2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Penn Forest, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Penn Forest.
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 Penn Forest?
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 help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. Financial incentives like these are in place to encourage more Americans to make the switch to renewable energy. Different types of incentives, including discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, might be available to you. Some incentives may be offered by the Pennsylvania government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Net Metering: Don't forget to speak to your Penn Forest utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This will allow you to get a credit towards your monthly utility bill for the value of excess energy your solar panels generate. You may receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives may be available to you if the solar system on your home produces over a specified (generally small) amount of electricity. These types of incentives are normally handled by the state government. You can sell any SRECs you have to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you make is usually considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions that lower the amount of income tax you owe the federal government. (This is different from a tax deduction.)
- Tax Exemptions: These might come in the form of property tax exemptions, which allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when paying property tax on your home. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Rebates: Some solar companies will help you claim a rebate, or partial refund of your purchase, for your solar panels. Counties or states will also sometimes offer limited-time rebates. If you receive a rebate, that amount will usually come off the total price before tax credits are calculated.
Federal Solar Incentives
When someone says "solar incentives," you likely think of federal incentives first. You may have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. The ITC is a tax credit equal to a specified percentage of the money you spend on solar panels for your home.
The ITC covers solar systems installed after January 1, 2006, and allows you to deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, labor, accessories and equipment. This credit can apply towards a solar panel system installed on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. The original amount you could claim 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 amount you can claim.
Your local Penn Forest solar panel installer can offer more information about the ITC and how it applies 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 re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installations undertaken between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2032. At this point, the credit percentage will see a slight decrease annually until the end of the program in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Penn Forest solar panel company can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Tax credits, rebates and more can be claimed at multiple levels. Along with federal solar incentives, there are often state and local ones, too. Some incentives are offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. Your local incentives may come from your county or municipality, or from the Pennsylvania government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Penn Forest
The variety of solar incentives available has enormously increased the adoption of solar energy nationwide over the past 15 years. You can get solar incentives from the federal government, the Pennsylvania government or from your local utility company. If you're prepared to make the change to solar energy, talking to your local Penn Forest solar panel installation expert is an excellent place to start.
EcoWatch's Penn Forest, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
It's best to speak with your local Penn Forest solar installer for a better understanding of which incentives your project may qualify for. Typically, solar incentives apply to new solar panel systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) within a specified date range. Some incentives, such as those given by the state of Pennsylvania, may have other requirements.
My home already has solar panels. Do I qualify for any incentives?
If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. If you had your system installed between 2006 and 2021, you may qualify for a tax credit between 26% and 30%, depending on the exact installation date. Speaking with the company that installed your solar system, or any local Penn Forest solar installer, can help you learn what incentives you can apply for.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that can use solar energy, are there incentives that I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act introduces several incentives meant to reward homeowners for making eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include tax credits and rebates for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I receive incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in could vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but typically yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Get in touch with your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
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