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In 2008, San Miguel Power Association partnered with the GEO and The New Community Coalition (TNCC) in Telluride to offer the Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Rebate Program to residents throughout the SMPA service territory (which encompasses Ouray County).
The Solar Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $9,000 per solar electric system ($4,500 from the GEO and $4,500 from the local Program Partner) to qualified homeowners, while rebates of up to $15,000 per system are available to small businesses. Only residential and small business, grid-tied, net metered systems are eligible.
The next round of rebates will be available to residents and businesses in February. SMPA officials confirmed Tuesday that they will continue their residential rebates in 2009.
The Delta Montrose Electric Association confirmed last week that it also will participate as a Program Partner, making the rebates available to residents of Montrose and Delta counties.
Alternative Power Enterprises' customer base, which extends to those counties, is taking note. "We have some customers that are waiting until 2009 so that they can take advantage of the bigger rebates," Markey said. It will be well worth the wait, with the new rebates tripling their value from the current cap of $3,000.
Harnessing free energy from the sun will offset some of the electric costs at the Silt firehouse, the base for the Burning Mountains Fire Protection District.
This system consists of 57 SolarWorld 175s, for 9900 Watts of rated power.
Power prices are being pushed up across the U.S., with increases sometimes soaring into double digits, due to costlier coal and natural gas, the fuels used to make 70% of the nation's electricity."
Solar Power Primer. Types of Solar Power Systems.
A solar electric system may be completely independent of the grid or designed to primarily feed power into the grid. It can also be a hybrid of the two:
OFF-THE-GRID
- Panels
- Mounting structure, unless building-integrated
- Combiner Box
- Cable to exterior disconnect
- Exterior disconnect for DC entering home
- DC Panel
- Charge controller
- Cable to Battery
- Disconnect for Battery
- Battery
- Battery interconnect cables
- Ventilated battery box
- Battery Meter
- Cable to inverter
- Inverter
- Back-up generator
- Exterior disconnect for generator
Sometimes things can be simplified, but as you can see, a stand-alone system takes more than just panels!
GRID-INTERTIE
Can be as simple as:
- Panels
- Mounting structure, unless building-integrated
- Inverter
GRID-INTERTIE W/ BATTERY
This system provides blackout protection. The required equipment is similar to an off-the-grid system although specific components will differ. A smaller, maintenance-free battery may be more appropriate, for example.
Both types of Grid-Intertie systems are designed to allow selling electricity to a utility company. Rates and policies vary by state. Utility approval is required. See recommended links for details.
Next page: How Big Does a System Need To Be?