2024 Solar Incentives Guide for New Garden, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in New Garden.
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.
Get a free quote from one of our trusted New Garden solar installers to see how much you can save.
Please enter a valid 5-digit zip code!
Why you can trust EcoWatch
What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in New Garden?
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 intended to make renewable energy usage more affordable via financial incentives to help people install solar panels on their homes. You might be eligible for several kinds of incentives, including cash back, discounts 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 Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much income tax you owe the government.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system may qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions come into effect at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the added value of the solar panels when you are calculating property taxes on your home.
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after you pay for solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in after your solar system is up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your New Garden 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 locations, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other areas you might get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other similar performance-based incentives are usually handled by your state government. 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 receive from the sale is usually considered part of your taxable income.
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
When people think of solar incentives, federal incentives are likely the first thing that comes to mind. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC was originally for 30% of the cost of installing solar panels, and has fluctuated slightly over time between 26-30%. The percentage you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. The total installation cost includes the panels themselves as well as the cost of labor, accessories and equipment. There is no maximum claim amount. The ITC applies to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, on your primary or secondary residence. The residence must be in the United States and owned by you.
Speaking with your local New Garden solar panel installation expert is the best way to understand how the ITC could apply to your situation.
In August 2022, the ITC (now titled the Clean Energy Credit) was bolstered by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can now receive 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 credit percentage will then begin to decrease yearly until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Beginning in 2023, it will also be easier to get credits for energy storage systems with the new act.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local New Garden solar panel installation experts can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are often state solar incentives available in addition to federal ones. Rebates, tax credits and more might be available at a more local level. Certain incentives are offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. Your local solar incentives might come from the Pennsylvania government, or from your specific county or municipality.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in New Garden
There are a variety of solar incentives: those given by the federal government, those offered by the Pennsylvania government and those given by local utility companies, to name a few. The use of solar energy has grown tremendously in the last 15 years, partially due to these incentives. Your local New Garden solar panel installation expert can give you more information about which incentives you may qualify for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's New Garden, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
My home already has solar panels installed. Does my system qualify for any incentives?
An excellent idea would be to talk to someone from the company that installed your solar system – or reach out to a local New Garden solar installer — to clarify which incentives you may 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%.
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I add solar panels to my house in New Garden?
After adding solar panels to your New Garden home, you can anticipate savings of approximately $815.15 per year, or about $15,487.94 over the next 20 years.
I want to change out my appliances for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any incentives I can apply for?
The new Inflation Reduction Act creates several new financial incentives for making eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details on these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
Can I apply for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
Yes, you can claim both rebates and tax credits towards the cost of solar panels. Depending on which incentives you are claiming, 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 incentives correctly and that you're getting the most money you can.
Can I claim incentives for adding solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to best understand what solar incentives apply to you, many will apply to a second home, as long as it is in the United States and owned by you. There may be additional incentives available for commercial properties specifically, 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.
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.