Rebates

Note: These guidelines and criteria for tax abatement were readopted by the City Council on August 28, 2024, and absent further extension they will expire on August 28, 2024.

In September 2009, the City of Houston Tax Abatement Program was enacted (Ordinance No. 2009-858), establishing a partial tax abatement for U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified commercial buildings. The tax abatement was extended most recently in 2024 under Ordinance No. 2024-624.

Program eligibility

1. It is a new commercial facility

In April 2009, Los Angeles enacted Ordinance 180636, known as the Green Building Retrofit Ordinance. This ordinance was later amended by Ordinance 182259. The law requires all city-owned buildings that are either more than 7,500 square feet or built before 1978 to be retrofitted. The goal of the retrofits will be to achieve LEED for Existing Buildings Silver certification or higher. This requirement is subject to the availability of state or federal funds. The Ordinance requires that at least half of the buildings retrofitted are located in high-poverty and high-unemployment areas, and that, to the extent feasible, all construction

New York City passed Resolution 1121 in August 2005 (effective December 1, 2005) to exempt residential solar energy systems equipment and services from sales tax. As a city with a population of 1 million or more, New York City had to pass this resolution in order to offer the same exemption as the state.

EnergySmart for Boulder County helps residents identify, finance, and schedule energy improvements in their homes. This “One Stop Shop” aims to reduce the hassles and hurdles associated with improving a home’s energy efficiency by providing an energy advisor to each participant at no cost. The advisor serves as a guide and advocate by scheduling a home energy assessment, installing free energy conservation materials, identifying and applying for all applicable incentives, and coordinating work through an approved list of contractors. 

Homeowners can receive rebates through EnergySmart on selected efficiency improvements. EnergySmart rebates can be combined with local utility rebates. Multi-Family Units

NV Energy is providing an incentive for its residential customers, small commercial, nonprofit, school and other public customers to install solar water heating, solar space heating, and solar pool heating on their homes and facilities.

Customers interested in participating must first reserve their application before commencing with the installation. NV Energy has a limited number of incentives set aside for each customer class for each year, which will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funding for that class has been exhausted. More information about funding availability is available on the website above.

The state of Maryland permits local governments (Md Code: Property Tax § 9-242) to offer property tax credits for high performance buildings if they choose to do so. In October 2010 Anne Arundel exercised this option by enacting legislation (County Bill 78-10) providing a property tax credit for high performance dwellings built on or after July 1, 2010 that meet or exceed USGBC LEED Silver standards. The credit was amended in 2012 (County Bill 03-12) to add the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) as an eligible green building certification system for the tax credit. The tax credit is available for

This program offers a one-time payment to homeowners installing solar hot water. A two-collector system could receive approximately 100 AECs totaling $400-$1,000.

Municipal Light Plant (MLP)

If you live in a town served by a Municipal Light Plant (MLP) check your MLP’s website for incentives and rebates.

Mass State Tax Credits

15% of the system cost as a state tax credit, up to $1,000

Federal Tax Credits

Inflation Reduction Act: Federal tax credit up to 30%

Connecticut enacted legislation in May 2010 (H.B. 5435) that established a sales and use tax exemption for equipment, machinery and fuels used to manufacture solar thermal (active or passive) systems, solar electric systems, wind-power electric systems, or geothermal resource systems.

Requirements 

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands enacted its Renewables Portfolio Standard in September 2007, in which a certain percentage of its net electricity sales must come from renewable energy. The law was amended in 2014 to a lower target, as previous targets were not met. Under the law, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC), the Islands' only and semi-autonomous public utility provider, must establish a renewable portfolio standard of:

• 20% of net electricity sales on or before December 31, 2016

Compliance 
There are stipulations within the law that allow for non-compliance if there is no "cost-effective" way to meet the

Note:  In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing