Wisconsin Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

Neil O'Connell

Don’t forget the WI property tax exemption. Maybe this will elevate WI into the 5-star rating?

Mark Meissner

Is there a place or web site that is a collection of all you want to know about solar equipment and pricing and subsidies in WI?
Mark

kim

Can I get some help on recieving a grant to put in Solar power- we own 40 acres deep in the woods with no hope of electricity,, they have given us a quote of 60,000 to run poser to our place. We are hoping that there is some kind of grant we can apply for to get solar put in. We plan to build there but not until we can figure out our power situation..right now we run off a generator. Please contact me on where to start… kim_krull@yahoo.com

jerome

Why can’t they make this easry and cheaper for us.

Jerry McIntire

It’s pretty easy and the incentives make it much less expensive. Any solar installer will be familiar with the incentives. Find a couple contractors near you to do a preliminary site assessment and give you an idea of the cost of a system. When you figure the ongoing savings, the systems are not overly expensive– especially if connecting to the grid is that expensive.

Ax

Where do i go to learn about intstallation and design of PVC..I would be interested in attending a course.and get the certification in Wisconsin….

Sharon

I work for a solar thermal parts and systems distributor in Milwaukee and have been in the solar industry for 8 years. There are a good deal of solar installation companies in WI and I’d be happy to help put people in touch with installers closest to them. Feel free to contact me at sharon hotwaterproducts com.

Also, for certification questions, here are some important links:
http://www.the-mrea.org
http://www.focusonenergy.com
http://www.renewwisconsin.org
http://www.nabcep.org

Becca

that dog has number 4 for brett favre but he is retired so you should change it to a differant number!!!!!!!

hayley

that dog looks like an awesome fan, i would like that dog to be my fan!!!!!!!

Cody

On Wisconsin Packer Dog!!!!!!!!

Neil

I would like to put up a skystream 3.7 wind turbine but i am on bayfield Electric co-op and cannot use focus on energy incentives. Any one know if anything else is available.

rachel

Sharon, I am looking into solar energy to supplement electricity/contractors Milwaukee, WI.

Adam

What is the current situation for selling power back to the grid off solar?

d. reynolds

Is it possible to get a grant to help put solar panels at our municipal pool to heat the water? Where would I find help with this?

riley

Great site! One helpful element that’s missing is a date on the information. It would be helpful to know how recent the data are! Thanks!

Shirley

If a Wisconsin LLC purchases solar panels solely for the manufacture of electricity of which they sell directly to Alliant Energy as a contractual 10-year agreement in the buy-back program, is the equipment purchased for that manufacture subject to Wisconsin sales tax?

Pat Bajwa

I would like to start out with an inexpensive kit. on a small scale to see how it works?

Is there a place that sells everything included?

Thank you, Pat

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Hey, Pat,

Unless you’ve got some training, I really wouldn’t bother about size and testing things out. Solar is modular any way, meaning that you can always start small and add later if you want to test.

These are some excellent incentives here in Wisconsin, so just get a free quote from one of our installers for a small system. The sales person should explain or show you models of different sizes. You really can’t lose and you will probably learn a lot, at worst. Again, it’s free, so nothing to lose here.

FYI, I would NOT invest in any of these DIY kits that claim that you can find all you need to build your own solar panels at the local hardware store. Unless you have a great deal of time and energy and patience (as well as money) these are scams. Please trust me about this.

[...] 9/2009. All that’s in the Wisconsin Solar Rebate and Incentives Page is still good and accurate info, so Solar Fred hasn’t messed with it. Thanks Dave and Dan! [...]

JP

I may have missed something, but why are the Federal/State tax incentives only listed at $6,750 (22.5%) when the US Treasury Grants alone will cover 30%? Is there a limit on what it can be used in conjunction with?

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

JP,

From our reading, if you are a resident, you must calculate the Federal 30% Investment Tax Credit AFTER any state rebate has been deducted. Businesses may take this cut from the top, but there are other tax considerations. Residents can also try this, but it’s unclear whether the IRS will accept this, and most of our installers have erred on the conservative side.

Also, remember this is NOT a grant, i.e., cash for home owners and small businesses. This is a tax credit, which is sort of like a gift card for the IRS. So if you get a $6,000 solar tax credit (no matter how you calculate it) then you can use that $6,000 to pay your tax bill. If you owe $8,000, on April 15th, you only have to pay $2,000. However, if you owe less, say $5,000, you won’t get a $1000 back from the government. Instead, you’ll have to use that extra grand towards next year’s tax bill or the following years. Check with your own tax people about the 30% calculation, but this is our understanding. We’re also waiting for the IRS to actually print the tax form and give more specific guidance.

Hope that helps.

Dave Cook

I just installed a 7.5 kW system for our home at a hefty chunk of change. It is grid-tied and our co-op is happy to finally have someone install a system so they can evaluate how it works. But we have no grants available in the state from this co-op, and as far as I can see, I can only hope to recoop some of the cost through my federal taxes credit. I don’t see a state tax credit (only sales tax) and the property tax credit is only there so the assesor doesn’t assess my house at a higher rate because of adding in solar. Property tax credit won’t lower my property taxes.
What is in the future to help offset the cost in terms of tax credits from the state or grants for homeowners.
Dave in Rusk County

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Dave,

first let me thank you for going ahead with your solar system despite the lack of rebates. You certainly rock, especially with a 7.5kw system. Sadly, you are accurate that the 30% federal tax credit is going to be the only real payback on that system if your co-op is not part of the Wisconsin “Cash Back Rewards” program.

Furthermore, I do not have solar crystal ball to predict the future rebates and state tax credits that might defer further costs for you. Typically, these are not retroactive, but perhaps with a little letter writing and phone calling from you and your neighbors to your co-op. and/or public utility commission, you might be able to affect some grass roots change. You also might want to contact votesolar.org and see what they suggest in terms of being proactive with your local legislator yahoos.

I’m sorry I can’t be more help. Any other Wisconsin lawyer/lobbyists able to help Dave? Please chime in. Either way, Dave, you’re a solar hero to us for installing the system. It should eventually pay for itself, just not as fast as people in the Rewards areas.

Dave Cook

Thank you Fred.
For me putting in solar is a political/social decision even more than a monetary decision. I knew that we are not yet at a point where rebates are abundant, but I am hopeful they will as we need more clean energy. Even if I don’t fully recoop my expenses, my children and grandchildren will. I like reading your website, so thank you so much.

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Thanks again, Dave! For saying what you said above, I’m recognizing you as a solar hero. I write another solar blog for the solar industry, and I’m including you on my solar hero list. You can see it here:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2009/10/send-me-your-solar-heroes

Thanks again!

Joe Pater

Solar in Wisconsin! I’m very glad to see all this great info on the WI solar landscape.

Bob

Hi Dave,
I wanted to know how did you calculate the cummulative savings and investment return percentage?

jan

i have an inc. business with a flat 5000 sq ft roof in milw. i don’t know much about solar power, but am very interested. my biz is a day care and we would like to go as “green” as possible as a teaching tool. we have 360 degree exp. to the sun. is my building a good candidate? how many panels? would i be able to sell power back and how does that work? would i qualify for tax credits if i am a small corporation? thank you

Greggory Lawson

Link: Wisconsin first in midwest to introduce feed-in tariff bill in 2010

January 8, 2010
Wisconsin First in Midwest to Introduce Feed-in Tariff Bill in 2010
by Paul Gipe, Contributing Writer
Wisconsin, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
Powerful Wisconsin legislators were first out of the gate in a brewing race to be the first to pass feed-in tariff legislation in the Midwest…

[NOTE: Due to copyright laws, we could not reprint the whole article that was left in this comment. Please RenewableEnergyWorld.com. The gist is that there is a Wisc. Feed-in-Tariff being introduced, but has not yet passed. Our apologies for not keeping up to date on every solar nook and cranny in every state. We have to eat sometime. ]

Thanks for the heads up, Greg. You Rock.

Nikki

Interested in solar power for our barn…great sun exposure where do we start??

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Hey, Nikki. I think you should peruse our FAQ sheet and then get a free quote from one of our partner installers or others in your area. I say this because every home is different, and since it’s a free estimate, the only thing you can lose is a bit of time, but you’ll get way educated about payback for you. Wisconsin has just passed a Feed-in-Tariff, so things are going to get even better there for incentives and quicker payback.