{"id":4122,"date":"2026-04-24T22:28:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T22:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/?p=4122"},"modified":"2026-04-27T22:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T22:54:41","slug":"reserve-up-to-78-percent-solar-battery-incentives-by-july-4-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/reserve-up-to-78-percent-solar-battery-incentives-by-july-4-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Reserve Up to 78% Solar-Battery Incentives by July 4, 2026!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/last-call-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Safe Harbor for Solar &amp; Battery Incentives in 2026: What Owners Need to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been thinking about adding solar or battery storage to your property, 2026 brings a mix of opportunity and urgency. The landscape has shifted significantly over the past two years, and understanding what\u2019s changed could make a substantial difference in your long-term savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Big Change: Tax Credits in 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  <strong>Residential personal-use 30% solar and battery tax credits ended in 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  <strong>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/can-your-home-based-business-qualify-for-solar-battery-tax-credits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">solar and battery systems tied to <em>Business Use<\/em> are still eligible for tax credits in 2026, and these projects can be reserved now and built through 2030<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means both commercial properties, and residential properties where homeowners who can legitimately classify part of their energy usage as business-related, such as a home office, rental activity, or EV used for business, may still qualify for meaningful incentives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Timing Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a critical window to act. Contracts signed and a minimum of 5% Safe Harbor fee received <strong>before July 4, 2026<\/strong> may still qualify for incentives, even if adjustments are made later through change orders. This gives owners flexibility while locking in potential financial benefits.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exploring Your Options in Residential Business Use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every home and energy setup is different, but most scenarios fall into a few categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  <strong>NEM Expansion (e.g., 3-module add-ons)<\/strong><br>Ideal for homeowners looking to expand an existing system without losing the cost savings from a grandfathered utility rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  <strong>Solar + battery combinations<\/strong><br>Increasingly popular due to rising electricity rates and grid instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  <strong>Battery-only installations<\/strong><br>A strong option for homes already equipped with solar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Within each of these, eligibility and savings can vary due to several factors.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some examples of common scenarios for comparison:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Busine Use Percentage<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Availability of local rebates (like <a href=\"https:\/\/sdcommunitypower.org\/solar-battery-savings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">San Diego Community Power&#8217;s Battery Savings Program<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Whether the system is designed for backup power vs. cost savings<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Battery Systems: A Growing Trend<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While the solar market has slowed, battery adoption is accelerating. Homeowners are prioritizing energy independence and protection against outages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  A <strong>battery designed purely for cost savings<\/strong> can be <strong>$4,000\u2013$6,000 less expensive<\/strong> than a full backup system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Battery installations are more complex, requiring more labor, which affects pricing and margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Market Reality: A Volatile Few Years<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The solar industry has experienced major turbulence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Equipment prices have fluctuated due to <strong>tariffs, inflation, and supply chain disruptions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  The market saw a <strong>sharp contraction in 2024\u20132025<\/strong>, with many companies shrinking or exiting<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  2026 is shaping up to be one of the <strong>lowest-volume solar installation years in recent history<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-1024x398.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-1024x398.png 1024w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-300x117.png 300w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-768x299.png 768w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4.png 1054w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: Ohm Analytics dashboard marketplace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Electricity rates have increased <strong>~8% annually since 2018<\/strong>, doubling roughly every 7\u20139 years depending on rate structures<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  The <strong>average solar PV cost\/watt in 2025 ranged from $4.50 to $7.50 per watt<\/strong>, with regional averages around $6\/watt, due to the 1kW CEC-AC add-on NEM Expansion limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/calssa.org\/join-calssa\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"848\" height=\"257\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-182838.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-182838.png 848w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-182838-300x91.png 300w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-182838-768x233.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: CALSSA member newsletter. Click to become a CALSSA Member<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"661\" height=\"312\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-183928.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-183928.png 661w, https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-183928-300x142.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: Ohm Analytics dashboard marketplace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What This Means for You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite market uncertainty, the fundamentals still favor energy investment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Utility rates continue to rise steadily and SDG&amp;E is already the highest cost utility power in the U.S., at $0.91\/kWh Peak Rate (EV-TOU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Battery adoption is increasing due to real-world reliability needs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Incentives still exist\u2014but are now more nuanced and tied to usage type<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key question is no longer just <em>\u201cShould I go solar?\u201d<\/em> but rather:<br><strong>\u201cHow can I structure my system to maximize savings under current rules?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>2026 isn\u2019t the easiest year to navigate solar decisions\u2014but it may be one of the most strategic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re considering solar or battery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Evaluate whether any portion qualifies as <strong>business use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Understand your <strong>rate plan and energy consumption patterns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25cf  Act before key deadlines to preserve eligibility<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opportunity hasn\u2019t disappeared\u2014it\u2019s just become more tailored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f3b3c3\">There&#8217;s a variety of options available for Residential Business Use NEM Expansion, for existing solar. Green Energy EPC by Makello, Inc has many hundreds of Current Customers with Net Energy Metering registrations that are eligible for an Alumni Discount. Click on the option that best matches your add-on Solar Only, Solar-Battery, or Battery Only NEM Expansion cost summary, to see a contract that is available for you to fill out, sign and return by May 1, 2027. Of course, Makello.com will be glad to help you through the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td>Solar Only <\/td><td>Solar &amp; Battery<\/td><td>Battery Only <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>  0% Business Use<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1.305-kW-DC-Solar-PV-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"81\" class=\"wp-image-4208\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-114631.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1.305-kW-DC-Solar-PV-and-10kWh-7.08kW-Storage-for-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"83\" class=\"wp-image-4222\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-124052.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-0-percent-10kWh-7.08kW-Storage-for-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"81\" class=\"wp-image-4216\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-121128.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>  25 % Business Use<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-25-percent-for-1.305-kW-DC-Solar-PV-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"83\" class=\"wp-image-4219\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-121953.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-25-percent-for-1.305-kW-DC-Solar-PV-and-10kWh-7.08kW-Storage-for-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"85\" class=\"wp-image-4223\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-124303.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-25-percent-10kWh-7.08kW-Storage-for-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"82\" class=\"wp-image-4217\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-121331.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>  100 % Business Use<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-100-percent-for-1.305-kW-DC-Solar-PV-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"83\" class=\"wp-image-4220\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-122241.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-100-percent-for-1.305-kW-DC-Solar-PV-and-10kWh-7.08kW-Storage-for-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260422.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"84\" class=\"wp-image-4224\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-124459.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Business-Use-100-percent-10kWh-7.08kW-Storage-for-Customer-from-Green-Energy-EPC-by-Makello-20260420.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"85\" class=\"wp-image-4218\" style=\"width: 150px;\" src=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-24-121604.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember you have until 2030 to build. You only need to pay a minimum of 5% before July 4, 2026 to Reserve your Solar Tax Credit and Depreciation incentives!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Safe Harbor for Solar &amp; Battery Incentives in 2026: What Owners Need to Know If you\u2019ve been thinking about adding solar or battery storage to your property, 2026 brings a mix of opportunity and urgency. The landscape has shifted significantly over the past two years, and understanding what\u2019s changed could make a substantial difference in &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/reserve-up-to-78-percent-solar-battery-incentives-by-july-4-2026\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Reserve Up to 78% Solar-Battery Incentives by July 4, 2026!&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,306,139],"tags":[393,260,420,507,167,506,512,438,513,171,514,199,200,137,226],"class_list":["post-4122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-energy-storage","category-solar","tag-backup-power","tag-battery","tag-business","tag-business-use","tag-energy-storage","tag-incentive","tag-july-4","tag-rebate","tag-safe-harbor","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-community-power","tag-solar","tag-solar-energy","tag-solar-power","tag-tax-credit"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4122"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4295,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4122\/revisions\/4295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/makello.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}