RENEWABLE ENERGY INCENTIVES – DE

Delaware is another small state with big plans in the renewable energy progression, and its commitment to home and business owners in presenting solar as a cleaner and affordable energy alternative is obvious in its various programs and power production goals. With a directive to receive 25% of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2026, the Delaware Electric Cooperative has a Renewable Resource Program that pays between $.25 and $.90 per watt on solar system installations within the state. This grant has a four-day application window, typically in January, and systems installed in a calendar year are eligible for grant applications in the following year’s application period. (If the requested grant money for a given year is less than the total allocated amount, the application period will be reopened until the money is fully committed.) Submissions on solar electric systems are categorized as either “Class A” (member/owners with an average monthly peak electric demand of 50 kilowatts (kW) or less over the previous twelve month) or “Class B” (member/owners with an average monthly peak electric demand of greater than 50 kW over the previous twelve months). The grant payout breaks down as follows:

  • Class A and Class B receive $.90 per watt for the first 5 kilowatts of capacity (0-5 kW) on their system and $0.45 per watt over 5 kilowatts. There are maximum incentive totals of $7,500 for Class A and $10,000 for Class B.
  • Nonprofits receive $1.05 per watt for the first 5 kilowatts of capacity (0-5 kW) and $.52 per watt over 5 kilowatts (5-10 kW). Non-profits have a maximum incentive of $10,000 for non-profit systems.

There are also portions of the grant total reserved for wind generators, fuel cells, and geothermal heat pumps. Currently, due to the high volume of grant requests, there is a 3-year waiting list for payment, although systems are still being approved for securing grant money. Delaware also has an SREC market that has been in place since September of 2009.

Smucker’s Energy will work closely with you to secure as much grant money for your system as possible. Coupled with our experience in Delaware installations, Smucker’s Energy is a great choice to help you take advantage of the state and Federal offerings and join the growing number of individuals who are turning to solar for financial savings and clean energy production.

FEDERAL TAX CREDIT

The federal government offers a tax credit (known as the Solar Investment Tax Credit) on systems that begin construction before December 31st, 2019 for 30% of the system cost, with no cap (a limit of $2,000 was removed from residential systems back in 2008). It’s important to note that this is a credit and, not a deduction; a deduction is removed from your taxable income, but a credit is directly removed from your final tax liability. If the 30% exceeds your total tax liability for that year, it can be rolled over to the following year and further deducted from your liability for that year. Currently, the 30% credit period ends on December 31st, 2019 and gradually ramps down over the following three years to 10%, after which it ends completely for residential systems and stays at 10% for commercial systems for the foreseeable future.

With these changes on the horizon, now is the time to move on making the switch to clean energy. Contact a Smucker’s representative today to find out how much you can save by going solar!

USDA REAP GRANT

For rural small companies, local government offices, and agricultural businesses (such as farms), the United States Department of Agriculture instituted a grant/loan program in 2003 that sought to assist these institutions in establishing clean, renewable energy sources (like solar systems and wind generators) that would ultimately lead to massive cost savings. With the USDA now accepting grants year-round (with yearly deadlines on April 30th and October 31st), Smucker’s stands ready to help you save thousands on your eligible solar or wind installation by handling the applications for the grant start to finish. If you qualify for a USDA grant, you may be in a position to save over 50% of your base system cost with the Federal tax credit and other local incentives taken into consideration.

The grant program (called the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP) is for up to 25% of the total solar or wind system cost, with a cap of $500,000. Eligibility is limited to small businesses (as defined by federal standards), farms, land-grant universities and colleges, government offices, and electric cooperatives and public power companies located in designated ‘rural’ bounding areas by the USDA (agricultural producers are not limited to the rural bounding areas). There are a few guidelines to keep in mind when calculating grant eligibility:

  • The USDA REAP is a “competition” grant, meaning that grants are non-guaranteed and are organized according to the requested amount (below $20,000 and above $20,000, also referred to as “Unrestricted”). Applicants within their respective categories are essentially competing against each other for grant money. Grants are paid out according to technical merit, energy efficiency, project readiness, and more. There are specific annual application deadlines for the grant—for 2016 and presumably, beyond, the $20,000 or less deadline is October 31st, and the Unrestricted is April 30th (similar to Tax Day, these dates automatically adjust to the closest following business day). The USDA conducts an on-site inspection of all awarded systems, and following approval they send their grant payment via the SAMs systems as soon as “[the applicant] fully utilizes the funds from [their] matching share” (per the USDA website). Projects must start construction within 24 months of receiving the grant.
  • Site usage must be considered at least 51% commercial (or otherwise eligible) power to apply for the grant. For properties that are both residential and commercial in nature, the grant can only be calculated based on the percentage of electricity used commercially. In other words, if a farm and a home are on the same meter, and the farm uses 60% of the electricity fed to that meter, the USDA grant amount will be calculated using a number that is 60% of the system cost—not the total system cost. If there are separate commercial and residential meters, only the commercial meter is eligible for the grant.
  • There are three grant application tiers: projects costing under $80,000, projects costing between $80,000 and $200,000, and projects costing over $200,000. Each tier has its own application form that needs to be submitted, but Smucker’s Energy works closely with you to correctly fill out and submit each form according to your system specifications.

Over $60 million in grants and loan guarantees was awarded in 2015 after the USDA expanded their program and budget even further to encourage submission and streamline the application process. The REAP Program continues to serve as one of the premier incentives for qualifying agricultural entities looking to transfer to affordable, renewable energy.