Maryland Post-Intall Activities

[willow_hiller]

Thanks so much for doing this! One potential add: call your insurance company so they can add the value to your homeowner's policy. More expensive to replace that roof than the original, for sure. Starting my paperwork now, unless Tesla can convince me they are doing it.

Good point! I'll add that it may make sense to call them instead of doing it online. We just updated our home insurance online and selected "31-40 solar panels" as an accessory to the roof. Even though we paid Tesla less than $25k, ticking that box added $60k worth of extra insured value to our home!

 

[willow_hiller]

Well, this is a nice surprise. But it's a little late! The MEA already received my application. Hopefully this will simplify the process for Marylanders in the future:

 

[wjgjr]

Well, this is a nice surprise. But it's a little late! The MEA already received my application. Hopefully this will simplify the process for Marylanders in the future:

That is very cool if they are doing this automatically now. They should have all the details and be able to do it pretty efficiently for customers, but it seemed in the past like they just didn't want to bother and it was just another aspect of Tesla not being a full-service installer.

The one thing I would emphasize for others who see this and have PWs is that late may not cut it for that application - 1/15 seems to be a hard deadline for submissions for the prior year, where this application for the solar doesn't seem to have the same deadlines - just means a longer wait for the check. (There is a limited pool of money for both incentives, but it seems like neither is in danger of running out, at least this year.)

 

[dhquigley]

Yes, they told me recently that they do the grant and we do the tax credit.

 

[willow_hiller]

Just another quick FYI for those in Prince George's County, the $5,000 property tax credit does exist. I just got confirmation in the mail that I'm on the wait list and they have scheduled it to apply to FY2027 (July 2026). It can carry over for up to two years, and is not transferrable. So if you sell your home before the credit date, it disappears. Good thing I was planning on staying in my home for a while!

 

[wjgjr]

In the "worse late than never" category, Tesla decided this week to submit an application for the Maryland Clean Energy Grant on my behalf without checking with me. The problem is it was over six months after I submitted the original grant request and months after I received it. So now I get to figure out how to get that cancelled.

I can only guess that in changing their policy, they just decided to go back and send in applications for everybody - I do not know how many other MD installs were done before they began informing customers that they would fill out the applications instead of requiring the customer to. But I can't believe they did this without checking with old customers - there is no way I would have waited quietly six months for Tesla to do this on their own. And it obviously means my project advisor at the time either did not document that I submitted the application (he was very helpful getting me the info I needed but was clear I needed to submit it) or the people submitting did not review that documentation.

Fortunately, the application cannot proceed without my signature, which I obviously won't provide. But an annoying, unnecessary headache for Tesla to create.

 

[willow_hiller]

So now I get to figure out how to get that cancelled.

I was able to email [email protected] and explain the situation. They deleted the duplicate application from their system a few hours after I emailed.

 

[wjgjr]

I was able to email [email protected] and explain the situation. They deleted the duplicate application from their system a few hours after I emailed.

That is what I did, though I have not heard back from them yet. I sent a second email this morning to confirm that I had determined Tesla submitted the duplicate, this time to [email protected] (note the "r" as the third letter instead of "g".) The CEGP address is apparently old, and I got an auto-reply indicating to use CERP for faster response. So, I let them know that their automated emails tell you to email an address that auto-replies is not one to use.

Apparently, they have re-branded the "Clean Energy Grant Program" to the "Clean Energy Rebate Program." I do not know if there is any significance to this in terms of the accounting, but that is why the email address is being updated.

 

[sboarder]

Thanks for the write up, I am costing a solar roof in Bethesda and had just done a search for solar roofs in DC, MD , VA, hopefully they will give me your address.

 

[trautmane2]

hopefully they will give me your address

Based on my experience, Tesla won't give out any addresses.

I also spent some time going through building permit databases for counties in my area to try and find others with a solar roof.

Searching through permits worked for me, but it is time consuming and could feel intrusive to some. I rationalized it as being ok since I only wanted to drive by to see what the tiles looked like in person. Feel free to PM me if you're interested in anything about my solar roof install.

 

[wjgjr]

Based on my experience, Tesla won't give out any addresses.

This still amazes me, particularly where they explicitly asked me for permission to share it. I suspect (and given my prior message about them submitting a grant application 6 months late, I shouldn't be surprised) they are simply disorganized and either don't have or failed to add me to a centralized list of references.

Thanks for the write up, I am costing a solar roof in Bethesda and had just done a search for solar roofs in DC, MD , VA, hopefully they will give me your address.

If you are not able to get something out of Tesla, feel free to PM me. I believe there is also at least one other user in the Bethesda area who is working on a roof (not sure if it is installed yet) and maybe a couple others who have posted up elsewhere in MD.

 

[wjgjr]

To add a note on the $1k grant from MD, I just received a 1099-G from the state listing it as a taxable grant. Additionally, even though I signed up for electronic 1099-G forms from the state, this came as paper and is not combined with the 1099-G for tax refunds (which is issued electronically.)

 

[sboarder]

This still amazes me, particularly where they explicitly asked me for permission to share it. I suspect (and given my prior message about them submitting a grant application 6 months late, I shouldn't be surprised) they are simply disorganized and either don't have or failed to add me to a centralized list of references.

If you are not able to get something out of Tesla, feel free to PM me. I believe there is also at least one other user in the Bethesda area who is working on a roof (not sure if it is installed yet) and maybe a couple others who have posted up elsewhere in MD.

Thanks! They told me 6-12 weeks just to get my design so if it looks good and I'm wanting to move forward I will reach out.

 

[sboarder]

Well I got my design, kind of bummed they have shingles on the north facing side of my house and some
On the side blocked by trees.
Does not appear the efficacy is high enough to get the KW I want from
The places that get sun.
My initial plan was a small 4kw system but the best area has some
Shade so I was scared of the impact of string inverters and they said they no longer will use solar edge.
Back to the drawing board!

 

[willow_hiller]

Just going through taxes this year. I received my MEA grant in January 2021, but if you received it in 2020, don't forget to:

1. Report it as income at the Federal and State level
2. Apply for the Solar Energy Grant Program tax deduction at the State level

Looks like Maryland allows you to deduct the $1,000 grant from your state income, so you don't pay part of the grant back to them:

 

[wjgjr]

Just going through taxes this year. I received my MEA grant in January 2021, but if you received it in 2020, don't forget to:

1. Report it as income at the Federal and State level
2. Apply for the Solar Energy Grant Program tax deduction at the State level

Looks like Maryland allows you to deduct the $1,000 grant from your state income, so you don't pay part of the grant back to them:

View attachment 633371

As I mentioned above, I did get a 1099-G for the grant. As you say, it needs to be reported as income at the federal level, but the flip side of that is you do not need to deduct it from the amount you claim for the ITC.

On the state side, just to be clear, you don't really apply for the tax deduction - it is a line item on the subtractions from income (form 502SU, line "ee".) Just list the $1,000 there and complete the rest of your taxes.

 

[jmpedron]

About the the Maryland Energy Storage Credit, Maryland Form 502 line 25 says that you have to file the form electronically to claim business tax credits on Form 500CR. But the problem is, tax prep services do not support Form 500CR. There is another issue with having to attach the Energy Storage Certificate which they do not seem to support either. How are you guys doing it? I saw a turbo tax question about this for the 2019 filing by having to manually edit the form but it doesn't seem to be the right way of doing it.

 

[wjgjr]

About the the Maryland Energy Storage Credit, Maryland Form 502 line 25 says that you have to file the form electronically to claim business tax credits on Form 500CR. But the problem is, tax prep services do not support Form 500CR. There is another issue with having to attach the Energy Storage Certificate which they do not seem to support either. How are you guys doing it? I saw a turbo tax question about this for the 2019 filing by having to manually edit the form but it doesn't seem to be the right way of doing it.

I have not filed yet, but I normally file directly with the state's iFile system, and I would certainly expect that to work.

 

[jmpedron]

I have not filed yet, but I normally file directly with the state's iFile system, and I would certainly expect that to work.

I was planning on using iFile too but under the eligibility requirements you can't use they system if you are filing a form 500CR.

iFile - Help

 

[wjgjr]

I was planning on using iFile too but under the eligibility requirements you can't use they system if you are filing a form 500CR.

iFile - Help

Well, that is pretty crazy, and I would be interested to hear any solutions you find. It looks like a subset of form 500CR credits can be claimed with iFile, but not (that I see) the battery storage credit. There is also "bFile" for businesses, but, while you can file form 500CR there, it does not appear possible to file an individual tax return (502.) I do not know why they seem to make it so difficult.