New Jersey Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

Is there and if so a tax credit for solar heating my pool instead of gas or electric? Thanks

All of these state incentives are good, but a while lot more needs to be done. From a practicle standpoint, in order for solar power to become more readily accepted, it has to be made more cost effective for homeowners.

The return on a typical residential system takes about 15-20 years depending on the size and configuration of the system. The system itself has a life or 20-25 years. Do you see the problem here?

There needs to be more pressure put on manufacturers to come up with ways to make these system more affordable and the return faster and greater for the homeowner. Whether it’s through yearly federal and state tax incentives like what’s being done with the car industry, or more federal dollars for R&D something has to be done to make the technology more affordable and practicle for homeowners.

Thought I just heard on the news about a special financial incentive program to help farmers / agricultural producers in NJ install solar. Can’t be part of the residential incentive program that was defunded in 2007 … Any idea what this is?

Raising property values in NJ usually leads to higher property taxes so you may never recoup your investment.

I must correct myself. I wound up looking into this after I posted. Supposedly in NJ adding solar panels will not give the local municipality the ability to increase your property taxes.

So what is actually available today? The rebates are all used up and are not being renewed and the State legislature does not seem to be able to pass a law regarding the SRECS. Perhaps if they could find a way to use this to enable them to borrow another billion dollars against the taxpayers wishes they would be more inclined to do it.

With the price of energy going up and with no end in site. I would like to install solar panels, but with the cost and life of the photovotaic cells at 25 years, it doesn’t make any sense at this time.

were can i buy them direct ,the pannels ,?? i am overqualifyied to do the work but i am not aposed to saving money

Regional: Green Buildings Open House, October 4th
On Saturday, October 4, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is welcoming the public to visit local sustainable homes and buildings throughout New Jersey and the Northeast to see clean renewable energy at work. Visitors to these buildings will be able to see how their neighbors and businesses are reducing their carbon footprint and cutting their energy bills through the power of the sun, wind, and smart building design.

The Green Buildings Open House operates in conjunction with the National Solar Tour. Homeowners and facility managers across all 50 states will be showing visitors the latest in recycling, renewable energy technologies, sustainable building materials, and energy efficient appliances.

Take a local tour to learn how you, too, can save by going green.

To find the Green Buildings Open House sites nearest you, visit http://www.nesea.org

Regional businesses, Basil Bandwagon Natural Market, 908-788-5737 (basilbandwagon.com) and Basil Brook Organic Pharm 908-788-6864, will participate in the open house again this year and provide information on Energy Star rated products, solar electric, Solatubes, Solar Star attic fans, passive solar design, solar pool heating, solar hot water, kickbikes, and an all electric car “charged by the sun.”
Posted by Michael Shapiro, Editor at 12:30 AM

can anyone enlighten me on yearly maintenance costs to a grid-tied photovoltaic system on a two-story house? i pressume the panels have to be cleaned of dust and debris?

Hi d,

You should try to rinse the panels off about twice a year. If you never rinse them off and let the rain do most of the work, it will not kill your system. Grime is not so awful, the killers are like big maple leaves, bird poop, anything that blocks a large section.

you can get away with never cleaning them if you have no large debris, if you do, you need to regularly clean that stuff off.

I am adding a room to my home and reconstructing the roof to accomodate it. I’m out of money but would like to incorporate solar energy into the construction. Are there grants out there that would give me enough to put it into my new construction without significant extra cost?

I have had my system since 2005 and the only time I have noticed it needed cleaning (decreased output) was during pollen season when we had not had rain for some time. A quick spray of the hose took care of washing it off. Unless you live near the shore (salt buildup can be an issue) normal rainfall should be fine. Most systems shouldn’t get leaves on them as trees need to be far enough from your roof to not cast any shadows. We added a squirel guard after installation to protect the wiring from nest builders so you may want to have that done during install.

I recently purchased Solar panels for my house i live in NJ and since 1980 there has been a law that exempts these purchases from Sales Tax, but they charged me Sales tax anyway, saying a need some tax exempt status,what forms if any do i need to get a refund from the dealer?

I am looking into installing Solar Power System on my home. can anyone point me in the right direction for a grant or low financing?

i am looking to start a career in the solar industry i have no experience and would like to join a company to train me in the industry.how do i find the right one?

“The return on a typical residential system takes about 15-20 years depending on the size and configuration of the system. The system itself has a life or 20-25 years. Do you see the problem here?”

These numbers just aren’t right. My 9.12 KW system is going to pay itself off in 4-5 years max (federal tax credit, NJ rebate, reduced/eliminated electric bill, SREC sales). The NJ rebate has shrunk since I received mine but I think the payback period in years is still single digits. Heck, I’ll rake in 6 grand a year in SREC sales alone (conservative estimate).

There’s no reason to think the system will last only 20-25 years. In fact, the manufacturers and installers warranties are usually for that time period which tells me that they they think the system life is longer. It’s really a simple system with no moving parts. Many panels from the seventies are still operating at 80% capacity or better.

Tom, check out my blog. It’s got lots of information on some contractors and what rebates and grants are available.

Also check out the New Jersey Clean Energy Program website:

http://www.njcleanenergy.com

You’ll have to find a way to put down a chunk of money but you can minimize it by taking the federal tax credit (now completely uncapped), the NJ rebate which goes directly from the state to the contractor (not from your pocket).

After you’re producing energy you can sell your SRECs. You’ll earn one SREC for every 1,000 KWH you generate (for me that will be about every four weeks). Right now SRECs are selling for about 600 bucks.

Of course, you’ll also get to watch your meter spin backwards and get credited for all the energy you put out onto the grid if you don’t need it.

I am not sure if this is still the case – does anyone know if do-it-yourself installation can get NJ rebate?
Installing panels on the roof is very simple and all would need do is hire an electician to make nessesary connections to the grid (less then $1000). It looks to me that about 30% of the installation cost is going into someones pocket. If I could get NJ rabate myself that would lower my cost and it would only take 3 years to recuperate costs.