Georgia Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives
Forsyth Park, Savannah
2012 Update
The peaches may be sweet in Georgia, but solar power policy and incentives are starting to turn a bit sour after a strong start in 2008. In fact, Georgia legislators don’t seem to have done anything at all to help encourage solar power since they passed a strong tax credit nearly four years ago.
Georgia lacks many sensible policies that are steadily becoming the norm across the nation, including a strong Renewables Portfolio Standard, tax exemptions for renewable energy sources like residential solar power systems, and strong net metering and interconnection laws that lay out sufficient standards to protect consumers like you.
That tax credit is keeping Georgia on the solar map for now, but without significant improvement in a variety of legislative areas The Peach State won’t be peachy for solar power much longer.
Georgia’s (Lack Of A) Renewables Portfolio Standard
A Renewables Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) is a law that requires a state’s electric utilities to generate a percentage of their electricity from renewable resources by a certain date. Whether it be 20% by 2020, 30% by 2030, or any other target, an RPS is a critical piece of successful renewable energy policy.
Unfortunately Georgia is one of a minority of states that has yet to pass any RPS. The legislature is missing a big opportunity to help safeguard your environment and save citizens money.
We see the same pattern all across the country. In states with renewable energy targets written into the law (and penalties for failing to meet those targets), the state and the utilities come together to offer strong incentives for residential solar power. In states that lack an RPS the landscape is far more murky. There might be the occasional tax credit or utility-specific performance incentive, but states that lack an RPS generally lack a cohesive policy to encourage renewable energy.
Bottom line – if we want a strong future for renewable energy here, we need a strong RPS, and ASAP.
Georgia’s Electricity Prices
Electricity runs about 10.1 cents per kilowatt hour (“kwh”) here. That’s pretty low. In fact electricity here is noticeably cheaper than the national average of 11.43 cents/kwh.
Why do we pay so little for energy? Sadly it’s because our energy is backed by lots of earth-killing, non-renewable fossil fuels. The effects of all those fossil fuels are already starting to rear their ugly ozone-destroying heads. Not to mention the fact that the price of all those fossil fuels has been steadily climbing higher and higher. The price is only going to keep rising, and rising … and rising, and those shiny solar panels on your roof are going to look better, and better, and better.
Georgia Solar Rebates
Georgia lacks any statewide solar power rebate program. A few small utilities offer rebates, but the payments are fairly meager compared to most that we’ve seen. Central Georgia EMC, GreyStone Power, Cobb EMC, and Jackson EMC offer customers a rebate of $450/kilowatt (“kw”) up to a maximum of $4,500. Sawnee EMC offers a solar rebate of $300/kw, capped at $3,000. For many Georgia residents, though, who use Georgia Power, there isn’t any rebate available.
Georgia Solar Tax Credits
Georgia used to have a good solar tax credit for homeowners switching to clean solar power. The program offered a credit of up to 35% of the total installation cost, up to a maximum of $10,500. That was on par with a number of states with a strong RPS. Unfortunately, however, the program ran out of funding. Now, the only solar tax credit Georgia residents can take is the Federal Solar Tax Credit.
Georgia Solar Tax Exemptions
Georgia also lacks solar tax exemptions. Tax exemptions are a simple and effective way to incentivize solar power. Sales tax is 4% here, i.e., a sales tax exemption would save you 4% on the purchase of your solar power system.
Even worse is the missing property tax exemption. When you install a solar power system you save money on your monthly electric bill. The savings in electricity costs translates into a boost in your home’s value. Sadly that still means an increase in property taxes here. Georgia needs to get on board with so many other states that have already done away with that albatross on residential solar power.
Georgia Solar Performance Payments (and RECs)
Performance payments in Georgia are currently limited to customers of the municipal and cooperative electric utilities that purchase power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (“TVA”). Utilities purchasing power from TVA cover Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Towns, Union, Walker and Whitfield counties.
If you’re in any of those counties you’re eligible for TVA’s Generation Partners (“GP”) program. The GP program will will purchase 100% of your solar output at the retail rate plus a premium of $0.12/kwh. Your utility will track how much electricity your solar power system produces and how much electricity you consume. You will continue to be billed at the normal retail rate every month for the energy you use, and then your solar performance payments will be applied as a credit to the final bill. If the credit outweighs your charges, the utility will cut you a check for the difference. The utility chooses whether they send you that check either monthly or yearly.
Net Metering and Interconnection in Georgia
With net metering set up your utility will keep track of how much energy your solar power system produces, and how much energy consume. If you run a surplus in any month, you will receive a credit for that surplus on your next bill.
Unfortunately that’s about all Georgia’s net metering law says. There are no safeguards to stop the utilities from springing unanticipated fees on you, a cap on residential systems that may not allow all customers to produce all of their energy needs and still take advantage of net metering, and a woefully small aggregate capacity limit.
The aggregate capacity limit is essentially a limit on the number of people that can hook up to one grid to take advantage of net metering. Georgia’s aggregate capacity limit for net metering is currently only 0.2% of the total circuit load. We won’t bore you with the technical details; sufficed to say, that’s low. Real low. If many of your neighbors are already producing their own power, you may find yourself waiting for space on the grid because of the draconian standards the state has set.
Georgia sadly also lacks any regulations preventing utilities from requiring redundant external disconnect switches or separate liability insurance that can unnecessarily cost residential customers money. Nor do the net metering and interconnection laws contain any safe harbor language to protect customers from unexpected fees sprung on them by the utilities.
All in all it’s a pretty sad state of affairs here so far as net metering and interconnection goes. To our ongoing dismay, we haven’t gotten much right here at all.
5kW Example Return on Investment
The news isn’t all bad however. Between possible performance payments if you live in a TVA-served county, up-front rebates from some of the small utilities, and of course that giant federal tax credit, there is some help available to help fund your switch to solar. So what’s the bottom line for you?
Installing a typical 5kW solar system in Georgia is likely to run you about $25,000. We’ll assume that you aren’t a customer of TVA or one of the smaller utilities offering a rebate.
- You still get to take 30% off for the federal solar tax credit. The feds calculate your tax credit from out of pocket costs, so no state or utility incentives means a bigger federal tax credit. Subtract $7,500 (30% of $25,000) for a new price of $17,500.
- Don’t forget to subtract your annual utility savings, approximately $630 in just the first year. That brings us to a total cost after year 1 of $16,870.
- With a conservative estimate of future electricity prices (and thus future electric bill savings) your solar power system should pay for itself in about 17 years. You’ll still have several years of life in your solar panels, and from there out it’s all profit baby – almost $14,000 worth.
- In addition to all those savings and all that profit, your home value just went up by more than 12 large.
- And just in case all of that weren’t enough, you’re helping your ecosystem out as well. That new solar power system of yours is the equivalent of planting 110 trees every year!
Remember that these figures are estimates. We try to be conservative in calculating future energy savings and payback timeframes, but your savings could be a bit higher or lower. In short, every home is unique, and the best way to find out how much you can save with a solar power system is to get a free quote from one of our expert installers in your area. Heck, get five quotes. They’re free! Our partners on the grounds will help you plan a system to the specifics of your home that will save you the maximum amount of cash.
Consensus
So, what’s the bottom line? We said at the outset that Georgia is lacking in a number of important areas. In particular we really want to see a strong RPS here to keep the utilities and the politicians from continuing to get free passes while we burn more and more fossil fuels.
Sadly, Georgia no longer has the 35% state tax credit, which we’d love to see come back. With the state tax credit, the payback time was significantly shorter. The Peach State is only worthy of a “D” for now.
The name of “Atlanta” is a short form of “Atlantica-pacifica”, your article says.
Why the name “Atlantica-Pacifica” is suggested for this city ?
What is the meaning of “Atlantica-Pacifica” in this case ?
I appreciate it very much if you can explain it to me.
Thank you
Hiromi Tsuboi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia
“After a few renames, the Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, J. Edgar Thomson, suggested that the area be renamed “Atlantica-Pacifica”, which was quickly shortened to “Atlanta”"
When did you last update Georgia’s rating?
Couple weeks ago. Did something happen? I’ll check it out
hello my name is james wolfe and i live in jesup ga. the reason for my comment is to say that i have a few ideas that might work for making energy, i have plenty of ideas but dont have the funds to put them together, i thought maybe you could send me some sources that maybe would point me in the right direction. sometimes i set up all night thinking about what i have out in the barn that i can use to make energy without having to use fuel, ive even blueprinted some of these ideas, i just need the materials to put them together, its killing me to know that ive got the thing worked out but cant seem to get it put together, can yall help me out.. thanks j.k. wolfe
Pingback: Energy Tough Love Blog » Solar Power Rocks - This is a pretty cool site
Check out Southface.org for more Ga solar installations
butch and deb logan, to james wolfe.
we live in ga not too far from jesup we are interested in some solar power info.
any type of appliance or realistic info. really it is there for the use, why not take advantage of it.
i’m looking for a solar energy trade show in the north ga area…know of any good ones?
Check out this website for GA incentives:
http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/map2.cfm?CurrentPageID=1&State=GA&RE=1&EE=1
I was just in Colorado for the EcoBroker Conference and a solar provider broke it down like this:
$22,000 for system install
$13,500 rebate from Xcel Energy
$2,000 Federal incentive
That brings it down to just over $7,000 for the system which is so affordable. What’s the disconnect here? In Colorado it’s not a state incentive, it’s a requirement of the energy company to provide energy from alternative sources which comes in the way of rebates to customers supplying the energy from their homes. Is there anything like this going on in Georgia?
Thanks, Carson Matthews
http://www.TheBuckheadBlog.com
Yes, I was curious too how out west a system can be put in for $22K while here the quotes I have seen are for 2x that. Even with the Tax incentive this still does not make it affordable. A 60+ year payback, ($500 year savings x 60 = $30K). The numbers Carson quoted for Colorado of sub 10K would make it a lot better. (Payback is less than 20 Years at $500 per).
Any one know where i can find a list of power company’s who do the buyback program here in ga. Trying to do some research.
Atlantic-Pacific Railroad owned the terminal and the tracks, that is where the name originated.
power is good
I am a General contractor.I want to become a solar instaler. I want to find a way to make it afordable for everyone,and go into mass production with it. can you help me.
email me bro xzitzero@hotmail.com. i’m looking for the same info
We at United Renewable Energy are proud to announce that one of our residential installations was the FIRST to be approved for the state tax credit by the Department of Revenue! As of this week, they have only approved $30,000 of the $2.5M slated for this year. Since there is the potential for a great deal of uncertainty surrounding what needs to be done to set up solar, we offer assistance in navigating the tax credits and utility interconnection agreements, as well as offering an excellent and dependable service. While we specialize in commercial installations of 20 kW or more, we can also give homeowners what they need to make an ROI based decision. Check out our website: http://www.u-renew.com
Please write our Georgia Senators and ask them to support HR6049.
Thanks solarpowerrocks for putting together such a great forum!
Regarding the tax credits, If you plan on taking the federal credit (deadline: Dec.’08)and the state credit, you must apply the federal credit first. Then you apply the state credit to the adjusted cost. You cannot just add the 30% fed and the 35% state and assume you will get a 65% credit. I think it ends up being a total credit of ~52%.
Also, for solar thermal (water/space heating) systems, make sure the solar panels are SRCC or FSEC rated. These are rating agencies that certify solar thermal collectors. You can also visit the SRCC website to view different manufacturers’ panel characteristics and efficiencies to make comparisons.
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS INSTALLED PRIOR TO JULY 2008 WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE RESIDENTIAL TAX CREDIT ?
WILL IT BE NECESSARY TO ADD TO MY SYSTEM TO RECEIVE THE TAX CREDIT. BY THE WAY, I HAVE AN OFF GRID SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN PERFORMING BEAUTIFULLY FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW.
Phil, are you referring to the federal investment tax credit? You can email me directly, dave at solarpowerrocks.com
looking to start a sloar panel sales and service business in ga please give me some good info on getting started also some do’s and don’t and any info you can give will be used to help me get in the door
Just an update on the tax credits: The GA State Tax Credit has approved $500,000 out of the $2.5M available for this year. Businesses that are interested in taking advantage of the 2008 accelerated MACRS depreciation are encouraged to install this year. Residential customers are best served to order their arrays this year, but to install in early Q1 2009. This will take best advantage of the expanded federal credit, and give you the best chance at the state credit.
Contact us for details! We are always happy to answer questions.
So, what does that mean for the other $2 Million left on the table?
The remaining $2 Million will not roll over into next year. On January 1, 2009 it will reset to another $2.5M.
http://www.u-renew.com
Our GEFA contact has published the final tax credit allotment for 2008. Credits in the amount of approximately $950,218 were issued for all renewables in the state. This is fantastic news! It seems that Georgia has demonstrated not only an interest, but huge support for the renewable energy community.
Applications are coming in to GEFA slower than anticipated in 2009, so there are still excellent opportunities for the tax credits. Please visit our site for more details. http://www.u-renew.com
I am happy to answer any questions you may have!
In relation to Georgia. Walton EMC only pays 3 cents per KWH. This is the problem with Georgia from energy provider to provider. We need regulation that ensures that the electrical company is fair where the extra power going back into the grid is concerned. I pay 17 cents per KWH and they pay me 3 cents for the extra power I generate which goes back into the grid for resale at the higher rate I’m sure. where’s the fairness in this?
I want to work in the solar power industry so I can learn the basics and get more informed about utilizing solar energy. If there is anyone who is interested in hiring a ready to learn, adaptable to any environment, skillful, full of energy and ready to inform people about the benefits of solar power. Please contact me at ccfbusiness@gmail.com
Mr Stubbs, you may wish to inquire about what other States are doing with Renewable Portfolio Standards at http://www.dsireusa.org in their maps section. Once Georgia adopts a standard for renewables, you will see an increase in utility participation. Please become involved with Georgia Solar Energy Association at http://www.gasolar.us/ to assist in encouraging our wonderful state to continue in its development of sustainable policy.
Great blog, I’m very interested in solar energy the only problem is that is not yet affordable for the middle income family, I’m looking for an investor to start up a solar module assembly line here in Atlanta GA to bring down the pW per panel.
Mr. Moreno, many people who are presently refinancing their homes are finding that they can work the cost of a solar array into the refinance, and then get a large portion of that money back in a tax credit! It is an excellent way to make solar accessible to everyone. You are correct, though: the current incentives favor commercial installations.
I don’t think this is being publicized well enough, or I’m misunderstanding. I believe the Federal Credit $2,000 cap was removed in October 2008 under the Economic Stabilization Bill. Economic Stabilization Bill Includes Clean Energy Tax Incentives
. Does anyone have new information an what this translates to in payback period and installation costs.
what school teaches solar installation in atlanta area or ga or fl? does florida
solar energy center course qualify a
electrical contractor to do solar installations in ga?
In response to TR’s inquiry: you are correct, the $2000 federal cap has been lifted for residential solar installations. Generally, it is the state based policies that have the greater impact on payback. The state of Georgia retains the $10,500 cap on their 35% credit, and few utilities offer any production based incentives. GA Power offers an excellent feed-in tariff, as do some smaller EMC’s (but not many). Please keep in mind that accepting these tariffs generally means that you do not keep the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This varies by utility, and is important to businesses/individuals who are interested in being able to say that they use their clean energy on-site.
New policies are emerging in our state every day, so check back for announcements on legislative developments! On the federal side, we are seeing some hope for change as well.
I’m a builder here in Columbus GA and have an upcoming residential project coming up. Shana is your company a service type company who sells and installs solar or are you more of a consulting and info company?
Ron, We are Georgia’s leading Photovoltaic Installation and Integration company. We do everything PV from consulting to installs. Please visit our website, and feel free to send us an email as I try to reserve this forum for information sharing. We are here to help. Thank you!
We have received several inquiries about the availability of Suniva solar panels. Suniva, Inc. is a Norcross GA based cell manufacturer. United Renewable Energy now offers URE brand panels “Powered by Suniva.” These panels are over 95% Georgia content. Georgia is certainly a wonderful state for solar these days!
What GA Power doesn’t tell you is that they have a cutoff for their buyback program. Once they reach a certain kW limit on systems enrolled in the buyback program, they stop buying back the FREE ELECTRICITY THEY GET from you. I think you get about $.04 for every kWh you produce as opposed to $.18 when enrolled in the buyback program.
GA Power is the greediest, most antiquated power company in the country. Your providing free electricity to the grid i.e. increasing their profits, yet they are unwilling to compensate you for that. Just another backwards policy in GA I guess.
The rate for the GA Power feed-in tariff is 17.74 cents. They have reached their statewide limit of 500 kW for this program, but are accepting applications to receive this rate when more funding is available. http://www.u-renew.com/pdf/GA_Power_Waiting_List.pdf
This program is presently set at a net metering rate. This means that up to your power bill total dollars for the year, they will credit you whatever you pay them per kWh: which is 9+ cents for most residences. Net metering is the standard minimum in the state of Georgia. Several states do not even offer this.
The 4-5 cents is the rate for their offset costs, which kicks in when your solar production goes over your net power bill for the year. Most houses can’t fit that much solar on their roof anyway!
It is important to note that when accepting the feed in tariff rate of 17.74 cents, Georgia Power is also purchasing your RECs.
Every utility differs in how they handle interconnection.
Hope this helps clarify!
Shana,
Thank you again for your continued presence on our comment threads. We’re sure all our readers have gleaned a lot from you.
Cheers,
- Dan
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I am wanting to set up a 500kw solar farm. What can I expect as far as incentives for this type of system? What would Ga Power pay me per KW. Many solar panels in a field tied directly to the grid.
Mr. Clayton,
Typically, most solar installations in Georiga are for existing utility customers who wish to cover a portion of their own power bill. In order to install a power producing farm with GA Power, you would be required to negotiate with them directly. GA Power does not have an established rate for individuals interested in supplying their grid with renewable energy. However, we can assist you with a strategy for your project.
Many people are curious about the news that the PSC has raised the GA Power (17.74 cent) feed-in tariff cap to 1.5MW. This is true, the PSC has given GA Power permission to increase their cap, but GA Power has not yet released the actual numbers. Please sign the petition below to encourage GA Power to keep with their support of renewable energy in the South!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/gge-tariff-wattage-increase
Does anyone know what the licensing and permitting requirements are for GA? I called the licensing board and they referred me here.
J.G. depending on the size of the solar array: an licensed electrician is required at minimum. Every city differs in their requirements, so please check with your local authority. NABCEP certification is what we recommend when choosing an installer. It is a voluntary certification that ensures your installer has the requisite experience, standards and skill to properly install solar PV. http://www.nabcep.org/
NABCEP certification training coming to Georgia. Starting January, 2010 Lanier Technical College in Alpharetta will be offering an 8 week PV Installation class preparing students for the NABCEP BASIC PV certification exam. Long-time solar pro Will Silva is on the faculty.
More info at http://laniertech.edu
Hi,
We are a reputable solar company (or so we try) here in Georgia and want to get the word out about our business and become a listed solar professional with your site. Let me know what we can do to get on the list, or how we can help your subscribers.
I’ll keep an eye on your posts and try to be a resource for people inquiring.
Thanks,
Steve Chiariello
Inman Solar
404 502 1915
Now is the time to start planning for the National Solar Tour & Festival, sponsored by your local ASES chapter. On October 3rd, solar sites all across Georgia and the nation will be opening their doors to speak to visitors about the solar on their roof. Please visit http://www.gasolar.org/georgiasolartour.html for more details. This is your chance to learn firsthand about solar from actual owners. Maps, ASES memberships and virtual tours will be available online with the purchase of a ticket. Come out to learn, explore and have some fun!
Shana -
I am interested in how much of the annual 2.5 million Georgia tax incentive has been used to date. Where do you find the information?
Cindy, You can visit the following url: https://etax.dor.ga.gov/ and scroll down to “News & Press Releases”. There, you will find a link to “HB670 Clean Energy Property and Wood Residuals Tax Credit”. Please click on that link for the current report of pre-approved and available funds. Please keep in mind that this information is subject to a minor delay, as it is not an actual reflection of the applications received to date, only the funds that have been pre-approved at time of publication.
Hi – I’m a little confused by business install option you presented above. If I install say a 1 Megawatt solar farm with the intention of selling all the power to GA power – they will pay a nego rate per KWH? Do they pay for this in the form of a check each month based on prior moths meter readings? If so, how much with GA power currently pay per KWH? Can you give me specific details to something like this or a resource I can review. Thanks!!
I am a Licensed contractor here in Ga. we are in the process of starting a solar installation and consulting company starting in January of 2010. I was looking to see what steps we would need to take to become a partner with your orginization or to be on your referral list. Thanks again for all your information.
Daniel N
Suntek Solar Solutions
Shana,
I would like to know if there are any employment opportunities in North Georgia in this emerging field. I am a Professional Commercial Driver looking for a change and would like to get into this field. Any information or direction would be appreciated.
Thanks.
i have 11 solar panels and other equiptment
but not yet installed, equal to 1800 watts and a small wind jenny that is 24 volts at 30 amps max,720 watts, but its only useful in fall winter and spring.
what kind of rebate could i expect?
both also divert to heat hot water as well?
Shana – I want to try and get my local school to install a large rooftop system. Would it qualify for fed and state credits? What would the school be credited for each kW of power it created? Could it be set up so the school saves money on a monthly basis while paying off the loan for the panels? Finally, if the whole school district did it, could they qualify as a carbon offset and get some polluting company to pay off their loans? Thanks Dave
Dave,
Great idea! The short answer is: it depends on quite a few variables.
We would have to discuss your particular situation more deeply. If you would like to send me an email, you can click on my name above and fill out the form at the bottom of my webpage. I will post relevant answers to the blog as a follow-up.
Oh! And we just commissioned the largest commercial array in the state! Check it out! http://u-renew.com/news/?p=99
I just wanted to thank you for providing this website and the great resources it provides. As a solar installer in Georgia, I have received a tremendous amount of information from this site that I’m able to pass along to my clients.
One of the best resources I’ve seen is the DSIRE website…for whatever reason, I can no longer access the site. Does anyone know what the problem is?
Thanks for the shout out.
http://www.dsireusa.org/solar is a tremendous resource for rebate information for every state and utility. I think it was down for some reason yesterday, but it seems to be working now.
Thanks for commenting.
I was contemplating a solar electric system on my house in Stockbridge, GA.
Nothing is being said about what the annual maintenance of these systems would be or what needs to be done.
Ronald,
There is very little maintenance to solar PV (electric) systems because there are no moving parts. Rain should keep the panels nice and clean, although if you live in a dusty area or one with a lot of birds, you should take an extended window squeegee and mop with warm water and wipe them off once every couple of months.
The only thing that can go wrong after 10 to 15 years is the Inverter. More about that here. Otherwise, it really is a safe and reliable system if properly installed.
Interesting article – what is being done in Georgia to remove the blocking of PPA’s? PPA’s are great at reducing or removing the up-front costs and allowing a nice steady cost structure that can meet or beat the current utility prices…but an old law in Georgia makes them impossible. Any movement?
I live in Oglethorpe County and receive power from Rayle EMC. I am looking at a grid-tie system with net metering. I built our home with the back facing south for future solar applications. I did not see that Rayle EMC participated in net metering or the buy back program? Are all power companies in GA reqrired to, or am I out of luck? Thanks JB
I’m so pleased that I found this blog about Enviro/Sustaining Our World. We used a really good company outside of Atlanta. Here is that link to their site. I do wish more and more people would turn to green. I also wish the government would make it mandatory.. instead of just giving incentives. Maybe then we could really sustain our world.EcoMech Geothermal & Solar I added your blog to my favorites!! Thanks for being so informative on the net!
On October 2nd, Georgia Solar Energy Association is hosting the National Solar Tour in Georgia, and we would like for your to be a part of it! Sites all around the state will host the open house designed to educate our state about solar energy and solar solutions. We hope for your participation this year. Please sign up a site by visiting: http://www.gasolar.org/sign_up_my_site.php
Solar listings are free, we only ask that you be a GA Solar member.
Attendance on the tour is also free, but this year we are offering a $25 guided tour in metro Atlanta, if you so desire. We hope that you can participate!
Please email with any questions at solartour@gasolar.org
I own Us Power Solutions here in Atlanata! I found your site and am so stoked aboit it!! Check out my website
HelpMeSaveGreen.com We are trying every day to help atlantans GO Solar afterall it was called the HOTLANTA for awhile its so much potential here !We install 1k to 10 k systems as well as insyall Silver sheild insu;lation (radiant barrier and foam) top lower bills ! Please contact me so we Can be listed on your site as an installer ! Thanks Andy Moore
i’m looking for training and certification in solar installations where do i find it in georgia..help
I am a homeowner looking to connect with a proven installer in the Columbus, GA area. Is there such a company? I saw a 20+ year old system work in Michigan, and was impressed.
Many people have asked where they can learn solar installation. I do not see any answers to this. Is this site allowed to say. If not, could you kindly refer us to another site where we can find out where there is teaching and training in this field. I’d so appreciate it. Thank you.
Hi Sophia,
You might also want to sign up for some courses at The Solar Living Institute and/or Solar Energy International. These are the two best places to get hands on experience with solar, as well as some sales and marketing classes.
I installed Solar Panels on my home in November of 2010. When we completed the install process, we were advised, to submit our application for the GA Tax Credit in 2010, knowing that we would be denied, and then resubmit on Jan. 3, 2011. We followed all the steps necessary to receive the tax credit.
I received a letter from the GA Department of Revenue stating that a portion of my requested costs have been denied because the credit cap has been reached for 2011, and that I cannot reapply for these denied costs in 2012.
When I contacted the GA-DOR, they told me that I was prorated due to the cap being reached, and by GA State Law, I am only allowed to apply 2 times.
Of the $10,347.54, only $7822.13 was approved. What can I do to received that rest of the $2,525.41 of this tax credit?
I don’t think this is fair, and as far as I am concerned, this is false advertising for the entire Solar Industry
I live in the south Georgia area, is it possible to get solar panels installed on something as small as a mobile home? Can you direct me to a certified installer.
Thanks
do diy project qualify?
My name is Ja8#%@ Bor*%. I want TO HELP GA FOLKS LIKE ME AND MY WIFE KNOW WHATS HAPPENING HERE AS OF THIS WEEK, AWESOME STUFF , I am a telemarketer for a GA owned SOLAR PV Panel manufacturer/installer.I sell “homegrown power lol” Im saying this upfront(to:webmaster friend) because I love THIS SITE I absolute LOVE SOLAR and I want to ROCK MY TAKE on the PRESENT GA SOLAR SITUATION, SO don’t Block me cause I work for the type of company that you promote just because you don’t know who I work for, no names. OK AWESOME . So please “SOLAR POWER ROCKS” let me rock on no names, you know of them though they are in your network & I used them to install a 7kw system on my home,got in contact via this site too !?
I want to pump up ATLANTA Homeowners& business owners even more so on the idea of NOT HAVING A POWER BILL & on HOW EZ it is to SWITCH and get paid to do the GREEn THING AND SAVE MONEY. KINDA like a bank paying you to help push the mobile banking trailer around to different offices for a day, but you get paid on every friday TILL you DIE. CRAZY ? Nope. EX. Homeowner bob&susie have a baby, almost two. they are making it but have been a few hundred $$ short on their needs for a while. I called them and told them how if their electric bill is over 250$ a month on average and I could show them how to meet BILL_Eliminator and get Paid to save would they consider looking at the process? WEll DUH(common reaction)
HOW:
YEARLY ELECTRIC $2117
Enough panels to cover production 230 watt
HIgh EFF. PANELs to cover112% 60 Panels(14.2kw)
, Installation and electric and best $$ can buy warranty 90% output warranty 10 years 80% 15 (25 yr warranty)
Total Project cost 88,200=700 permit. 88,700 TOTAL WOOOOOW BUT WAIT THERES HELP BILL ELIMINATOR to the rescue…
ga rebate check 10,500
FEDERAL GRANT 17,520
Manufactur cash 13,000
Utility company 4,500
Model home/ Holiday SEASON “Give Green Program” 7,000 Visa DEBIT (CASH )
CASH REBATE VISA debit
Total out of ocket is only 34,430
Power bill is gone , so you save and make even more with the srecs you sell back. The bill you were paying for “Im not interested ” was a 2,173 add this to your extra power generated monthly and sold back thru the grid to help the planet, which is equal to 3,060 a year add your savings , now you get paid 5,480 yearly for harnessing sunshine. But you still have to pay for the balance of 34,430
Use your CASH GRANT (60 days for federal to arrive after install Pluss the CASH REBATE from the PAnel Manufacturer Thats 24,500 towards the balance Now you owe10K
Its only been 1year and since the SOLAR DEALER LET YOU USE A SAME AS CASH PROGRAM, YOur ROI is under a year1/2 should be 41/2.
NOW whats the catch, you have to UNDERSTAND SOLAR. Email me and Ill get your questions answered and finish the best part of this HOLIDAY SALE , you might see around. Its REAL. Its GREEN!
“If you want to know where your headed look at where your at…..
Be GREEN & GROWING Not BROWN and ADAPTING TO DIE ….unknown
Hi,
I have just come across your website and find it interesting re solar panels in Georgia (AMERICA)…we live in Australia …Queensland..we installed in July 2011 a 10KW 52 panel system…German SMA inverter and 220 watt panels..(total cost was $32,500 Australia dollars)..our electric company charges us 22.5cents per Kilowatt….we have back to grid….our bills used to be $1,200 Australia dollars per 3 months and now we are getting a credit of $1,300 per 3 months…..so all electric is now free…(we have a large 4,500 square foot house)…total product is 5 year warranty for the inverter….25 year warranty for the panels.
Just thought your website was quite interesting.
Kind regards,
Roger
Hello Solar power rocks….why hasnt anyone spoken about a company that has the patent on increasing the efficiency of a solar panel by 40%. We all know that even a 2% increase is considered outstanding. This company’s device allows for solar panels to track the sun all day and when you compare this to 99.9% of all solar panels that are stationary and only enjoy 30 minutes at most of direct sunlight, its amazing that this hasnt been talked about before….i know that the announcement says dont make it spammy or to tout our own business…..but every installer and homeowner can beenefit.if interestest go the url or email me for additional information……thanks Mike
Hi,
I have been in the Solar/Wind/Conservation Industry for 8 years now. I have just came across this website and VERY much impressed with our worldwide interest in Renewable Energy. Folks it’s the future, Our company has so many products I couldn’t even them all, from Solar PV Attic fans to Solar PV hot water heaters to going to Net Metering to large wind turbines. Please do your family, environment and our children a great service by at least checking my company or any other reputable renewable energy company out.
I installed a 10 Kilowatt (10KW), grid-tied, Solar PV system atop my Gillis Springs, GA home at the end of September, 2010. I copped 65% in tax credits (30% federal, 35% state), though it took me 30 hours of time and two years to fully collect Georgia’s credit — due to the state’s mismanagement of that program.
A 10KW system in Central Georgia will produce about the amount of power that a family of four consumes in a year: 10,000-12,000 Kilowatt-Hours (KWH).
I “barn-raised” my array in a no-permit (no codes at all, not even zoning) county but met if not exceeded all state and federal codes. I got nearby MAGE Solar to give me a great price and got it up for $35,000, net $14,000 after credits (hence, $1.40/watt). That’s roughly a 14-year payback cycle, then pure profit on the remaining 16 years of the system’s guaranteed life span.
I could do it today (December, 2012) for about $.90/watt with the same tax credits, and that includes paying $3000 for electrician and inverter-mounting labor (a little tricky in my home, and I have only “socket-changing” skills).
In the past 25 months the system’s produced over 32,000 KWH of power, exceeding MAGE’s projections. It makes/saves me about $1,000/year at an $.08/KWH reverse-meter credit rate (what my utility pays me for excess power that I feed into its grid), with the utility charging me $.13/KWH for the power that I use.
I learned a lot in the process, and have since studied whether subsidies and government fiats (like the Renewable Portfolio Standards this group urges) make sense in the first place. I also collected my experiences and thoughts on how to tie a grid-tied, residential Solar PV system to the grid. My findings and conclusions are here: JamesChristopherDesmond.com
If you read my site you’ll reach my bottom line: Let the Chinese “donate” their labor and tax dollars to us. Let them flood our market with cheap panels because we’ll create more jobs and prosperity in the long run AND substantially advance solar power — than by trade-warring with them (American invented VCR tech and ceded it to the Japanese in the 1980s; they reduced VCR prices from $400 to $40 and availed “VHS happiness” to us at the mass-consumer level; the Chinese will do the same with solar).
Further, we can spread solar to tens of millions of rooftops and back yards (and unused farm lands) by (a) ditching all subsidies (no longer needed because prices have fallen far enough); (b) ditching all permitting (Do It Yourselfers can look out for themselves, and many “inspectors” are incompetent time/money wasters unwittingly propping up anti-competitive, prima-donna installers who price-rape and thus hurt solar power’s growth by making solar too costly); and (c) clearing the decks for 1BOG-type buyers cooperatives so more folks like me can “barn-raise” and get to “the power of 10.”
The power of 10: A 10KW class array like mine for $10,000 produces at least 10KWH of electricity a year, which is about what a family of four needs. That’s $1/watt up-front cost. In my neck of the woods, it makes/saves $1000/year, which is a 10-year payback not counting the increase value that such an array adds to one’s home. Pay for 10 years, profit on 20. Tax Free. People will line up like they do at Apple stores to buy that product.
Note how “10″ makes it easier for the average Joe to think about Solar PV for his home. He can simply cut it in half if he has only $5000. But he can now think in commodity terms ($1/watt, 10,000 KWH/year, etc.). Because we want Joe to think about solar like any other commodity (how much per pound, per gallon, etc.). Because we want to commoditize solar PV and thus drive its costs down like the Japanese did for VCRs.
THAT is how to commoditize solar and foment a “Solar Aisle” at Home Depot. More on the “Power of 10″ here: https://sites.google.com/site/freemarketsolarpower/home/the-first-wave
Finally, groups like this one often overlook ten-figure grid modification costs required for massive upticks in solar-PV based electricity. California’s paying that price now. This is a critical issue because it drives policy — as in, whether to favor large solar farms or small, individually owned installations like mine. Georgia is poised to make a big decision on that score, and I cover that in my “Georgia Watch” subpage here: https://sites.google.com/site/freemarketsolarpower/home/georgia-watch
Great article. Couple of questions. Where did you get the Home Value figure from? I’d like to know how to valve the system I have installed at my home here in Savannah. Next, who can we contact to start pushing for reinstatement of the Georgia tax credits?
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/solar-homes-sold-20-faster-and-for-17-more-nrel-study-finds/
Great article. Can you tell me how to figure the valve an installed system adds to ones home value?
I live in Towns County, GA, served by TVA through Blue Ridge Mountain EMC. Please run out a payback example for someone in a TVA service area.
What do you know about local restrictions in Towns County on PV panels, such as “must not be visible to the public”, etc. Thanks!