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All CT Homeowners Can Now Get a Solar PV Rebate

Changes that went into effect September 1st, 2010 to the Solar PV Rebate program mean that all Connecticut homeowners will now have the opportunity to receive the incentive.  The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) quietly made this announcement to all approved CT installers, but I do not think the message was broadcasted to the public.

Before September 1st, CCEF funded the Solar PV Rebate through rate-payer funds.  This was collected through a nominal fee from Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and United Illuminating (UI) electricity charges.  Therefore, the CCEF Solar PV Rebate previously was only available to residents in a CL&P or UI service area.  Now that rebate funds are coming from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the program is now open to all Connecticut residents, including all municipal utility customers in Bozrah, Groton, Jewitt City, Norwich, Wallingford, and Norwalk.  The ARRA financing comes at an opportune time since CCEF had only about a $1M for the PV rebate program before all of their residential rebate funds would be consumed.

In all practical considerations, the PV rebate in Connecticut is the same.  The current rebate payout of $1.75 per watt for the first 5 kW and $1.25 per watt for the next 5 kW (up to 10 kW) will remain in effect.  There is one big difference between the previous solar rebate program and the ARRA program.  Although solar installers will continue to send rebate requests directly to CCEF, the rebate checks will now be sent to the system owner instead of the contractor.

To qualify for ARRA funding, the residential solar power projects must be fully placed in to service by April 30, 2012 or the installation will not be eligible to receive a rebate from CCEF.  At present, CCEF and the Connecticut Office of Policy Management understand fully placed in service to mean interconnected by CL&P or UI.  CCEF has also announced that they cannot agree to PV installation extensions for any ARRA project in Connecticut past February 29, 2012.

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