2023 Solar Incentives Guide for North Union, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in North Union.
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 September 15, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in North Union?
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/
Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. This category of financial incentives is intended to encourage more Americans to make the switch to renewable energy. Different types of incentives, like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, might be available to you. Some incentives may be handled by the state of Pennsylvania, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while other incentives are federal. Categories of solar incentives include:
- 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.)
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are typically applied prior to any solar tax credits being calculated. Solar rebates may be given by your local utility company, by your state or by your county.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs are credits that can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for cash that normally counts as part of your taxable income. In most cases, you must meet a certain (small) threshold of energy production before your solar system can earn SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and similar incentives are generally handled at the state level.
- Net Metering: Don't forget to speak to your North Union utility company about signing a net metering contract. This will allow you to receive credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy your solar panels generate. You might receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Tax Exemptions: These could come in the form of property tax exemptions, which let you ignore the value of your solar system when calculating the taxes you pay on your home. You could also look for exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
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Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. One of the incentives that most people are probably familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC is a tax credit for a specified percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC applies towards solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 and lets you deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, equipment, labor and accessories. You can claim this credit for a solar panel system installed on a primary or secondary residence in the United States that you own. The original claim amount was 30% of the total cost, although depending on when the project was completed, your credit may range from 26-30%. There is no maximum claim amount.
To better understand how the ITC may apply to you, contact your local North Union solar panel installation expert and request more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). The Clean Energy Credit has increased the current credit up to 30% for solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed by the end of 2032. After this, the percentage will be reduced slightly each year until the program expires in 2035. The expansion to the program also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, starting in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local North Union solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be offered at the local or state level. Similar to federal incentives, these could include tax credits, rebates and more. These incentives might be provided by your county or municipality, or by the Pennsylvania government. Some incentives may be ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in North Union
There are a variety of solar incentives: those provided by local utility companies, those provided by the federal government and those provided by the Pennsylvania government, to name a few. Solar energy use has increased enormously in the last 15 years, partially thanks to these incentives. Your local North Union solar panel installer can help you learn more about which incentives you may qualify for, and get you started on the path to switching to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's North Union, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
Broadly, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the Pennsylvania government or by your county/municipality, may have additional qualifications. Talk to your local North Union solar installer to find out what incentives your project may qualify for.
If I installed solar panels on my house a few years ago, can I still claim incentives?
Your best bet is to talk to the company that installed your system — or speak to a local North Union solar installer — to clarify which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently 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 environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can decrease your carbon footprint by 400 pounds of CO2 a year when you install solar panels. This adds up to roughly 8,000 pounds over 20 years. In addition, solar power is a renewable energy source, which means that making the switch lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
Can I claim incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in might vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but in most cases yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to be sure you are claiming all of the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
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.