2024 Solar Incentives Guide for West Lampeter, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in West Lampeter.
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.
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in West Lampeter?
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 mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are in place to encourage more Americans to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. The incentives can include upfront discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, some by the state of Pennsylvania and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other similar performance-based incentives are typically handled at the state level. Once your solar panel system meets a certain threshold (generally a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that can be sold to your utility company or other buyers. The money you receive from the sale is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Rebates: Solar rebates can be provided by your county or state, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially cash back that is applied after you pay for solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, how much income tax you owe the federal government. These are different from tax deductions.
- Tax Exemptions: Sales tax exemptions are applied at the time of purchase for your solar system. Property tax exemptions let you exclude the value added by your solar system when you're calculating the amount of property tax you need to pay on your home.
- Net Metering: Make sure you speak with your West Lampeter utility company about signing a net metering contract. This will allow you to get a 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.
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
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some familiarity with. You've likely heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. This is a tax credit equal to a certain percentage of the money you spend on your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels have to have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to claim the credit. The ITC originally paid out 30% of all installation costs (panels, labor, accessories and equipment), although the covered amount has fluctuated slightly over time between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you are eligible for. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
Wondering how the ITC applies to your specific situation? Get in touch with your local West Lampeter solar panel installer to get more information.
The ITC was renewed and increased in scope after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The new Clean Energy Credit is valid until 2035. You can now apply for a 30% credit for solar systems that began installation after January 1, 2022, and are completed by the end of 2032. The credit will then decrease annually until its expiration. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local West Lampeter solar panel installer can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit may apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided by state and local governments. As with federal incentives, these may include tax credits, rebates and more. These incentives — which might be given by the state of Pennsylvania, or by your county or municipality — may be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in West Lampeter
The nationwide use of solar energy has significantly increased in the past 15 years, in part due to the increase in availability of solar incentives. You can obtain these incentives from your local utility company, the federal government or the Pennsylvania government. We recommend talking to your local West Lampeter solar installation expert to learn more about these incentives and to make sure that you're getting all the money you can for your solar system.
EcoWatch's West Lampeter, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
Typically, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the Pennsylvania government or by your county/municipality, sometimes have additional qualifications. Get in touch with your local West Lampeter solar installer to discover what incentives your project will qualify for.
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I install solar panels on my West Lampeter home?
On average, West Lampeter homeowners who install solar panels save about $739.82 per year, or approximately $14,056.59 over 20 years after making the switch.
Who installs solar panel systems near me?
To find the right solar panel installer for you, check out our guide to the best solar companies in West Lampeter.
What are some environmental benefits of installing solar panels on my home?
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 250 pounds a year, or around 5,000 pounds in 20 years.
If I trade in my appliances for ones that utilize solar energy, are there credits I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act introduces several incentives designed to reward homeowners for making eco-friendly upgrades. Some of these incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives 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.