Government, Utility & Other Solar Incentives

30% U.S. Solar Energy Tax Credit

You will be eligible to receive a full 30% of your entire installed cost in the form of a federal income tax credit.  Established by an act of Congress in 2006, this credit has enabled hundreds of thousands of U.S. homeowners and businesses to make a solar investment in their energy future.  This is not a "taxable", or "earned income" reduction, it is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the amount of federal income taxes that you may otherwise owe or have already paid, and will be refunded. 

The tax credit filing procedure is relatively simple: There is no application --- if you made a solar system investment on your home and have proof of its cost, you (or your tax professional) simply submits on that specific year's tax form (IRS 5695) your system cost and the resultant 30% tax credit amount.  And, if for any reason you cannot benefit from your full tax credit amount in that first year, you have the benefit of a lifetime carryover provision.  In other words, you will never lose your tax credit.

For complete information regarding this, and all other state and local incentives, please refer to the U.S. Department of Energy's excellent comprehensive website: Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency ('DSIRE').

Utility Rebates, Credits & Other Incentives

Several different utilities in north Georgia offer solar energy incentives.  These can be found at the DSIRE (Dept. of Energy aggregate dbase) site noted above, and we have those presently active listed here as a quick reference.  But be sure to check back here, and/or the DSIRE site, often as these do change!

Individual Utility Rebate Programs – Solar Electric & Solar Hot Water