Time is running out to get those tax credits for going solar. A Webinar by Sustainable Westchester explained one way to do it.
The organization's new program, Residential Solarize, promises to take homeowners through the complicated process of installing solar panels.
In a story we published last month, the Chronicle flagged a warning from Croton’s sustainability czar, Lindsay Audin, that with the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” the federal investment tax credit (ITC) for clean energy is going to expire at the end of this year.
That’s bad news for residents who wait much longer to install solar panels on their roofs, because the ITC is worth about 30% of the cost of such installations. In 2025, according to Sustainable Westchester, the average ITC benefit amounted to about $10,800 per household. Since solar projects can take several months to complete, the time to act is now.
That was the theme of a Webinar convened last evening by State Senator Pete Harckham and organized by Sustainable Westchester to inform residents of its new Residential Solarize program, designed to guide residents through the complicated steps of installing solar. The title of the Webinar was “Go Solar Stress Free!” But while the steps it recommended don’t seem entirely free of stress, the event was well attended.
After a short welcome by Senator Harckham, the Webinar featured presentations by former Croton mayor Leo Wiegman, Sustainable Westchester’s Director of Solar Programs; Carmen Pei, the Senior Program Manager for Solar; and Enrique Aguas, the Program Director for Solar.
After an introduction to Sustainable Westchester and what it does (most Crotonites will know it for its sometimes controversial Community Choice Aggregation program for supplying electricity to local customers) the panelists discussed New York’s climate goals and the challenge they present for the next five years. While less than 30% of the state’s electricity is currently from renewable energy, by 2030 we should be up to 70% and achieve a 40% greenhouse gas reduction from 1990 levels. The good news is that while renewable generation is currently at 76% of its target, distributed solar power, which includes community and residential installations close to the point of use, is already at 93%.
For Westchester County to achieve what the panelists called our “fair share” of statewide solar electricity generation, we need to have 40,000 homes with solar panels out of about 200,000 owner-occupied units in the county. But there are currently only 13,000 solarized homes, with very little time left to get federal tax credits for solar installation.
This is the goal of Residential Solarize, which now has about a dozen local municipalities participating. The panelists proceeded to tell participants what they needed to do to get the ball rolling (or the sun shining, whichever metaphor you prefer.) The most important thing is to go to the web site for Residential Solarize, which will take you through the necessary three steps.
First step: Fill out the intake form on the web site.
Second step: Sustainable Westchester sends homeowner a preliminary solar assessment (not all homes can qualify) and basic information on state and federal incentives.
Third step: Sustainable Westchester refers customers to their “Certified Installer Partners.”
There are currently four such installers, all of which have been vetted by Sustainable Westchester based on ten criteria, including long and competent experience, emphasis on residential ownership of the installation rather than leasing or other non-ownership arrangements, and competitive pricing.
The panelists strongly suggested making contact with the installer partner by October 1 to make sure the project qualifies for tax credits, which basically means acting without delay if homeowners are interested. But even after the federal tax credits expire at the end of this year, customers can still qualify for New York State Solar Energy System Equipment Credits, which cover 25% of the entire system cost up to $5000. There are also residential battery storage incentives of $250 for homeowners who live in "Con Edison territory.”
The state has other incentives under the umbrella of Community Solar, in which eligible participants are allocated a portion of local solar projects. You can save up to 5% on your electric bills without having to install solar panels yourself, and it is another way to support solar energy. Sustainable Westchester can help you sign up for this on their web site.
We want to stress that The Croton Chronicle does not publish advertising, and there are alternatives for installing solar panels (many homeowners work directly with solar companies) and participating in Community Solar other than working with Sustainable Westchester. But given Croton’s close association with Sustainable Westchester and the organization’s stated commitment to helping homeowners through the process and sticking with them from beginning to end, we think it is a public service to let villagers know what they have to offer.
Even with tax incentives and other inducements, installing solar is expensive, and not everyone can afford it—even in a fairly affluent community like our own. But clearly, the science tells us that the more people who are able to either install or switch to renewable energy sources, the better for the future of our planet.
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