—Customers of the Delaware Electric Cooperative
—Customer of Delaware’s Municipal Utilities
The Delaware Energy Office’s (DEO) Green Energy Program offers grants for the installation of solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) or solar thermal (hot water) systems.
Green Energy Program Grants
Qualifying solar energy systems (see overviews below or Green Energy Program regulations) are eligible to receive grants to 50% of the total qualified installed costs.
☼ Grants for residential PV systems will not exceed $31,500.
☼ Grants to non-residential PV systems will not exceed $250,000.
☼ Grants for residential solar water heating systems will not exceed $3,000.
☼ Grants for non-residential solar water heating systems will not exceed $250,000.
☼ Grants for residential solar water heating systems integrated into radiant heating applications will not exceed $5,000 for the solar energy portion of the system.
☼ Grants for non-residential solar water heating systems integrated into radiant heating applications will not exceed $250,000.
Overview of the Requirements for PV Systems to Qualify for a Green Energy Program Grant
☼ Do not exceed $12 per installed watt.
☼ Installed in accordance with the standards and specification of the manufacturers of the components and in compliance with all applicable electrical and building codes.
☼ Grid-connected and complies with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Standards Board (IEEE) 929, Recommended Practice for Utility Interface of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems or IEEE1547.
☼ Certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory as meeting the requirements of the Underwriters Laboratory Standard 1703.
☼ Complies with Delmarva Power’s, Technical Considerations Covering Parallel Operations of Customer Owned Generation of Less than 1 Megawatt and Interconnected with the Delmarva Power System.
☼ Certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory for safe operation and certified as meeting the Underwriters Laboratory Standards 1741-1999, Standard for Static Inverters and Charge Controllers for Use in Photovoltaic Power Systems.
☼ A warranty by the installation contractor for protection of the integrity and performance of the components for at least 5 years.
☼ New and previously unused, photovoltaic modules, the foundation for the modules, mounting or tracking structures, wiring, inverters, and utility interconnection equipment all qualify for the Green Energy Program grant.
☼ Used or previously installed components are ineligible for the Green Energy Program grant and must be subtracted from the system cost prior to calculating the grant.
☼ Labor costs for the installation of the components, and the cost of required permits and fees for the construction and/or installation of a qualifying system qualify for the Green Energy Program grant. Labor costs are ineligible if the system is self-installed.
☼ For commercial installations only, the engineering costs associated with the system cannot exceed 10% of the total cost of the system.
☼ All incentives associated with the project such as grants, rebates, buy downs, cost sharing or any similar form of financial support (other than the federal tax credit) must be subtracted from the total system cost prior to calculating the grant.
Overview of the Requirements for Solar Hot Water Systems to Qualify for a Green Energy Program Grant
☼ Solar water heating systems that are designed to reduce or eliminate the need for electric or gas-heated water qualify for grants.
☼ Solar water heating systems for swimming pools do not qualify.
☼ Installed in accordance with the standards and specification of the manufacturers of the components and in compliance with all applicable electrical, plumbing and building codes.
☼ All residential solar water heating systems must be certified to meet the Solar Ratings and Certification Corporation’s (SRCC) OG-300, Operating Guidelines and Minimum Standards for Certifying Solar Water Heating Systems: An Optional Solar Water Heating System Certification and Rating Program and have a Freeze Tolerance Limit of minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit without the use of electricity.
☼ All non-residential solar water heating systems must utilize collectors certified to meet the Solar Ratings and Certification Corporation’s (SRCC) OG-100, Operating Guidelines for Certifying Solar Collectors.
☼ A warranty by the installation contractor for protection of the integrity and performance of the components for at least 5 years.
☼ New and previously unused, solar collectors, the foundation for the collectors, mounting or tracking structures, wiring, storage tanks, circulators, controllers, timers, heat exchangers, expansive tanks, piping, and insulation all qualify for the Green Energy Program grant.
☼ Used or previously installed components are ineligible for the Green Energy Program grant and must be subtracted from the system cost prior to calculating the grant.
☼ Labor costs for the installation of the components, and the cost of required permits and fees for the construction and/or installation of a qualifying system qualify for the Green Energy Program grant. Labor costs are ineligible if the system is self-installed.
☼ For commercial installations only, the engineering costs associated with the system cannot exceed 10% of the total cost of the system.
☼ All incentives associated with the project such as grants, rebates, buy downs, cost sharing or any similar form of financial support (other than the federal tax credit) must be subtracted from the total system cost prior to calculating the grant.
Please go to the Delaware Energy Office's website to view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), regulations, a Document Checklist, and Step by Step Instructions for the Green Energy Program.
Customers of the Delaware Electric Cooperative
The Delaware Electric Cooperative has a renewable energy grant program similar to the Green Energy Program, although the limits on grants are lower:
☼ Grants will not exceed $15,000 for residential PV systems and $30,000 per facility for non-residential PV systems.
☼ Grants will not exceed $5,000 for residential solar hot water systems and $10,000 for non-residential hot water systems.
Please go to the Delaware Energy Office's website to view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), regulations, a Document Checklist, and Step by Step Instructions for the Green Energy Program.
Customer of Delaware’s Municipal Utilities
There are nine municipal electric utilities in Delaware:
- City of Newark
- City of New Castle
- Town of Middletown
- Town of Clayton
- Town of Smyrna
- City of Dover
- City of Milford
- Town of Lewes
- City of Seaford
Each municipal utility funds a seperate green energy program. The Municipal Green Energy Program is administered by the Delaware Energy Office. Grant levels are similar to the Delaware Electric Cooperative's green energy program.
The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 established tax credits for solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. The solar energy industry is working to extend these credits. The business tax credits will revert to 10% if the 30% tax credits are not extended.
Federal Tax Credits
|
Eligible Sector |
Amount of Tax Credit |
Availability |
|
Residential Installations |
30% of the system cost, capped at $2,000 |
Systems installed 1/01/06 to 12/31/08 |
|
Installations on Businesses |
30% of the system cost, no cap |
Equipment installed 1/01/06 to 12/31/08 |
Home | Solar Calculators | Net Metering & Interconnection | Backup Generation | Solar Contractors | Grants & Incentives | RPS Overview
Delaware's Electric Utilities | Reports | Links | About | Contact Us