2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Glocester, RI - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Glocester.
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 Glocester?
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/
The term "solar incentives" generally refers to financial incentives that are in place to encourage increased use of renewable energy by making the installation and use of solar panels more affordable. Solar incentives could include cash back, upfront discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are provided by the federal government, some by the Rhode Island government and some by your utility company, county or municipality. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, applied when you purchase solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the added value of your solar system when paying property tax on your house.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in once your solar panels are up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Glocester utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other areas you might get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in how much income tax you owe the federal government.
- Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund credited to your account after you've paid for your solar system. These 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
Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that you think of when thinking about solar incentives. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the most commonly known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides you with a tax credit for a specific percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to 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 claim the credit. Originally, the ITC covered 30% of all system installation costs (panels, equipment, accessories and labor), although the covered amount has fluctuated over the last few 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 best understand how the ITC will apply to your situation, call your local Glocester solar panel installation expert and request more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as renaming it to the Clean Energy Credit). Now, solar installation projects begun after January 1, 2022, and finished by December 31, 2032, might qualify for a 30% tax credit. This percentage will then see a slight annual decrease until the end of the current Clean Energy Credit in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion to the program will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Glocester solar panel company is the best resource for answering your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
In addition to those provided at the federal level, there are often also state solar incentives. Tax credits, rebates and more may be available at a more local level. These solar incentives — which might be given by the state of Rhode Island, or by your county or municipality — could be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Glocester
The large number of solar incentives available has enormously increased the adoption of solar energy nationwide over the past 15 years. You might qualify for solar incentives from the federal government, the Rhode Island government or from your local utility company. We recommend talking to your local Glocester solar installation expert to learn more about these incentives and to ensure that you're getting the largest number possible for your solar system.
EcoWatch's Glocester, RI Solar Incentives FAQs
How do I learn if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
It's a smart idea to get in touch with your local Glocester solar installer for a better understanding of which incentives your project will qualify for. Generally, solar incentives apply to new solar systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) within a specified date range. Some incentives, like those provided by the Rhode Island government, might have additional requirements.
If I already have solar panels, can I still claim incentives?
You should plan to talk to a representative from the company that installed your system – or call a local Glocester solar installer — to learn about which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar panels installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How long until the federal solar tax credit ends?
The Clean Energy Credit (formerly named the federal solar tax credit, or the ITC), is scheduled to end on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
If I change out my appliances for ones that can use solar energy, are there benefits that I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides multiple incentives that reward homeowners who make eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include tax credits and rebates for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I receive incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order your incentives will be applied in might vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but in most cases yes, you can receive multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify you are claiming all possible incentives and applying them in the correct order.
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