The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) made their first official announcement regarding their next round of Solar Rebates this morning via a webinar for the Solar Professionals. With the funds from the AARA program they are going to launch the next round of rebates in first quarter of 2010. The program is scheduled to end in 2012 or when funding runs out.
The GEO will be offering a $1.50 a watt rebate for Residential Grid-Tie PV systems with a $4,500 cap. Commercial Grid-Tie PV installations will be eligible for as much as a $15,000 rebate. If a program partner like a municipality of utility company sign up, the rebate can be as much as $3.00 a watt with a $9,000 cap on residential systems and $30,000 for commercial. Although, it appears that we will not have a program partner in Chaffee County this time around with Sangre De Cristo declining the opportunity with the GEO, and at this point Xcel costumers are not eligible for the GEO rebates due to the already existing Solar Rewards rebates.
On the Solar Domestic Hot Water side, the GEO will be offering a rebate which will cap out at $3,000 on residential systems and $15,000 on commercial systems. There may be an additional pilot Solar Domestic Hot Water program for Xcel customers which will have more details available soon.
There are a handful of requirements that will be necessary to for a homeowner to qualify for the program. I will give details on them once they are finalized by the GEO in the follow weeks. Stay tuned.
Just wanted to add that the GEO will not issue rebates for do-it-yourself solar installations. A COSEIA-approved installer must do the work and apply for these rebates. Plus, an energy audit performed by a trained energy rater may be required. Unfortunately, the pool of rebate cash is small so there’s going to be a mad dash for that money!
Hey, lets not forget about the exciting New Wind Rebate, a dollar a DC watt up to $6,000 for Colorado Residents and up to $15,000 for commercial systems.
An energy audit must stiil be performed and the grid-tied wind system must be installed by a certified installer, but this is the most exciting thing in the wind since Sangre de Christo’s Small Wind program last year.