Rebates

NOTE: In July 2020, the New York Public Service Commission adopted a net metering successor tariff for mass market net metering projects interconnected beginning on January 1, 2022. The successor tariff retains the same overall structure as the Phase One NEM tariff adopted in 2017, but adds a "Customer Benefit Contribution" (CBC) charge intended to cover the costs of state-funded programs. The CBC is based on installed DG capacity and differs by utility; it ranges from $0.69-$1.09 per kW per month. 

Introduction

New York's original net-metering law, enacted in 1997, applied only to residential photovoltaic (PV) systems up to 10

The City of Boulder enacted an ordinance in 1982 to guarantee access to sunlight for homeowners and renters.

Solar Access

Solar access is guaranteed setting limits on the amount of permitted shading by new construction. The degree of solar access protection is defined by either a 12 foot or 25 foot hypothetical "solar fence" on the property lines of the protected buildings. The ordinance is designed to protect access for a 4-hour period on December 21st. Under most circumstances, new structures will not be allowed to shade adjacent lots to a greater extent than the applicable solar fence.

There are

Building Codes

The City of Aspen and Pitkin County have adopted both the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)—with some amendments—and an Efficient Building Code.

The Efficient Building ordinance was adopted in 2003 with the intent to encourage cost-effective and sustainable building methods that, among other goals, conserve energy. The code applies to new, remodeled, or additions to one- and two-family dwellings and multiple family dwellings not more than 3 stories in height. These dwellings are required to earn a specific number of points by completing sustainable building practices that can include energy efficiency measures, including installing ENERGY STAR appliances

The City of Ashland offers residential and commercial electric customers installing photovoltaic systems a rebate. Before January 1, 2023, cash incentives for interconnected solar electric systems were $0.25 per watt up to a maximum of $5,000 per system. Beginning January 1, 2023, solar electric installations that pass their electric inspections can receive incentive payments of $600.

To qualify, the owner of the system must be a tenant of the facility where the system is installed. The system must be interconnected with the electric service at the facility and be net-metered. Systems must have at least 2,500 W of panels with

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District's (SMUD) Solar Domestic Hot Water Program provides rebates and/or loan financing to customers who install solar water heating systems. The amount of the rebate depends on how much electricity the system will offset annually:

• 800 - 1,399 kWh: $500
• 1,400 - 2,199 kWh: $1,000
• 2,200 kWh or greater: $1,500

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All solar water-heating units must meet standards set by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC), be installed by a SMUD-approved solar contractor, and pass inspection by SMUD representatives.

Electric Program Investment Charge Program 

California's 1996 electric industry restructuring legislation (AB 1890) directed the state’s three major investor-owned utilities (Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and San Diego Gas & Electric) to collect a "public goods charge" (PGC) on ratepayer electricity use from 1998 through 2001 to create public benefits funds for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and research, development & demonstration (RD&D). 

California's public benefits fund, the Electric Program Investment Charge Program (EPIC), was established in 2011 to help meet the state's climate goals by decarbonizing the electricity sector. The program invests more than $130

Note: Guam has also adopted a tropical energy code.

The Guam Energy Code, which became effective in October of 2000, requires that piping stub outs be provided for water heaters installed in low-rise residential buildings to enable the future installation of solar collectors.

The JEA Solar Incentive Program provides rebates to JEA's residential customers who install new and retrofit solar hot water heaters on their homes. The rebate is worth $400 for new solar thermal systems installed by an approved contractor.

The incentive applies to the installation of solar water heating systems. Pool heating systems and photovoltaic (PV) systems are not eligible for the rebate. If other incentives (rebates, grants, etc.) are used to fund a solar hot water system, total funding, including JEA funding, cannot exceed the cost of the system.

Holy Cross Energy's WE CARE (With Efficiency, Conservation And Renewable Energy) Program offers an incentive for customers who install renewable energy generation for net metering at their premises. Eligible renewable energy technologies include wind, hydroelectric, photovoltaic, biomass, and geothermal sources.

Incentive

The incentive offered varies by the size of the renewable energy system as follows:

• $250 per kW for the first 6 kW of a system, and
• $100 per kW for the next 19 kW of a system.

For example, a 15 kW system is eligible for a $2,400 (= ($250 * 6 kW) + ($100 * 9 kW)) incentive

Residential

The Boulder Green Points Building Program is a mandatory residential green building program that requires a builder or homeowner to include a minimum amount of sustainable building components based on the size of the proposed structure. Similar to the US Green Building Council's LEED program, the Boulder Green Points program awards points for a menu of sustainable building practices. Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are among the optional components a builder can use to earn points.

New construction projects also must show energy efficiency compliance through the Home Energy Rating System (HERS). The required HERS index varies according