Missouri Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

Matt

I would love to install solar, but the return on investment is way too far out to make sense. Government is clearly not serious about promoting alternative energy sources or they would offer larger tax rebates. I would rather build the structure in a more energy-efficient manner (eg. ICF’s, foam insulation, earth berm) and use the coop for power. Maybe someday solar and wind will make sense ecomomically.

larry j roberts

I would like to install a solar and wind system. I think the recent bill 54 will allow me to place the system in operation as a grid tied net metering. The bill should not have allowed donating it to the power company at any time – seems ridiculous.
I hope that a sun tracker will allow me to get maximum operation out of the system. For $2,000 tax credit or $6,666 of equipment, the project will have a small incentive. should have been a bigger incentive.

Michael Monteith

They have plenty to go by. Like California offers $2.2/watt and Nevada is like $3/watt rebate for solar. That reduces the cost per watt of putting in solar tremendiously to make it somewhat feasible. But still people use too much total electricity in the first place and need to reduce that. For me installing and buying my own equipment and installing it will defray the costs somewhat. Looks like windmills are better from the cost per watt side of it. I’ll probably have a combination.

Missouri needs to get aggressive and make up for lost time. Give incentives to reduce how much electricity you use. Incentives for using more efficient devices. Incentives converting to solar and wind. It should have already been in place.

Michael

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ray

When will there be a tax break to be able to make a diffrence in the green ?

Andy

I don’t see any power companies donating their power.

Dana Connell

Hi, My husband is in construction, but he would like to get into something else. He was interested in becoming an installer of solar/wind mills. Since gas prices have soard we thought people could save money by going solar. We live in Missouri and know nothing about solar and need some assistance. Is this a profitable business? Thanks

Diana

I disagree with the statement that wood burning is not green. The technology today allows for efficient burning of wood and for those of us in heavily wooded areas, this is a very manageable and renewable resource.

Missouri needs to get on the ball and do net metering correctly, not to benefit the electric company. If they keep going like this, when my house goes up this year, I’ll go off the grid. Wind is very plentiful here in the Ozarks and possibly garners a better bang for the buck.

Brad

I will probably be going solar soon but not net metering as long as there is a chance I will be donating to the power companies. That is wrong if I generate it I should be paid for it the same as we have to pay the electric company. They will shut you off if you don’t pay. Why should they get anything for free?

Oneal

This entire program is ridiculous! Why would anybody pay $54,000 plus interest to save $900 a year for 27 years. It another government mortgage trap. I guess whoever thought of this consider people who would like to save as simply…fools. Take your panels and ram it.

Dave

I’m disappointed to read that the the federal tax credit for going solar is a measley 2 thousand dollars. That is hardly a drop in the bucket when paying 54 grand for a system. What about Missouri? No tax credits for this??

Dan Hahn

Hi Dave,

We’re disappointed as well that the federal tax credit for going solar is a measley $2,000. However, we’re even more disappointed that congress failed to even renew that incentive, so it expires December 31st. On the table is a $4,000 maximum credit for solar that will probably be passed next year. Still though, you’re correct this is a drop in the bucket. Much of the incentive for solar adoption will be left to the states. Hopefully Missouri gets on board requiring their utilities to derive a significant portion of energy from renewables in the near term. That way, utilities will be forced to provide significant rebates or agree to purchase clean power from solar adopters at a higher rate. We urge all Missouri residents to contact their congressmen to make this happen.

Mike Rakestraw

Just a note, as of now you can recive solar paneling for as little as a dollar a watt, figuring the average house uses 1000 watts a day, for a 1000 dollars you can run your homes electronics for free!

Gene

Back in the 1970’s my parents were given for free a solar box that was installed on the outside of their home, this heated the whole house, where can I get the same thing for my house. You don’t see anything like this any more. I live in North Kansas city , mo.

Chris

We are in the proccess of building a solar furnace using recycled aluminum cans. Depending on your building and salvaging skills these can be built for under $100 and produce 5000 btu’s of heat. Lots of construction videos for free on youtube.

William Brueggen

We have 30,000 sq ft of office space & 40,000 sq ft of warehouse. How do I calculate how many solar panels I will need to provide electricity for my whole operation? Is there a formula?

Dan Hahn

William,

Panel estimates should be made based on energy usage, not the square footage of your space. Reason is, you could have an art gallery in all that space or you could be running heavy machinery in that space. The answer is to take a look at your power bill over the past year. Then, take an average of the kwh used over all those months. With that number in hand, you can get a sense of how many panels you’d need to eliminate your bill. Each panel might account for roughly 25-35kwh, depending on access to sunlight.

Hope this helps,

- Dan

LeeAnn

At the recent KCMO Home remodeling show I asked a representative of a solar panel manufacturer for a list of dealer/installers in the state. Not only did he refuse to pass along the information but he also told me that Missouri was interpreting the 35% tax rebate for solar systems installed “after January 1, 2009″ to be anytime…and will not grant tax rebates until sometime in 2010. Is this information correct?

Mark

If and when the State and Federal governments agree to truly support and ’subsidize’alternative enery with a meaningful tax credit (like 50% of the total system cost), people will start installing them and this new industry will flourish. Until then it’s just more political lipservice!

Shawn Evans

Yes there needs to be cheaper ways to go solar and wind. Mainstreaming will bring it down. But Missouri is behind the times to the smaller towns need to go with mandatory recycling and incentives to get off grid or grid tie to put in cheaper systems. I am building a work shop I would like to have solar and wind power for this put it would break me to install. If someone has a way I could do this cheaply let me know.

Tammy

The information you have posted under legislation for Missouri’s wood energy tax credit is incorrect & misleading. You make is sound like a tax credit is given for cutting down trees. The credit is given for using Missouri forestry industry residue.
“Residue that results from normal timber harvest or production from a location within Missouri. It includes slash, saw dust, shavings,edgings, slabs, leaves, bark and timberthinnings from timber stand improvements which are located within Missouri.”
To make
(C) Processed wood products,Wood pellets,
cubes, charcoal, flour or any product
that results from thermal, chemical or
mechanical processes that sufficiently alterMissouri forestry industry residue into a product that can be used as an energy source.
So it is not cutting down healthy trees-it is using “leftovers”

Dan Hahn

Thanks Tammy,

Noted above.

T. Rasgaitis

I’m a medically retired veteran. Since I only collect disability I do not have to file taxes. Where is my incentive. What the state offers is nothing.

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Hey, T. That’s something to ask your legislator, I’m afraid. Not us. If you can’t benefit from the Federal 30% tax credit, you’re not going to receive any incentives at this point. However, there may be some programs headed your way where you can finance the system through a special tax assessment on your property. Generally, these payments can be less than your current electric bill, but I don’t think any city in Mighty Mo land has adopted a PACE financing, sometimes known as “the Berkley program” or “municipal financing.”

Bottom line, you’re not gonna get any incentives at this point, but that may change in the next few years. Also, please bug your local lawmakers to adopt PACE.

Wish I could be more help.

sharkman

Wait a minute did I read this correctly any excess energy that is generated and accumulated during the year does not get issued as a credit or a rebate check? It just gets picked up by the utility company and billed out? If this is correct that is insanity. I am located in a particularly winded area with consistent year around avg wind speed at local air port(1-/2 mile away) and I am over 1000 ft higher elevation I am prime for wind and solar. I was thinking about powering the workshop I am building utilizing the 2 but would never use all i would generate because would only use maybe 20 hours a week but would need all the panels to power 100% I was under the impression it was fedral law that the electric companies had to buy back all kwh that went unused at whatever the current rate was. I would rather dump my unused electric than give the even 1 watt

Kevin Ward

Please update your site for the new $2 a watt Solar rebates available through KCPL and Amergen UE. We are awaiting approval to install the first system under the Amergen UE program right now. These rebates went into affect on January 1st.

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Thanks, Kevin! We try to keep track of all 50 states, so lots to keep up with. We appreciate your (and others’) updates.