(WSIL) -- With electric bills on the rise many people are looking for alternative forms of energy.Â
State and National Lawmakers are using incentives to make solar energy more attractive.Â
The Inflation Reduction Act revives a 30% Tax Credit for installing Solar Panels on your home.Â
The average cost of a rooftop solar system is around $20,000, according to Solar Energy Industries Association.Â
That would mean an up front savings of $6,000. And that's in addition to the energy bill savings each year.Â
"It's never been a better time to go solar"
Those are the sentiments of A-E-S Solar CEO Sariff Shakir. He's been working in the solar energy business for three years.
"We're getting calls every day -- all day -- off the hook."
He says, right now AES is fielding more questions about the benefits of switching to solar energy. One topic centers around the state's incentive program and what it means to anyone considering a switch to solar energy.
"The state is looking to be more green and they're encouraging people to go solar."
To do that, Shakir says, the state is paying for the premium value of solar.
"This is an incentive that people get money back from. literally from the state."
While the hook is the incentives, Shakir says it's current electric bills that are driving many to make the call and consider solar.
"People are getting their bills and freaking out. We're finding more people are wanting to go solar because their bill is higher. The comparative to the bill to what solar costs are becoming more in line for more and more people."
The federal government is also trying to make solar and other alternative energy programs more attractive. One key component to the inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that recently passed in the senate is close to 370 billion dollars in clean energy and climate investments over the next decade.
"I think the federal government is trying to add some stability to the federal tax credit. I think the big thing they're doing regardless of what the rate ends up being, is they're looking to keep it going for eight years or 10 years so there' some stability to it and you can count on it."
Incentives and higher rates on more traditional power sources means one thing to businesses like AES.
"We're much busier than we have been in the past and it's because of both of those things."