Last DSIRE Review: 01/23/2008
Incentive Type: Utility Rebate Program
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: Photovoltaics
Applicable Sectors: Commercial, Residential, Nonprofit, Must be
Austin Energy Customer
Incentive Amount: Residential and Commercial: $4.50/watt AC;
Equipment manufactured (60% minimum) in Austin: up to $5.60/watt AC
Maximum Incentive: Residential: the lesser of $13,500 or 80% of invoiced
cost per fiscal year, per site
Commercial and Non-profit: the lesser of $100,000 or 80% of invoiced cost
per fiscal year, per site
Eligible System Size: Minimum size: 1 kW
Maximum size: Not specified, but incentives are capped
Equipment Requirements: Must use pre-approved modules and inverters
(those listed by the California Energy Commission). PV systems must
carry a 5-year warranty from the installer in addition to a 10 year
manufacturer warrantee on inverters in residential applications without
battery back-up.
Installation Requirements: Must be grid-connected. Must use a solar
installer from the Austin Energy Registered Installer List. Solar
installers must be certified by the North American Board of Certified
Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) within two years of becoming a Registered Installer.
Program Budget: $2,950,000 (FY 2008)
Ownership of Renewable Energy Credits: Austin Energy
Expiration Date: 10/01/2008
Project Review/Certification: Pre-installation inspection will determine
rebate eligibility; final rebate determined upon post-installation inspection
Website:
http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Rebates/Solar%20Rebates/index.htm
Summary:
Austin Energy's Solar Rebate Program, launched on June 1, 2004, offers a $4.50 per
watt incentive to eligible residential and commercial customers (including nonprofit
organizations) who install photovoltaics on their homes or facilities. For solar
installations that use PV equipment manufactured in Austin, the rebate is $5.60
per watt. For residential customers, the rebate program will pay 80% of customer
invoiced cost or $13,500, whichever is less. For commercial customers, the rebate
program will pay 80% of customer invoiced cost or $100,000, whichever is less.
Rebates will only be paid for approved systems installed by approved solar contractors
according to the established technical requirements. Depending on the commercial rebate
amount, approval from the Austin City Council may be required.
The City Council initially approved $933,000 in funding for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2004. For 2005, $2,000,000 was budgeted for solar PV
rebates and $500,000 for PV installations on municipal buildings. For 2006,
the solar PV rebate budget was raised to $3,000,000, while $450,000 is being
allocated for PV installations on municipal buildings.
Austin Energy will provide net metering for customers with solar systems.
Any net excess generation at the end of each month will be credited to the
following month's bill. However, the credit will be less than retail value --
calculated by multiplying the net kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity fed into
the grid times the current fuel charge.
An additional requirement is that the renewable energy credits (RECs) and
other environmental attributes from participating in this program must be
transferred to Austin Energy.
In 2003, the Austin City Council set a 20% by 2020 renewable portfolio standard
(RPS) for Austin Energy with a solar goal of 100 megawatts capacity in the
community by 2020. Austin Energy will install demonstration solar projects at
schools, libraries and community centers, 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.
Contact:
Conservation Information Center - Solar Rebates
Austin Energy
Solar Rebate Program
721 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
Phone: (512) 482-5346
Fax: (512) 482-5409
E-Mail: solarrebate@austinenergy.com
Web site:
http://www.austinenergy.com