Solar Photovoltaics

Massachusetts Green Power Purchasing Commitment

Clean Energy Standard (CES) and CES-E: The CES sets a minimum percentage of electricity sales that retail electricity suppliers must procure from new clean energy sources beyond the RPS requirements. The CES began in 2018 at 16% and increases 2% annually to 80% in 2050. The CES-E applies to clean generating resources that pre-existed the RPS and is 20% for 2021.

Solar Carve-Out (SCO) & Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) As part of the RPS, the SCO program, initiated in 2010 and expanded in 2014, requires electricity suppliers to meet a portion of the RPS obligation through solar energy

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Farm and Aquaculture Alternative Energy Loan

HB 2261, enacted in July 2008,  created a loan program for agriculture and aquaculture renewable energy projects. Farmers and aquaculturists may receive loans for projects involving photovoltaic (PV) energy, hydroelectric power, wind power generation, methane generation, bio-diesel and ethanol production. Loans may provide up to 85% of the project cost (up to a maximum of $1,500,000) for a term of up to forty years. To be eligible, the applicant must be a qualified farmer or aquaculturist with a sound credit rating and the ability to repay the loan, as determined by the Department of Agriculture.

These renewable energy loans fall

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Property Tax Assessment for Renewable Energy Equipment

For the purpose of determining property tax, renewable energy and storage equipment owned by utilities and other entities operating in Arizona is assessed at 20% of the "taxable original cost" after deducting depreciation. "Renewable energy equipment" is defined as "electric generation facilities, electric transmission, electric distribution, gas distribution or combination gas and electric transmission and distribution and transmission and distribution cooperative property that is located in this state, that is used or useful for the generation, storage, transmission or distribution of electric power, energy or fuel derived from solar, wind or other nonpetroleum renewable sources not intended for self-consumption, including

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Puerto Rico - Building Energy Code with Mandatory Solar-Ready for New Residential Construction

Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP websites.
Puerto Rico adopted the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code in 2020. It includes mandatory solar-ready provisions for new residential construction of one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. It also provides optional solar-ready provisions for new commercial construction.
History
In 1979 the Code for Energy Conservation in Puerto Rico was adopted as part of the Building Codes administered by
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Higher Education Energy Loan Program

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce has established a loan/lease fund for institutes of higher education to improve energy efficiency. Two categories of funding are available for schools to reduce energy consumption. Category I funding will pay for technical and energy audits, the development of Energy Management Plans, and any professional services that contribute to the planning and design of energy reduction systems and measures. Category II funding covers the actual acquisition and installation of energy conservation measures.

All projects must be shown to reduce energy consumption, have a positive return on investment, and be able to be repaid within 6

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Local Option - Green Building Incentives

To encourage sustainable building practices, North Carolina law allows all counties and cities to provide reductions or partial rebates for building permit fees. To qualify for a fee reduction, buildings must meet guidelines established by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the Green Globes program, or another recognized certification program.

SB 1597 of 2008 also granted authority to a few select jurisdictions to provide density bonuses, make adjustments to otherwise applicable development requirements, or provide other incentives to a developer or builder who builds or reconstructs developments which make a significant contribution to the reduction of energy

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Solar Construction Permitting Standards

Owners of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar water heating systems, geothermal electric systems, and geothermal space heating and cooling systems in Colorado are required to obtain a building permit before their systems may be installed. Permits are handled at the local level and awarded by counties and municipalities.

In effective August 10, 2022 the legislature enacted a statewide cap for permit fees for active solar energy and geothermal energy devices. For systems up to 2 MW-DC, counties and municipalities can charge no more than the lesser of the local government's actual cost to issue a permit or $500 for a

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Solar Construction Permitting Standards

Owners of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar water heating systems in Arizona are required to obtain a building permit before their systems may be installed. Permits are handled at the local level and awarded by counties and municipalities. Traditionally, counties and municipalities in Arizona have been free to adopt their own requirements and assign their own fees for a permit. With exceptions, these fees are generally derived from a formula that takes into account the cost and size of the project along with the cost of conducting inspections. H.B. 2615, signed in May 2008, established specific standards for

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Virginia - Solar Rights

According to state law, community associations in Virginia generally may not prohibit a homeowner from installing or using a solar energy collection device on their property. A community association may, however, establish reasonable restrictions concerning the size, place, manner of placement of individual solar devices or restrict the installation of solar devices on common areas within the development served by the community association. Restriction imposed by a community association will be deemed unreasonable if it increases the installation cost by five percent or more, or if it reduces the energy production ten percent below the proposed installation's projected energy production

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City of Boulder - Solar Grant Program

The Solar Grant Program provides grants for PV and solar water heating installations on income-qualified homes, site-based non-profit organizations, and low- to moderate-income housing owned and/or developed by a non-profit organization. Individual grant amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis but generally will not exceed 50%, or $8,000, of the total out-of-pocket costs for the project after all rebates, tax credits, and other incentives are subtracted. There are two grant cycles each year. Submissions are due by April 30 and October 31. Additional information and grant applications can be found on the website listed above.

The Solar Grant Program is

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