Cohousing-L Mailing List: Recovery of solar tax credits by homeowners' association

[Richard P (111rmp]

At Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm, here in NH, the solar panels are
specific to individual units (we don't have any on our common buildings) so
we didn't run into this issue but it is a good question. 

 

Every home here has its own electric meter, and electricity is fed back into
the electric grid (this is called "net metering", and there no battery
storage) and owners receive a credit on their bill for electricity generated
above their usage.

 

Therefore owners handled the tax credits on their own. I know at least one
owner didn't install panels because they would not benefit from the tax
credit.  (As an aside, we tried to have one main meter for all when we
built, but the electric company made it too difficult).

 

There was a small loan internal loan program that helped owners (borrowers)
install the panels for a portion of the initial upfront cost; borrowers paid
back when they received the state incentive check.

 

Does MA have a commercial incentive program? Might the HOA fall under that
category for the purposes of getting the credits/incentives?

 

-Richard

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Heimann <heimann [at] theworld.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Subject: [C-L]_ Recovery of solar tax credits by homeowners' association
To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org




Hello All,

        We are looking into buying solar panels here a JP Cohousing.  Part
of the financial incentives for installing solar are Federal and state tax
credits.  While these cannot be used directly by the condo homeowners'
association since that it a non-profit entity, the credits can be passed
through to the residents.  The condo can recover the credits through an
assessment if needed to make the purchase financially viable.  However,
some of the residents don't earn enough money to pay taxes, so would be
hit by an assessment to recover money they never received.

        So here's the question:  Has any community on this list obtained
solar panels?  If so, how did they handle the tax credits?  (We have been
thinking about forming a private fund where some households can donate to
the households with no tax credits, so has anyone addressed that question?)

Thanks,
David Heimann
Jamaica Plain Cohousing



_________________________________________________________________
Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/