It's easy to think about modules as singular units of power output, but the reality is that they are a collection of diverse components, each with influence over the end system's total cost and performance. For DuPont, its focus is of course on the materials side, from metallization pastes used to form contacts on the solar cell, to backsheet materials that protect the panels themselves.
The Obama Administration's $60 billion Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewable energy is considered a failure because of Solyndra, Beacon Power, and potential 2012 bankruptcies. What is not well known is that 75 percent of the program's deployed funds went to relatively low risk power plants that will catapult the U.S. to a leadership role in the utility-scale solar sector. This is hardly the hallmark of a "failed program." The program is akin to Shakespeare's King Henry V, who said as a delinquent Prince: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will."Utility Rebate & Tax Incentives
Green Fuel Solar Savings Plan
Imagine reducing or even eliminating your electric bill and having your state and/or utility company help pay you to do it with cash rebates and tax credits!
Well stop imagining, huge cash rebates and tax credits are now available in many states that dramatically reduce the cost of spinning your electric meter backwards with solar energy!
For a complete list of all financial incentives available visit Arizona Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.
AZ Residential Solar Rebates and Incentives
| SRP fiscal year | Residential solar electric one-time incentive |
Commercial solar electric one-time incentive |
Commercial solar electric >50kW PBI 10-year term |
Commercial solar electric >50kW PBI 20-year term |
| June 1, 2009 – April 30, 2010 | $2.70/watt $13,500 max |
$2.25/watt $112,500 max |
$0.214/kWh | $0.160/kWh |
| May 1, 2010 – April 30, 2011 | $2.55/watt $12,750 max |
$2.10/watt $105,000 max |
$0.206/kWh | $0.154/kWh |
| May 1, 2011 – April 30, 2012 | $2.40/watt $12,000 max |
$1.95/watt $97,500 max |
$0.191/kWh | $0.143/kWh |
| May 1, 2012 – April 30, 2013 | $2.25/watt $11,250 max |
$1.80/watt $90,000 max |
$0.175/kWh | $0.132/kWh |
| May 1, 2013 – April 30, 2014 | $2.10/watt $10,500 max |
$1.65/watt $82,500 max |
$0.160/kWh | $0.121/kWh |
| May 1, 2014 – April 30, 2015 | $1.95/watt $9,750 max |
$1.50/watt $75,000 max |
$0.145/kWh | $0.110/kWh |
Residential Solar and Renewable Incentives(APS)
| System type | Up-front incentive with 20 year REC agreement |
Sample incentive |
| Photovoltaic systems | More details | |
| Grid tied | Up to $3/watt* | 4000 watt (4kW) Grid Tied system installed. $3 x 4000 watts = $12,000 incentive |
| Off grid | Up to $2/watt* | |
| Solar water heating | More details | |
| $0.75/kWh savings** Calculate your incentive | Water heater with first year savings of 1800 kWh based on OG-300 rating. $0.75 x 1800 kWh = $1,350 incentive | |
| Wind Energy | More details | |
| Grid tied | $2.50/watt | 5000 watt (5kW) Grid Tied system installed. $2.50 x 5000 watts = $12,500 incentive |
| Off grid | $2/watt |
Non-Residential Solar and Renewable Incentives(APS)
| Technology |
Up-front incentive |
Production based incentives (maximum incentive levels) |
||||
| 20 year REC agreement Incentive capped at $75,000 | 10 year REC agreement/ 10 year payment | 15 year REC agreement/ 15 year payment | 20 year REC agreement/ 10 year payment | 20 year REC agreement/ 20 year payment | ||
| Solar | ||||||
| Grid tied | Up to $2.50/watt1 | $0.202/kWh | $0.187/kWh | $0.250/kWh | $0.180/kWh | |
| Off grid | Up to $1.50/watt1 | $0.121/kWh | $0.112/kWh | $0.150/kWh | $0.108/kWh | |
| Solar water heating2 |
$0.75/first year kWh savings based on OG-300 rating. | $0.057kWh | $0.052/kWh | $0.070/kWh | $0.051/kWh | |
| Solar pool heating |
not applicable | $0.012/kWh | $0.011/kWh | $0.015/kWh | $0.011/kWh | |
| Solar process/ space cooling | not applicable | $0.129/kWh | $0.120/kWh | $0.160/kWh | $0.115/kWh | |
| Solar process/ space heating | not applicable | $0.057/kWh | $0.052/kWh | $0.070/kWh | $0.051/kWh | |
| Solar daylighting | $0.20/kWh3 | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | |
| Wind | ||||||
| Electric generation |
||||||
| Grid tied | $2.50/watt4 | $0.145/kWh | $0.135/kWh | $0.180/kWh | $0.130/kWh | |
| Off grid | $2/watt4 | $0.116/kWh | $0.108/kWh | $0.144/kWh | $0.104/kWh | |
| Biomass and Biogas | ||||||
| Electric generation |
not applicable | $0.060/kWh | $0.056/kWh | not applicable | ||
| Thermal cooling | not applicable | $0.032/kWh | $0.030/kWh | $0.040/kWh | $0.029/kWh | |
| Thermal heating | not applicable | $0.015/kWh | $0.014/kWh | not applicable | $0.013/kWh | |
| CHP – Electric5 | not applicable | $0.035/kWh | $0.032/kWh | not applicable | $0.031/kWh | |
| CHP – Thermal5 | not applicable | $0.018/kWh | $0.017/kWh | not applicable | $0.016/kWh | |
*Commercial Only
Up-front Incentives cannot exceed $75,000 or 50 percent of the total system cost. Production based incentives payments cannot exceed 60 percent of the total system cost .
- The incentive amount for PV systems may be adjusted if the expected performance of the system is lowered due to shading of the PV panels or installation of the panels at a less than optimal direction or angle. Adjustments are detailed in the PV incentive adjustment chart.
- The customer contribution to the cost of the water heating system must be at least 15 percent of the project cost after all available Federal and State incentives have been applied.
- Rate applies to first year energy savings only.
- Production based incentives for wind technology apply to systems 100 kW or smaller only.
- CHP incentives may be used in combination for the appropriate components of one system.
*This information and more on other renewable energy technology incentives available at
APS Green Choice.
