2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Little Elm, TX - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Little Elm.
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 May 04, 2023
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Little Elm?
Renewable Energy Systems Property Tax Exemption
Texas Gas Service - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Home Improvement (includes attic insulation, duct sealing, duct insulation, duct replacement, high-efficiency gas furnace, and Wi-Fi thermostat: Up to $1000
Solar Water Heater With Natural Gas Backup: $750
Tankless or Super High-efficiency Water Heater: $650
Furnace: $675
Furnace Tune-Up: $40
Natural Gas Dryer with moisture sensor: $225
Natural Gas Dryer Stub: $300
CoServ - Solar Energy Rebate
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
The phrase "solar incentives" refers to a range of financial incentives put in place to make installing and using solar panels more affordable. This is done to encourage people to switch to renewable energy. Different kinds of incentives, such as discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, may be available to you. Certain incentives may be offered by the state of Texas, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits reduce, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax that you owe the government.
- Rebates: Solar rebates may be offered by your state or county, 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.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in after your solar system is up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Little Elm utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other areas you may receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
- Tax Exemptions: These might come in the form of property tax exemptions, which let you ignore the value of your solar system when calculating the taxes you pay on your house. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a specified percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to the total cost of solar system installation, including the panels themselves as well as labor, equipment and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence located in the United States that you own. 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 amount you can claim.
Your local Little Elm solar panel installation expert can provide more information about the ITC and how it might apply to your situation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). With the new provisions, solar installation projects begun after January 1, 2022 and finished by December 31, 2032 might qualify for a 30% tax credit. The amount of the credit will then decrease slightly each year until the end of the current Clean Energy Credit in 2035. Starting in 2023, it will also be easier to claim credits for energy storage systems with the new act.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. To best understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, speak with your local Little Elm solar installation company.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives are often also provided at the state and local level. Like with federal incentives, these can include rebates, tax credits and more. Some incentives are ongoing, while others may only be available for a limited time. They might be given by your county or municipality, or by the Texas government.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Little Elm
There are many kinds of solar incentives: those given by the federal government, those given by the Texas government and those given 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. Contact your local solar panel installer today to discover more about the various programs and to save as much money as possible on solar panels for your Little Elm home.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
- Great warranty coverage
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Concierge service ensures steady communication
- Slightly limited service offerings
EcoWatch's Little Elm, TX Solar Incentives FAQs
Can I get any financial incentives when I add solar panels to a rental property, vacation home or commercial property?
While we recommend getting in touch with your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully understand what solar incentives apply to you, many incentives can be claimed on a second home, provided that it is in the United States and owned by you. There may be other incentives available for commercial properties specifically, depending on the specifics.
How can I find out if I qualify for certain solar incentives?
It's a smart idea to get in touch with your local Little Elm solar installer for a better understanding of which incentives your project will qualify for. In most cases, solar incentives apply to new solar panel systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) within a specified date range. Some incentives, like those provided at the level of the Texas government, might have additional requirements.
How much will a solar system save me annually on my electric bill in Little Elm?
After adding solar panels to your Little Elm home, you can anticipate savings of about $916.92 per year, or about $17,421.52 over the next 20 years.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
You can decrease your carbon footprint by 400 pounds of CO2 annually by switching to solar panels. This adds up to around 8,000 pounds over 20 years. Solar is also a renewable energy source, meaning that making the switch lessens the drain on our planet's resources.
If I change out my appliances for ones that use solar energy, are there any benefits I can claim?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides multiple incentives designed to reward homeowners for making eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include tax credits and rebates 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.