We’ve said many times on this site that these days, you should be paying an average price of around $7 or $7.50 a watt these days, average across the nation. Some states with more competition can be lower, down to 5.50/watt. Not sure of the Nevada market and your area for competition.

As for the Nevada rebate, the program is oversubscribed right now for solar for 2009/2010. See this note from the this State rebate site. (Good info for all states)

Note: In January 2008, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) issued ruling R175-07, which established rebate levels for the RenewableGenerations program through 2013, and added incentives for small wind and hydroelectric systems. The 2009-2010 application period for solar rebates ended on October 31, 2008. The 2010-2011 application period will commence in early 2010. NV Energy is still accepting applications for the 2009-2010 application period for wind and small hydro systems. Funds are limited and applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. To be eligible, wind systems need to be operational as of September 4, 2008 or later.

So you can wait until early next year and see if you can’t get the 10 grand rebate. The Federal incentive is a 30% tax credit, by the way, not a rebate. That means you can use the credit towards paying your taxes. Think of it as an IRS gift card on April 15th. You can use state and federal rebates together, but there may be some tax issues you should discuss with your local tax guru about it. In general, the 30% tax credit is calculated AFTER you subtract any state rebate. Again, check with your tax guru, but that’s my understanding. Hope that helps.

Aside from the fact the quote is way too high, what is the current rebate for the feds and for Nevada? Can they be used together?

It is difficult to get straight answers to these basic questions which could make the difference between doing it or not.

In general, and I believe this is the case for Nevada and the Feds, you must be tied to the electric grid in order for you to qualify for rebates. In addition, you will need to have batteries with your system to collect energy for when you’re parked at night. Now, if your talking about a mobile/prefabricated home with solar that is stationary, then you’ve got a shot at the tax incentives and rebates. Hope that helps.