Paying for Solar Panels

You don't have to pay the utility bill alone. Going renewable energy is more trendy than ever before and there are plenty of federal and state programs that can help homeowners offset the price of installing panels. No matter what the price or what state the homeowner lives in, everyone can save money on the price of going for clean energy.

ITC Explained

The biggest incentive is the Federal Solar Tax Credit, also known as the investment tax credit (ITC) which allows you to deduct 30 percent of the cost of installing solar panels. That means for every $10,000 spent on solar panels there is a tax deduction of $3,000.

This credit is for both residential and commercial solar systems and there is no cap on the amount that qualifies for the tax credit. This is a big reason why both business and residential solar continues to get more popular year after year. When Congress approved its spending bill back in 2016, the members included an extension of the ITC until 2022.

The 30 percent tax credit is also in effect through 2019, in 2020 the credit drops to 26 percent, 22 percent in 2021, and down to a 10 percent tax deduction in 2022. So even if you don’t install panels this year, you can install them next year and still offset the cost by deducting 30 percent of the cost on your taxes.

Government Programs

Individual states and cities also have incentive programs that offset the cost of going clean energy. For instance, California has 212 different programs and incentives for residences or businesses who install panels, and it’s not just California. All 50 states have solar incentive programs, and states that don’t have many programs still have some available.

Even Louisiana, which is where many oil and gas companies are headquartered have 28 solar incentive programs available. Some of them are tax credits, and some of them are a break on the rate of electricity when they do need power from the grid. The point is no matter what state you live in, there are plenty of ways to offset the cost of installing solar panels.

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.

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