Nevada Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

Forest Anderson

I live in an area of nevada that is not serviced by any power service so i have no choise but to use solar power and do to low income i have had to come up with low cost ways of building my own solar systom and i now run my lights and heating fans off of solar power i also charge my flashlight by solar power i basically built the whole thing for 300.oo dollors including power inverter for 110 volts for my online phone witch can run 24/7 if need be but usally i shut it off at night noyhing like not getting those phone solisitors due to the high cost of gas i have had cut down on the use of my generator but do charge up my battiers and use my computer when it is running i use it maybe two hours a day i am planning on building my house starting this spring and planning on going total solar including heating and hot water i will be doing this on a very limited budget of about 200.00 dollors a mounth if you would like i will keep you posted on how i am doing so maybe you can pass this information along to others

Rick Gee

I was wondering where you are located and how you are doing on your project…I am an electrician in the Fallon area and would like to start feeding the grid…also on a somewhat limited budget…but I do have an advantage over your average homeowner as I could install and terminate myself…I would like to hear from you…Thanks for your time Rick

Rick Gee

I am interested in your progress and would also like to know where you are located…I am an electrician in the Fallon area and would like to start feeding the grid in the summer so I can draw it back in the winter…The plan is to use electric baseboard heaters to heat the home (currently burning wood) and save some bucks on heating costs…What size system do you currently have and how did you build it so cheaply? Rick

Mike

I am building a home completely solar(grid connection $101,000) is there any rebates etc for off grid folk?

Mauro

I am distributor from Los Angeles and realized the importance of solar power in your state.

If anyone is interested in purchasing solar panels and/or solar water heaters that are very efficient and low cost please contact me @ sustainability.rocks@gmail.com

Let me know if you are interested in working together and/or networking

janet

i have 30-40 acres near Fallon Nevada I might be willing to lease to a solar plant company in exchange for of course some $ and to eliminate my very high Sierra Pacific annual bill by receiving the power from your plant thanks

Bill

Something doesn’t add up in the 3KW example above. I think your assuming unlimited daylight. A power bill of $1600/Year = $4.38/day. For a 3KW system that’s $1.46/KW per day. At $0.1056/kWh that’s 13.8 hours of sunshine a day. You’re high by about a factor of three (neglecting the power loss in the inverters etc).

Ryan McMonigle

What if you have unlimited raw land and wanted to start a solar power company 60miles north of las vegas nevada. Big enough to power say 10,ooo homes,And public services

William Bolz

Where is there information on any Federal Government tax incentives or rebates on installing Solor power panels on home residences? Can you provide any further info on helping a home owner on a limited retirement to help with the cost of installation of solar panels on our home? Please adivse. Thank you so much for your help!

William Bolz

5212 Shasta Daisy St.
N. Las Vegas, NV 89031

William Bolz

I have a 1400 SF home in Las Vegas, what size solar system would I need to heat it and is there any govt or NV power rebates to assist in funding it?

forest anderson

i am forest anderson and i wrote you guys about a year ago about how i am living off grid i live just outside of a small town of crescent valley nevada i am still working on getting my living quarts togather, and still using solar power, for for most of my needs anyone out there that is already living off grid and is getting ready to build can contact me at forestanderson@gmail.com would love to swap ideas.

Gary Mackelprang

Is there a site to go to to determine what size system would need to be installed on a residential home in Las Vegas. Also, I’ve heard that there are newer solar panels that can capture more of the suns rays than the older panels are able, I would like info on them also. You can email me at gr8diver@hotmail.com

Jim Evans

Intend to live in an RV and put solar on the roof. Will that qualify as a home instalation and be given the same solar tax incentives and discounts?

Adem

I think it is terrible that NV Power only accepts a few applicants each year. That should be against the law. Las Vegas has some of the most sunny days out of any place in the country. They should accept anyone that wants to put solar on their home.

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

Jim,

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.

John

I’m not sure this info is up-to-date. I just got a (very high) estimate for a 4000W grid-tie in Reno from Reno Sunrooms. They quoted me $56k! They told me the feds are offering a 30% rebate but that Nevada’s rebate was so low and so hard to get it was not worth trying for.

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.

Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred"

John, yeah, I would say they’re pretty high. First of all, get more than one quote. If you haven’t gone through us already, please fill out our form and one of Nevada people should get in touch with you if there’s one in your area. Second, I don’t know your roof conditions or other issues that might make the quote higher. Perhaps there’s travel time for this installer, so that may be an issue too, but that 56kw ($14/watt) seems really out of line these days, again unless you’ve got some very special circumstances.

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.

Roger

Well it is now “Early” 2010 and I can’t find an application form anywhere for “getting on the list” for NV Energy’s solar rebate. Is there some “secret” location and do you have to know a politician to get on the list?