2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Cedarburg, WI - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Cedarburg.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Cedarburg?
Renewable Energy Sales Tax Exemptions
Renewable Rewards Program
Business - 0-5 kW: $200 per kW
5-10 kW: $1000 + $150 per kW over 5
10-100 kW: $1750 + $125 per kW over 10
100-300 kW: $13000 + $100 per kW over 100
300-500 kW: $33000 + $85 per kW over 300
Biogas, Solar, and Wind Energy Equipment Exemption
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. This category of financial incentives is designed to encourage more homeowners to convert their home partially or fully to renewable energy. You may qualify for several kinds of incentives, such as cash back, discounts 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 Wisconsin and others from the federal government. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:
- Rebates: Solar rebates might be provided by your state or county, or by your local utility company. These rebates are essentially cash back that is applied after you purchase solar panels and before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits lower, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount of tax you owe the government. Tax credits are different from tax deductions.
- Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Cedarburg utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity your solar panels generate. They will then deduct this value from your monthly utility bill.
- Tax Exemptions: These might come in the form of property tax exemptions, which would allow you to exclude the value added by your solar panels when calculating the taxes you pay on your house. They may also include exemptions on sales tax at the time of purchase.
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. An incentive that most people are likely to be familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC is a tax credit for a specified percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC can be applied to the total cost of solar panel installation, including the panels themselves as well as labor, equipment and accessories. You can claim this credit for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own and that is located in the United States. 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 claim amount.
Reaching out to your local Cedarburg solar panel installation expert is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to your situation.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act expanded and extended the ITC, now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit is valid until 2035. Solar installation projects started after January 1, 2022, and completed by the end of 2032 may qualify for a 30% tax credit. This amount will decrease slightly on a yearly basis until the current program ends. The expansion to the program also makes claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before, beginning in 2023.
More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Cedarburg solar panel company is the best resource for answering your questions about the new Clean Energy Credit and how it applies to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Some solar incentives may be offered at the local or state level. Like with federal incentives, these may include rebates, tax credits and more. The incentives — which may be provided by the state of Wisconsin, or by your county or municipality — may be offered on an ongoing basis, or for only a limited time.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Cedarburg
There are many types of solar incentives: those offered by the federal government, those offered by the Wisconsin government and those offered by local utility companies, to name a few. The use of solar energy has increased tremendously in the last 15 years, partially thanks to these incentives. It is a good idea to talk to your local Cedarburg solar installation company for more information about these incentives and to be sure that you're getting the most money possible for your solar panels.
EcoWatch's Cedarburg, WI Solar Incentives FAQs
What are the highest-rated solar panel installation companies near me?
To learn about the best solar panel installers near you, read our article on Cedarburg's top solar panel companies.
I want to switch my appliances out for ones that are more energy-efficient. Are there any benefits I can get?
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act provides a number of incentives meant to reward homeowners for making eco-friendly upgrades. Some incentives include rebates and tax credits for installing new electric appliances. You can find more details about these incentives here.
Can I apply for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order that incentives will be applied in may vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but usually yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Check with your solar installer or a local tax professional to confirm you are claiming all the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
Can I use both solar and another type of renewable energy to power my home?
Yes, you can use multiple types of renewable energy to power your home — for example, a combination of geothermal and solar. You can also combine renewable energy generation with a backup source of non-renewable energy. You should discuss the details of your plan with your local Cedarburg solar installation expert, so that you understand what you'll need and what types of incentives you may or may not qualify for.
Can I receive any incentives when I add solar panels to a vacation home, rental property or commercial property?
Many solar incentives are intended to apply to a property located within the United States that you own; most secondary residences fall into this category. There may be other solar incentives available for commercial properties, depending on the details. We recommend reaching out to your local solar installer and/or tax professional to fully understand what incentives apply to your specific situation.
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.