Before you decide
What solar incentives am I eligible for?
The short answer
Check the authoritative databases rather than a sales proposal. Incentives come in layers — federal, state, utility and sometimes municipal — and they stack differently in every state. They change, they are capped, and several have expired at short notice, so a figure in a proposal should be verified against the program's own published terms before you rely on it.
Where to check
- In the United States, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, maintained by North Carolina State University, is the standard public reference for state, local and utility programs.
- Federal tax credits are administered through the Internal Revenue Service, and eligibility is a tax question specific to your situation. A solar salesperson is not a tax adviser.
- Your own utility, which frequently runs rebates and interconnection programs separate from anything governmental.
Why a proposal's incentive figure needs checking
It is calculated by the company selling you the system, it may assume a tax position that does not apply to you, and it may relate to a program that is capped or about to change. None of that is necessarily dishonest — it is an estimate made by an interested party about your tax affairs. Verify it against the program's own terms and, where it is a tax credit, with someone who advises on tax.
Ask for the quote both with and without incentives applied. Comparing three proposals that each assume a different incentive outcome is comparing three different guesses about your tax return.
Also asked
Are solar incentives guaranteed?
No. Programs are legislated and funded, and both can change. Several state and utility programs are capped and close when the cap is reached, sometimes with little notice. That is a reason to verify the current terms directly rather than to rely on a figure in a document prepared weeks earlier.
General information about solar and about hiring, not advice about your roof or your tax affairs. Incentives, net metering and contractor licensing are set federally, by state, and by your utility, and all of them change. The authority that publishes the rule is the current answer.