Nevada solar rebates and tax credits calculator

Summary of Nevada solar incentives 2021

Nevadans considering solar energy can take heart that voters elected governor Steve Sisolak. He succeeded in enacting the 50% renewable portfolio standard, which put needed pressure on utility companies to get more solar energy on the grid, like the juice that can come from your rooftop. 

With that improvement and the recent reinstatement of a strong net metering program, home solar in Nevada is back in business! You can purchase a solar system here with cash or a loan, and see a great return on your investment over 25 years. 

Read on to find out how to make solar work for you in Nevada! We also recommend using our home solar calculator above, it’ll allow you to customize a system to the size of your rooftop and track your savings. 

Federal solar investment tax credit

The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in Nevada

This perk is commonly known as the ITC, short for “Investment Tax Credit”. If you install your photovoltaic system in 2020, the federal tax credit is 26% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 26% 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 26% = $5,200.

The federal tax credit falls to 22% at the end of 2022.

Net energy metering in Nevada

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 allows you to get credited at near retail rates by your utility company for the amount of solar energy you produce but aren’t able to use onsite. 

As of 2020, any kilowatt hour (kWh) of solar electricity you send back to the grid which you aren’t able to use will be credited at 75% of retail rates, currently about 7 cents/kWh. 

At the end of your 20-year contract, you'll be able to sign up for whatever program NV Energy offers (though by then, home energy storage will likely be so inexpensive that it will be easier to install a battery and use all the energy yourself).

The fight to ensure strong net metering rules for Nevada has been long and complex. Basically, the state used to have excellent net metering rules, but in late 2015, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) voted to amend net metering, allowing NV Energy to increase monthly service charges by 300% on solar homeowners while at the same time paying 82% less for the energy their panels generate.

The people of Nevada, joined by solar-loving groups from around the country, fought against the PUC ruling, and vowed to vote to remove any politician who stood in the way of net metering's return. 

In November, 2016, voters elected solar-friendly candidates to both the house and senate. Governor Sandoval (himself up for reelection in 2018) said he wanted to work together to bring back sensible solar policy. Finally, in mid-2017, the Nevada legislature passed AB 405, restoring net metering for all residential customers.

Nevada solar rebates

While Nevada does not have a dedicated state rebate for solar panel installation, some manufacturers like LG offer their own solar rebates. These programs are usually time sensitive. For example, LG offers a $600 solar rebate on their equipment, which your installer can help you redeem over the next year.

Nevada energy storage incentive

NV Energy offers two different home battery storage incentive rates, based on your enrollment in a rate structure which changes based on the time of day you use electricity (aka time-of-use, TOU)

• TOU customers get $0.19 per watt-hour of storage
• Non-TOU customers get $0.095 per watt-hour of storage

For example: If you’re on a TOU plan and purchase one Tesla Powerwall, you’ll receive $2,565. If you’re not on a TOU plan, you can get a $1,283 incentive on that same Powerwall. 

Those dollar amounts represent about 20% or 10% of the total installed costs of the batteries, respectively.

We recommend signing up for the bigger incentive with the TOU rate plan and program your battery to discharge when rates are high and draw energy from the grid at cheaper rates. 

Learn more: Time of use rates and solar energy and battery storage

Solar guides for your Nevada city

For more information about going solar near where you live, check out the following resources:

Useful links

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