ATLANTA – U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at making the installation of rooftop solar panels more affordable for American businesses and homeowners.
The RAISE the Roof Act (Revamping Appropriate Incentives for Solar Energy) would expand solar tax credits to cover roof repairs and replacements necessary to accommodate solar panels. It also would help property owners pay for integrated solar roofing systems, a cutting-edge technology that involves making solar panels a part of the roof rather than using brackets to attach them.
“This bill will make it more affordable for all Americans to install rooftop solar panels, saving them money on their electric bills and boosting renewable energy production nationwide,” Ossoff said. “I will continue leading Senate efforts to scale up renewable energy production.”
The rooftop solar bill follows legislation Ossoff introduced in June providing tax credits to U.S. manufacturers of solar panels. Both bills enjoy widespread support across the solar energy industry.
“We need millions of new solar installations to decarbonize the economy, and that starts with equal tax treatment for solar built on new home construction, manufactured homes, and existing homes,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.
“This legislation will make sure that homes that have solar built into the original design are eligible for the same [investment tax credit] benefits as any other residential solar installation and will extend the cost-saving benefits of solar energy to all Americans.”
A companion bill to Ossoff’s legislation is being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, sponsored by Democratic Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr. and Mikie Sherrill, both from New Jersey.