Do You Qualify for These Tax Credits?

It’s not often that homeowners can take advantage of tax credits to defray the cost of installing solar equipment. Between now and the end of 2021, you have the chance to do just that. The federal government is extending their tax credit program for solar water heaters, PVC panels and HVAC equipment to offset the equipment cost and installation.

These credits will help cut the costs associated with heating water and maintaining comfortable temperatures indoors. They are the two largest energy users in homes, and being able to use solar saves your energy dollars.

The amount of the credits varies based on when you install the equipment. Between 2018 and 2019, you can claim 30 percent of the total cost of the system and its installation with no upward limit on the amount. If you install it during 2020, you can claim 26 percent, and in 2021, 22 percent. New and existing primary and secondary homes qualify for the tax credits, but rental properties do not.

Qualifying Equipment

• Solar panels. The panels must be approved for residential use and meet all codes for fire and electrical safety.
• Solar water heater. The heater can’t be used for swimming pools or hot tubs, and half of its energy use must come from the sun. The heaters must be Energy Star rated systems and the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC).
• HVAC system. Lennox’s SunSource heat pumps and air conditioners qualify for a nine percent credit. These systems use the electricity produced by solar panels to power some of their operation. Heat pumps are widely used along the coastal bend area because they’re energy efficient ways to provide both heating and cooling.

  When the heat pump isn’t running, the extra electricity the panels produce can be used to run lights or other appliances. The equipment that Lennox has paired with the SunSource system meets all the Energy Star program’s requirements.

These tax credits help homeowners who want to take advantage of solar energy to cut their energy consumption and costs. For more information on solar installation, contact CCAC, Inc., providing HVAC services for Coastal Bend homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about your HVAC system, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.  

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