Plug into the Sun
(Page 2 of 5)
August/September 2003
By Rusty Haynes and Lindsey Hodel
Knorr received a rebate for 40 percent of the costs of her PV system from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The total cost was about $10,000.
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TAX BREAKS
Twenty states offer at least one personal income tax incentive to promote the adoption of renewable energy. The best personal tax incentives are available to residents of California and North Carolina. California offers a generous credit to homeowners of up to $4.50 per watt for the cost of PV and wind systems, and homeowners can deduct the interest paid on loans used to purchase renewable energy systems. North Carolina's 35 percent tax credit for the installation of all renewable energy systems includes a maximum credit of $10,500 for residential PV systems and $1,400 for solar hot water systems.
In New York, homeowners are eligible for a 25 percent credit for the cost of a PV system, with a maximum credit of $3,750. Maryland homeowners are allowed a 15 percent credit ($2,000 maximum) on PV and solar hot water systems, while those who purchase wind or PV systems in Rhode island are eligible for a personal credit based on system type and cost. Hawaii gives purchasers of PV and solar hot water systems a 35 percent credit ($1,750 maximum) and purchasers of wind energy systems a 20 percent credit (no maximum limit). Arizona (25 percent credit, $1,000 maximum), Massachusetts (15 percent credit, $1,000 maximum) and North Dakota (15 percent) all offer personal tax credits to those who purchase PV, wind or solar hot water systems. Idaho refunds up to 40 percent of the total cost of various renewable energy technologies, including PV, wind anti solar hot water. And 26 states have adopted corporate tax incentives to encourage renewable energy use in the business and industrial sectors.
Todd Volkmeier, a homeowner in Woodbury, Minnesota, paid no sales tax and no additional property taxes on the 10 PV panels he installed on his rooftop. Volkmeier's system provides 1.6 kilowatts of electricity and meets about one-third of hiss home's energy needs. His system also is grid-connected and allows for net-metering
"[The grid-tied system] is a simple system," Volkmeier says. "The only drawback is that if there's a utility outage — even if it's sunny out — like everyone else, we still won't have power."
(Grid-connected photovoltaic systems routinely have a disconnect that activates when the rest of the grid goes down to ensure the safety of utility line workers.)
Volkmeier was the first homeowner in the state of Minnesota to receive a rebate for switching to solar energy. The total cost of his PV system was $8,500, $3,300 of which the state reimbursed.
"I would rather have a windmill," he says, "but we live in a suburban area and city codes would never allow it. PV is something I can do and it's my way of contributing."
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