2024 Solar Incentives Guide for Corona, CA - Tax Credits & Rebates
In this guide, we'll cover the latest solar incentives and rebates available in Corona.
You'll learn about:
- Local & State Solar Incentives
- Federal Tax Credits (Updated for 2024 and beyond)
- Ways to optimize your solar investment
Solar installers are experts in maximizing your solar tax credits and rebates.
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What Solar Tax Credits, Incentives, and Rebates are Available in Corona?
Property Tax Exclusion for Solar Energy Systems and Solar Plus Storage System
Western Riverside Council of Governments - Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) Financing Program
Minimum financing: $5,000
The financing may not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the market value of the property, up to the first seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) of the property’s market value, and ten percent (10%) of the remaining value of the Property above seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) minus any PACE assessment on the propertyThe total amount of any annual property taxes and assessments shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the property's fair market value, determined at the time program financing is approved.
Local Option - Municipal Energy Districts
Self-Generation Incentive Program
Incentives will step down over time. See below for incentive amounts.
Renewable Market Adjusting Tariff (ReMAT)
LADWP - Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Program
Base price will step down over time as certain MW goals are met
California Solar Initiative - Solar Thermal Program
Single Family Residential Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $29.85 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: Funding has been exhausted
Commercial/Multifamily Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $20.19 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: $0.42 per estimated kWh displaced *** Note, funding has been exhausted in this category for SCE and PG&E
Solar Pool heating: $5.00 per estimated therm displaced
Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit
Source: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Solar incentives are meant to help mitigate the cost of installing solar panels on your home. Financial incentives like these are intended to encourage more people to make the switch to renewable energy. Various types of incentives, such as discounts, cash back or credit towards your monthly utility bill, might be available to you. Some incentives may be handled by the state of California, by your utility company or by county or municipality, while others are federal. Categories of solar incentives include:
- Tax Exemptions: Your solar panels might qualify for both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Sales tax exemptions are effective at the time of purchase. Property tax exemptions allow you to exclude the value that solar panels add when calculating property taxes on your house.
- Tax Credits: Tax credits decrease, dollar-for-dollar, the amount of income tax you owe the government. Tax credits differ from tax deductions.
- Rebates: A solar rebate is a partial refund given after you've purchased your solar panels. Rebates could be offered by your local utility company, your county or your state. The rebates are usually applied before calculating tax credits.
- Net Metering: Net metering is an incentive you can get once your solar panels are up and running. If you have in place a net metering agreement with your Corona utility company, it will subtract the value of the excess energy produced by your solar system from your monthly utility bill. In some areas, this credit is dollar-for-dollar, while in other areas you may make back a percentage of the value.
- Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): SRECs are credits that can be sold to your utility company (or other buyers) for money that normally counts as part of your taxable income. Generally, a certain (small) threshold of energy production must be met before your solar system qualifies for SRECs or similar performance-based incentives. These kinds of incentives are typically handled by your state government.
Best Regional Coverage
Momentum Solar
- Great warranty coverage
- Representatives are experts on local policies
- Concierge service ensures steady communication
- Slightly limited service offerings
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Best Social Impact
Palmetto Solar
- Expansive service area
- Makes charitable contributions
- Certified B Corp
- No leases or PPAs
- Quality of installation may vary by location
Federal Solar Incentives
Federal incentives are the type of incentives that you are most likely to have heard of. The solar incentive that you're most likely to have heard of is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which provides a credit on your taxes equal to a predetermined percentage of the cost of your solar system.
The ITC applies to a solar system installed on your primary or secondary residence in the United States. The solar panels must have been installed on a property you own after January 1, 2006, for you to be eligible for the credit. Initially, the ITC applied to 30% of all installation costs (panels, equipment, labor and accessories), although the amount has fluctuated slightly over the last few years between 26-30%. The installation date of your solar system will determine what percentage you are eligible for. There is no cap on the amount you can claim.
Curious how the ITC might apply to your specific situation? Reach out to your local Corona solar panel installer to get more information.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, expanded and extended the ITC (as well as retitling it the Clean Energy Credit). Under the new program, solar installation projects that are completed between 2022 and 2032, might qualify for a 30% tax credit. The amount of the credit will then decrease slightly each year until the current Clean Energy Credit expires in 2035. The expansion also makes it easier to get credit for energy storage systems, starting in 2023.
Click here to learn more about the new Inflation Reduction Act. Your local Corona solar panel company can answer any questions you have and explain how the new Clean Energy Credit will apply to you.
State & Local Solar Incentives
There are more than just federal solar incentives; rebates, tax credits and more are often offered at the state and local level. These incentives — which may be handled by your county or municipality, or by the state of California — might be offered for only a limited time, or on an ongoing basis.
Next Steps for Installing Solar in Corona
Solar incentives can be offered by the California government, the federal government or your local utility company. The variety of available incentives has helped nationwide use of solar energy increase greatly in the last 15 years. Reach out to your local solar panel installation expert today to discover more about the various programs and to save as much money as possible on a solar system for your Corona home.
EcoWatch's Corona, CA Solar Incentives FAQs
How can I find out if I qualify for specific solar incentives?
Generally, solar incentives apply to:
- a new solar panel system
- installed on a property that you own
- within the U.S.
- within the date range specified by a particular incentive.
Specific incentives, including those run by the California government or by your county/municipality, might have additional qualifications. Get in touch with your local Corona solar installer to find out what incentives your project will qualify for.
My home already has solar panels installed. Are there any incentives that I qualify for?
An excellent idea would be to talk to the company that installed your solar panels – or get in touch with a local Corona solar installer — to better understand which incentives you may qualify for. If your solar panels were installed after January 1, 2022, you likely qualify for the recently increased 30% tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar systems installed between 2006 and 2021 may qualify for a tax credit of 26-30%.
How much will solar panels save me annually on my electric bill in Corona?
When you add solar panels to your Corona home, you can expect to save around $1,467.27 per year, or around $27,878.16 over the next 20 years.
Who installs solar panels near me?
To find a top-rated solar panel installer, check out our guide to Corona's top solar panel companies.
Our goal is to reach as many people as we can with sensible solutions like solar energy. Our team of full-time local researchers collects solar price and installation data for every city in America then compiles it to create these digestible city guides. If you want to read our solar expert's opinion on the top solar companies featured here, follow this link.
Solar incentive research was conducted by Melissa Smith and Karsten Neumeister. Local data analysis was conducted by James Savino. See something we missed or could do better? Email the editor.