Business Owner / Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
Facts
- Solar is getting cheaper and more efficient every year.
- Solar panels work quite well with Wisconsin’s wintry weather, so long as the panels are pitched correctly.
Benefits
- Fully or partially reduce your reliance on the grid using clean energy from the sun!
- In time, enjoy free or substantially reduced energy costs!
Solar in Green Bay
- Green Bay has been certified as a SolSmart Silver community! Visit Green Bay’s Solar Landing page here.
More Pathways for Small Business Owners:
Things to know
- Important: Wisconsin law does not currently allow businesses to resell electricity to their tenants. Electricity from solar PV can be used for common areas, or can be provided for free to tenants in cases where utilities are included in rent.
- We strongly recommend working with a qualified Solar PV installer. Focus on Energy maintains a list of trade allies here. Your solar contractor will walk you through the process.
Main Incentives
Grow Solar Green Bay-Fox Valley
Participate in a solar PV group buy!
Grow Solar Green Bay: The City of Green Bay, Midwest Renewable Energy Association, and other communities will launch Grow Solar Green Bay in April 2026. By aggregating buying power, participants will be able to receive volume discounts on installations. Click here for more info.
Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (ITC, or Sec. 48E)
Get at least 30% back for solar PV in the form of a tax credit!
(Please note: On July 4th, H.R. 1 (OBBBA) attached new restrictions to this tax credit for solar and wind projects and shortened the timeline. Check with the IRS for guidance.)
The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides a tax credit for investment in renewable energy sources, including solar, geothermal, wind, and others.
The tax credit is for 6% of the cost of the investment. However, it goes up to 30% if the project meets prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. There may be additional “adders” if requirements related to environmental justice are met
Generally, solar and wind projects under 1.5 MW will need to have begun construction prior to July 4th, 2026 or be finished by December 31, 2026.
Please note:
- For projects that begin construction after January 1st, 2026, there are restrictions that involve foreign entities of concern (FEOC). This can relate to the components within pieces of equipment, or components of systems. We are still awaiting more guidance from the IRS on what these mean.
- On August 15th, the IRS released a guidance that added additional detail about how to determine “beginning of construction,” and how to interpret the continuity of construction safe harbor. Here is that notice.
- We would also recommend working with a tax attorney to fully understand how to be compliant.
Focus on Energy Solar Rebate
Get up to a $25,000 rebate for Solar PV from Focus on Energy!
Focus on Energy Residential Solar PV Rebate: Focus on Energy will provide a rebate of up to $25,000 towards the installation of solar panels on nonresidential buildings. Property owners will need to work with an approved contractor (https://focusonenergy.com/trade-allies). This rebate can be combined with any existing federal tax incentives for solar.
Eligibility All customers of Wisconsin Public Service and other participating electrical utilities are eligible.
Things to consider
How old is the roof? Solar PV systems can last for 20 years or longer. Will you need to replace your roof in that time span?
Is the roof shaded by trees? How large is it? Which direction does it face? Unfortunately, there are quite a few factors that determine whether a home is right for rooftop solar.
Project Sunroof. Project Sunroof is a tool developed by Google Maps to assess the suitability of rooftops for solar PV installations. It takes tree canopy, weather patterns, surface area, and other factors into consideration. Unfortunately, it only works where Google satellite imagery is current. Project Sunroof (google.com)
Online Resources
- City of Green Bay’s Guide to Solar (greenbaywi.gov)
- Solar powered apartments blocked by utilities law (captimes.org)
- Should I get battery storage for my solar system (Dept. of Energy)
All Available Incentives
Here are tax credits, rebates, grants, and other programs that involve solar PV and other renewables. Not all of these will be applicable to residents. If you have any questions, let us know! Click here.
| Name | Category | Technologies | Incentive Type | Source | Administrator | Incentive Description | Eligibility | Application Process | Renter Applicable? | Direct/Elective Pay Eligible | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biogas, Solar, and Wind Energy Equipment Exemption | Residential, Commercial, Nonprofit | Solar Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy | Property Tax Exemption | State | Brown County Treasurer | Under Wisconsin law, value added to a property by the installation of an active solar, wind, or biogas energy generation system is exempt from property tax assessment. Go to https://www.revenue.wi.gov/DORFAQ/renewable-energy.pdf for more information. | This exemption is available to all qualified taxpayers. | Contact the Brown County Treasurer’s office at (920) 448-4078 if there is a concern. | N/A | N/A | Active |
| Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Programs (PACE or, sometimes, C-PACE) | Commercial, Nonprofit | Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Heat Pumps, Electrification, Solar Photovoltaic, HVAC | Loan | Federal | Slipstream | This innovative loan program allows commercial borrowers to take out loans to finance the up-front costs of clean energy projects that can paid back through voluntary assessments that will be attached to the building, not the property owner. The website for PACE in Wisconsin is at https://www.pacewi.org/. | PACE financing is available for commercial properties like offices, retail stores, warehouses, industrial plants, and more. These may either be businesses or tax-exempt organizations. Properties can be multifamily buildings with more than five units. Slipstream cautions that aspects of the PACE loan program work better with loan amounts over $250,000. | Contact Kimberly Johnston at Slipstream at kjohnston@slipstreaminc.org. | N/A | N/A | Active |
| Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) | Residential | Energy Efficiency, Electrification, Solar Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, HVAC | Loan | Federal | Vetarans Administration,Federal Housing Administration,Commercial Lenders | EEMs can be used to purchase or refinance a home that meets certain standards for energy efficiency. The efficiencies are taken into consideration by the lender who is then able to give more favorable terms. In many cases, this can boost the purchaser’s buying power. EEMs can be conventional, or sponsored by the Federal Housing Administration, USDA, or Veterans Administration. The FHA allows lenders to add up to 100% of energy efficiency improvements to existing loans. Go here for more information, restrictions, and fine print: https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes/energy-efficient-mortgages. | EEMs are only applicable to eligible energy efficient homes or improvements. | Conventional EEMs are available through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Contact the VA, USDA, or FHA for more information about sponsored EEMs. | No | N/A | Active |
| Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for Energy Property | Commercial, Nonprofit | Renewable Energy, Solar PV | Tax Credit | Federal | IRS | The ITC provides a tax credit for investment in renewable energy sources, including solar, geothermal, wind, and others. For solar, it includes (1) equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity, to heat or cool (or provide hot water for use in) a structure, or to provide solar process heat, and (2) equipment that uses solar energy to illuminate the inside of a structure using fiber-optic distributed sunlight or electrochromic glass that uses electricity to change its light transmittance properties in order to heat or cool a structure. The tax credit is for 6% of the cost of the investment. However, it multiplies by five if the project meets prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. If the project meets standards for domestic content and is located in an area defined as an ‘energy community,’ the credit can be as high as 50%. | This is for projects breaking ground after 1/1/2025. Since the passage of H.R. 1 in July 2025, this credit has become complicated for solar and wind projects. If you are considering using the ITC, contact EnergyConnector@greenbaywi.gov for resources. Your project will need to begin construction prior to July 4, 2026 in order to be eligible and prior to 12/31/2025 to be free of foreign entity of concern (FEOC) restrictions. | Fill out IRS form 3468. | N/A | Yes* | Threatened |
| PowerUp Wisconsin Program | Residential | Solar Photovoltaic | Loan, Grant | Federal | WEDC | This is a program to facilitate the installation of solar PV on rooftops to reduce energy costs by a minimum of 20%. PowerUp Wisconsin! is financed by the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The program will be available to single family home owners, developers of multifamily homes, and community solar projects. About half of the funds will be available as grants and the other as low interest loans via a state-wide network of lenders. The program is still in its planning and design phase. | Single family homeowners will need to be at or below 80% of Area Median Income for Brown County (roughly $78,400 for a family of four). Eligible multifamily homes will need to be affordable and targeted at low income residents. | PowerUp! is scheduled to be available in the second half of 2025. | No | N/A | Pending |
| Renew Wisconsin Solar for Good Grant | Nonprofit | Solar Photovoltaic | Rebate | Renew Wisconsin | Renew Wisconsin | Renew Wisconsin’s Solar for Good grant provides financial support for mission-oriented nonprofits in Wisconsin. Grants can be for solar panels, solar canopies, or project grants. More information is available here: https://www.renewwisconsin.org/solarforgood/. | Please refer to the Solar for Good website for further information about eligibility. | There are two annual grant cycles. Spring runs from April 1st to May 1st, Fall from September 1st to October 1st. The application is available here: https://www.renewwisconsin.org/solarforgood/. | No | N/A | Active |
| Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D) | Residential | Renewable Energy, Solar Photovoltaic | Tax Credit | Federal | IRS | Equipment related to the generation of renewable energy (including solar, wind, geothermal, solar water heating, and battery storage) is subject to a tax credit of 30%. If the amount is more than the taxpayer’s tax liability, the remainder may be carried into the following year. Go to https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics for more information. | While this tax credit has been eliminated, you can use it for installations incurred during the 2025 tax year. This is a personal tax credit and is available to all taxpayers. | The tax deduction must be filed with the IRS. Go to https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics for further information. | No | No | Repealed |
| SBA Microloans | Commercial | Energy Efficiency, Solar Photovoltaic, Renewable Energy | Loan | Federal | Community-Based Lenders | Microloans are for amounts under $50,000 and may be used for renewable energy and energy efficiency related equipment. | Commercial lenders determine credit requirements. Microloans often require collateral and a personal guarantee. | The SBA’s microloan program works with community-based lenders. The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) assists (of all genders) with the process. Go here https://www.wwbic.com/business-lending/ for more information. | N/A | N/A | Threatened |
| Solar Rebate, Commercial | Commercial, Nonprofit | Solar Photovoltaic | Rebate | Utility | Focus on Energy | Starting 1/1/2026, for non-residential utility customers, Focus on Energy provides a rebate of $600 per kW up to $2,400 and then $50 per kW afterwards, up to $25,000. | All non-residential customers of Wisconsin Public Service and other participating electrical utilities are eligible. | Go to https://focusonenergy.com/business/renewables#rebate-info and follow the steps at the bottom of the page. Read the Terms & Requirements carefully. Rebates are on a, “first come first serve,” basis, so be sure to reserve your rebate as soon as you can! | N/A | N/A | Active |
| Solar Rebate, Residential | Residential | Solar Photovoltaic | Rebate | Utility | Focus on Energy | Starting 1/1/2026, Focus on Energy provides a rebate of $600 per kW up to $2,400 toward the installation of solar panels. Property owners will need to work with an approved contractor (https://focusonenergy.com/trade-allies). This rebate can be combined with federal tax incentives for solar. | All customers of Wisconsin Public Service and other participating electrical utilities are eligible. | Go to https://focusonenergy.com/residential/solar-for-homes and follow the steps at the bottom of the page. Read the Terms & Requirements carefully. Rebates are on a, “first come first serve,” basis, so be sure to reserve your rebate as soon as you can! | No | N/A | Active |
Updated: 2/13/2026