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

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

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

Solar incentives are designed to make renewable energy usage more affordable through financial incentives for those who install solar panels on their homes. Various kinds of incentives, like discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, may be available to you. Certain incentives may be offered by the Wisconsin government, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Some broad categories of solar incentives include:

• Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions may come in one of two forms. First, there is sales tax exemption, applied when you purchase solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to exclude the added value of your solar system when calculating property tax for your house.
• Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get once your solar system is up and running. If you've signed a net metering agreement with your Hartford utility company, they will subtract the value of the excess energy your solar system produces from your utility bill each month. In some places, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other areas you may receive a refund equivalent to 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 offer limited-time rebates at various times. The value of a rebate will usually come off the total price before any tax credits are calculated.
• Tax Credits: Different from tax deductions, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the federal government.

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal solar incentives are likely the first thing that you think of when you think about solar incentives. You may have heard of the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. The ITC is a tax credit that reduces your taxes by a certain percentage of the money you spend on your solar system.

The ITC initially applied to 30% of the cost of solar system installation, although that number has fluctuated slightly over the years between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you qualify for. The total installation cost includes the panels themselves as well as the cost of equipment, accessories and labor. There is no maximum amount you can claim. The ITC applies to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on your primary or secondary residence. The residence must be owned by you and in the United States.

Your local Hartford solar panel installation expert can give you more information about the ITC and how it applies 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 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 each year until the current program ends. 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. The best way to learn more about how the new Clean Energy Credit might apply to you is to reach out to your local Hartford solar panel company with your questions.

State & Local Solar Incentives

There are more than just federal solar incentives; rebates, tax credits and more are often offered at the local or state level. These solar incentives — which might be handled 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 Hartford

Nationwide solar energy use has increased enormously in the past 15 years, in part thanks to the increase in availability of solar incentives. You can obtain these incentives from your local utility company, the federal government or the Wisconsin government. When you're prepared to make the change to solar energy, reaching out to your local Hartford solar panel installation expert is an excellent place to start.