2023 Solar Incentives Guide for South Park, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in South Park.
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 May 04, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in South Park?
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
Duquesne Light Company - Residential Energy Efficiency Program
Central A/C / Heat Pumps: $100/ton
ENERGY STAR Certified Heat Pump Water Heater: $350
Solar Water Heater: $300
Ceiling/Floor/Wall Insulation: $0.23/square foot
ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifier: $20
ENERGY STAR Certified Refrigerator: $25
ENERGY STAR Certified Freezer: $10
ENERGY STAR Certified Room Air Conditioner: $25
ENERGY STAR Variable Speed Pool Pump: $200
Occupancy Sensor Based Control: $10
Smart Strip Surge Protector: $5
Furnace with High Efficiency Fan Motor: $100
Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump: $100
Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling: $35
Duquesne Light Company - Residential Solar Water Heating 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 are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is designed to encourage more homeowners to switch their home over to renewable energy. Solar incentives can include cash back, upfront discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are given by the federal government, some by the Pennsylvania government and some by your utility company, county or municipality. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Net Metering: Make sure you talk to your South Park utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This will allow you to receive credit towards your utility bill every month for the value of excess energy generated by your solar panels. You may receive either a dollar-for-dollar credit or a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and similar other performance-based incentives may be available to you if your solar system produces more than a specified (usually small) amount of electricity. These types of incentives are typically handled at the state level. You can sell the SRECs you receive to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you receive in return is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Rebates: Rebates, or partial refunds after a purchase, are usually applied prior to any solar tax credits being calculated. These rebates can be given by your local utility company, by your county or by your state.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panel system could 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 exclude the added value of the solar panels when you are calculating property taxes on your house.
- Tax Credits: Unlike tax deductions, tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that you think of when you think about solar incentives. One of the incentives that most people are likely familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This is a tax credit for a given percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system has to have been installed after January 1, 2006 on a property you own for you to be eligible for the credit. The ITC initially covered 30% of all system installation costs (panels, accessories, equipment and labor), although the total amount has fluctuated over the years between 26-30%. The amount you qualify for will depend on when your solar system was installed. There is no cap on the claim amount.
To find out exactly how much money the ITC could save you, contact your local South Park solar panel installer.
In August 2022, the ITC (now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit) was bolstered by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners are now eligible for a credit of 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. This percentage will then begin to decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. 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. Your local South Park solar panel installation expert is the best person to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be offered at the local or state level. As with federal incentives, these can include tax credits, rebates and more. These incentives may be distributed by the Pennsylvania government, or by your county or municipality. Some are available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in South Park
The variety of solar incentives available has contributed greatly to the increase in the nationwide adoption of solar energy over the past 15 years. You can get solar incentives from your local utility company, the Pennsylvania government or the federal government. Speak with your local solar panel installation company today to learn more and to save as much money as possible on a solar system for your South Park home.
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EcoWatch's South Park, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
Generally, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the Pennsylvania government or by your county/municipality, may have additional qualifications. Talk to your local South Park solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project may qualify for.
My home already has solar panels. Do I qualify for any incentives?
If your solar system was installed after January 1, 2022, you may qualify for the newly 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 a representative from the company that installed your system, or any local South Park solar installer, can help you learn more about what incentives you might want to apply for.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar?
Solar energy is renewable — by changing where you get your energy, you can help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. Solar panels can also reduce your home's CO2 emissions by 400 pounds annually, or around 8,000 pounds in 20 years.
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. Speak to your solar installer or a local tax professional to ensure you are claiming all of the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I use multiple types of renewable energy to power my home?
You can use multiple types of renewable energy, or a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy, to power your home. Be sure to go over your plan with your local South Park solar installation expert. They can help you plan your project and give you an understanding of various incentives that you might or might not qualify for.
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.