2025 Solar Incentives Guide for Wheeling, WV - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Wheeling.
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 Wheeling?
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are intended to make renewable energy usage more affordable via financial incentives for those who install solar panels on their homes. You might be eligible for several kinds of incentives, including discounts, cash back or monthly utility bill credits, depending on your situation. Certain 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 Credits: These credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions (not deductions) in the amount of tax that you owe the federal government.
- Net Metering: Net metering factors in after your solar panels are up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your Wheeling utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some locations, this is a dollar-for-dollar credit, while in other areas you may get refunded a percentage of the value.
- Rebates: Some solar companies will help you claim a rebate, or partial refund of your purchase, for your solar system. States or counties will also offer limited-time rebates at various times. Any rebates you receive will usually come off your total price before tax credits are calculated.
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panels might qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to ignore the value that solar panels add when calculating property taxes on your home.
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the kind of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC, is likely the most commonly known federal solar incentive. The ITC provides you with a tax credit for a predetermined percentage of your solar system's cost.
The ITC is applied to the total cost of installing a solar system, including the panels themselves as well as equipment, labor and accessories. This credit can be claimed for panels installed after January 1, 2006, on a primary or secondary residence that you own, as long as it 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.
To best understand how the ITC might apply to your situation, contact your local Wheeling solar panel installation expert and ask for more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, added more provisions to the ITC (as well as renaming it to 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; this amount will be decreased slightly on a yearly basis until the end of the current program. Starting in 2023, the program expansion will also make claiming credit for energy storage systems easier than ever before.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. To better understand how the new Clean Energy Credit applies to you, get in touch with your local Wheeling solar installers.
State & Local Solar Incentives
Not all solar incentives are federal; tax credits, rebates and more may be offered at the state and local level. Incentives may be offered by the state of West Virginia, or by your county or municipality. Certain incentives are available for only a limited time, while others are ongoing.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Wheeling
There are many kinds of solar incentives: those provided by the federal government, those given by the West Virginia 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, thanks to these incentives. Talking to your local Wheeling solar panel installation expert is the right first step towards making sure you get all the incentives you qualify for when you switch to solar energy.
EcoWatch's Wheeling, WV Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for different solar incentives?
It's a good idea to talk to your local Wheeling solar installer to get an understanding of which incentives your project may qualify for. Usually, solar incentives apply to new solar panel systems installed on a property you own (in the U.S.) within a specified date range. Some incentives, such as those offered by the government of West Virginia, might have additional requirements.
How much will solar panels save me annually on my electric bill in Wheeling?
Once you add solar panels to your Wheeling home, you can anticipate savings of around $858.62 per year, or approximately $16,313.82 over 20 years.
When does the federal solar tax credit end?
The Clean Energy Credit (formerly named the federal solar tax credit, or the ITC), is slated to end on January 1, 2035. Currently set at 30%, the credit will drop to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034.
Can I qualify for incentives both towards the up-front cost of solar panels, and later as reimbursement?
The order in which incentives are applied could vary depending on which incentives you are claiming but in most cases yes, you can claim multiple types of incentives for your solar project. Talk with your solar installer or a local tax professional to verify you are claiming all the incentives you qualify for and applying them in the correct order.
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