2023 Solar Incentives Guide for West Bradford, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in West Bradford.
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 West Bradford?
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 help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. Financial incentives like these are intended to encourage more Americans to make the switch to renewable energy. Incentives might include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are offered federally, while others are offered by the Pennsylvania government or by your specific utility company, county or municipality. Types of solar incentives might include:
- Tax Exemptions: These can come in the form of property tax exemptions, which can let you ignore the value added by your solar panels when paying taxes on your home. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much in taxes you owe the government.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for money 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 can earn SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. SRECs and similar incentives are generally handled at the state level.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering contract with your West Bradford utility company that will apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. Your utility company will then deduct this value from your monthly utility bill.
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your local utility company, or by your state or county. These rebates are essentially partial refunds that are applied after you purchase a solar system and before tax credits are calculated.
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Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The solar incentive that you're most familiar with is probably the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a specified percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be credited towards the value of solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar system has to have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006 for you to be eligible for the credit. The ITC initially covered 30% of all costs (panels, labor, accessories and equipment), although the total amount has fluctuated slightly over time 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 best understand how the ITC will apply to you, reach out to your local West Bradford solar panel installation expert and ask for more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, added more provisions to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). For solar systems installed between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2032, homeowners can receive a credit for 30% of the total cost. The percentage will then decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local West Bradford solar panel installation experts can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to federal solar incentives, there are often also state ones. Rebates, tax credits and more may be available at a more local level. Some incentives are offered for only a limited time, while others are ongoing. Your local incentives could come from your county or municipality, or from the Pennsylvania government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in West Bradford
The expanding number of available solar incentives has enormously increased the use of solar power nationwide over the past 15 years. You can get solar incentives from the federal government, the Pennsylvania government or from your local utility company. Your local West Bradford solar panel installation expert can give you more information about which incentives you can apply for, and get you on track to switch to renewable energy today.
EcoWatch's West Bradford, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Typically, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on a 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, sometimes have additional qualifications. Speak with your local West Bradford solar installer to discover what incentives your project may qualify for.
My home already has solar panels installed. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
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 installed your system between 2006 and 2021, you might 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 West Bradford solar installer, can help you learn more about what incentives you might want to apply for.
What are the environmental benefits of switching to solar?
You can decrease your carbon footprint by 300 pounds of CO2 annually by switching to solar panels. This adds up to roughly 5,000 pounds over 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, which means 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 titled 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.
I want to switch my appliances out for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any credits I can apply for?
The new Inflation Reduction Act creates a variety of new financial incentives to encourage you to make eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details about these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found 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.