2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Lower Moreland, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Lower Moreland.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
Solar installers are experts in maximizing your solar tax credits and rebates.
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Lower Moreland?
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 meant to help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is intended to encourage more Americans to make the switch to renewable energy. You may be eligible for various kinds of incentives, including discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, depending on your situation. Certain incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the Pennsylvania government and others from the federal government. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system might qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions are applied at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the value added by your solar panels when you are calculating property taxes on your house.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering contract with your Lower Moreland utility company. This agreement may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. They will then subtract this value from your monthly utility bill.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the federal government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be offered by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after you purchase solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs are credits that can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for cash that typically becomes part of your taxable income. In most cases, a certain (small) threshold of energy production must be met before your solar system is eligible for SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and similar incentives are normally handled by your state government.
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 solar incentives are probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. 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 your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. The credit initially covered 30% of the total cost – for panels, accessories, labor and equipment – although the percentage may range from 26-30%, depending on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the claim amount.
To best understand how the ITC may apply to you, get in touch with your local Lower Moreland solar panel installation expert 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. The Clean Energy Credit runs until 2035. Solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032 may qualify for a 30% tax credit. The amount will decrease slightly each year until the end of the current program. The program expansion also makes claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before, starting in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. The best way to fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you is to speak with your local Lower Moreland solar panel company directly.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are often also state solar incentives in addition to those provided by the federal government. Tax credits, rebates and more may be available at a more local level. These incentives may be given out by your county or municipality, or by the Pennsylvania government. Some are ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Lower Moreland
Solar incentives might be offered by your local utility company, the Pennsylvania government or the federal government. The variety of solar incentives available has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. We suggest talking to your local Lower Moreland solar installer to learn more about these incentives and to ensure that you're getting the largest number possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's Lower Moreland, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
It's a good idea to talk to your local Lower Moreland solar installer to get an understanding of which incentives your project may qualify for. Generally, solar incentives apply to new solar panel systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) between the dates specified by the incentive. Some incentives, such as those given by the state of Pennsylvania, may have additional requirements.
I already have solar panels. 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 speak to a local Lower Moreland solar installer — to clarify 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 some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can decrease your carbon footprint by 250 pounds of CO2 annually by installing solar panels. This adds up to around 5,000 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.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The federal solar tax credit, formerly called the ITC and now named the Clean Energy Credit, is set to end January 1, 2035. The current 30% credit will end in 2032, replaced by a 26% credit in 2033 and a 22% credit in 2034.
If I switch my appliances out for ones that use solar energy, are there benefits I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act includes provisions for 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.
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.