. Some incentives are ongoing, while others are offered for only a limited time. These local incentives might come from the Pennsylvania government, or from your specific county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Earl
Solar incentives may be provided by your local utility company, the federal government or the Pennsylvania government. The variety of available incentives has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. Talking to your local Earl solar panel installation company is the right first step towards making sure you get all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.
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EcoWatch's Earl, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to a representative from the company that installed your solar system — or reach out to a local Earl solar installer — to learn about which incentives you might 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. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
What are the highest-rated solar panel installation companies near me?
To discover the top solar panel installation companies near you, take a look at our article on Earl's top solar panel companies.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The federal solar tax credit, previously called the ITC and now titled the Clean Energy Credit, is set 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.
I want to switch my appliances out for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any benefits I can apply for?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides several incentives meant to reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I use both 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 discuss your plan with your local Earl solar installer. They can help you plan your project and give you an understanding of various incentives that you might or might 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.