2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Wilkes-Barre, PA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Wilkes-Barre.
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 Wilkes-Barre?
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 a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is intended to encourage more Americans to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. Incentives could include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, while others are handled by the Pennsylvania government or your utility company, county or municipality. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- 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.)
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar system may 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 ignore the value that solar panels add when calculating property taxes on your home.
- Net Metering: Don't forget to speak to your Wilkes-Barre utility company about signing a net metering agreement. This allows you to get a credit towards your utility bill every month 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.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar system. These might be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The cash back that you get from the rebates is normally applied before calculating tax credits.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and similar other performance-based incentives may be available to you if you have a solar system that produces over a specified (usually small) amount of electricity. These types of incentives are usually handled by the state government. You can sell your SRECs to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you make is generally considered part of your taxable income.
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 solar incentives are likely to be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is the best-known federal solar incentive. The ITC offers a tax credit for a set percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC is applied to the total cost of solar panel installation, including the panels themselves as well as accessories, equipment and labor. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own and that is located in the United States. From its original value of 30% of the total cost, the credit has fluctuated slightly between 26-30%, and you may qualify for varying percentages depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.
Reaching out to your local Wilkes-Barre solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC applies to your situation.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act expanded and extended the ITC, now dubbed the Clean Energy Credit. For solar system installations that begin after January 1, 2022, and are completed by the end of 2032, homeowners can receive a credit for 30% of the total cost. This percentage will decrease annually after 2032 until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. To fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, reach out to your local Wilkes-Barre solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. As with federal incentives, these may include tax credits, rebates and more. These solar incentives — which might be handled 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 Wilkes-Barre
You can apply for solar incentives from the Pennsylvania government and the federal government, as well as from your local utility company. The increased availability of solar initiatives in the past 15 years has helped increase nationwide solar energy use enormously. Talking to your local Wilkes-Barre solar panel installation expert is the right first step towards getting all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's Wilkes-Barre, PA Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for solar incentives?
Typically, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel 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, might have additional qualifications. Talk to your local Wilkes-Barre solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project will qualify for.
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I install solar panels on my house in Wilkes-Barre?
On average, Wilkes-Barre homeowners who install solar panels save about $610.52 per year, or about $11,599.93 over 20 years after making the switch.
What are 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. A solar system can also reduce your home's CO2 emissions by 250 pounds a year, or roughly 5,000 pounds over 20 years.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The federal solar tax credit, previously called the ITC and now titled the Clean Energy Credit, is scheduled 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 change out my appliances for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any incentives I can claim?
Under the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are a number of new financial incentives for making eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details regarding 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.