Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Fall Home Improvement & Car Care
East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald
Page 3C
Residential energy
tax credits to expire
COURTESY PHOTO
An home in Enterprise features solar panels that were recently installed. If you are considering adding rooftop solar panels to your home, an Oregon tax credit designed to help off set those
costs is about to expire.
Deadline to purchase devices Dec. 31
By GEORGE PLAVEN
EO Media Group
T
ime is running out for
homeowners and renters to
claim tax credits from the
Oregon Department of Energy for
select energy effi ciency devices.
The Residential Energy Tax
Credit Program, established in
1977, offers tax credits for buying
and installing eligible equipment
such as rooftop solar panels,
premium effi ciency furnaces,
direct vent fi replaces and ductless
heat pumps. Credits range in value
from less than $100 up to $6,000,
depending on the cost and amount
of energy saved.
The program is set to expire
at the end of the 2017 tax season,
with three key deadlines in the
coming months:
• Dec. 31, 2017 — deadline for
purchasing devices.
• April 1, 2018 — deadline
for having device installed and
operational.
• June 1, 2018 — deadline to
submit application for credits to
the Department of Energy.
For anyone installing rooftop
solar panels, the deadline for
contractors to submit an initial
application to the Department of
Energy is also Dec. 31, 2017.
Rachel Wray, spokeswoman for
the Department of Energy, encour-
aged applicants to submit their
paperwork as early as possible for
processing.
“Basically, the team looks like
an H&R Block offi ce heading into
April,” Wray said.
Last year, department issued
roughly $20 million in residential
energy tax credits, Wray said.
However, with the Legislature
facing a budget defi cit, lawmakers
opted not to extend the program
beyond 2017.
“It had a sunset,” Wray said.
“(These programs) aren’t neces-
sarily designed to last forever.”
Michael Williams, energy
incentives manager for the Depart-
ment of Energy, said the program
Oregon’s Solar and Residential
energy efficiency
tax credits
Will Expire at the End of 2017.
The state’s Residential Energy Tax Credit (RETC)
devices must be purchased by Dec. 31, 2017,
operational by April 1, 2018, and applications must be
received by the Oregon Department of Energy no later
than June 1, 2018.
Details are at the Department of Energy’s website at:
http://www.oregon.gov/energy/At-Home/Pages/
RETC.aspx.
The maximum tax credit for each qualifying purchase depends
on the cost of the improvement and the energy saved. Credits
can range from about $100 up to $6,000. Among the credits
are $250 for duct sealing, up to $600 for an electric heat pump
water heater, up to $1,125 for an air-source ducted heat pump,
up to $1,300 for a ductless heat pump, and up to $6,000 for a
solar array.
What does this mean for UEC
members?
Our UEC solar and energy efficiency
incentives remain in place and we remain
committed to these programs. If these Oregon
tax credits are critical to you in deciding whether to
pursue a home energy efficiency measure, you should
contact us soon about getting your project moving
along to maximize your potential savings.
750 W. Elm Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
(541) 567-6414
www.UmatillaElectric.com
was created to support the adoption
of energy effi cient technologies at
home — a far cheaper resource
compared to building new power
plants.
“Energy effi ciency is the lowest
cost, least risk energy resource in
the area,” Williams said.
The program issues on average
between 15,000 and 16,000 credits
per year. Credits can range from $92
for a heat recovery water heater, up
to $6,000 for rooftop solar panels
($1,500 per year for four years).
However, the amount of the credit
cannot exceed 50 percent of the
project cost, Williams said.
State Home Oil
Weatherization Program
The State Home Oil Weath-
erization Program, or SHOW,
is another resource available for
homes and rental properties that are
primarily heated by oil, propane,
kerosene, butane or wood. The
program offers cash rebates up to
$500 for installing energy-saving
heating equipment or weatheriza-
tion improvements.
SHOW is not set to expire, but
will transfer from the Department
of Energy to the Department of
Housing and Community Services
beginning Jan. 1, 2018, dovetailing
with the agency’s work with
housing assistance and low-in-
come communities.
For questions about either
program or to see a full list of
eligible projects, visit www.
oregon.gov/energy or contact the
Department of Energy at 1-800-
221-8035.