HOT TIP !

Don’t wait to apply for your state’s cash rebate program. Just ask the residents of Florida who’s rebate went from a $4,000.00 per kilowatt cash rebate  down to a $0 rebate. Solar rebate programs all over the country have run out of money, leaving their residents with no rebates at all. Waiting a single day to submit your rebate  application can result in a reduced rebate or even the entire loss of your state’s current rebate.

Remember every state’s solar rebate program is limited and now considering the current state of our economy and the fact that the 30% federal tax credit has been approved, rebate program budgets in every state are diminishing fast and may soon become a thing of the past.

More information about federal and state monies including grants, rebates and tax incentives is available at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (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 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.)

Another good website is the Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP), sponsored by a coalition of public interest nonprofit groups, government agencies, and other organizations in the energy efficiency field, is designed to give consumers and businesses information they need to make use of the federal income tax incentives for energy efficient products and technologies passed by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and subsequently amended several times.

Everyone can’t afford not to put up solar right now. Electric bills sure don’t have a payoff but buying a solar system does right now. Solar is now at the lowest price it has ever been. Since solar is tied in with the price of energy (which is at an all time low) as the price of energy (oil, coal, gas, etc) goes up so does solar. I have been seeing articles like this one for over twenty years.  http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=sunshine-is-free-so-can-photovoltai-2010-03-10&ec=su_cheapphotovoltaic

Yesterday (Monday the 29th of March) I went to a rally where our (the state of Illinois’) current governor Pat Quinn announced his running mate for his reelection. The pick for Lt. Governor is Sheila Simon who championed trying to get Photovoltaics on a city building when she was a city of Carbondale, IL council woman and when she was running for mayor of the city.

I did end up writing a proposal to be installed on the Eurma Hayes Child Development Center which may still happen especially since the price of PV has fallen over 50% in the last year and a half.

Pat Quinn’s office (when he was Lt. Governor) actually had all us renewable  energy installers on a conference call to try and determine what is slowing or stopping renewable energy installation in the state of Illinois. Two things are stopping the installation of renewables: one is the fact that the state is operating without a budget and keeps sweeping all or most of the money out of the RERP (Renewable Energy Resources Program) so it is completely unreliable, which in term makes it so we rarely tell our customers about the program. Second is there is no good financing programs for solar. Solar will not be regularly installed or mainstream until people can pay off a loan instead of pay for an utility bill. There is a payoff with a solar system but never with an electric bill.

At the rally Pat Quinn said he has brought honesty to the state and with Sheila Simon on his side will continue to do so. As long as people are paying as part of their utility bill into the RERP that money is supposed to be set aside to create rebates for the installation of renewables. I respectfully ask all the state government but especially Pat and now Sheila to make the state honest and stop stealing our renewable energy program money. Make sure the RERP is fully funded!

Lets get the state of Illinois Energized with Renewable Energy!

In less then 3 months they ran out of money.
Due to the overwhelming response to the solar and wind energy rebate program, no more funding remains for this fiscal year.  DCEO is no longer accepting applications for Fiscal Year 2010.  Please check this website in July, 2010 for information about the program for Fiscal Year 2011 or contact Scott or Wayne below.

Solar Rebate Program contact:

Scott Henkel
Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
217/785-3968
scott.henkel@illinois.gov

Wind Rebate Program contact:

Wayne Hartel
Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
217/785-3420
Wayne.hartel@illinois.gov

To learn of other available state and federal incentives, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE)