Description

Rebates for renewable-energy systems are available to residential and small commercial customers of some WPPI Energy utilities, including Independence Light & Power. Customers must reside in the service territory of the participating utility, and the system must be installed on the customer’s property. Projects must be approved by the utility before installation.

The following technologies generally qualify for a cash rebate:

Residential Solar Water-Heating Systems
For new systems using electricity as the backup water-heating fuel, eligible customers will receive a rebate of $30 per square foot of collector area. Systems using propane, natural gas, or fuel oil as the backup water-heating fuel are not eligible for a rebate. The maximum award is the lesser of $3,500 or 35% of project cost.

Solar-Thermal Heating Systems
Rebates are available for solar-thermal heating systems for buildings that use electricity as their primary heat source. (Electric space heating must provide more than 50% of the building’s space-heating needs.) Eligible customers will receive a rebate of $30 per square foot of collector area. The maximum award is the lesser of $3,500 or 35% of project cost.

Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
For rack-mounted or building-integrated PV systems rated 20 kilowatts (kW) or less, eligible customers may receive a one-time rebate based on estimated annual electricity production, calculated using the “PV Watts” program developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). A rebate of $3 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is available for systems incorporated into new construction. A rebate of $2.50 per kWh is available for systems on existing buildings if the system is installed by a NABCEP-certified installer. The rebate is $2 per kWh for systems on existing buildings if the system is not installed by a NABCEP-certified installer. The maximum incentive is $10,000. For planned grid-connected systems, the local electric utility must approve system interconnection prior to installation.

Small Wind-Energy Systems
For qualifying wind-energy systems rated 20 kW or less, eligible customers may receive a rebate of up to the lesser of $10,000 or 25% of system costs. The actual rebate level may be lower than 25% of system costs depending on expected system performance. For planned grid-connected systems, the local electric utility must approve system interconnection prior to installation.

Site Assessments
Eligible customers will receive a rebate covering 75% of a site assessment if a renewable-energy system is feasible. The maximum rebate for feasibility studies is $375. Site assessments must be performed by a certified site assessor.

Repairs of Existing Systems
For service and repairs to existing solar water-heating systems, PV systems and wind-energy systems, owners will receive a rebate equal to 50% of the cost of service and repairs, with a maximum incentive of $2,500. This includes routine maintenance, as well as major system repairs.