Block 2 of the Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program in Massachusetts has closed to new applications because the funding cap has been reached.
The program's Block 3 will begin in early July, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which administers the program.
The Commonwealth Solar II Rebate Program provides rebates for the installation of photovoltaic systems rated at up to 10 kilowatts of capacity and all residential systems (regardless of size). The rebate calculation is capped at 5 kw.
Rebates are awarded on a rolling basis, through a non-competitive application process. The program is currently funded at $1 million per quarter, and this funding cap has been reached for Block 2.
The Clean Energy Center closed the program to new applications Wednesday, June 23.
Projects under the rebate program are required to be installed by professional, licensed contractors, and must be approved before installation begins. Recipients must be a customer of a Massachusetts electric distribution utility that collects the Renewable Energy Systems Benefit Charge from their customers and deposits those funds into the Clean Energy Center's Renewable Energy Trust Fund.
Participating utilities recently included National Grid, NStar Electric, Western Massachusetts Electric, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light, and some municipal electricity providers.
Rebates for the residential program range up to $2.10 per watt of installed production capacity. The base incentive is $1 per watt. Another $1 per watt can be added if the customer can demonstrate moderate home value or a moderate income level. The annual income criteria were recently $75,810 or less for an individual, or $95,420 or less for a household of two or more people.
Assessed home values considered moderate were $300,000 or less in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties; $350,000 or less in Bristol, Suffolk or Worcester counties; or $400,000 or less in Barnstable, Duke, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties.
An additional 10 cents per watt can be added if a solar system includes equipment produced by certain Massachusetts companies.
Solar owners also can receive solar renewable energy credits for solar electricity production. These credits have value as financial instruments and can help offset the cost of an installation.
Details about the incentive programs available in Massachusetts, including the extensive Commonwealth Solar II program manual, may be obtained from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Incentive information for Massachusetts and other states also is available from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, or DSIRE.
