There can be solar tax credits and incentives available at the federal, state and local levels. The calculator above will show you the value of all incentives your home is eligible for.
Despite the best efforts of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who in 2019 signed into law a bill reinstating a property tax exemption for solar, the net metering rules for solar here were weakened significantly by DTE. Read on to learn what those impacts mean for your investment in home solar panels in Michigan.
On this page, we cover all of the solar and battery incentives, rebates and tax credits available for your Michigan home. We also encourage you to use the Michigan solar calculator above. It allows you to drill down and show only your roof and computes a savings estimate customized to how much sun you get where you live.
Learn what solar incentives are available to Michigan homeowners
See what Michigan solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or Michigan solar tax credits will reduce your cost to go solar and add batteries
The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in Michigan
If you install your photovoltaic system before the end of 2032, the federal tax credit is 30% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 30% off the entire cost of the system including equipment, labor, and permitting.
Example: If your solar energy system costs $20,000, your federal solar tax credit would be $20,000 x 30% = $6,000.
The federal tax credit falls to 26% starting in 2033.
With net metering in some states, you get full retail rate credit for the amount of electricity you send back into the grid with your solar panels.
Net Metering requires your utility to monitor how much energy your solar power system produces and how much energy you actually consume to make sure you get credit for the surplus.
In 2019, the Michigan Public Service Commission eliminated full retail net metering in the state. The MPSC opted instead for a credit for solar customers at the “power supply component” of the retail rate minus transmission charges. That basically means you are credited at about half of the full retail for the power you send back to the grid.
More than ever it’s important to properly size your solar energy system for your usage, and perhaps look into onsite energy storage so you aren’t sending valuable electricity back to your utility on the cheap!
Michigan can and has done better than this, but it’s now going to be difficult for solar installers in the state to expand. Regardless, home solar power can still be a smart investment here. Use our solar calculator to find out why.
While Michigan does not have a dedicated state rebate for solar panel installation, some manufacturers offer their own solar rebates. These programs are usually time sensitive.
Michigan's solar property tax exemption has been on a bit of a roller coaster in the past decade. The state had one for many years, but it went away in 2013 under former Governor Rick Snyder. Then in 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill to reinstate the property tax exemption for solar.
That means the tens of thousands of dollars in value your solar panels add to your property cannot be considered in assessing your home for property taxes. That's a win!
Showing data for:
Prices based on a 10.2kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
29 solar companies in Michigan provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.85 185 Reviews
Elina Guttmann, 20 hours ago
Great experience working with Stellar Solar. Fast communication and the process was smooth and easy. Their team was on top of SDG&E to ensure our panels were switched on promptly and without delays. Highly recommend if you're on the market for solar panels!
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Elina Guttmann, 20 hours ago
Great experience working with Stellar Solar. Fast communication and the process was smooth and easy. Their team was on top of SDG&E to ensure our panels were switched on promptly and without delays. Highly recommend if you're on the market for solar panels!
4.55 27 Reviews
Valerie W, over 1 month
Michigan Solar Solutions has provided the best customer support! They listened to what the issue was and had someone on site in two days to fix the problem even though they didn't get the initial install work. My system was installed by Power Home Solar & Roofing, but whenever I had an issue, they were less than responsive. Michigan Solar Solutions stepped in and knocked the competitor out of the picture. Andrew and Tory fixed the issue with my system and also connected my system to the monitoring portal like it should have been done over two years ago when it was initially installed by the other company. I highly recommend working with the Michigan Solar Solutions team!! I'm so happy I have found them and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
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Valerie W, over 1 month
Michigan Solar Solutions has provided the best customer support! They listened to what the issue was and had someone on site in two days to fix the problem even though they didn't get the initial install work. My system was installed by Power Home Solar & Roofing, but whenever I had an issue, they were less than responsive. Michigan Solar Solutions stepped in and knocked the competitor out of the picture. Andrew and Tory fixed the issue with my system and also connected my system to the monitoring portal like it should have been done over two years ago when it was initially installed by the other company. I highly recommend working with the Michigan Solar Solutions team!! I'm so happy I have found them and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
4.44 1,765 Reviews
Rose Mckay, 3 days ago
We were told by the sales representative during the sales call that if we had any issues to contact him. He would be our point of contact. A few issues with install. We energized our system on 8/30. Out of a total of 20 panels. 3 were not reporting. We logged a call on the 8/31 for service. After waiting and waiting for anyone to respond, I reached out to the sales representative for assistance. He had been notified earlier of our issues. He gave us another number to contact for assistance. So much for him being our main point of contact for any and all issues. We called that number on 9/14 and the soonest they could get a crew out to us was 9/25. Appointment was set for today 9/25 between 8:30 and 12:30 pm. Last Friday 9/22 they contacted us by text and said it was going to be between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Guess what it is 2:00 pm and they no call no showed. I therefore cannot recommend Blue Raven Solar.
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Rose Mckay, 3 days ago
We were told by the sales representative during the sales call that if we had any issues to contact him. He would be our point of contact. A few issues with install. We energized our system on 8/30. Out of a total of 20 panels. 3 were not reporting. We logged a call on the 8/31 for service. After waiting and waiting for anyone to respond, I reached out to the sales representative for assistance. He had been notified earlier of our issues. He gave us another number to contact for assistance. So much for him being our main point of contact for any and all issues. We called that number on 9/14 and the soonest they could get a crew out to us was 9/25. Appointment was set for today 9/25 between 8:30 and 12:30 pm. Last Friday 9/22 they contacted us by text and said it was going to be between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Guess what it is 2:00 pm and they no call no showed. I therefore cannot recommend Blue Raven Solar.
4.42 22 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
Midwest installed an 18.9 kw ground mounted system for us that was an especially challenging set of circumstances. Without going into all the details, let's just say they went above and beyond to do whatever it took to make this work, and stayed at their quoted amount even after a lot of challenges. Top notch organization!
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Anonymous, over 1 month
Midwest installed an 18.9 kw ground mounted system for us that was an especially challenging set of circumstances. Without going into all the details, let's just say they went above and beyond to do whatever it took to make this work, and stayed at their quoted amount even after a lot of challenges. Top notch organization!
4.38 7 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
Gary, the owner of Sunshine Solar and Wind was able to design a system that would meet our needs for an acceptable price. He did an impeccable installation of the system and connected it to our home via internet. On occasion, when there was a glitch with the power company, Gary solved the problem quickly. I will definitely chose Gary to do the expansion of the system or the install in our home in Colorado Springs!
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Anonymous, over 1 month
Gary, the owner of Sunshine Solar and Wind was able to design a system that would meet our needs for an acceptable price. He did an impeccable installation of the system and connected it to our home via internet. On occasion, when there was a glitch with the power company, Gary solved the problem quickly. I will definitely chose Gary to do the expansion of the system or the install in our home in Colorado Springs!
4.38 7 Reviews
Jerry Caviani, over 1 month
Mike Miller was great to work with and follow up support was excellent. We had one minor problem with DTE and Mike was there the next day to get things going.<br />
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Jerry Caviani, over 1 month
Mike Miller was great to work with and follow up support was excellent. We had one minor problem with DTE and Mike was there the next day to get things going.<br />
Jeremy Tabor, over 1 month
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4.14 8 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
We were fortunate to find these folks early in our search for a residential solar array. The Michigan connection was certainly a plus. Allan, Devon, Aaron, Pam, Tyson, and Lynda have been a pleasure to work with. They have been punctual, returned our calls quickly, and answered our questions and concerns. Installation went smoothly even though it was in middle of some of the worst days of this last winter. We have and will continue to recommend Contractors Building Supply Inc. to our family and friends.
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Anonymous, over 1 month
We were fortunate to find these folks early in our search for a residential solar array. The Michigan connection was certainly a plus. Allan, Devon, Aaron, Pam, Tyson, and Lynda have been a pleasure to work with. They have been punctual, returned our calls quickly, and answered our questions and concerns. Installation went smoothly even though it was in middle of some of the worst days of this last winter. We have and will continue to recommend Contractors Building Supply Inc. to our family and friends.
4.11 42 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
MECHANICAL ENERGY SYSTEMS and in particular, Donna Nepalitano and Chaley McDonnell are NOT TO BE TRUSTED. They only want to close the sale and take your money.<br /><br />CHARLEY IS ONLY IBNTERESTED IN CLOSING THE DEAL AND GETTING HIS COMMISSION. I have sent regular mail and certified letters to Donna Nepalitano to try and get this resolved. She assured me during the ONE pnone contact I have received from them over the past 18 months that they are very concerned about this and want to make sure their customers are very satisfied." crap<br /><br />During the initial sales pitch I pointed out several inconsistencies in the prospectus and financial numbers they quoted. They appeared to be quite surprised that anyone actually read their stuff. They promised to make good on money that is owed to me and GUARANTEED by Charley. 18 months later, no phone calls and no response.<br /><br />When their 'engineer' came out to insttall the panels on my roof, he wanted to place the solar panels between two large trees ????? It was ME who told them to place it back on the garage where the SUN COULD GET TO IT.<br /><br />There is no follow up once they get your money you will never hear from them again.<br /><br />I have talked to their installers who say that Charley will tell the customer anything without haveing any idea of what it takes to install some of their products. This is an on-going problem with them. Ask the installers.<br /><br />They just don't care.
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Anonymous, over 1 month
MECHANICAL ENERGY SYSTEMS and in particular, Donna Nepalitano and Chaley McDonnell are NOT TO BE TRUSTED. They only want to close the sale and take your money.<br /><br />CHARLEY IS ONLY IBNTERESTED IN CLOSING THE DEAL AND GETTING HIS COMMISSION. I have sent regular mail and certified letters to Donna Nepalitano to try and get this resolved. She assured me during the ONE pnone contact I have received from them over the past 18 months that they are very concerned about this and want to make sure their customers are very satisfied." crap<br /><br />During the initial sales pitch I pointed out several inconsistencies in the prospectus and financial numbers they quoted. They appeared to be quite surprised that anyone actually read their stuff. They promised to make good on money that is owed to me and GUARANTEED by Charley. 18 months later, no phone calls and no response.<br /><br />When their 'engineer' came out to insttall the panels on my roof, he wanted to place the solar panels between two large trees ????? It was ME who told them to place it back on the garage where the SUN COULD GET TO IT.<br /><br />There is no follow up once they get your money you will never hear from them again.<br /><br />I have talked to their installers who say that Charley will tell the customer anything without haveing any idea of what it takes to install some of their products. This is an on-going problem with them. Ask the installers.<br /><br />They just don't care.
3.93 2 Reviews
Anonymous, over 1 month
We started our solar project in March of this year, and realized that one of the first steps would be to convince our Home Owners Association (HOA) that solar was a good idea for our neighborhood. They did not have any policy in place, so we introduced them to the project, with Harvest Energy presenting at one of the board meetings. <br /><br />There was interest from the HOA board, but they needed a little more time and background information, and of course they needed to come up with some language to craft their policy. Working with John Blattner of Harvest Energy, I had decided to use SunPower panels, based on their efficiency and aesthetic appeal. We chose the Signature Black X21 350 W panels with anti-reflective glass.<br /><br />As we wound through the regulations and governmental permit requirements, Harvest Energy kept me updated on the process. By August we had received all the necessary permissions and permits, and the HOA had put together a simple, yet comprehensive policy. Once we got the official go ahead from our HOA, the panels were installed and after a couple weeks and the final inspection by our electricity supplier, DTE, the system was energized we started generating electricity on October 2. Once we had all the permits, the installation went quickly and smoothly, only taking about 3 days.<br /><br />The process was long, but this is what you can expect when you start from zero. Ours was the first house in our neighborhood to put in solar energy generation, so it had to follow the process. I appreciate the legwork done by John Blattner of Harvest Energy, but also the work done by our HOA to come up with a reasonable policy in a relatively short time. They are all volunteers, so they were doing their work in the evenings and weekends to come up with a policy. Special thanks to our Architecture Enforcement Committee chair for creating the language for the policy.<br /><br />Now that we are producing, I am really satisfied with the overall result. The panels look great and are generating enough electricity over the past week to offset over 80% of our electricity demand. We sourced the project with an expectation of meeting 62% of our needs. Of course, it will change as the amount of sunlight changes, but so far I am really happy with the production.
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Anonymous, over 1 month
We started our solar project in March of this year, and realized that one of the first steps would be to convince our Home Owners Association (HOA) that solar was a good idea for our neighborhood. They did not have any policy in place, so we introduced them to the project, with Harvest Energy presenting at one of the board meetings. <br /><br />There was interest from the HOA board, but they needed a little more time and background information, and of course they needed to come up with some language to craft their policy. Working with John Blattner of Harvest Energy, I had decided to use SunPower panels, based on their efficiency and aesthetic appeal. We chose the Signature Black X21 350 W panels with anti-reflective glass.<br /><br />As we wound through the regulations and governmental permit requirements, Harvest Energy kept me updated on the process. By August we had received all the necessary permissions and permits, and the HOA had put together a simple, yet comprehensive policy. Once we got the official go ahead from our HOA, the panels were installed and after a couple weeks and the final inspection by our electricity supplier, DTE, the system was energized we started generating electricity on October 2. Once we had all the permits, the installation went quickly and smoothly, only taking about 3 days.<br /><br />The process was long, but this is what you can expect when you start from zero. Ours was the first house in our neighborhood to put in solar energy generation, so it had to follow the process. I appreciate the legwork done by John Blattner of Harvest Energy, but also the work done by our HOA to come up with a reasonable policy in a relatively short time. They are all volunteers, so they were doing their work in the evenings and weekends to come up with a policy. Special thanks to our Architecture Enforcement Committee chair for creating the language for the policy.<br /><br />Now that we are producing, I am really satisfied with the overall result. The panels look great and are generating enough electricity over the past week to offset over 80% of our electricity demand. We sourced the project with an expectation of meeting 62% of our needs. Of course, it will change as the amount of sunlight changes, but so far I am really happy with the production.