IRA Domestic Content Bonus Calculator

IRA Domestic Content Compliance Calculator

Check whether a solar or storage project qualifies for the 10% domestic content bonus credit before you buy equipment. The calculator runs both gates: the pass or fail Steel & Iron test, and the Manufactured Products cost percentage against the threshold for your construction start year.

Every cost percentage is editable, so you can score the project on your real numbers instead of generic assumptions. Results update as you type and nothing is stored.

01. Project setup & timing

Construction start year

Technology

Solar capacity

MW DC

02. Steel & Iron test

Passing

Every structural item must be 100% melted and poured in the United States. This test is pass or fail — a single foreign structural component disqualifies the entire bonus credit, whatever your cost percentage is.

Foundation piles / ground screwsDriven piles, helical piles or ground screws carrying the array.Racking rails & mechanical support structurePurlins, rails and structural members of fixed-tilt or tracker rows.Torque tubes (tracking systems)Only applies to single-axis or dual-axis tracker projects.Concrete rebar / foundation steelReinforcing bar in ballast blocks, piers and equipment pads.

03. Manufactured products checklist

Tick each product you will source domestically. Percentages are the customary cost allocations — edit any of them to match your actual project costs and the score renormalises against the base you enter.

Solar array components

0.0%

PV module assembly (U.S. production base)Module laminated and assembled in a U.S. facility.%U.S. solar cellsCells manufactured domestically rather than imported.%U.S. wafersWafer production inside the United States.%Central / string invertersPower conversion equipment manufactured in the U.S.%Tracker drives & actuatorsDrive motors, gearboxes and controllers. Excludes structural steel.%Electrical balance of systemCombiner boxes, switchgear, conductors and connectors.%

What to ask suppliers for once you have a number

A domestic content claim is only as good as the paperwork behind it. Request these with your quotes so the score you modelled survives review.

Steel & iron: mill test reports showing the melt and pour location for piles, racking, torque tubes and rebar.

Modules: country of assembly, cell origin and wafer origin stated separately, plus the factory address.

Inverters and PCS: manufacturing location and a direct cost breakdown for the domestic content certification.

Batteries: cell manufacturing location, pack assembly location, and whether enclosure and thermal systems are U.S. built.

IRA domestic content FAQs

What is the IRA domestic content bonus credit?

It is an additional 10 percentage points on the investment tax credit (or a 10% increase to the production tax credit) for projects that meet both the Steel & Iron requirement and the Manufactured Products cost percentage for the year construction begins.

What domestic content percentage do I need to hit?

The Manufactured Products threshold rises with the construction start year: 40% for projects beginning construction in 2024 or earlier, 45% in 2025, 50% in 2026, and 55% in 2027 and later.

Why does one foreign steel item fail the whole project?

The Steel & Iron requirement is pass or fail, not a percentage. All structural steel and iron — piles, racking, torque tubes and rebar — must be melted and poured in the United States. A single foreign structural item disqualifies the bonus regardless of your manufactured products score.

Can I change the cost percentages?

Yes. Every line starts at the customary safe-harbour cost allocation and can be edited to match your actual project costs. The score renormalises against whatever cost base you enter.

How is a solar plus storage project scored?

Each scope is scored on its own cost lines, then blended by capacity using ((solar score x MW) + (storage score x MWh x BESS cost factor)) / (MW + MWh).

Is this calculator tax advice?

No. It is a planning estimate for procurement teams. Confirm final eligibility with your tax advisor against the current IRS guidance and your supplier's domestic content certifications before you claim the credit.