Green Products Eligible for Tax Credits Through 2016

If you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit.

Below you will find an overview of the federal tax credits for energy efficiency that are still available.

Some energy efficiency tax credits were also available in 2009 and 2010. These can still be claimed on your 2010 taxes. Learn more about the tax credits that expired at the end of 2010.

NOTE: The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 included changes to home energy efficiency tax credits, beginning after December 31, 2010. This page will be updated with more information; please check back.

How to Claim Your Tax Credit

• Note: Tax forms for the 2010 tax year may not yet be available. Visit the IRS Web site to obtain the latest forms.
• Claim improvements made in 2010 on your 2010 taxes, filed by April 15, 2011.
• Use the 2010 version of the following forms:
  • For renewable and efficiency credits: IRS Form 5695.
  • For alternative motor vehicle credits: IRS Form 8910. Also download instructions for form 8910.
  • For qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle credits: IRS Form 8936
• Save your receipts and the Manufacturer Certification Statement for your records.
• For 2009 taxes, visit the IRS Web site to obtain the 2009 version of these forms.

Products Eligible for Tax Credits Through 2016

Tax credits for these products are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit, through 2016 (Select "See Details" for more information on each product, or see the printable version).

Geothermal Heat Pump

Credit: Bruce Green

Credit: 30% of cost, with no upper limit

When and Where:

• Must be "placed in service" by Dec. 31, 2016
• Available on principal home or second home.
• New and existing homes

• See details

  Product	Requirements	More Information
  Geothermal Heat Pump	Closed Loop: EER >= 14.1; COP >= 3.3 Open Loop: EER >= 16.2; COP >= 3.6 Direct Expansion: EER >= 15; COP >= 3.5 Credit includes installation costs.	Learn more about geothermal heat pumps, including: Types of geothermal heat pumps Efficiency ratings of geothermal heat pumps All ENERGY STAR geothermal heat pumps qualify.

Solar Energy Systems

Credit: Cheryl Unger

Credit: 30% of cost, with no upper limit

When and Where:

• Must be "placed in service" by Dec. 31, 2016
• Available on principal home or second home.
• New and existing homes

• See details

  Product	Requirements	More Information
  Solar Water Heating Property	At least half of the energy generated by the "qualifying property" must come from the sun. The system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). Credit includes installation costs.	Learn more about solar water heaters. All ENERGY STAR solar water heaters qualify. The water must be used in the dwelling. The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs. Tax credits are only available for the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household.
  Photovoltaic Systems (Solar Electric Property)	Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement.	Learn more about: Small solar electric systems Things to consider when making your own electricity with renewable energy systems

Wind Energy Systems

Credit: Bergey WindPower

Credit: 30% of cost, with no upper limit

When and Where:

• Must be "placed in service" by Dec. 31, 2016
• Available on principal home or second home.
• New and existing homes

• See details

  Product	Requirements	More Information
  Residential Small Wind Turbines	Nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts. Credit includes installation costs.	Learn more about: Small wind electric systems Things to consider when making your own electricity with renewable energy systems

Fuel Cells

Credit: Capstone Turbine Corporation

Credit: 30% of cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity

When and Where:

• Must be "placed in service" by Dec. 31, 2016
• Primary residence
• New and existing homes

• See details

  Product	Requirements	More Information
  Residential Fuel Cell Systems	Efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW. Credit includes installation costs.	Learn more about fuel cells

Vehicle Tax Credits

Tax credits are also available for some vehicles (Select "See Details" for more information on each product, or see the printable version).

Vehicles

Credit: ©iStockphoto.com

Credit: Varies, see below.

When:

• See below; credits phased-out after certain number of vehicles are sold.

• See details

  Product	Requirements	More Information
  Hybrids, battery-powered, plug-in electric, advanced lean burn, fuel cell, or alternative fuel vehicles	Credit is based on a formula determined by vehicle weight, technology, and fuel economy compared to base year models.	There is a 60,000 vehicle limit per manufacturer before a phase-out period begins. See Fueleconomy.gov to find out which vehicles are still eligible. Use IRS Form 8910 (PDF 86 KB) for vehicles purchased for personal use. Use IRS Form 3800 (PDF 144 KB) for vehicles purchased for business. The 2009 forms will be available late 2009 or early 2010. Also see credits for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property.
  Plug-in Electric Vehicles	Credit: $2,500-$7,500, based on capacity of the battery system.	The first 200,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit before the credit begins phasing out. Use IRS Form 8936 (PDF 78 KB). See the IRS information on the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Credit.

You May Be Eligible for Additional Incentives

The tax credits listed here are federal tax credits.
These can be combined with other state, local, and utility incentives.

• Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to find out if you are eligible for other incentives.
• If you are purchasing appliances, learn about the state rebates for ENERGY STAR appliances.

Related Links

• Tax Incentives Assistance Project
• ENERGY STAR Summary of Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency
• IRS Audio Podcast on Home Energy Tax Credits. Download Windows Media Player or iTunes.
  • English (MP3 3.1 MB) text version
  • Espanol (MP3 3.6 MB) text version

Note: This summary is for informational purposes only and should not be considered official tax information. Please see the IRS web site for official tax guidance.

• IRS Notice 2009-53 Interim guidance for Section 25C: Nonbusiness Energy Property
• IRS Notice 2009-41 Interim guidance for Section 25D: Credit for Residential Energy Efficient Property

Renewable Energy Rebates-Ameren UE-Federal Tax Incentive

Ameren UE Renewable Energy Rebate Program

Recently I was asked:

• "Why does Ameren UE buy back the electricity created by Renewable Energy System on my House?" 

When I directed the question to Ms L.Cosgrove who handles the Local Ameren UE Renewable Energy Department.  She replied:

•    "AmerenUE provides the MO Solar Rebate in response to Missourian’s passing Proposition C back in November, 2008[ii],[iii]"

In a nutshell it seems to me that Ameren UE will either have to build Renewable Energy Producing Systems or Purchase the Electricity that is made from Residents and Businesses to comply with the Law. 

Which means that Ameren has a Stake in any Renewable Energy Sytem that produces Electricity and is Interconnected utilizing Net Metering to our / their Electircal Grid here in the St Louis Area. 

Good News for all those who would like additional Monetary Incentives for Installing RE (Renewable Energy) Sytems.

The Ameren Rebate and the Federal Tax Incentive can add up to as much as 2/3 of the cost of the RE System. 

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[i] Lisa M. Cosgrove | Renewables Specialist  | 1901 Chouteau Avenue, MC 611 | St. Louis, MO 63103

314-554-2649 | fax 314-206-1387 | lcosgrove@ameren.com   

[ii] See http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2008petitions/2008-031.asp for more details.

[iii] 2008 Initiative Petitions
Approved for Circulation in Missouri

Amendment to Chapter 393 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, Relating to Renewable Energy, version 4, 2008-031

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT

Be it enacted by the people of the state of Missouri:

Chapter 393, RSMo, is amended by repealing sections 393.1020, 393.1025, 393.1030, and 393.1035, and substituting therefor three new sections to be known as sections 393.1020, 393.1025 and 393.1030, to read as follows:

393.1020. Sections 393.1025 to 393.1030 shall be known as the Renewable Energy Standard.

393.1025. As used in sections 393.1020 to 393.1030, the following terms mean:

 1. "Commission", the public service commission;

 2. "Department", the department of natural resources;

 3. “Electric utility”, any electrical corporation as defined by section 386.020;

 4. "Renewable energy resources", electric energy produced from wind, solar thermal sources, photovoltaic cells and panels, dedicated crops grown for energy production, cellulosic agricultural residues, plant residues, methane from landfills or from wastewater treatment, clean and untreated wood such as pallets, hydropower (not including pumped storage) that does not require a new diversion or impoundment of water and that has a nameplate rating of 10 megawatts or less, fuel cells using hydrogen produced by one of the above-named renewable energy sources, and other sources of energy not including nuclear that become available after the effective date of this section and are certified as renewable by rule by the department; and

 5. "Renewable energy credit" or “REC”, a tradable certificate of proof that one megawatt-hour of electricity has been generated from renewable energy sources.

393.1030.1. The commission shall, in consultation with the department, prescribe by rule a portfolio requirement for all electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity generated from renewable energy resources. Such portfolio requirement shall provide that electricity from renewable energy resources shall constitute the following portions of each electric utility’s sales:

(a) No less than two percent for calendar years 2011 through 2013;

(b) No less than five percent for calendar years 2014 through 2017;

(c) No less than ten percent for calendar years 2018 through 2020; and

(d) No less than fifteen percent in each calendar year beginning in 2021. 

At least two percent of each portfolio requirement shall be derived from solar energy. The portfolio requirements shall apply to all power sold to Missouri consumers whether such power is self-generated or purchased from another source in or outside of this state. A utility may comply with the standard in whole or in part by purchasing RECs. Each kilowatt-hour of eligible energy generated in Missouri shall count as 1.25 kilowatt-hours for purposes of compliance.

2. The commission, in consultation with the department and within one year of the effective date of sections 393.1020 to 393.1030, shall select a program for tracking and verifying the trading of renewable energy credits. An unused credit may exist for up to three years from the date of its creation. A credit may be used only once to comply with this act and may not also be used to satisfy any similar non-federal requirement. An electric utility may not use a credit derived from a green pricing program. Certificates from net-metered sources shall initially be owned by the customer-generator.  The... continues on web site