Rebates

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce offers a revolving loan fund for local governments to make energy efficient improvements to government buildings. All eligible projects should increase energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, project a positive return on investment and be paid back within 6 years of the loan award. Funds from this program can be used to pay for a technical assistance report/audit, energy conservation measures, and operation and maintenance procedures that would contribute to overall reduced energy consumption.

An eligible local government may have only one active loan open at any time.

More information, including program guidelines and the application

The Solar Rights Act (CA Civil Code 714), enacted in 1978, bars restrictions by homeowners associations (HOAs) on the installation of solar-energy systems, but originally did not specifically apply to cities, counties, municipalities or other public entities. Subsequent legislation extended these restrictions to all public entities and common interest developments.  These entities are allowed to impose reasonable restrictions on a solar energy system that do not significantly increase the cost of the system or significantly decrease its efficiency or specified performance. 

"Significantly" was not originally defined, but later legislation adopted a specific dollar amount and system efficiency impact that the

Certain renewable energy systems and equipment sold in Rhode Island are exempt from the state's sales and use tax. Eligible products include solar electric systems, DC-to-AC inverters that interconnect with utility power lines, solar thermal systems, manufactured mounting racks and ballast pans for solar collectors, geothermal heat pumps, and wind turbines and towers.

New York enacted legislation in July 2005 exempting the sale and installation of residential solar-energy systems from the state's sales and compensating use taxes. The exemption was extended to non-residential solar systems in August 2012 (S.B. 3203), effective beginning January 1, 2013. In 2015 (A.B. 3009) the exemption was extended to solar systems that are owned by third party owners, who provide solar electricity to residential and commercial users. Both solar lease payments and the receipts of the sale of electricity by such systems are exempt from state sales and use tax. The exemption was further

In Minnesota, solar-energy systems purchased on or after August 1, 2005, are exempt from the state's sales tax. Solar energy systems are defined as:

"a set of devices whose primary purpose is to collect solar energy and convert and store it for useful purposes including heating and cooling buildings or other energy-using processes, or to produce generated power by means of any combination of collecting, transferring, or converting solar-generated energy." M.S. 297A.67, subd. 29.

Thus the exemption is very broad and could apply to solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar water-heating systems and solar space-heating systems. All components of these systems

Loan Option Through the HELP program, a homeowner can obtain a five year loan to improve the energy efficiency of their existing home. “HELP loans function as standard unsecured underwritten residential loans. The lender makes and services HELP energy efficiency improvement loans of up to a maximum of $12,000.00 to participants who go through the normal underwriting process. Qualifying loan improvement measures are provided on a "Prescriptive List of Improvements", from which the borrower selects approved items. The LDNR loans one half (½) of the loan amount, through the lender to the borrower, for up to a maximum

The Texas LoanSTAR (Saving Taxes and Resources) low-interest revolving loan program finances energy-related cost reduction retrofits for state, public school, college, university, and non-profit hospital facilities. Borrowers repay loans through the stream of cost savings realized from their energy cost-reduction projects. The LoanSTAR Program Administrator should be contacted for information on current loan interest rates.

As of September 1, 2023, LoanSTAR has funded over 337 loans totaling over $600 million. 

Eligible Projects

Guidelines for project eligibility, fund availability and project funding and repayment are set forth in the administrative rules and the technical guidelines.

Process

Each April and October

Before a development plan can be approved in the City of Santa Cruz, it must be found that the orientation and location of buildings, structures, open spaces and other features of the site plan preserve solar access of adjacent properties. In addition, buildings and structures should be designed and oriented to make use of natural elements such as solar radiation, wind and landscaping for heating, cooling and ventilation. Developers must also show that heating systems for hot tubs and swimming pools are solar when possible, and in all cases, energy efficient. The orientation and location of the fence or hedge

In 2003, the Town of Chapel Hill adopted a land-use management ordinance that includes prohibitions against neighborhood or homeowners association covenants or other conditions of sale that restrict or prohibit the use, installation or maintenance of solar-collection devices. This ordinance was adopted prior to North Carolina's statewide solar access law. Chapel Hill's ordinance provides stronger protection for solar energy systems than the state law.

The Town of Chapel Hill also places restrictions on maximum building height depending on the zoning. For lots in new subdivisions, structures shall be placed and arranged so as not to adversely affect adjacent property

The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) extended and expanded several previous goals and standards to reduce energy use in existing and new federal buildings. Section 203 of EPAct 2005 required that, to the extent it is economically feasible and technically practicable, the total amount of renewable electric energy consumed by the federal government during 2013 and thereafter shall not be less than 7.5%. That target was updated and expanded by a Presidential Memorandum on December 5, 2013, and again by an Executive Order on March 19, 2015. The Executive Order established additional targets, culminating in a required