2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Harrisburg, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Harrisburg.
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 Harrisburg?
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
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/
The phrase "solar incentives" covers a range of financial incentives implemented to make installing and using solar panels more affordable. This is done to encourage people to switch to renewable energy. Incentives can include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, while others are handled by the state of Pennsylvania or your utility company, county or municipality. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Tax Exemptions: These may come in the form of property tax exemptions, which would allow you to ignore the value added by your solar panels when calculating the taxes you pay on your home. You may also qualify for an exemption on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for money that normally counts as part of your taxable income. In most cases, there is a small threshold of energy production to meet before your solar system is eligible for SRECs or other performance-based incentives. These kinds of incentives are normally handled at the state level.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)
- Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant once your solar panels are up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your Harrisburg utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your utility bill each month. In some places, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other areas you may get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar panels. Rebates might be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before tax credits are calculated.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a certain percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system must have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to claim the credit. Initially, the ITC applied to 30% of all installation costs (panels, labor, accessories and equipment), although this amount has fluctuated slightly 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 claim amount.
To understand exactly how much money the ITC could save you, talk to your local Harrisburg solar panel installer.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). With the new provisions, solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032, can qualify for a 30% tax credit. The amount of the credit will then see a slight annual decrease until the current Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To understand how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you, talk to your local Harrisburg solar installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Not all solar incentives are federal; rebates, tax credits and more may be offered at the state and local level. Some incentives are ongoing, while others may only be available for a limited time. Solar incentives may be provided by the Pennsylvania government, or by your county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Harrisburg
You can qualify for solar incentives from the federal government and the Pennsylvania government, as well as from your local utility company. This increase in availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped greatly increase nationwide adoption of solar energy. Speak with your local solar panel installation company today to learn more and to save the most money possible on a solar system for your Harrisburg home.
EcoWatch's Harrisburg, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How much can I save on my electric bill annually if I install solar panels on my Harrisburg home?
Typically, homeowners in Harrisburg who install solar panels save around $730.30 per year, or approximately $13,875.65 over 20 years after making the switch.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar?
Solar energy is renewable — by switching where you get your energy, you can help lessen the strain on our planet's resources. You can also lower your home's CO2 emissions by 250 pounds yearly, or roughly 5,000 pounds over 20 years.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that can utilize solar energy, are there any incentives that I can claim?
The new Inflation Reduction Act introduces multiple incentives that reward homeowners for making 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 claim incentives for adding solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend talking to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully understand what solar incentives apply to you, many incentives can be claimed on a second home, so long as that home is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available specifically for commercial properties, depending on the details.
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.