# Solar incentive question...



## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

We are going to be building our home off grid. it's too expensive for the power company to run a line out to where we are going to build and we'd just rather be totally off grid anyway.

Right now we live in an old house we are fixing up to either sell or let his mother live in if she wants. We hadn't looked at any of the grants or incentives for solar or alternative energy because they all require being grid tied. Someone at the local diner today said..

"why don't you just get the incentives and set the house up you are in now as grid tied with solar. Then when you move, just take the stuff with you."

Hmmm, it seems so simple. anyone else do that? It seems that it would be MUCH cheaper to have the solar equipment disconnected from this house than paying for all the equipment we need to start up. We do have the panels already (found them used only 2 years old), but we need things like charge controllers, batteries, cables, etc... it also wouldn't hurt to get more panels (yes we know everything has to be compatible with what we already have). what pot holes might we run into?


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

. . "incentives" = the gobermint in your back pocket.

moving from location A to location B . . . . . hoooboy . . . . 

So what is "too expensive" for the grid . .??


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
I'm not so sure that all the incentives require being grid connected.


You might take a look at:
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/energyincentivesrs.htm
and see what the various programs require. 

The DSIRE one is the most complete.

As a part of the 700 billion bailout they just passed, there are some more (or at least redefined) renewable energy incentives, so that might also be worth checking out.

Gary


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

Jim-mi said:


> . . "incentives" = the gobermint in your back pocket.
> 
> moving from location A to location B . . . . . hoooboy . . . .
> 
> So what is "too expensive" for the grid . .??


Government in my pocket? I have payed more than my fair share of taxes the last 20 years. I'm not asking for welfare! There ARE incentives for solar and i'd like to take advantage of them. 

It would probably run $10 - 20,000 to get power to my place. You have to also cross a creek and up and down many hills and go a very long way. considering we already have the solar panels, yes it's too expensive to get grid power at the new place. Even if it wasn't, we still wouldn't do it at the final place. The current place is already on the grid though. 

Many solar installers we've talked to and everything we've found shows you have to be gird tied to get incentives. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

So anyone have any input on the original question? Moving solar equipment paid for with incentives from one place to another after a period of time? It would not be an immediate move.


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

I don't believe that you would be able to move the equipment if Gooberment has their fingers in it. (referring to Jim-mi's statement) You will have the prestige of spreading the word and pointing to "MY" system but in reality, you have very limited control over it.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Sparticle,

Energy saving is enough to get you some credits. I just replaced my old heat pump with a new, energy efficient one and got a nice credit for my tax bill.

The man at Home Depot told me you could even get credit for changing all the light bulbs in your house to CFL's, if you're willing to fill out the paperwork.

Don't just check for Federal credits, your state may have credits, too.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

To word it gently, I am not at all interested in having the gobermint tell me what I can or can not do when it comes to harvesting the power of Mother Nature.

So if it was sooner or later discovered that you had 'pulled one' on the gobermint, *they* would find a way to shall we say 'slap your hand'. . . . . .so much for your incentives.

As for the price, 20k is in the ballpark for a small system.
But the price of batterys (lead) is going all the time UP.......

Also, for the most part, the grid tie and off grid inverters are too different animals. . . There are a couple of exceptions.


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

Jim-mi said:


> To word it gently, I am not at all interested in having the gobermint tell me what I can or can not do when it comes to harvesting the power of Mother Nature.
> 
> So if it was sooner or later discovered that you had 'pulled one' on the gobermint, *they* would find a way to shall we say 'slap your hand'. . . . . .so much for your incentives.
> 
> ...


We don't have $20,000 for a system and are buying what we can here and there. We just thought we'd be able to get a system if we used incentives from the government that I have paid into for all these years. 

The answer about the inverter was helpful.


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## Helena (May 10, 2002)

Are you looking to live more simply...or have off gird service and keep what you have now in your home ?? Do you know what you will keep tied to the solar or will it be just the very basic needs. Heating with wood..no central heat..spring fed well..need no electric there either..I would get a company that does the solar to come out to your property and tell you exactly what it will cost and what exactly you will be getting. No sense guessing at this point. When I think off grid..I think totally independent of sevices even solar. Would be nice to have the solar though...I would start to downsize my needs..I'm sure you have thought or done that already. It might work better if yo bought all the panels etc from one company at one time and then you would always have to deal with one company when and if you have questions. I wouldn't know where to start so I would have to depend on the company. Good Luck and let us know what you find out !!


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

Helena said:


> Are you looking to live more simply...or have off gird service and keep what you have now in your home ?? Do you know what you will keep tied to the solar or will it be just the very basic needs. Heating with wood..no central heat..spring fed well..need no electric there either..I would get a company that does the solar to come out to your property and tell you exactly what it will cost and what exactly you will be getting. No sense guessing at this point. When I think off grid..I think totally independent of sevices even solar. Would be nice to have the solar though...I would start to downsize my needs..I'm sure you have thought or done that already. It might work better if yo bought all the panels etc from one company at one time and then you would always have to deal with one company when and if you have questions. I wouldn't know where to start so I would have to depend on the company. Good Luck and let us know what you find out !!


Probably couldn't downsize our needs any more. We already live very simply and heat with wood. Our power bill at the *most* now is $45 a month and that is with the electric hot water heater and old fridge that came with this place. We will be more efficient with those things when we move and are getting a sundanzer chest fridge. We will heat with wood when we move too. We don't have any natural springs on the property, we'll have to have a well put in. We found someone locally that does pounded wells very affordably (cheaper by far than any drilled well we've found) and comes highly recommended. We've already had a solar installer come out and his projection was huge and after we filled out the needs sheet, taking into account what we use now; he still tried to get us to go with the Cadillac system and never calls us back when we leave messages. Guess he realized he wouldn't be making $20,000 on us. So we are either going to get someone else or just put it together with friends that already have solar. We already have the panels. 

I was really just trying to find out what complications we'd have if we physically try to move a system from one location to the other. I just thought someone else may have done that and had run into problems we hadn't thought of. We've spent years downsizing and researching how to build the most efficient and economical house, with proper food storage capability. I don't want to be exclusively dependent on solar either because eventually batteries die and panels break. So I'm buying as much as possible that doesn't need to be plugged in. But till that day comes when the equipment fails, I do want my fridge! Everything else is just gravy (well- so is the fridge).


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

The only federal incentive is the $2000 tax deduction that is ending this year (may have been extended in the taxpayer raping bailout). They only require the system to be up and running to get the deduction with not wording on how long it has to be operational. I believe (MBW) it covers on and off grid.

State and power company incentives are where the big money is and they are the ones that may get you in trouble. PO insentives always require grid hookup and a net metering agreement. I haven't seen one yet that doesn't require the system to say with the property and be operational for X number of years. Excell energy in Fort Collins requires 20 years. Usually they require a lean against the property until the time limit expires. So remove the equipment and you have to pay back the incentive (usually plus interest). They allow the property to be transfered without paying off the lean as long as the new owners agree to the terms.


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

thank you for this info!


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

There ARE people out here selling off their solar setups when they move,some NICE systems.Grabbing the cash and running off.We know a guy (friend) just bought one about 30 cents on the dollar.Seller had to be out fast and took the lowball offer.

Sure dont know the particulars though.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I have heard that the federal tax credit has been extend for 8 more years and the $2000 limit on PV has been lifted (TMK still in place for thermal). So if your looking at a system or trying to get one on-line by the end of the year to get the credit you might be better off holding off until after the new year to get a bigger one from the feds.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

http://www.thestreet.com/story/1044...ly-gives-solar-industry-policy-certainty.html

The bill the House approved Friday calls for investment tax credits for solar developments for eight years. And unlike the current tax-incentive program, the new one will allow utilities to take advantage of the incentives. The bill also includes production-tax credits for renewable-energy power plants that already are generating electricity. The legislation extends the production-tax break by one year for wind and by two years for solar, biomass and hydropower.

The bill opens up $800 million worth of bonds to pay for power plants using wind, biomass, geothermal, garbage and other sources, and doles out $2,500 to $7,500 rebates for drivers who buy plug-in electric cars and trucks.

Residents and businesses that want to install solar panels on their properties also would benefit from the bill, which extends investment-tax credits for eight years and eliminates today's $2,000 cap on the credits. The new program also will allow homeowners who install small-wind equipment and heat pumps to take advantage of the credits, but will cap the incentive at $4,000 for wind and $2,000 for heat pumps.


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

mightybooboo said:


> http://www.thestreet.com/story/1044...ly-gives-solar-industry-policy-certainty.html
> 
> The bill the House approved Friday calls for investment tax credits for solar developments for eight years. And unlike the current tax-incentive program, the new one will allow utilities to take advantage of the incentives. The bill also includes production-tax credits for renewable-energy power plants that already are generating electricity. The legislation extends the production-tax break by one year for wind and by two years for solar, biomass and hydropower.
> 
> ...


Wow, thanks so much for the info!


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Sparticle said:


> Wow, thanks so much for the info!


Your welcome,nothing White Wolf didnt already post,I just saw an article on it is all.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

A good write-up on the extended tax credit on another forum

http://www.solarpowerforum.net/forumVB/showthread.php?t=1827


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

I've just read through all the DSIRE links and non apply to us. Not grid tied, not in a city of over a million, didn't pay sales tax since it was used (not being new is also a problem), not having an installer put it in, and the property value won't go up as a result of the installation; so there's really nothing to write off that I can find there. 

So now off to read the rest of the links. It hasn't been as bad as I thought, each link on DSIRE was in summary so I didn't have to read the legal text.


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