Good things are happening in the Massachusetts State Legislature
Great news coming out of Massachusetts. Rules were approved last month on how homeowners can get guaranteed money for going solar in the state from their electric companies.
Here’s how it worked out: In 2008, the state legislature required that electric companies get at least a chunk of the energy they produce from clean, renewable sources. These rules, just written up in January 2011 now say exactly how much you can be paid for having one of those sources be your rooftop with solar panels on them.
If your utility company isn’t able to show they hit their targets for deriving electricity from clean sources, they are bounded to pay a special fee directly to the state. The rules were just written to clarify the exact amount your utility company would need to pay for each bit of electrons that they aren’t able to get from a clean source.
Basically for you as a homeowner in Massachusetts considering solar, you now have some additional guarantees, since instead of paying a fee to the state for a certain amount, your utility company will now be willing to pay YOU for the right to say your clean electricity you generate with your solar panels feeds into their electric network.
For an average sized 5kW solar system, you can expect about $2,000 per year in payments directly to you from the utility company for having solar on your roof! That’s in addition to the added value the panels give to your home (20x your annual electric savings), your actual utility bill savings, and environmental savings as well!
For more info on how this all works and how you can start getting paid big bucks each year, get a solar quote! Our friendly experts will help you pencil all your costs and return on investment out step by step, and will also be able to offer you savings for going solar as a group!
Photo of the Massachusetts state legislature dome by David Paul Ohmer
In American History, Massachusetts has led the way in many notable trends: Raucous tea parties, using “wicked” as a positive adjective, universal health care, and now solar energy. Yes indeed, we’ve just updated our Massachusetts solar page with much, if not all of what you need to know about going solar in Mass.
Despite the misconception that it’s too cold for solar or there’s not enough sun, the fact is Massachusetts hosts abundant solar energy potential and cold weather actually makes solar panels more efficient. As a result, the state legislature has backed that sun potential with generous solar rebates and incentives.
How much does that solar rebate luv add up for you to go solar? Hard to say without dropping by and going over your energy usage, home value, and income level. That’s why you need to get at least one or two free quotes from one of our partner installers. But before you do that, here’s the bottom line estimated cost for median income folk in near Boston who want to go solar.
This estimate does not include extra add-on’s for your home.
- Pre-Rebate cost: $35,000 (Don’t Panic!)
- State Rebate: Subtract $17,500.
- Mass State tax credit: Subtract $1,000
- 30% Federal tax credit: Subtract $5250
- Estimated Net Cost: $11,250
(Worst case: estimated Net Cost for a person with above “median income” living in an above “median home value:” $20,000 net cost after all incentives.)
Also, you should know:
- Payback period: Will vary depending qualifying rebates and how much rates rise. Worst case, about 14 years, but a few years sooner for moderate income/home people and if electric rates go up faster.
- Your new electric bill: Average $4 bucks month before any utility fees/taxes.
- Nasty CO2 Emissions Saving the planet: 9618lbs/year, or like not driving 11,500 miles a year or planting 18 square feet of trees. Thank you in advance for that.
- Also, remember: If your main solar equipment is manufactured in Mass, you get a little bonus of .15/watt. For a 5kW system, subtract another $750.
So check out the full Mass page with a lot more info. Or cut through all that and just click below to get a free custom quote from one or two of our solar people on the ground there. Then you can talk Red Sox, Vineyards named after Martha Somebody, and your particular solar needs. Either way, thanks for reading this and considering getting solar. Also a big thanks to Mass legislators for making it pretty easy for you guys. Massachusetts people, you Rock!
