Massachusetts: MassCEC - Commonwealth Solar II Rebates

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Rebates up to $8,500 for home solar panel systems.

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EnergySavvy does not administer rebate programs. If you have any questions about this incentive, please click on the More Information link to view the rebate program website or contact the rebate program directly.
Block Ten is open as of April 13, 2012. The incentive levels remain the same as they were for block nine. This summary is an overview only; interested applicants must consult with the official rebate program manual. Block Ten is funded at $1,500,000.

Commonwealth Solar II, offered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), provides rebates for the installation of grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems at residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and public facilities.* Commonwealth Solar II rebates are available to electricity customers served by the following Massachusetts investor-owned electric utilities: Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light (Unitil), National Grid, NSTAR Electric and Western Massachusetts Electric. In addition, customers of certain municipal lighting plant (MLP) utilities are now eligible including Ashburnham, Holden, Holyoke, Russell, and Templeton. Commercial projects are eligible for rebates for PV projects less than or equal to 15 kilowatts (kW) in capacity and the rebate will be based on the first 5 kW only. Funding is released in "blocks" every quarter. All rebate applications must be approved BEFORE the project installation begins.

Rebate amounts are based on the total PV system size per building, regardless of the number of electric meters in use and certain other characteristics of the project. The proposed Commonwealth Solar II rebate levels for residential and commercial PV systems are:
  • Base incentive: $0.40/watt
  • Adder for Massachusetts company components: $0.05/watt
  • Adder for moderate home value: $0.40/watt (applicable to residential projects only), or
  • Adder for moderate income: $0.40/watt (applicable to residential projects only)
  • Natural Disaster Relief Adder, only for projects completed in the Springfield area impacted by June 1, 2011 tornado: $1.00/watt
The rebate is available to the system owner, which may or may not be the host customer. In the case where the system owner is a third-party owner serving a residential host customer, the project is treated as a commercial project (and eligible for the commercial rebate amounts only). Solar renewable-energy credits (SRECs) associated with system generation belong to the system owner and may be sold via the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) SREC program. Note: appropriate, approved tracking must be utilized in order to qualify to sell SRECs. MassCEC reserves the right to conduct post-installation inspections of PV projects prior to approval for payments.

System installers are responsible for the application process and securing necessary permits. MassCEC has developed an online application system (called PowerClerk) for pre-approved installers. Only online applications will be accepted. An energy-efficiency audit is generally required. Required documentation generally includes electric utility interconnection approval, an energy-efficiency audit, paid invoices or equivalent, and, if applicable, evidence that automated reporting is functional. It is recommended, but not required, that installers or their subcontractors obtain or seek to obtain North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) PV installer certification.

This summary does not capture all of the requirements of the Commonwealth Solar II program. The MassCEC provides program manuals as well as appendices with full program requirements and you must read those materials carefully.

The Commonwealth Solar II program summary report from April 25, 2012 indicates that over 1400 systems, almost 8 megawatts, of solar PV has been installed under the program. 

History

Commonwealth Solar, a program launched in January 2008 by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), provided rebates for the installation of grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems at residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and public facilities through 2009. The initial $68 million Commonwealth Solar program was designed to promote the deployment of PV installations in Massachusetts through 2012. The effort combined $40 million from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (Trust) and $28 million from the Alternative Compliance Payment funds that the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources had collected under the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program. Of the total $68 million, at least $16 million was reserved for PV projects on Massachusetts public buildings, and at least $8 million was reserved for PV projects on homes. As of mid October 2009, the state had received enough applications via Commonwealth Solar for 27 megawatts (MW) of PV projects, two years ahead of projections. Over 1,200 applicants benefited from the original program. More Information: Massachusetts Website
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