Varies
Amount varies
Tax Credit
Reduces tax liability
Rolling
No fixed cutoff
Annual tax return
Claim with year-end filing
Moderate
File with tax return
Austin Energy purchases excess solar generation from rooftop systems at a rate reflecting the full economic value of solar to the grid. The VoS rate is recalculated annually and credited directly to the customer's bill, making rooftop solar investment more predictable and financially attractive.
Do I qualify?
Answer the questions below to get an instant self-assessment of your fit for this program. This is informational — final determinations are made by the administering agency.
1.Customer must be within Austin Energy's service territory
2.Solar system must be grid-connected and owned by the customer (not leased)
3.System must be interconnected under Austin Energy's interconnection agreement
4.Residential systems up to 20 kW; commercial systems up to 500 kW
5.VoS credit rate set annually by Austin City Council — currently ~9.8 cents/kWh
6.Credits applied to monthly bill; excess credits roll over for 12 months
7.Separate from federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) — can be combined
IRS · United States
Allows businesses to deduct up to $5.65/sq ft for commercial buildings achieving significant energy savings through improvements to HVAC, lighting, and building envelope systems. IRA expanded the deduction and allowed non-profits and government to allocate it.
NCDOR · North Carolina
Provides state income tax credits for investments in renewable energy equipment and energy efficiency improvements for business properties in North Carolina, stackable with federal ITC.
APS · Phoenix Metro, AZ
Compensates APS commercial and industrial customers for voluntarily reducing electricity use during peak demand periods, providing bill credits and annual payments to help APS manage grid reliability.