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Solar PV rebates are largest in the U.S.
AUSTIN, Texas, US, 2004-06-02
(Refocus Weekly)
Companies in the capital city of Texas can receive US$100,000 for installing solar PV systems.
Austin Energy has launched a solar program that will provide some of the
highest rebates in the country, and will diversify both energy and economic
development in the city. The City Council has approved $933,000 in funding for
the current fiscal year, which ends in September.
The rebate is $5 per watt, increasing to $6.25 for solar installations that use
PV equipment manufactured in Austin. The rebate program will pay 50% to 80% of
the cost, to a maximum of $15,000 for residential systems and a maximum rebate
of $100,000 for a business.
“This program is not only about decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels and
delaying the need for new generation through our green power program,” says
general manager Juan Garza, “but also about making Austin an attractive
destination for solar manufacturers.”
A 1 kW PV system requires 120 square feet of solar panels, and should generate
1,500 to 1,700 kWh of power a year, which represents $85 to $170 worth of
electricity. The system would cost between $6,000 and $9,000, and the Austin
Energy rebate would be $5,000.
Customer must own the house on which the panels will be installed, and the roof
must be in good condition. Deed restrictions cannot prohibit the installation of
solar panels, and Austin Energy can deny a rebate based on excessive shading or
poor orientation of a planned solar array.
The utility will provide net metering for customers with solar systems, with any
surplus showing as a credit on the customer's bill. The credit will equal the
net kWh of power fed into the grid multiplied by the current fuel charge.
The goal of Austin Energy is to install 100 MW of solar power by 2020 to meet
15% of its generation needs. It will install demonstration solar projects at
school, libraries and community centres, and is partnering with other city
departments to develop the first ‘affordable’ net-zero energy subdivision in
the country, a 100-home subdivision in the city’s southeast district.
Austin Energy's ‘GreenChoice’ program has been ranked as the top
utility-sponsored green power program in the U.S. based on sales for two years
in a row, and is ranked first with the lowest premium charged to customers. The
rating was done by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory.
Last year, Austin Energy sold 289 million kWh of renewable power, ahead of
second-place Portland General Electric with 189 million kWh and third-place
Sacramento Municipal Utility District with 143 million kWh in green power sales.
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