Rooftop

Does New York’s ‘rooftop solar gap’ leave low-income residents behind?

Does New York’s ‘rooftop solar gap’ leave low-income residents behind?
(Photo by Joe DelNero /NREL)

Report: Households making less than $50,000 annually make up 24% of owner-occupied houses in New York but have only received 5% of residential tax credit subsidies

Although New York has the largest of several state tax credit incentives for homeowners installing rooftop solar, the state’s “rooftop solar gap” is large, leaving many low-income residents unable to take full advantage of incentives, according to a new report from think tank Win Climate.

New York’s State Solar Tax Credit has paid for 25% of a rooftop solar installation, or $5,000 – whichever is less. The Residential Solar Tax Credit Reform Act (S3596/ A6739) made the tax credit fully refundable, with the intention of allowing low-income homeowners and residents to benefit, and increased the tax credit amount to $10,000.

The report, Closing NY’s Rooftop Solar Gap, aimed to analyze how many New York residents have utilized the State Solar Tax Credit, and how the Residential Solar Tax Credit Reform Act could impact the cost of solar for low-income residents. The “rooftop solar gap” is the difference in rooftop solar installation rates between households making more and less than $50,000 per year.

Per the report, New York homeowners with an annual income of more than $50,000 are 2.5 times more likely to have rooftop solar than those making below $50,000, as those making below $50,000 often don’t pay enough income tax to fully claim the credit. Households making less than $50,000 annually make up 24% of owner-occupied houses in New York, but have only received 5% of residential tax credit subsidies.

New York homeowners, solar projects, and tax credit spending, percentage by household income (Credit: Win Climate)

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The report also found that refundable tax credits could help shorten the gap. Refundable tax credits could help up to 63% of New York’s 1.4 million “energy-burdened” households and could cut the cost of solar for the average low-income household by 48%, from $98 to $51 per month.

Around 25% of all New York homeowners make less than $50,000 a year, the report said, but they only installed 10% of solar projects between 2010 and 2022. However, solar installation rates do not increase as homeowner income does – households making $50,000 to $100,000 have the same installation rates as households making more than $200,000.

The report credits this “two-tier” disparity to a few causes. High upfront costs are a universal barrier to residential solar adoption. Low credit scores often act to prevent solar adoptions, and non-refundable tax credits effectively exclude low-income households from subsidies that lower the upfront cost.

New York households, solar projects, and tax credit spending, percentage by household income (Credit: Win Climate)

You can read the full report here.

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