Wyoming Solar Panel Buyers Guide (Installation & Efficiency 2023)
By Dan Simms /
Going solar can be an expensive undertaking, but Wyoming homeowners have several valuable incentives they can use to help lower the costs. In this guide, you will learn:
Traditionally, Wyoming has been a state with heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Over 40% of the coal in the U.S. comes from Wyoming, and some of the country’s largest coal mines are located in this western state. It therefore may be no surprise that Wyoming does not have any noteworthy state-mandated solar incentives, nor does it have a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) goal to boost clean energy sources.
But that does not mean going solar in Wyoming is a bad move. Fortunately, Wyoming’s average cost of solar panels is significantly cheaper than the national average. Federal incentives also make solar panels a lot more appealing.
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Here is a look at the currently available solar incentives in Wyoming.
Solar Incentives in Wyoming | Incentive Type | Description | Occurrence | Estimated Dollar Amount You Can Receive |
Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) | Federal | Credits 30% of your entire system price to your income tax burden for the tax year your system is commissioned | One time: Gets applied when you file your taxes for the year your system is installed | $6,939 via tax credits on average in Wyoming |
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) | Federal | Guaranteed financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses | One time: Applied when you purchase the system | Varies based on your system value |
Net metering | Local | Lets you earn credits with excess solar energy that can pay down future utility bills | Ongoing: Always in effect | Varies based on your system size, your monthly energy bills, your energy consumption and more |
Local incentives | Local | Special perks and solar rebate programs offered by utility companies and municipalities throughout Florida | Varies | Varies |
The federal solar investment tax credit (ITC) is the most substantial financial incentive available for new photovoltaic (PV) solar energy systems in Wyoming. It’s offered by the federal government and is available to all Wyoming homeowners.
The program allows you to write off up to 30% of your entire system cost on your federal taxes. In Wyoming, where residents pay an average of $23,130 for a typical system, the credit amount could come out to around $6,939.
Your net cost would be just $16,191 – a much more attractive number.
The federal solar credit amount gets applied to the income taxes you owe for the year your system is installed. If you can’t take the full credit that year, you can roll over any remaining credit for up to five years.
The federal credit was originally offered in 2005 according to the following rate schedule:
Thankfully, the credit was extended in 2022 with the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, and was increased back up to 30%. It’s now available according to the following rate schedule:
The federal tax credit provides a massive benefit for virtually all solar customers. Even better: Filing for the credit takes just a few minutes and minimal effort. You can follow the simple steps below to make sure you take advantage of this perk.
If you use tax software like HR Block or TurboTax, the program should automatically prompt you for information about solar conversion. Just report that you did install solar, and the software will ask you for all of the pertinent information instead of having you go to the IRS’s website.
The federal credit is the single most helpful incentive available in Wyoming, and it’s one we highly recommend you take advantage of. Doing so is especially important in a state like Wyoming, which offers little in the way of state-based incentives.
The tax credit takes just a few minutes to file for, and it provides an average value of over $6,939. Just keep in mind that the federal credit is not a rebate, so you’re not guaranteed to get the entire amount back. Instead, the credit amount gets applied to any income tax that you owe. If you don’t owe money on your taxes, you won’t be able to take the credit.
But even if you owe only a small amount of federal taxes, your tax liability should drop to $0, and the remaining credit will roll over for up to five years. As such, you’ll only be able to take the full credit if you expect to owe at least $1,388 per year in income taxes.
REAP is a program that issues loans and grants to farmers and rural small businesses to help them install clean energy systems. To be eligible for REAP, you must fall into one of two categories:
The program offers loan guarantees on loans covering up to 80% of the cost of an eligible project. It also offers grants for up to 40% of eligible costs. Interest rates are negotiated between the lender and borrower, while grants are fixed. A solar power system can receive a minimum of $2,500 and a maximum of $1 million in grant funding.
Applications for REAP are accepted year-round through local U.S. Department of Agriculture offices. Agricultural producers or eligible small businesses should visit the local office in Casper, Wyoming and apply in person.
REAP loans and grants can be a great way for farmers and small businesses in rural, often remote areas to install solar power. This can help them earn revenue from the panels and supply clean energy to their community.
The program is not available for individual homes, and is only meant for larger, commercial solar power systems. Nevertheless, it is a valuable program for rural communities who want to adopt solar power.
The application process is simple, but may be time consuming.
Net metering — also called net energy metering or just NEM — is a policy that lets you earn credits when your solar panels generate more electricity than you need. You can send this excess power to your local grid, and then get credits you can use to offset your costs whenever you need to draw power back from the grid.
The Wyoming Public Services Commission (PSC) mandates net energy metering throughout the state, so all homeowners should have access to the program.
In Wyoming, you should see a line for Net Energy Generated (NEG) on your monthly power bill. These credits roll over on a monthly basis, and at the end of the year, utilities are required to purchase the credits at an “avoided-rate” to the utility. This allows utilities to decide the cost of such credits. While some utilities offer the full retail rate, some may offer a lower rate.
Nevertheless, net metering is a solid program that makes using solar power easier, often saving on the cost of batteries.
Enrolling in net energy metering often requires no work on the homeowner’s end in Wyoming. Your solar installer will have to apply for interconnection with your local utility company and arrange an inspection. If you have a bi-directional meter installed already — which many utility providers are offering automatically — then NEM will then simply take effect if and when your panels send energy to the grid.
To double-check, though, you can always follow the steps below.
The net metering program in Wyoming is excellent for solar customers, especially considering the lack of state-mandated solar incentives.
Wyoming’s net metering policy is not ideal. Customers who have substantial leftover credits at the end of the year may not get paid well for them. However, it’s helpful that it is available statewide. .
The state of Wyoming doesn’t offer any incentives for solar power systems. Depending on your city or utility, you may be eligible for loans or rebates for energy-efficient home upgrades, which can be carried out by a solar installer. The following public utilities offer some type of residential efficiency program:
Check with your utility company to see what incentives they may offer in your area.
Solar incentives can be a great way to drive down the cost of going solar, but they’re not all created equal. HEre are the two best programs you should be sure to consider.
If you only have time for one solar incentive, this is the one to choose. Applying for the federal solar investment tax credit takes minimal time and effort on your part – just one simple form that takes just a few minutes to fill out.
The federal credit provides the greatest potential savings on your PV system. In Wyoming, if you can take the full credit, you’ll effectively save over $6,939 on average. Just remember that this credit is not a rebate, and the full amount is only guaranteed if you’ll owe the credit total or more in income taxes over the next five years.
Net energy metering is another outstanding perk in Wyoming. Not only does it take most residents no time or effort to take advantage of, but it can also help maximize your savings, shorten your panel payoff period and reduce your energy bills month after month.
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) are credits that solar customers can sometimes earn for their solar production. In states with an active SREC market, customers usually earn one credit for every 1,000 kWh of production (1 megawatt-hour). Those credits can then be sold for a profit to help pay off your panels.
Unfortunately, Wyoming currently does not have an active SREC market, so these energy credits are not available in the area.
At this time, there are no initiatives to bring additional incentives to Wyoming. It is one of the few states that doesn’t have an RPS goal, which usually serves as an impetus for additional incentives. If Wyoming does implement an RPS goal in the future, the likelihood is that more incentives will follow. However, there is currently no plan to implement one.
Here at EcoWatch, we get many questions from Wyoming homeowners looking for information about electricity rates, warranties, interconnection, and other solar-related topics. If you have specific questions that aren’t answered here, reach out to our team of solar experts at solar@ecowatch.com.
At this time, there are no plans to increase the incentives available in Wyoming over the next two years. If Wyoming does set an RPS goal in that timeframe, then we might see incentives added to help the state reach its goals. However, there’s currently no evidence that an RPS goal is in the works.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 made two crucial changes for solar energy and renewable energy in general.
First, it extended the federal credit by ten years, and it increased the credit rate back up to the previous rate of 30%. This is an important change that could save Wyoming property owners an average of $925 more for 2022 solar installations and an average of $1,850 more for 2023 installations.
Second, it added additional perks for electric vehicle purchases. The maximum tax incentive was bumped up to $7,500 per EV. It’s important to remember that solar panels on your home also serve as a gas station for EVs, adding thousands of dollars to the potential savings they can provide.
There are currently no plans for solar programs to decrease or become less beneficial in the next two months in Wyoming.
However, as mentioned above, Wyoming currently doesn’t have an RPS goal. If the state does set one, chances are high that the incentives will become more beneficial rather than less beneficial.
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