2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Weirton, WV - Tax Credits & Rebates

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

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

Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing a solar panel system on your home. This category of financial incentives is in place to encourage more homeowners to switch their home over to renewable energy. You may qualify for different types of incentives, such as discounts, cash back 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 West Virginia and others from the federal government. You might qualify for any of the following types of solar incentives:

• Tax Exemptions: Tax exemptions can come in one of two forms. The first is sales tax exemption, which is applied when you purchase solar panels. The second is property tax exemption. This allows you to ignore the value added by your solar system when paying property tax on your home.
• Net Metering: You may be able to sign a net metering agreement with your Weirton utility company. This agreement 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.
• Rebates: Solar companies may 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 be deducted from your total price before any tax credits are calculated.
• Tax Credits: Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax that you owe the government. (A tax credit is different from a tax deduction.)

Federal Solar Incentives

Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have some knowledge of. The solar incentive that you may be most familiar with is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.

The ITC can be applied to solar panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own in the United States. The credit initially covered 30% of the total cost – for panels, labor, accessories and equipment – although the percentage may range from 26-30%, depending on the installation date of your solar system. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.

Curious how the ITC might apply to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Weirton solar panel installer to get more information.

In August 2022, the ITC (now referred to as the Clean Energy Credit) was expanded and extended by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can now qualify for a credit of 30% of the total solar system installation costs for projects that began after January 1, 2022, and will be finished by the end of 2032. The credit percentage will then begin to decrease on a yearly basis until the Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. The program expansion also makes credits for energy storage systems even easier to claim, beginning in 2023.

More information about the new Inflation Reduction Act can be found here. Your local Weirton 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

Some solar incentives are often also offered at the local or state level. Similar to federal incentives, these could include tax credits, rebates and more. Incentives might be offered by the state of West Virginia, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives might only be available for a limited time, while others are ongoing.

Next Steps for Installing Solar in Weirton

Solar incentives might be provided by your local utility company, the West Virginia government or the federal government. The large number of incentives available has contributed to a large increase in solar energy use in the last 15 years. Your local Weirton solar panel installation company can give you more information about which incentives you should apply for, and get you started on the path to switching to renewable energy today.