2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Greendale, WI - Tax Credits & Rebates

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

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

Solar incentives are intended to make renewable energy usage more affordable via financial incentives to help people install solar panels on their homes. These incentives might include cash back, upfront discounts or credit towards your monthly utility bill. Some incentives are offered by the federal government, some by the state of Wisconsin and some by your specific utility company, county or municipality. Categories of solar incentives include:

• Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in one of two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, which is applied at the time you purchase your solar panels. The second is property tax exemption, which allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when calculating property tax for your house.
• Rebates: A solar rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. Rebates might be offered by your local utility company, your state or your county. The rebates are usually applied before tax credits are calculated.
• Tax Credits: Unlike tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.
• Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Greendale utility company, that may apply to all or a percentage of the excess electricity that is generated by your solar panels. Your utility company will then deduct this value from your monthly utility bill.

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are likely the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar incentives. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is probably the most well-known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC applies to the total cost of solar system installation, including the panels themselves as well as labor, accessories and equipment. 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.

Contacting your local Greendale solar panel installer is the best way to understand how the ITC may apply to your situation.

The ITC was both renewed and expanded by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. It's also now called the Clean Energy Credit. The Clean Energy Credit lasts until 2035. Your solar installation project undertaken between 2022 and 2032 may qualify for a 30% tax credit. The amount will be decreased slightly on a yearly basis until the current program ends. The expansion also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, starting in 2023.

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, speak with your local Greendale solar installation company.

State & Local Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are not your only option; tax credits, rebates and more are often offered at the local or state level. Incentives may be provided by the state of Wisconsin, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives may be available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Greendale

You can apply for and receive solar incentives from the federal government and the Wisconsin government, as well as from your local utility company. Growing availability of solar initiatives over the last 15 years has helped increase nationwide solar energy use enormously. Your local Greendale solar panel installation expert can help you learn more about which incentives you may qualify for, and get you feeling good about making the change to renewable energy today.