Nevada residential solar energy incentives

  • Renewable energy systems property tax exemption
    • 100% of any value of a qualified renewable energy system will be subtracted from the appraised value of any residential home or business for property tax purposes.
    • Qualified equipment used in a home or business includes solar, wind, geothermal, solid waste and hydroelectric systems.

  • Property tax abatement for green buildings
    • Multi-family residential buildings that earn certification under the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program may be eligible for a partial abatement of property taxes.
    • 25% - 35% property tax abatement will be awarded according to the LEED certificate the property has.
    • Buildings must earn either Silver, Gold or Platinum certification under the LEED Green Building Rating System
    • Abatement can last for no more than 10 years.
  • NV Energy – Renewable generations rebate program
    • Rebates are given for photovoltaic systems as well as small wind and hydroelectric systems.
    • Solar incentive amount for a residential property is $2.10 per watt AC.
    • There are no size restrictions for participating PV systems, but rebates will be limited to 5 kW (AC) for residential systems.
    • Solar systems must be in compliance with all applicable standards;
    • Systems must carry a minimum 7-year warranty on inverters, 20-year warranty on panels, and 2-year warranty on labor.
    • Modules and inverters must be on the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved equipment list.
    • Installations must comply with all federal, state, and local codes and meet detailed siting criteria specified in program guidelines.
    • Systems must be grid-connected, net-metered, and installed by a Nevada-licensed electrical contractor.

  • Net metering
    • Net Metering allows customers to connect renewable energy systems to the grid for their own use and to supply excess electricity to the electric grid.
    • Customer-generated electricity may be from solar, wind, small hydropower, or fuel cell systems of up to one megawatt in size.
    • Systems must be designed to offset part or all of a customer-generator's electricity requirements.
    • For all net-metered systems, customer net excess generation (NEG) is carried over to the following month as a kilowatt-hour credit without expiration.

  • Residential renewable energy tax credit
    • This federal personal tax credit allows the taxpayer to claim a credit of 30% of expenditures including labor costs and installation of qualified residential solar-electric systems, solar water heating systems or fuel cells. Small wind-energy systems and geothermal heat pumps can also be accredited for.
    • Solar-electric systems and solar water heaters have a maximum incentive of $2,000 if placed in service before 2009. There is no maximum incentive for systems placed after 2008.
    • The excess amount of the federal tax credit may be carried forward to the next taxable year if it exceeds tax liability.
    • This can be carried forward until 2016, but after that, it is unknown if the unused credit will be able to be forwarded.

  • Residential energy conservation subsidy exclusion
    • This is a personal exemption of 100% of energy conservation subsidies provided by public utilities.
    • The value of a purchase or installation of any energy conservation measure by a customer such as solar water heat, solar space heat or photovoltaics will not be included in the customer’s gross income.
    • Customers of an electric utility company, who participate in the utility’s energy conservation program, may receive a rate reduction of electricity furnished or a nonrefundable credit against the purchase price of the electricity on each monthly electric bill.

  • Energy-Efficient Mortgages
    • This is a federal loan program where homeowners can use EEM (energy-efficient mortgages) to finance renewable energy technologies in a home.