Colorado Springs Utilities: Renewable Energy Rebate Program
Rebates for solar electric systems at $2/watt AC from 500W to 10kW capacity. All RECs conferred to CSU. System must be CEC qualified.
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Through its Renewable Energy Rebate Program, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) offers a rebate to customers who install grid-connected solar-electric (PV) systems with a minimum capacity of 500 watts and a maximum of 10 kW for residential systems and 25 kW for commercial systems. For program year 2012 it is $1.80 per-watt. To calculate the system’s AC output, a de-rating factor is used to account for shading and suboptimal orientation or tilt. All Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) generated from systems installed under this program are conferred to CSU for compliance with Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard*.
The utility plans to continue offering the rebate in future years pending approval by the Utilities Board, but the incentive amount is likely to decrease in future years. The application, interconnection agreement, and other documents are available at the program website above. Click here for the CSU net metering policy (see page 47).
Qualifying PV modules and inverters must be included in the California Energy Commission's (CEC) lists of eligible equipment. Qualifying systems must also carry minimum manufacturer and/or installer warranties as outlined in the program guidelines.
Colorado Springs Utilities recommends (but does not require) that all systems be designed and installed by professional installers certified by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA) or the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners NABCEP. CSU also recommends taking advantage of the utility’s energy efficiency programs -- including rebates -- before installing a PV system.
* Colorado's Renewable Energy Standard requires Colorado utilities with 40,000 or more customers to generate or purchase a percentage of their electricity from renewable resources to reach a level of 10% renewables by 2015. Of the electricity generated each year from renewable resources, at least 4% must come from solar electric technologies. At least one-half of this percentage must come from solar systems located on-site at customers' facilities. Under the initiative, utilities are required to offer customers a PV rebate and establish a net-metering program. Thus, CSU documents the RECs generated by its customers’ PV systems to demonstrate compliance with the solar requirement of the Renewable Energy Standard.