Solar Rebate Program

[txdon]

Has anyone taken advantage of your local, state, or federal rebate program for solar panels? I'm starting to get interested in a whole house system with the pending Texas TexSUN solar rebate program ($4.50 per watt residential). Are there any unforeseen problems in the solar panel net metering system? Thanks.

 

[Catman1]

TxDon

I am taking advantage of the Fed tax credit for 2006 on the solar panels I purchased last year. I could not qualify for any state or local rebates at that time.

Do be careful that you look carefully over the Texas documents for the rebate. Some places want you to have a long warranty on the solar stuff and the inverters (California wants 5 years ) and they only accept certain brands. Make sure you dot all the i's and cross the t's.

Here is a link to the solar rebates across the country:

DSIRE: DSIRE Home

 

[txdon]

Catman1, I saw on the INTERNET that for each 125 sq ft. of panels the energy produced in a month will reduce the electric bill by $18.00. Have you found this to be true on your system?

 

[Catman1]

Sorry txdon. I have not used it that way yet enough. I am using as backup for the moment. In six months I will know better. I do have about 125 Sq feet.

Batteries, inverter, and panels make a good backup.

 

[hazmat]

Don

That's a nice deal. Weather it is cost effective depends on your utility rates. You may have to hire the job to qualify for the rebate. Some numbers for your consideration:

$8.00 per watt installed system "typcial costs" - (found it to be closer to $10 in Mass)
$4.50 per watt rebate
$2,000 fed tax credit
$10,250 installed price for 3.5kW system
1,900 kWH per Kw size produced per year in central Texas
6,650 kwH produced per year (multiply by utility rate to calc savings) At MA rates of $0.165 per kWH = $1,100 saved per year - <10 year straight payback

Residual value of system - ~$20K

I'd go for it in a second, there is a study done that depending on mortgage rates, buyers will pay ~$20 for every $1 less in annual utility bills.

 

[dmccarty]

Are there any unforeseen problems in the solar panel net metering system?

Check to see if the Texas utilities pay you back at the full retail power rate. In NC they pay less than retail for the solar generated power.

Later,
Dan

 

[txdon]

dmccarty, I have asked that question and it appears they pay back at full value, that is the meter spins backward at the same rate. The pending Texas rebate program utilizes net metering - no batteries. If your meter spins backward more than forward you can bank the KW usage up to 12 months to use against the KW usage on less sunny months. Austin Energy Electric Company (not mine) already has this program and on the example of a $20 thousand dollar system $13 thousand would be rebated (approx). This does not include the $2,000. fed. rebate.

 

[texbaylea]

TxDon

I did a quick read through of the introduced bill but did not see that it was mandatory that the electric provider participate. It did appear that net billing was mandatory if they did.

Vernon

 

[dmccarty]

That's a nice deal. Weather it is cost effective depends on your utility rates. You may have to hire the job to qualify for the rebate. .

I'm not sure the utility rates matter that much compared to how much the Feds and in my case the state are paying for incentives. But gracious your power bills are high up Nawth! Almost 17 cents per KWH. I pay 10 cents including taxes and rounding up.

NC will give me up to $10,500 for a system. But they will only pay 35% of the costs. AND they will only give me back half of what I pay in state taxes. Sooo, if the system is 10-12,000 dollars they state will give me roughly $4,000 back plus $2,000 from Uncle Sam. Since I don't pay $8,000 a year in state taxes it will take a couple of years for the state to fully pay me the $4,000 but eventually I would get it back.

A 3.5KW system looks like in a 6-8 hour day would provide a third to half of my power bill. Course in the summer when my power bill is higher it will be more money saved. NC will also give me up to $1,400 for solar water heating which is a big part of my power bill.

If we ever get an extra 10 grand I think we will do this. Certainly the water heater. I never looked at the PV this closely though. In 7 years it would be paid and it would be free money over the total 15-20 year life of the system.

Later,
Dan

 

[txdon]

Vernon, I checked with my electric company and they have just started net metering! I was under the impression that the rebate is from the state funded by a new tax (65 cents per megawatt, in my case 50 cents a month). What do they have to participate in? We have a Co-op meeting in 2 months maybe we can add something to the agenda.