2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Kingsport, TN - Tax Credits & Rebates

What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Kingsport?

Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/

The phrase "solar incentives" refers broadly to financial incentives designed to encourage people to use renewable energy by making installing and using solar panels more affordable. You may be eligible for various types of incentives, including discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Some incentives come from your specific utility company, county or municipality, some from the state of Tennessee and others from the federal government. Categories of solar incentives include:

• Tax Exemptions: Your solar panels may qualify for exemptions on both sales and property tax. Sales tax exemptions come into effect at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions let you ignore the added value of the solar panels when you are calculating property taxes on your home.
• Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Kingsport utility company. This agreement may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. They will then deduct this value from your utility bill each month.
• Tax Credits: Unlike tax deductions, tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax that you owe the government.
• Rebates: Solar companies may help you claim a rebate, or partial refund after purchase, for your solar panels. Counties or states will also sometimes offer limited-time rebates. If you receive a rebate, that amount will usually come off the total price before any tax credits are calculated.

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. The solar incentive that you're most familiar with is probably the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a credit on your taxes equal to a percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC applies to the value of solar panels installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels have to have been installed after January 1, 2006, on a property you own for you to claim the credit. The ITC originally paid out 30% of all system installation costs (panels, labor, equipment and accessories), although this amount has fluctuated slightly 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.

Your local Kingsport solar panel installer can provide more information about the ITC and how it may apply to your situation.

In August 2022, the ITC (now titled the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The new Clean Energy Credit now runs until 2035. Homeowners can now receive a 30% credit for solar systems installed between 2022 and 2032. The credit will then decrease annually until it expires. 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 Kingsport 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

Some solar incentives are often also provided by state and local governments. Similar to federal incentives, these can include tax credits, rebates and more. Incentives may be handled by your county or municipality, or by the state of Tennessee. Some incentives are available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Kingsport

You can apply for and receive solar incentives from the Tennessee government and the federal government, as well as from your local utility company. This increase in availability of solar initiatives over the last 15 years has helped increase solar adoption nationwide. Getting in touch with your local Kingsport solar panel installation company is an excellent first step towards getting the most money possible when you switch to solar energy.