2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Central Falls, RI - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Central Falls.
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 March 14, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Central Falls?
Local Option - Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Systems
Renewable Energy Products Sales and Use Tax Exemption
Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Equipment
Small Scale Solar Grants (Commerce RI)
Direct Ownership: $1.05/W
Third Party Ownership: $0.70/W
Solar Domestic Hot Water Heating
Direct Ownership: 25% of project contract price
Third Party Ownership: 10% of total contract price
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are designed to mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are intended to encourage more people to switch their home over to renewable energy. Different kinds of incentives, including cash back, discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill, might be available to you. Certain incentives may be offered by the state of Rhode Island, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while other incentives are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in one of two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, which is applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to exclude the value added by your solar system when paying property tax on your house.
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering contract with your Central Falls utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. They will then deduct this value from your utility bill each month.
- Rebates: A solar rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar panels. Rebates may be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before tax credits are calculated.
Federal Solar Incentives
When thinking about solar incentives, you probably think of federal incentives first. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is probably the most commonly known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides you with a tax credit for a specific percentage of the cost of 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 must have been installed after January 1, 2006 on a property owned by you for you to claim the credit. The ITC originally paid out 30% of all system costs (panels, accessories, equipment and labor), although the covered amount has fluctuated over the years 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.
Curious how the ITC might apply to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Central Falls solar panel installer to get more information.
In August 2022, the ITC (now called the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners are now eligible for a credit of 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects started after January 1, 2022 and completed before the end of 2032. This percentage will then decrease annually until the Clean Energy Credit ends in 2035. Starting in 2023, the 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 Central Falls solar panel company can answer your questions and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are often also state solar incentives in addition to those provided by the federal government. Rebates, tax credits and more might be available at a more local level. These incentives — which may be provided by the state of Rhode Island, or by your county or municipality — may be offered on an ongoing basis, or for only a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Central Falls
There are a variety of solar incentives: those provided by the federal government, those provided by the Rhode Island government and those provided by local utility companies, to name a few. The use of solar energy has increased tremendously in the last 15 years, thanks to these incentives. Your local Central Falls solar panel installation expert can help you learn more about which incentives you should apply for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
EcoWatch's Central Falls, RI Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
Typically, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including ones handled by the Rhode Island government or by your county/municipality, sometimes have additional qualifications. Speak with your local Central Falls solar installer to learn more about what incentives your project may qualify for.
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
Your best bet is to talk to a representative from the company that installed your solar panels — or get in touch with a local Central Falls solar installer — to better understand which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the newly increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much can I save annually on my electric bill if I install solar panels on my Central Falls home?
Once you add solar panels to your Central Falls home, you can anticipate savings of approximately $1,054.41 per year, or approximately $20,033.70 over 20 years.
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 lessen the strain on our planet's resources. A solar system can also lower the CO2 emissions from your home by 200 pounds annually, or roughly 4,000 pounds over 20 years.
Can I claim incentives both towards the initial cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in might vary depending on which incentives you are eligible for but generally 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 ensure you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
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.