Deadline Approaching for Connecticut OSDG Grant

On November 1st, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) issued request for proposals (RFPs) for the On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation (OSDG) program.  OSDG grants finance the installation of renewable energy equipment for commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities who are Connecticut Light & Power or United Illuminating customers.

Applications for the first round of funding are due on February 28^th, 2011.  After receiving grant approval, the applicant will have 90 days to execute on grant documents for the project, and 9 months after signing off to complete construction.  At this point in time, CCEF expects that there will be a second round of funding and the RFP will be issued in late spring 2011.  However, they have not announced a specific date round and could decide to forgo a second round, altogether.  Grants are determined by the economics of each individual project.  The grant will be calculated to provide the system owners with a reasonable breakeven on their investment.  The OSDG program will be a competitive process and only the strongest projects will receive funding.

Eligible renewable technologies for the OSDG program include solar photovoltaic, landfill gas, wind, low emission advanced biomass conversion, fuel cells, small hydroelectric, and waste heat recovery–power generation.  The minimum project size for photovoltaic installations is 10 kW AC and the maximum size is 200 kW AC.  Applicants will include for-profit companies, not-for-profit companies, municipalities, and state and federal government agencies.  The total funding for the OSDG program includes $12.86 million –   $7.2 million, will be allotted to solar PV installations.

In the past, OSDG has been a hugely popular and successful program in Connecticut.  In its earlier versions, it funded approximately 200 renewable energy projects at commercial sites throughout the state, contributing to a total installed capacity of 20 MW – these projects have been completed or are currently in progress.

The deadline is approaching for the first (and maybe only) round of OSDG funding.  If you’re interested in evaluating if your business or institution is a viable candidate for solar power, please reach out to Brightstar Solar for a complimentary solar evaluation and analysis of your site in Connecticut.  If you decide you want to move forward with a solar PV installation, our company can work with you to complete the application process for the OSDG grant program.