2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Harmony, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Harmony.
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.
Get a free quote from one of our trusted Harmony solar installers to see how much you can save.
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Updated May 04, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Harmony?
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
Duquesne Light Company - Residential Energy Efficiency Program
Central A/C / Heat Pumps: $100/ton
ENERGY STAR Certified Heat Pump Water Heater: $350
Solar Water Heater: $300
Ceiling/Floor/Wall Insulation: $0.23/square foot
ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifier: $20
ENERGY STAR Certified Refrigerator: $25
ENERGY STAR Certified Freezer: $10
ENERGY STAR Certified Room Air Conditioner: $25
ENERGY STAR Variable Speed Pool Pump: $200
Occupancy Sensor Based Control: $10
Smart Strip Surge Protector: $5
Furnace with High Efficiency Fan Motor: $100
Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump: $100
Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling: $35
Duquesne Light Company - Residential Solar Water Heating 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
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives encourage people to switch to renewable energy by offering incentives that lower the financial burden of solar panel installation and use. Various types of incentives, including cash back, discounts or monthly utility bill credits, might be available to you. Some incentives may be provided via the Pennsylvania government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your local utility company, or by your state or county. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after your purchase of a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system could qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the value that solar panels add when you are calculating property taxes on your house.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and similar performance-based incentives are typically handled at the state level. Once your solar system meets a certain threshold (generally 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 receive is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- 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.)
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Harmony utility company. This agreement may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. They will then subtract this value from your utility bill each month.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the most commonly known federal solar incentive. The ITC offers a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC applies to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Originally, the tax credit was for 30% of the total cost — for panels, equipment, accessories and labor — although it may range from 26-30%, depending on the installation date of your solar system. There is no cap on the claim amount.
Your local Harmony solar panel installer can provide more information about the ITC and how it might apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). The Clean Energy Credit lasts until 2035. Solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed by the end of 2032 may qualify for a 30% tax credit. This amount will decrease slightly each year until the current program ends. Starting in 2023, the expansion will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to get in touch with your local Harmony solar panel installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Tax credits, rebates and more can be claimed at multiple levels. On top of federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. Incentives may be handled 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 Harmony
Nationwide solar energy use has gone up significantly in the last 15 years, in part due to the proliferation of solar incentives. You may get these incentives from the federal government, the Pennsylvania government or your local utility company. We recommend talking to your local Harmony solar installation company to learn more about these incentives and to make sure that you're getting all of the money you can for your solar panels.
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EcoWatch's Harmony, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How much will solar panels save me annually on my electric bill in Harmony?
After adding solar panels to your Harmony home, you can anticipate savings of about $798.61 per year, or about $15,173.56 over 20 years.
What are the best solar panel installation companies near me?
To find a top-rated solar panel installer, check out our guide to Harmony's top solar panel companies.
What are some environmental benefits of adding solar panels to my house?
You can reduce your carbon footprint by 400 pounds of CO2 a year when you switch to solar panels. This adds up to approximately 8,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, meaning that making the switch reduces the drain on our planet's resources.
If I switch my appliances out for ones that can utilize solar energy, are there any incentives that I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides several incentives that 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 qualify for incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
Yes, you can claim both tax credits and rebates towards the cost of solar panels. Depending on which incentives you are eligible for, they may apply in a different order. Be sure to talk to your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify that you are claiming the correct incentives and that you're getting the most money you can.
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.