2023 Solar Incentives Guide for Stuarts Draft, VA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Stuarts Draft.
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 Stuarts Draft?
Income Tax Deduction for Energy-Efficient Products
Local Option- Renewable Energy Machinery and Tools Property Tax Exemption
Local Option - Residential Property Tax Exemption for Solar
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. These financial incentives are in place to encourage more people to switch their home over to renewable energy. Incentives may include things like discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits. Some incentives are offered federally, while others are offered by the Virginia government or by your utility company, county or municipality. Some solar incentives you might qualify for are:
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the government. These are different from tax deductions.
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get once your solar panels are up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Stuarts Draft utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your monthly utility bill. In some places, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other places you may make back a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: Some solar companies will help you claim a rebate, or partial refund after purchase, for your solar system. Counties or states will also sometimes offer limited-time rebates. If you receive a rebate, that amount will usually be deducted from your total price before any tax credits are calculated.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs and other performance-based incentives are usually handled by your state government. Once your solar system meets a certain threshold (normally a small amount of energy production), you can receive SRECs that you can then sell to your utility company or other buyers. The money you receive from the sale is generally considered part of your taxable income.
- Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in two forms. The first 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 calculating property tax for your house.
Federal Solar Incentives
When you think about solar incentives, you probably think of federal incentives first. An incentive that most people are likely familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This incentive is a tax credit for a specific percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC can be applied to solar systems installed after January 1, 2006 and under this program you can deduct from your taxes a percentage of the total cost of solar panels, accessories, equipment and labor. This credit can apply towards a solar panel system installed on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. Originally, you could claim 30% of the total cost, although certain projects may qualify for only 26%, depending on the details. There is no maximum amount you can claim.
To find out exactly how much money the ITC could save you, speak with your local Stuarts Draft solar panel installer.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, made some changes to the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). The Clean Energy Credit re-raises the credit up to 30% for solar installations undertaken between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2032. After this, the credit percentage will decrease slightly each year until the program expires in 2035. Starting in 2023, the expansion will also make it easier to get credit for energy storage systems.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. To fully understand how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you, talk to your local Stuarts Draft solar installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be provided at the state and local level. Similar to federal incentives, these might include tax credits, rebates and more. These incentives might be handled by the Virginia government, or by your county or municipality. Some incentives may be available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Stuarts Draft
You can apply for solar incentives from the federal government and the Virginia government, as well as from your local utility company. The growing availability of solar initiatives over the last 15 years has helped increase solar adoption nationwide. Your local Stuarts Draft solar panel installation company can provide you with more details about which incentives you can apply for, and get you on track to switch to renewable energy today.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Best Warranty Coverage
Sunpro Solar
- Industry-leading warranty coverage
- Expansive service area
- Some reported communication issues
- No leases or PPAs
EcoWatch's Stuarts Draft, VA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
In most cases, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar system
- installed on property that you own
- within the U.S.
- between the dates specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those given out by the Virginia government or by your county/municipality, sometimes have additional qualifications. Talk to your local Stuarts Draft solar installer to discover what incentives your project will qualify for.
What are some of the environmental benefits of switching to solar energy?
Solar energy is a renewable energy source — by switching where you get your energy, you help reduce the strain on our planet's resources. A solar system can also reduce your home's CO2 emissions by 300 pounds a year, or roughly 6,000 pounds in 20 years.
If I change out my appliances for ones that can use solar energy, are there any incentives that I can claim?
Under the new Inflation Reduction Act, there are a variety of new financial incentives to encourage you to make eco-friendly improvements to your home. More details regarding these incentives, including information about incentives for purchasing new appliances, can be found here.
Can I qualify for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in could vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but typically 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 verify you are claiming all the incentives you are eligible for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I use solar and another type of renewable energy in combination to power my home?
Yes, you can use multiple types of renewable energy to power your home — for example, a combination of solar and wind power. You can also combine renewable energy generation with a backup source of non-renewable energy. You should discuss your plan with your local Stuarts Draft solar panel installer, so that you understand what you'll need and what incentives you will or won't qualify for.
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.