Going solar looks wildly different for people in different US states.
Some states offer robuststate tax creditsor prop upSREC marketsthat can nab residents thousands of dollars each year.
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The short answer is “yes.”
There’s no one reason why.
This sentiment was echoed byBen Delman, the communications director of Solar United Neighbors, a clean energy nonprofit.
“How does going solar pencil out versus traditional electricity sources?
What’s the solar payback period?
I think we’re seeing solar becoming cost competitive in a lot of markets.”
Gaston pointed to California.
“It’s an extreme example, but look at what we’ve seen withNEM 3.0.
That’s really drastically changed the number of installations there,” she said.
When it comes down to it, projections are largely positive for solar adoption.
Otherwise, solar adoption is forecast to continue modest growth through at least 2029.
What makes a state “solar-friendly?”
Residents purchase solar panel systems because of the promise of long-term savings.
Delman pointed out that other incentives that provided a high level of financial value to consumers drive solar installation.
The final big component of solar friendliness is a policy that promotes solar equity.
Solar panels might be getting cheaper, but that doesn’t mean they’re cheap.
The rates are cheaper and consumers can tap into that green energy more easily.
CNET’s evaluation of state solar policy was based on a proprietarymethodologywith eight scoring categories.
Final scores were converted to a corresponding letter grade.
Here’s how your state scored on CNET’s solar policy test.
A couple of incentives are borderline necessities for residents to take the leap and switch to solar.
“A lot of states have net metering program caps.
Sales and property tax exemptions on solar panels are a boon that could reduce solar payback periods as well.
Many states could mandate additional community solar capacity if they want to beef up their state solar policy.
“You really need that state-level support and funding to get a robust program in place.”
A lack of community solar prevents many Americans from accessing solar energy, Michaud said.
