Arizona has some
of the best solar incentives, and one of the largest solar markets in the
nation. Here you will find details about the Unisource Energy Services
(UES) Green Energy Home Programs and the numerous incentives available to AZ
residents.
Residential Solar Electric Systems (Photovoltaic)
UES has offered incentive payments for residential
photovoltaic (PV)
systems to encourage the installation of solar power. To qualify in this
category, systems can be up to 20 kilowatts AC (kWac).
Up-Front Incentive (UFI) or Performance-Based Incentive (PBI) rebates are
available for both
grid-tied and
off-grid
systems up to 20 kWac.
Solar systems are best suited in areas that receive a
relatively high amount of annual sunshine like Arizona. The productivity of
photovoltaic systems is sensitive to the specifics of the installation
method and location. In particular, these systems are impacted by shading,
photovoltaic panel horizontal
tilt angle and
azimuth. These
factors are particularly important as they relate to systems receiving UFI
type incentives both in the amount of incentive received by the customer and
in the computation of the capacity reported by UES.
UES has notified the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC)
that funding for these incentives has been depleted for the remainder of
2010. The ACC could make additional resources available.
What incentive payments are available to UES customers?
UES provides residential solar electric customers with the following
incentives:
2010 Incentive Payment Schedule
| |
Up-Front Incentive |
| |
20-Year Renewable Energy Credit (REC)
Agreement |
| Residential Grid-Tied |
$3.00/Watt DC |
| Residential Off-Grid |
$2.00/Watt DC |
Up-Front Incentive (UFI) provides
customers a one-time payment based on their system size, which is in
watts per DC (direct current). In turn the customer would sign a
credit purchase agreement assigning UES the Renewable Energy Credits (REC)
for 20 years. To
qualify for the UFI your photovoltaic system must have at least a
20-year manufacturer’s warranty, otherwise your system would qualify for
the Performance Based Incentive (PBI). Residential Systems greater than
20 kWac will receive rebates on the first 20 kWac only.
Customers may qualify for federal and state tax benefits to further
reduce the cost of the system. Talk with a tax professional about current tax
credits available to you for a renewable energy system. You can also view
federal and state tax credits at
dsireusa.org.
Note: Projects
receiving a UFI can receive no more than 60% of the system cost in the
total incentive payout. Also, UES incentives in combination with all
federal and state tax credits can be no more than 85% of total project
costs. A customer must cover at least 15% of total project costs.
Who is eligible for the
incentives?
Grid-Tied
-
You must be a UniSource
Energy Services customer.
-
The photovoltaic system
must be installed at a UniSource Energy Services service address.
-
You must purchase and
install a qualifying photovoltaic system for this incentive.
Off-Grid
Please review the UES
Green Energy technical requirements and
qualifications in full detail.
Click here.
Milholland Electric is a
licensed electrical contractor in Arizona with an experienced team in solar
panel design and solar panel installation and maintenance. Contact us
for a
free estimate today!
