
Elective Pay: How Your Nonprofit Gets an IRS Cash Refund for Clean Energy
Section 6417 elective pay lets nonprofits and governments get clean energy credits as an IRS cash refund — register first, then file Form 990-T on time.
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Residential and commercial solar installer and EPC contractor bookkeeping, including ASC 606 performance obligations, Section 48E ITC adders, Section 25D sunset, PPA and lease revenue, workmanship warranty reserves, and cost-per-watt KPIs

Section 6417 elective pay lets nonprofits and governments get clean energy credits as an IRS cash refund — register first, then file Form 990-T on time.

Agrivoltaics can pay a farmer $900–$1,500 per acre in solar lease rent on top of crop and grazing income, each taxed differently. Here is how to book all three streams as separate ledger lines to protect your Schedule F, agricultural assessment, and self-employment-tax boundaries.

Wind and solar had to begin construction by July 4, 2026 — but a facility placed in service by December 31, 2027 still qualifies for 45Y/48E, a vacated IRS notice restored the 5% safe harbor, and storage, geothermal, and fuel cells remain eligible through 2033.

Businesses that missed the July 4, 2026 begin-construction deadline can still claim the 30% Section 48E solar credit — but only if the system is placed in service by December 31, 2027, with no partial credit after. Covers the under-1 MW prevailing-wage exemption, domestic content and energy community adders, MACRS plus 100% bonus depreciation, selling the credit under Section 6418, and the 10-year FEOC clawback risk.

Starting September 1, 2026, Texas SB 1036 requires residential solar retailers and salespersons to register with TDLR, with penalties up to $2,500 per violation ($10,000 when the customer is 65+) and contract-refund orders. Here's who must register, what the code of conduct prohibits, and how to prepare.

Solar ground leases on farmland pay $500-$1,200 per acre annually nationally once construction begins, but landowners who skip the decommissioning bond, rollback-tax reimbursement, and escalator clause often lose more than they gain over a 20-to-35-year term.

How residential and commercial solar EPCs should structure ASC 606 performance obligations, document the Section 48E domestic content and energy community adders, reserve for workmanship warranty per kilowatt, and survive the post-Section 25D residential market in 2026.