Tag: Commercial Solar

The Inflation Reduction Act, was recently passed. One of the major points in this legislations is that it will make it easier for nonprofit organizations to go solar. This legislation allows nonprofit organizations to take advantage of the same solar tax credits that are available to businesses, making it more financially viable for them to switch to clean, renewable energy.

One of the main barriers that has prevented many nonprofits from going solar in the past is the upfront cost of installation. Solar panel systems can be expensive to install, and many nonprofit organizations simply don’t have the budget for it. The Solar for Nonprofits Act addresses this issue by allowing nonprofits to claim the solar investment tax credit (ITC), which can significantly reduce the cost of going solar.

The ITC allows organizations to claim a credit worth up to 26% of the cost of their solar panel system. This can make a significant difference in the affordability of going solar, and it’s a game changer for many nonprofit organizations that may have previously been unable to afford the upfront cost.

In addition to the ITC, the Inflation Reduction Act also includes other provisions that will help make it easier for nonprofits to go solar. For example, it allows organizations to claim the credit even if they don’t have a tax liability, which is a common issue for nonprofit organizations. This means that they can still claim the credit and use it to offset the cost of their solar panel system, even if they don’t owe any taxes.

Renewable energy is becoming a key priority for many lenders. To support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, climate action and partnerships, many banks are developing specialized commercial loan products designed to encourage the use of solar energy. These loan products include loans for rooftop solar systems, loans for energy efficiency improvements, sustainably certified commercial real estate financing, and sustainably certified construction loans.

Banks focused on accelerating the transition to clean energy are best positioned to help nonprofits secure advantageous funding for their solar installations. There are specialist lenders that have the institutional knowledge and technical know-how to develop innovative funding structures with favorable rates and terms designed to help nonprofits finance these installations.

There is no doubt that the IRA coupled with financing tools that provide funding support for clean energy projects will catalyze nonprofit organizations to deploy solar energy and speed their transition to a net-zero emissions future. Going solar will offer these organizations long-term cost savings while providing the benefits of combatting climate change, creating jobs and bringing new investment into their communities.

Summing up the bottom-line benefits of the IRA, a blog post by Candace Vahlsing, associate director for climate, energy, environment, and science with the White Houses’ Office of Management and Budget, said “the Inflation Reduction Act will help ease the burden that climate change imposes on the American public, strengthen our economy, and reduce future financial risks to the Federal Government and to taxpayers.”

Overall, the Inflation Reduction Act is a major win for nonprofit organizations that are looking to switch to clean, renewable energy. It removes many of the financial barriers that have previously made it difficult for these organizations to go solar, and it makes it more financially viable for them to make the switch. As a result, we can expect to see more and more nonprofit organizations going solar in the coming years, which is great news for the environment and for the future of renewable energy.

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its most recent Electric Power Monthly, which provides data through the end of May 2021. The report notes that for the month, solar photovoltaic generation (solar) grew 25% over May 2020. Solar accounted for just over 5.3% of total US electricity generated for the month versus 4.41% last year.

Total US electricity use for the month increased by 4.5% versus May of last year. For the year through the end of May, total U.S. electricity usage is up 3.49% versus last year.

Solar produced 26.4% more in the first five months of the year than it did in the same period of 2020, covering 3.7% of all U.S. electricity demand.

The solar generation this May appears to have set a record for highest percentage of all US electricity -beating out last month’s number, and highest overall volume generated at just over 17 GWhrs in any one month (beating last month’s 15 GWhrs).

We here at Caldus Energy were hoping to see solar electricity hit 6% of all electricity for the first time, which did not occur. May remains the highest producing month as a percentage of total solar electricity in the United States. May through the end of August is expected to produce similar total generation – with July making up the highest quantity by volume.

One reason U.S. solar production missed our 6% target was the increase in electricity use this summer, which also precluded the other milestone we were hoping for: 50% emission-free electricity. In fact, this year’s clean electricity peak probably already occurred in March, because generation as a percentage of US electricity has declined ever since.

There is encouraging news for combined renewable energy sources, with annual wind generation up 14% over 2020. When we factor in solars’ 26.4% increase we see a combined generation increase of 17.3%.

And as a percentage of 2021’s electrical demand, solar and wind managed to cover a little over 14.1%. The peak month for wind and solar generation in the last two years occured in April, with nearly 17% of generation met – while 15.3% was covered in May.

For the year, new utility scale solar power tracked by the EIA totaled 3.8 GWac of capacity across 163 unique projects. In the last month we saw 27 unique facilities come online, totalling 638 MWac/~798 MWdc.

Among the facilities to come online in May were a series of 2 MWac projects coming from the Illinois community solar program. There was a batch of facilities from Florida as well, all sized at 74.5 MWac.

The EIA-860 chart contains “generator-level specific information about existing and planned generators and associated environmental equipment at electric power plants with 1 megawatt or greater of combined nameplate capacity”. Data is available starting from 2001. During those years, 4,749 operating solar power plants have been entered into the data. They total 50,447 MWac of capacity.

The largest project listed is the 300 MWac Prospero Solar plant in Texas that came online last summer. The smallest listed are a series of thirty two ~100 kWac projects, mostly from the early 2000s.

In this article we will discuss how the MACRS works for commercial solar power systems in the US.  We are not tax experts, and this is not intended as professional tax advice. If you plan to depreciate a business-owned solar array according to the MACRS, the best recommendation we can give is contacting a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Business-owned solar power systems are eligible for two nationwide incentives in the US: the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS).

Thanks to the MACRS, you can write off the asset value of a solar PV system in only five years. This depreciation counts as a tax deductible expense, and the cash flow of your solar investment improves.

You can combine the ITC and MACRS, but you must subtract half of the ITC from the solar asset value. For example, if your solar installation gets the 26% tax credit available in 2022, you can depreciate 87% of its value over five years (after subtracting 13%).

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) provides a 100% depreciation bonus for solar power systems placed in service before 2023. Businesses have a major incentive to go solar before the end of 2022, since the federal tax credit also drops from 26% to 22%.

If you’re considering solar power for a commercial or industrial building, you have most likely heard about the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Thanks to the ITC, you can claim 26% of your solar PV system costs as a federal tax credit on your next declaration. Being a federal incentive, the ITC is available for solar panel systems everywhere in the US.

The ITC can be claimed for residential and commercial solar power systems, but there is an additional incentive for companies: the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS). Businesses can write off (depreciate) their solar power investments in only five years under the MACRS, even when solar panels and other system components have a much longer service life. This accelerated depreciation is a tax-deductible expense, which improves cash flow during the first five years after going solar.

Which Solar Power Systems Qualify for the MACRS?

The Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System is a business incentive, which means it doesn’t apply for residential solar systems. The MACRS is available for the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors, and several energy sources and technologies qualify for the benefit:

• Solar Photovoltaic
• Solar Water Heat
• Solar Space Heat
• Geothermal Electric
• Solar Thermal Electric
• Solar Thermal Process Heat
• Wind Power
• Biomass
• Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Municipal Solid Waste
• Combined Heat & Power
• Fuel Cells using Non-Renewable Fuels
• Landfill Gas
• Tidal Power
• Wave Power
• Ocean Thermal
• Geothermal Direct-Use
• Anaerobic Digestion
• Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels
• Microturbines

Solar panel systems and some other renewable technologies are classified as five-year properties under the MACRS, which means their cost can be written off within that time frame. This improves the cash flow projection for renewable energy systems, since accelerated depreciation counts as tax-deductible expense.

Eligible systems placed in service before January 1, 2023, get an even greater benefit: 100% bonus depreciation under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018. Solar panels can be installed relatively quickly, compared with other types of renewable generation equipment. If you’re considering solar panels for a commercial or industrial building, you can claim this benefit by acting fast and completing the project before the end of 2022. Your solar installation will also benefit from the federal tax credit before it drops from 26% to 22%.

Can a Company Combine the Solar Federal Tax Credit and MACRS?

The 26% federal tax credit is a nationwide incentive for solar power systems in all market segments. On the other hand, the MACRS is exclusively for projects in the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors. A commercial solar installation can benefit from both incentives, but there are certain rules you must follow.

Since you get 26% of your solar investment back within a year, the IRS has decided to limit the maximum asset value you can depreciate under the MACRS. In the case of solar power, the asset value you can write off (depreciable basis) is equivalent to its total value minus 50% of the federal tax credit. The ITC will be gradually reduced in 2023 and 2024, which means the depreciable basis under the MACRS will actually increase. The following table summarizes how this works:

Considering a commercial solar system with a project cost of $1,000,000, these percentages would result in the following dollar values:

The MACRS has been available since 1986, and it has been a key incentive for renewable energy investments along with the federal tax credit. Depending on the type of asset, the depreciation period under the MACRS ranges from three to 50 years. Renewable energy systems normally qualify for five-year or seven-year depreciation, depending on the specific technology used in the project.