Solar Thermal Electric

Solar Contractor Licensing

Solar Photovoltaics

The Arizona Registrar of Contractors does not offer a general solar electric contractor license, but the state's R-11 and C-11 electrical licenses cover solar electric installations. R-11 licenses are required for electrical work on residential property and C-11 licenses apply to commercial installations. Contractors can also acquire a CR-11 license to work on both residential and commercial installations. A-17 and K-11 licenses are also applicable for PV installation.

Solar Water Heating

The Arizona Registrar of Contractors does have a specific plumbing license which includes solar water heaters. R-37 is required for contractors installing or performing maintenance on residential

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Net Metering

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) issued an order on January 26, 1982, requiring all regulated utilities to file tariffs allowing net metering to customers that generate electricity with systems up to 20 kilowatts (kW)* in capacity.

Eligibility and Availability

The order applies to investor-owned utilities and municipal utilities, but not to electric cooperatives. All distributed-generation (DG) systems, including renewable energy and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, are eligible. There is no limit on total enrollment.

Net Excess Generation

The PSC has not adopted administrative rules for net metering.** Utilities' net-metering tariffs contain some variations. Customer net excess

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Local Option - Property Tax Credit for Renewables and Energy Conservation Devices

Title 9 of Maryland’s property tax code provides local governments the option to allow a property tax credit for buildings equipped with a solar, geothermal or qualifying energy conservation device. These devices may be used to heat or cool the structure, to generate electricity to be used in the structure, or to provide hot water for use in the structure. The law was initially enacted in 1985, but at that time applied only to heating and cooling and water heating applications. Electricity production for on-site use was added in 2006.

Under this provision, counties determine the amount of the credit

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Alternative Energy and Energy Conservation Patent Income Tax Deduction (Personal)

Massachusetts offers a personal income tax deduction for (1) any income -- including royalty income -- received from the sale or lease of a U.S. patent deemed beneficial for energy conservation or alternative energy development by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and (2) any income received from the sale or lease of personal or real property or materials manufactured in Massachusetts and subject to the approved patent. The deduction is effective for up to five years from the date of issuance of the U.S. patent or the date of approval by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, whichever expires
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Nebraska Solar and Wind Easements

Nebraska's solar and wind agreement provisions allow property owners to create binding solar and wind easements, among other types of agreements, for the purpose of protecting and maintaining proper access to sunlight and wind. The initial term of a wind agreement may not exceed 40 years. Additionally, a wind agreement will terminate if development has not commenced within 10 years of the effective date of the wind agreement. If all parties involved agree to extend this period, however, the agreement may be extended. Wind developers are required to ensure decommissioning funds are available for inactive systems.

Local Ordinances and Zoning

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Solar Energy Sales Tax Exemption

New Jersey offers a full exemption from the state's sales tax for all solar energy equipment. This exemption is available to all taxpayers. All major types solar energy equipment, including equipment for passive solar design, are considered eligible for the exemption as described by the New Jersey Division of Taxation Publication S&U-6 (Sales Tax Exemption Administration). According to S&U-6, the exemption includes all solar energy "devices or systems specifically approved by the Board of Public Utilities, Division of Energy and designed to provide heating or cooling or electrical or mechanical power by converting solar energy to some other usable

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Alternate Energy Revolving Loan Program

The Alternate Energy Revolving Loan Program (AERLP), administered by the Iowa Energy Center, provides low-interest loans to individuals and organizations that seek to build renewable energy production facilities in Iowa.

Successful applicants receive a low-interest loan that consists of a combination of AERLP and lender-provided funds. The AERLP provides 50% of the total loan at 0% interest rate up to a maximum of $1,000,000. The remainder of the loan is provided by a lender at market rate.

Eligible Technologies

Eligible renewable energy technologies include solar, biomass, wind and small hydro.

Process

Funding decisions for for loans are made by the

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City of San Diego - Sustainable Building Policy

The City of San Diego’s Sustainable Building Policy is directed by Council Policy 900-14. The policy contains regulations regarding building measures, private-sector incentives, health and resource conservation, outreach and education, and implementation.

Among the directives is a commitment City-owned, occupied or leased new construction and major renovation projects must meet LEED "Silver" Level Certification. In addition to achieving LEED Certification, Council Policy 900-14 states that City-owned and occupied new construction and major renovation projects of buildings containing more than 1,000 square feet of conditioned space must meet the energy efficiency requirements of San Diego Council Policy 900-03, Zero

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Renewables Portfolio Standard

Established in 1998 and subsequently revised several times, Connecticut's renewables portfolio standard (RPS) requires each electric supplier and each electric distribution company wholesale supplier to obtain at least 24% of its retail load by using renewable energy by January 1, 2020. The RPS also requires each electric supplier and each electric distribution company wholesale supplier to obtain at least 4% of its retail load by using combined heat and power (CHP) systems and energy efficiency by 2010. In 2018, Public Act No. 18-50, according to Substitute Senate Bill 9, extended the renewable portfolio standard to year 2030, demanding at least

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Local Option - Solar, Wind & Biomass Energy Systems Exemption

Section 487 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law provides a 15-year real property tax exemption for solar, wind energy, and farm-waste energy systems constructed in New York State. As currently effective, the law is a local option exemption, meaning that local governments are permitted to decide whether or not to allow it. The exemption was mandatory prior to a 1990 reenactment in which the local option clause was added. The exemption is valid unless a government opts out of the exemption, as opposed to the more common practice of requiring governments to "opt-in" in order to offer

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