House Representatives Mikie Sherill (NJ-11) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09) today introduced the Revamping Appropriate Incentives for Solar Energy for (RAISE) the Roof Act, which would allow full roof installations using integrated solar systems to take advantage of the investment tax credit (ITC). Senator Jon Ossoff (GA) also introduced companion legislation in the Senate today.
“Clarifying and expanding the ITC to include new integrated solar roofing technology will make solar adoption easier and more available to more American families,” said Rep. Sherrill.
“Solar roofing is one of the most promising and easily accessible avenues to reaching our climate goals. By expanding the Investment Tax Credit to include solar roofing technologies, this innovative legislation will help grow the solar industry and better encourage individual Americans to join the fight against climate change,” said Rep. Pascrell.
As the ITC is written today, only traditional solar panels can qualify for the credit. Integrated solar roofing, like Tesla’s solar shingles, are credited for the solar components, not the full roof replacement. The RAISE the Roof Act would allow the entirety of an integrated solar roof to be covered by the investment tax credit, also allowing consumers to expense roof repairs and replacement that is sometimes necessary for solar installation.
“We see tremendous opportunity in roofs as real estate to drive the acceleration of clean energy,” said Martin DeBono, President GAF Energy. “This bill positions existing American manufacturing resources and know-how to contribute meaningfully to a resilient path forward in our energy infrastructure.”
GAF Energy currently produces low-profile solar systems that are attached directly to roof decking rather than overtop shingles or tiles. The company is also working on a mysterious new “solar roofing system” that will likely blur the lines further between low-profile systems and solar shingles and tiles more associated with Tesla’s solar roof product.
Based on Solar Power World‘s understanding of the RAISE the Roof Act, only roofs that are originally built with solar plans or roofs that need full replacement to support solar plans will be eligible for the ITC. “Solar integrated roofs” would also include solar shingles, solar tiles, and other full solar roof products.
Read more about solar shingle and solar roof products on the market here.
“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 (SEIA). “This legislation will make sure that homes that have solar built into the original design are eligible for the same ITC benefits as any other residential solar installation and will extend the cost-saving benefits of solar energy to all Americans. We’re pleased to support this bill.”
Odette Mucha, Vote Solar Federal Liaison, said, “Poor roof conditions prevent approximately 10 to 20% of low-to-moderate income homeowners from accessing rooftop solar power. Modernizing the residential solar investment tax credit (ITC) to include the roof repairs necessary to go solar, in tandem with making it a cash grant, would enable more homes to reap the bill savings, energy independence, and resilience benefits that residential solar energy provides.”
