Solar Space Heat

DEMEC Member Utilities - Green Energy Program Incentives

NOTE: The municipal electric utilities serving New Castle, Clayton, Dover, Lewes, Middletown, Milford, Smyrna, and Seaford do not offer any rebates for individual renewable energy systems. Incentives are only available for residents of Newark. Please see the program web site for further information on the use of green energy funds in these jurisdictions. 

Delaware's municipal utilities provide incentives for solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind, geothermal, and fuel cell systems installed by their electric customers. Eligibility is limited to systems that are intended to supply on-site energy needs. Incentives are available to both residential and non-residential member-owners. Both grid-connected and

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Delaware Electric Cooperative - Green Energy Program Incentives

Solar Grant Delaware Implementation as of April 2024.

Energize Delaware sponsors the Solar Grant Delaware Program to offset the installed cost of the photovoltaic (solar) system for Delaware Electric Cooperative customers. To receive the one-time grant payment, the system owner is required to sign over the ownership of their Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) generated by the entire system to the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility, DBA Energize Delaware.

The grant amount is based on the eligible system size and is $0.70/eligible watt installed. The grant amount is capped at $2,000 for residential systems and $10,000 for commercial systems, per service

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USDA - High Energy Cost Grant Program

NOTE: The most recent solicitation for this program closed February 28, 2025. Please check the program website for information on future solicitations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers an ongoing grant program for the improvement of energy generation, transmission, and distribution facilities in rural communities. This program began in 2000. Eligibility is limited to projects in communities that have average home energy costs at least 275% above the national average. Retail power suppliers serving rural areas are eligible to apply for grant funding, including non-profits (cooperatives and limited dividend or mutual associations), commercial entities, state and local governments entities

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Baltimore County - Property Tax Credit for High Performance Buildings and Homes

The state of Maryland permits local governments (Md Code: Property Tax § 9-242) to offer property tax credits for high performance buildings if they choose to do so. Baltimore County exercised this option in 2006 by creating property tax credits for new and existing multi-family residential (50+ units) and commercial buildings that meet certain high performance building standards. In 2008, the county also adopted a similar provision creating property tax credits for newly constructed high performance homes, and in 2010 added provisions for energy efficiency improvements in existing homes.

The credit is formulated as a percentage (%) reduction in

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Illinois Solar and Wind Rights

Illinois law prohibits homeowners' associations, common interest community associations and condominium unit owners' associations from preventing homeowners from using or installing solar energy systems. These associations may not deny homeowners permission to install solar energy systems, but they may specify the location of the solar energy system, as long as such specifications do not "impair the effective operation" of the system. In July 2011, the legislature enacted a bill (Public Act 97-0105) which added a provision for wind energy. A homeowner's association or similar entity may restrict wind energy devices altogether.

The law stipulates that associations must adopt an energy

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Local Option - Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy Districts

Note: In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

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Local Option - Clean Energy Development Boards

In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activities subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing and
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City of Columbia Water & Light - Commercial Energy Efficiency Loans

Columbia Power Partners offers fixed, low-interest rate loans with no prepayment penalties to commercial customers making energy efficiency improvements under the commercial energy efficiency loan program. Financing is available to approved C&I rate customers for a variety of energy efficiency improvements, including the initial energy efficiency assessment, air conditioners, heat pumps, lighting, and solar water heaters. All requirements concerning minimum insulation levels, energy efficiency technologies, credit history, deed of trust, and ASHRAE Level II energy assessments must be met.

The process involves several steps. First, the customer should have an ASHRAE Level II energy assessment conducted and complete a commercial

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Louisiana Solar Rights

In June 2010, Louisiana enacted solar rights legislation (HB 751) that prohibits certain entities from unreasonably restricting a property owner from installing a solar collector. Solar collectors are generally defined to include photovoltaics (PV), solar water heating, and any other system or device that uses sunlight as an energy source. While this law generally guarantees a property owner's right to install solar collectors, there are some exceptions to the law. For example, historic districts, historical preservation areas, and landmarks designated by a local governing authority are excluded from this solar rights law.

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California Solar Initiative - Solar Thermal Program

Note: The CSI-Thermal Program closed to new applications on July 31, 2020. Applicants with projects that have received a confirmed reservation are still able to complete their projects and submit their Incentive Claim within their 18-month reservation window. For any questions, please contact your CSI-Thermal Program Administrator.

AB 1470 of 2007 authorized the creation of a $350 million incentive program for solar water heating systems. Of the $350 million in total funding, $25 million is reserved for low-income incentives, $225 million is for systems that will displace natural gas water heaters, and $100 million is set aside for systems

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