2026 federal snapshot
Solar, battery, and EV charger assumptions now depend heavily on placed-in-service timing, address eligibility, and official program language. Use this summary to decide which source to verify before updating a calculator result or quote scope.
Federal check
The Residential Clean Energy Credit applied to qualified home clean energy property installed from 2022 through December 31, 2025. The IRS says it is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
For 2026 quote comparisons, run solar payback and battery sizing without assuming this federal homeowner credit unless a qualified tax professional verifies the installed date and ownership structure.
Federal check
As of July 24, 2026, treat the federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit as a past-deadline check: qualifying main-home charging equipment had to be placed in service from January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, with low-income or non-urban census tract rules.
Do not lower a new charger budget for a federal credit unless the equipment was already placed in service by June 30, 2026 and the address, Form 8911 documentation, and eligibility rules check out. For later installs, focus on state, utility, local, and manufacturer programs.
Federal check
State, utility, municipal, and demand-response programs still vary by address, utility territory, equipment, funding window, income, and installer rules.
Use DSIRE, AFDC, and official state or utility pages as verification sources before changing project order, quote scope, or financing assumptions.
Can I get it?
Is it worth changing my plan?
Calculator-led research
A rebate should refine the plan, not replace the sizing, payback, panel-capacity, or backup-load work that makes quotes comparable.
Estimate battery runtime, EV charger installation cost, solar payback, or backup tradeoffs before letting a rebate headline set the project size.
Check placed-in-service date, address, utility territory, income, eligible equipment, contractor, reservation, and funding-window requirements.
Keep links, screenshots or PDFs, utility account notes, and application timing with the quote scope so each contractor prices the same assumptions.
Compare payback or monthly cost with and without the incentive so the plan still works if funding closes, eligibility changes, or approval is delayed.
Plan around solar billing rules, storage value, EV charging, and wildfire shutoff readiness.
View state pageFocus on outage backup, retail electric plans, solar buyback terms, and heat resilience.
View state pageSolar, batteries, roof condition, flood risk, and hurricane backup should be planned together.
View state pageStart with NYSERDA programs, utility territory, EV charging, heat pumps, and winter backup needs.
View state pageHigh cooling loads, time-of-use rates, and battery sizing drive many Arizona decisions.
View state pageColorado homes should compare EV charging, cold-climate heat pumps, solar, and battery storage together.
View state pageMassachusetts homeowners should start with Mass Save, heat pumps, weatherization, solar, and storage programs.
View state pageNew Jersey research should include clean energy programs, solar registration rules, EV charging, and flood-aware resilience.
View state pageIllinois homeowners should compare solar programs, utility efficiency offers, EV charging, and winter outage planning.
View state pageNorth Carolina planning often combines solar, Duke Energy programs, storm backup, heat pumps, and EV charging.
View state pagePennsylvania homeowners should compare utility territory, solar payback, winter backup needs, EV charging, and whole-home efficiency upgrades together.
View state pageWashington homeowners should compare utility programs, heat pump rebates, EV charging, solar, and storm backup needs together.
View state page