The 30% credit will only last only through 2019. In 2020, it drops down to 26% and down to 22% in 2021 and in 2022 there will no longer be a tax credit for residential systems. However, there will still be a 10% credit for commercial projects only.

If you’re looking to go solar for your home or business, you should know that there are incentives that help offset the investment. These are both at the national and state level and include tax incentives and favorable policies that make it easier for residents to adapt to solar energy. We’ve put together a few examples for each state, with the total number of incentives listed in parenthesis. For a comprehensive list visit http://www.dsireusa.org/.

For systems put "into service" between 2009 and 2019, the federal tax credit is 30%. That means that for solar electric systems put into service between Jan 1, 2009, and Dec 31, 2019, you will be able to get back 30% of the total cost of the system, with no cap for residential systems.