Staff at Be Noble Inc. were recently invited by colleagues at Greater Fort Wayne Inc. to attend a breakfast they hosted at the Parkview Mirro Center featuring the topic “Federal Law, Local Impact – The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

A panel of experts were on hand to share their own experiences as Northeast Indiana businesses that have either installed solar energy systems or are planning to do so soon. Representatives from Sweetwater, Junior Achievement of Northeast Indiana, Turnstone Center, and Solar Solutions Technologies helped make a case to an audience of business owners and executives considering solar energy an alternative. They also shared lessons learned and tips for conducting due diligence when screening solar installers, as well as questions to ask utility providers.

Baker Tilly US, LLP and Halo Solar Funding had experts on hand to provide overviews of financing options and incentives, with a particular focus on the IRA. The IRA was signed into law in August 2022, with one-third of $499 billion in new spending and tax cuts allocated to clean energy tax credits. Both “direct pay” and “qualifying energy projects”, more than 70 total, are included in the IRA. Most credits are effectively good through 2032, the longest U.S. energy policy timeframe in history.

Companies in Noble County that have added solar energy systems in recent years include Reliable Tool and the Community Learning Center in Kendallville. The City of Kendallville also installed a solar field to power the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Be Noble Inc. offers assistance to connect Noble County businesses interested in exploring solar power to known resources available. For more information, call Be Noble at (260) 636-3800.