Latest news with #EmilyWalker
CNET
17-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
Key Home Energy Tax Credits End This Year. Act Quickly if You're Considering Solar Panels, Experts Say
A big federal tax credit for homeowners who get solar panels will end this year, meaning a window for significant savings on going solar is closing fast. The 30% credit has long been the biggest single incentive for residential solar panel adoption, and its expiration is a significant blow for what has been a fast-growing industry. For homeowners, its elimination significantly changes the calculus of whether solar panels make financial sense compared with paying utility electrical rates. "It's clear that as a result of this bill that we're going to see electricity bills spike all around the country," Emily Walker, director of insights at EnergySage, said in an interview. The residential clean energy credit, which provided taxpayers who bought solar panels using cash or a loan with a credit of up to 30% of the system's cost, expires at the end of 2025. It had previously been expected to run for nearly another decade, but congressional Republicans voted to end it early in a major tax and spending bill President Donald Trump signed this month. Can solar panels save you money? Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and we'll instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings. No lenders found matching this criteria It looks like we couldn't find any lenders that matched the provided criteria. Please try again at a later time. Close For now, the end-of-year deadline means there will be a rush by consumers who want to go solar to get their systems installed and operational before 2026. Considering it can take months to get a system installed and connected to the grid -- and that installers will likely see a rush of clients that could drag things out -- experts suggested acting quickly if the tax credit is a must-have. "If a homeowner is interested in going solar, they need to start the process right now," Walker said. What happened to the solar tax credit? The residential clean energy credit, which covers things like home batteries and geothermal heat pumps in addition to solar panels, has been around in some form or another since George W. Bush was president. The latest extension and expansion of it came in 2022 when President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act. Congressional Republicans and President Trump saw the credit and other spending authorized by the IRA as a target for elimination this year to help pay for an extension of 2017's tax cuts in what Trump called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This credit and a few others will be eliminated effective 2026, but other credits, including one that applies to companies that offer residential solar leases and power purchase agreements, will be phased out over the following years. Considering Solar Panels? Our email course will walk you through how to go solar By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe at any time. Walker said the energy policy changes in the latest legislation will likely lead to higher electric bills, because it discourages the development of clean energy like wind and solar -- the easiest and fastest way to get power on the grid. This comes at the same time that data centers for artificial intelligence are sucking up more and more energy. With the current energy environment and the need for more generation, more energy efficiency and more energy independence, now isn't the time to scale back incentives, said Zach Pierce, head of policy at the nonprofit Rewiring America. "This preemptive phasedown of these common-sense tax credits is a self-inflicted setback," he told me. "These are the exact investments we should be leaning into, not preemptively eliminating." Considering Solar Panels? Our email course will walk you through how to go solar By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe at any time. Should you rush to get solar panels before the tax credit expires? A solar panel system can cost you tens of thousands of dollars, even with 30% off, thanks to the government. Don't feel like the disappearance of the credit is reason enough to go solar. But if you were already considering getting solar panels and you weren't sure whether you'd do it this year or next year, the credit's expiration may mean you want to act sooner. One unanswered question is exactly what constitutes having a system installed by the end of the year. Does that mean panels are on the roof and sending electrons to an inverter and battery, or does it mean the system has been approved to interconnect to the grid? Waiting on interconnection can add more time, meaning it's even more important to act quickly, Walker said. Until more guidance on the tax change comes from the Internal Revenue Service, that's probably what you should assume, she said. "Our best guidance right now is to have your system interconnected by the end of the year because that's the safest bet," she said. There are also leases and PPAs, in which a third-party company owns the panels on your house and you either pay a monthly payment or a per-kilowatt-hour rate for the energy, respectively. For those systems, the credit expires in 2028, but it's the company that claims those credits, not you. Walker said those companies often have not been passing those savings down to consumers anyway. The most important thing is not to rush too much. The solar industry has a problem with bad actors and questionable companies, and a brief gold rush like this might bring more out of the woodwork. Even though there is urgency, Walker said homeowners shouldn't rush and should still get multiple quotes and read the fine print. What other tax credits are changing? Other energy-related tax credits are also being eliminated sooner than planned. The energy-efficient home improvement credit, which covers things like insulation and heating and cooling systems, also expires after this year. Rewiring America has resources available with details on how the credits are changing and how to take advantage of them. States and utilities also have similar rebate programs, so the hit to your wallet from losing the federal credit is mitigated a bit. Still, if you're in the market for home energy efficiency changes, consider moving quickly. "If you've been thinking about upgrading an appliance, now is the time as we get into the fall," Pierce said. Energy efficiency incentives and programs can insulate you not just from the heat and cold, but from rising energy costs. "Energy efficiency and insulation in the home, if you can afford it and find ways to overcome that up-front cost barrier, is pretty much a no-regrets thing," Pierce said. The new clean vehicle credit and used clean vehicle credit provide $7,500 for new electric vehicles and $4,000 for used EVs. These expire at the end of September.
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
England fans roar for Lionesses as they bid to defeat Dutch 'secret weapon'
The England game against the Netherlands is a sell out match tonight at Zurich's Letzigrund stadium, with 22,000 football fans ready to head into the packed-out ground Lionesses fans have promised to roar at the top of their lungs to help England into the Euro finals and disarm the Dutch 'secret weapon'. England will take on the Netherlands at 5pm BST in Zurich before Wales clash with France 53 miles away in St Gallen at 8pm tonight. Both matches are all-or-nothing games for the home nations, with the Welsh and English teams needing a win to stay in the tournament. But as supporters in orange jerseys boasted that they are the Netherlands 'secret weapon', a sea of red, white and blue fans told them: "We'll be louder." Emily Walker, 34, from Southampton told the Mirror: "We're 100 per cent going to be louder, it was already loud at the last match but we're going to give it everything to be louder than the Netherlands fans, I'll make sure we are. "I'm excited and nervous after our last game, but now I just can't wait for kick off." A 30,000-strong barmy army of fans are banking on the Lionesses to keep their title as reigning champions after buying tickets for the final in Basel. And today they began arriving by train, plane, coach and car to give England a much-needed boost in this do-or-die game. Jennifer McKenzie, 48, and her partner Susie Bewell, 53, had driven 800 miles in their campervan all the way from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, to Zurich to scream for England in the stands. Jennifer said: "It was really important for us to come out because we're the title holders. We were there cheering them on at Wembley and for most of the other games at the 2022 Euros, so we felt it was our duty as England fans to follow them here and be as loud as we can." England fans wore the St George's flag across their shoulders or painted across their faces and nails as they took over Zurich city centre chanting 'come on England'. Queues for the Lionesses HQ fan base in the Kraftwerk pub stretched around the street as fans desperately tried to pile in for a pre-match pint. Having arrived in Zurich with his four-year-old daughter Ashley, Richard Dunbar told the Mirror he wanted her to grow up with role models like the Lionesses. Richard, 41, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, said: "The atmosphere here in Zurich is brilliant, being among the other fans from the other nations it's really great that we can be jovial and together but come 5pm Lionesses will be on form, we will roar to victory and it will be the first of many until we get to the final and lift that trophy."
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Residential Solar Prices Dropped and Tesla Dominated Battery Market, according to EnergySage's 2024 Solar & Storage Marketplace Report
20th edition of EnergySage report captures consumer trends from 2024, offers insight into 2025 BOSTON, April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After a year of contraction, residential solar and storage prices both reached new all-time lows even as panels have continued to increase in power output, according to the 20th EnergySage Intel: Solar & Storage Marketplace Report released today. This semiannual report analyzes millions of transaction-level data points from homeowners shopping on from January through December 2024 for solar panels, inverters, batteries, and more from solar companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. EnergySage's report captures the trends shaping consumer behavior, installer offerings, and equipment preferences, while spotlighting early indicators of how tariffs, interest rates, and Tesla brand backlash may influence the market in the months ahead. Below are three key insights from the latest report, which can be downloaded for free at Residential solar and storage prices both reach new all-time lowsSolar prices dropped for the third consecutive six-month period, hitting $2.50 per watt, the lowest median quoted price since EnergySage began tracking data in 2014. Quoted storage prices also fell, setting a new record low of $999 per kilowatt-hour stored. "Heading into 2025, solar and battery prices had never been lower on the EnergySage Marketplace, and for homeowners, that means more affordable and accessible clean energy solutions," said Emily Walker, Director of Content and Insights at EnergySage. "This creates a compelling record-low benchmark to measure against as we begin to see the effects of shifting policies and tariffs take hold this year." Tesla's Powerwall 3 disrupts the storage—and solar—marketTesla became the most quoted battery brand in H2 2024, occupying 63% of Marketplace share nationwide. Because the Powerwall 3 includes an integrated inverter, Tesla also became the second-most quoted inverter brand. With batteries increasingly being added to solar systems—the national battery attachment rate jumped to 45% in H2 2024, an all-time high—Tesla's growth was a key driver of the low storage and solar prices seen on EnergySage. "Tesla's emerging dominance in both storage and inverter quotes reflects the market's appetite for integrated, all-in-one solutions," said Charlie Hadlow, President and COO of EnergySage. "But as concerns around availability and brand sentiment surface, we're watching closely to see whether this momentum holds or if consumer backlash will begin to shift installer and homeowner preferences." Rated solar panel output continues to climbSolar panels have continued to increase in power output due to larger sizes and higher efficiencies. In H2 2024, 33% of quotes included solar panels with rated outputs above 450 watts, up from just 1% in H2 2023. We are tracking tariff-related solar panel stockpiling to see if it hinders U.S. solar technology growth in 2025. "As panel technologies improve, more homeowners are being offered higher-output systems—meaning fewer panels, more power, and a better return on investment," said Emily Walker, Director of Content and Insights at EnergySage. "We're closely watching how inventory strategies and upcoming tariffs may shape this trend." For a decade, the Solar & Storage Marketplace Report has provided an unparalleled look into the trends for pricing, equipment, and consumer preferences shaping today's U.S. residential solar, energy storage, and home electrification industry. "The data in this report tells a broader story about the industry's evolution," said Charlie Hadlow, President and COO of EnergySage. "From the rise in storage adoption to the shift toward higher-efficiency equipment and lower costs, we're seeing homeowners take greater control over their energy choices. EnergySage is here to help them power their way." This latest report furthers the company's mission to make clean energy and energy-saving solutions like rooftop solar, energy storage, community solar, and heat pumps more accessible and affordable through trusted resources, unbiased advice, and a simple shopping experience. For questions or to inquire about additional insights, please contact intel@ ABOUT ENERGYSAGE, is the simplest, most trusted way to comparison shop and save on high-quality clean energy and energy-saving solutions, including rooftop solar, energy storage, heat pumps, and community solar. As the trusted partner for hundreds of vetted and accredited solar, HVAC, and electrical installers, EnergySage enables shoppers to request multiple high-quality quotes in minutes. With in-depth resources and unbiased support, EnergySage makes the entire process simple, low-stress, and more affordable for consumers, while serving as the conduit for clean energy companies and providers in all 50 states and D.C. to grow their businesses, reduce costs, and simplify their operations. For these reasons, leading organizations like National Grid, Mass Save, Sierra Club, Intuit, SEIA, and NCSU's DSIRE point their audiences to EnergySage to begin their clean energy transitions. Visit EnergySage for more information, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, Bluesky, and YouTube. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE EnergySage
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Western NC Easter tradition continues in new location
POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – For 69 years crowds of people have spent Easter morning at Chimney Rock State Park, watching the sun rise over Lake Lure during an early morning service to celebrate the Easter holiday. Unfortunately, due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene, the park was unable to play host to its usual ceremonies this year. But organizers and the faithful still found a way to keep the annual tradition alive at Tryon Equestrian Center. Crowds piled into the equestrian center early Sunday morning for a special service and watched as the sun rose over over the center and surrounding fields. 'It was slightly emotional,' said Emily Walker, director of Chimney Park management, said. 'In the audience today were so many people from the village and from Lake Lure, and a lot of us don't see it other like we used to. We are disconnected and we try to limit our time there and stay out of the way of the construction and so on and so forth. It was amazing to see all the same faces in a different place but it had the same feeling.' Like much of Western North Carolina, Chimney Rock – the state park and the surrounding village – saw significant damage from Hurricane Helene. Six months after the hurricane hit, the park and village remain closed to the public while efforts to rebuild are under way. Earlier this month North Carolina Department of Transportation announced it has selected locations for temporary bridges into the area and construction crews continue to rebuild homes and businesses washed away by flood waters and mudslides. Despite the difficult times the community is facing, ceremonies like the sunrise service continue to hold a special place for those who attend. 'For a lot of people they have been coming their entire lives we meet people and get letters from people who have come since they were one years old and now they are coming with their grand kids,' said Walker. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
