In this segment, our experts discuss why commerical businesses should still consider solar or distributed generation projects, even after the changes coming to the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) under the One Big Beauitful Bill Act (OBBBA).

Watch the full video or read the transcript below.

Q: What is the Investment Tax Credit?

AT: I’m Andrew Trapanese, VP of Development and Engineering for SitelogIQ’s Commercial Markets group.

So, the Investment Tax Credit is a federal subsidy that has come and gone over many years. Most commonly, [it] provides a 30% tax value to solar or energy storage or many types of distributed energy technologies for the total project cost. For so long, the industry has had this federal subsidy, and that’s what’s enabled many projects to come to fruition.

Q: What pressures exist right now around federal tax credits?

CL: My name is Clark Longhurst. I’m the President of the Commercial Markets division for SitelogIQ.

One shift in mindset that I would encourage any business owner or somebody trying to make a decision as it relates to solar renewables is to think about what this might look like long term as opposed to kind of in the next, you know, quarter or several months.

These are things that do take a while to get put into the ground or on the roof, and the sooner that you start, the sooner you reap the benefits.

I think that time is not always our friend and that is certainly the case here with the One Big Beautiful Bill that was legislated last July [of 2025]. We’re moving into an environment that those tax credits are going to be phasing out. Fairly complex how that gets phased out, but just important to know that those programs are going away. We’re looking at somewhere between 30 and 40% of a tax credit towards these projects that will no longer be available after these milestones have been hit.

Q: What trends are impacting power requirements in the U.S.?

AT: I think one of the undervalued dynamics is just the changing macro power dynamic in the United States. We have a load growth environment at a rate that we haven’t seen in the past 20 to 30 years. And what that’s driving is significantly higher energy costs and higher growth rates in energy costs in many markets. Thus the underlying economics, even without the Investment Tax Credit, are really going to improve or change over the course of the next several years.

Q: Will renewable projects still make sense for my business post-ITC?

CL: If we think about the energy space that we’re kind of walking into, all of the demands that are being put on our energy grid right now, renewables will be part of our future for a very long time, whether there’s tax credits to help or not.

When we think about sustainability, when we think about energy costs, when we think about renewables, really there’s no bad time to move forward. The way that the financial metrics work or the way that the mechanics of these projects work is even with no tax incentives, the higher the cost of the power, the better the return on investment. So, I would encourage everybody to not be scared away from pursuing, or at least entertaining, these projects.

Even if there [are] no tax incentives available, there’s also potentially state and local programs that can help augment or offset some of those expiring tax credits as well.

Q: How can SitelogIQ help me strategize and implement my renewables project?

AT: One of the ways SitelogIQ helps its customers is really identifying the right commercial strategy for completing a solar project. Is it for that ownership group to buy and build the projects themselves? Or is it [better] to have a third-party owner through a power purchase agreement or some other third-party structure that enables them to take advantage of the business opportunity, while not necessarily having to outlay the cash to build the project.

Q: What should I do next if I’m considering solar or a renewable project?

CL: If you’re a business who is looking to execute on a renewable strategy, I would recommend moving quickly. The ITC credits are expiring soon and there is still time to get out and make those projects happen prior to those milestones or those expirations.

Waiting may cost more than acting—for some projects, you could experience a loss of 30-50% of the upfront costs.

SitelogIQ is your one-stop partner to help you assess, design, and install energy upgrade projects. We have a dedicated team to help you navigate changes and qualify for tax credits before the impending deadlines.

We support all project phases of energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable solutions. One partner, one source of accountability, one comprehensive strategy—across all properties or locations.

With the OBBBA, time is of the essence. Let’s chat about your energy transition goals and how you can take advantage of incentives that are still available today.

Transcript:

Yolanda Valdez, Superintendent, Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District: We feel that SitelogIQ is not only a company that has helped us reach our goals in respects to energy, but they’re partners.

Stuart Packard, Superintendent, Buttonwillow Union School District: The services SitelogIQ have provided for us, provide for a continuous improvement in how we work and how we do business.

Travis Barnett, Dir. Of Grounds & Operations, Marysville Joint Unified School District: Once I engaged in finding information about SitelogIQ, my take from them was a company that genuinely wants to help.

Packard: SitelogIQ is an energy company in the sense that they help us identify where we have needs of saving funds, how we can put in better energy production, and utilize it more efficiently throughout the school.

Currently, we’ve installed a new HVAC system in our gym. We have also utilized Proposition 39 funds, which was the first project we did with SitelogIQ. We are currently finishing up our solar project, which has 0% financing.

The support is evident. When you’re in a in a small school district, you don’t have people with the expertise and a background in this area. In this case, we relied on SitelogIQ and put a tremendous amount of confidence in them that they were doing and guiding us in the right direction. So far, it has been a very successful working relationship between Buttonwillow School District and SitelogIQ.

Rebecca Gladden, Program Director of Energy Management & Education: We make the complicated world of energy easy for our customers to understand. We help them make sense of their energy usage and costs to help them take action in reducing their usage and associated expenses. We help them take power back of their facilities.

Barnett: With the hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts that I oversee, it’s really important to feel comfortable with the company you’re doing business with. I can honestly say that from the get-go, the integrity and upfront honesty that SitelogIQ provided me gave me peace of mind – knowing that what I was moving forward with was in fact what the end results going to be.

To me, knowing that a company is transparent and the communication is open and that the goals are all on the table, whether it be a funding sources, cost analysis, or what profit is even on their side, everything was an open book. SitelogIQ provided clear, honest, and transparent communication throughout the process, and I found that to be most valuable when working with a contractor.

Valdez: They also have a strong sense of community. Our project was completed a few years ago, and they continue to be our partners in developing our children, our students through our engineering academy, and continue to support our community with our fundraisers, and continuing to visit and stay involved.

Barnett: I felt like I was in very good hands, and our school board felt like they were in very good hands.

To me it was more of an education-based company that also has funding solutions. It’s not just about implementation facility upgrades as much as it is about educating students and staff and being part of the team and network within the K–12 community.