Glossary

ITC — Investment Tax Credit

Also known as: Investment Tax Creditfederal solar ITC

ITC is the catchall industry term for the federal tax credits historically available for renewable energy investments. "ITC" most often refers to the commercial-side investment tax credit (now Section 48E for projects placed in service after the IRA), but in casual industry usage it sometimes refers to the residential Section 25D credit too.

Disambiguation: When solar marketing says "30% ITC," they often mean the now-expired Section 25D residential credit. When commercial-side documentation says "ITC," they typically mean Section 48E.

02·Why it matters in Santa Cruz County

Mainly a vocabulary check — when you hear "ITC" in 2026 sales pitches, ask whether they mean residential 25D (expired for 2026 installs) or commercial 48E (still active, the path for third-party agreement / leased systems).

03·Sunrise's take

We avoid "ITC" in our customer-facing copy because the ambiguity confuses people. We name the actual code section.

06·One more thing

Met this term in a quote or inspection report?

A free whole-home inspection turns jargon into a written assessment of your actual house — you keep the report either way.

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