2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Broadlands, VA - Tax Credits & Rebates

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

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

The term "solar incentives" covers a wide range of financial incentives designed to make installing and using solar panels more affordable. This is done to encourage people to switch to renewable energy. These incentives can include cash back, upfront discounts or monthly credits towards your utility bill. Some incentives are handled by the federal government, some by the Virginia government and some by your specific utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:

• Rebates: A rebate is a partial refund after the purchase of your solar panels. Rebates may be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The discount that rebates offer is normally applied to the price of solar panels before calculating tax credits.
• Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in one of two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, 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 home.
• Net Metering: Net metering becomes relevant after your solar system is up and running. If you have a net metering agreement with your Broadlands utility company, the company will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your utility bill each month. In some locations, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in others you might receive a refund equivalent to a percentage of the value.
• Tax Credits: Tax credits lower, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the federal government. These differ from tax deductions.
• Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives might be available to you if your solar system produces over a specified (typically small) amount of electricity. These types of incentives are usually handled at the state level. You can sell any SRECs you have to your utility company or other buyers, and the money you receive in return is typically considered part of your taxable income.

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. A federal incentive that most people are likely familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This is a tax credit for a given percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC is applied to the total cost of installing a solar system, including the panels themselves as well as equipment, labor and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006 on a primary or secondary residence that you own, as long as it is located in the United States. The tax credit ranges from 26-30% of total costs depending on when your project was completed. There is no maximum claim amount.

To more fully understand how the ITC could apply to your situation, contact your local Broadlands solar panel installer and ask for more information.

In August 2022, the ITC (now called the Clean Energy Credit) was bolstered by the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can now qualify for a credit of 30% of the total costs of solar system installation for projects that began after January 1, 2022 and will be finished by the end of 2032. The percentage will then begin to decrease on a yearly basis until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the program expansion 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 Broadlands solar panel installers are the best people to answer your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it applies to you.

State & Local Solar Incentives

Not all solar incentives are federal; tax credits, rebates and more are often offered at the local or state level. These incentives may be given out by the Virginia government, or by your county or municipality. Some incentives may be ongoing, while others are available for a limited time.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Broadlands

Nationwide solar energy use has gone up significantly in the past 15 years, in part due to the increase in availability of solar incentives. You can obtain these incentives from the federal government, the Virginia government or your local utility company. Reaching out to your local Broadlands solar panel installation company is the right first step towards making sure you get all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.