Saturday, August 19, 2017

Washington State Solar Incentives



Washington has some of the best solar incentives in the country
Washington State is home to stunning landscapes and some of the biggest solar incentives for homeowners anywhere in the United States. Whether you live in Seattle or Spokane, you can save on your monthly electricity bills by installing solar on your roof. With Washington solar rebates, you’ll save even more.

Are Washington state’s solar rebates the best in the country?

For solar shoppers in the Evergreen State, there’s never been a better time to start exploring solar offerings thanks to these Washington solar incentives and rebates:

Renewable energy cost recovery incentives

Solar isn’t just about saving money – when you install a solar energy system on your roof, you help the environment and support your local economy, too. Solar shoppers in the Evergreen State are eligible for a payback incentive of $0.16 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and if you use equipment manufactured in Washington, you can increase that rate by another $0.05. Just another reason that solar is a win-win-win: good for the environment, the economy, and your wallet.

Washington state sales tax exemption

While you can save tens of thousands of dollars by going solar, the equipment you need to get started isn’t cheap, and sales tax in Washington can add another 6.5 percent to your out-of-pocket costs. Luckily, Washington has made solar equipment exempt from state sales tax, which means you’ll save on your purchase.

Net metering in Washington state

Going solar doesn’t mean that you’re not connected to the grid. When you install a solar panel system on your roof in Washington, net metering allows you to send your extra solar electricity back to the grid and receive credits on your electric bill. That way, if your solar panels aren’t producing enough electricity – like if it’s cloudy or at nighttime – you can use your credits instead of having to pay for electricity from your utility.

Save on your solar panel costs with these great WA incentives

Solar easements and rights

Solar panels can harness the energy from the sun, but they need clear access to sunlight to properly do their job. Thanks to solar easement laws in Washington, you can work with your neighbors to make sure that nothing shades your solar panel system while the sun is shining. And with Washington’s solar rights law, your homeowners’ association can’t prohibit you from installing solar panels on your home.

Federal tax credit for solar panels

If you’re considering going solar, the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is one of the most important incentives to understand. Thanks to the ITC, you can recover 30 percent of the cost of your solar panel system through your taxes. If you don’t pay enough to recover it all in one year, it carries over into the next year – and there’s no cap on the amount that you can