Why Solar?

•  To harness the power of the sun, a facility doesn't have to be the constructed with the latest high tech LEED methods.
•  The system designs are proven and installation canbe completed within three days. The best part is the payback begins as soon as the "switch is flipped" and you have the ability to monitor yoursystemonline.
• State andFederal incentives are available to most everyone, whether you are a privately owned firm or a municipal facility.
•  State rebates are at an all time high.Between state and federal tax incentives, it is not uncommon to see a system pay for itselfbetween four and seven years.
•  Solar electric systems typically last over 25 years andexcess power it generates can get sold back to grid.
• New technology is being introduced almost weekly so the system efficiency is increasing at an unprecedented rate.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs)

In SREC states, the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires electricity suppliers to secure a portion of their electricity from solar generators. The SREC program provides a means for Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) to be created for every megawatt-hour of solar electricity created.

SRECTrade currently operates monthly auctions for SRECs in states where there are SREC markets.  The information on this page is general information describing how SREC programs work.  For information about your specific state program see the following links:

District of Columbia	Ohio
Delaware	Massachusetts
Maryland	Pennsylvania
New Jersey

For more information about SREC's, click here.

Incentives & Policies for Photovoltaics by State

Massachusetts / Rhode Island / Connecticut / Maine / New Hampshire / Vermont
New York / California / New Jersey / Colorado / Delaware / Other States

Incentives & Policies for Photovoltaics Federal

DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the NC Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Sunlight to Electricity video

This one-minute animated video shows how a solar cell converts sunlight into electricity.**
QuickTime format:   (free QuickTime plug-in)

small video, 180x135 (QuickTime 7.9 MB)  /  large video, 240x180 (QuickTime 11.4 MB)
MPEG format:   small video (MPEG 14.8 MB)  /  large video (MPEG 26.5 MB)

Distributed Energy Resources video

This video discusses the challenges, benefits, and technologies of distributed energy. Distributed energy, such as solar, refers to power-generating technologies that are placed at or near where the energy is consumed.

 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 

In the face of an economic crisis, the magnitude of which we have not seen since the Great Depression, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act represents a strategic, and significant, investment in our country's future.

The Act will save and create three to four million jobs, 90 percent of them in the private sector. It will provide more than $150 billion to low-income and vulnerable households -- spurring increased economic activity that will save and create more than one million jobs.

These measures are necessary to help the millions of families whose lives have been upended by the economic crisis. But, this Act will do more than provide short-term stimulus. By modernizing our health care, improving our schools, modernizing our infrastructure, and investing in the clean energy technologies of the future, the Act will lay the foundation for a robust and sustainable 21^st century economy.

Financial Incentives for other Renewable Energy

This summary table provides a snapshot of government, utility, and non-profit financial incentives that promote renewables in the United States. This table allows viewers to quickly compare the number and types of incentives in each state. The DSIRE glossary includes a description of each incentive type.

**(Note: early in the video, you'll hear the statement, "Every minute, enough of this [sunlight] energy reaches the Earth to meet the world's energy demand for a whole year." This statement is misleading if specific assumptions are not considered. A more accurate general statement is that "every hour enough of this energy...".)