Arizona Public Utilities Renewable Power Purchase Programs
| Program Type | Utility rebate |
|---|---|
| Technologies | Solar power equipment, photovoltaics, landfill gas, wind energy equipment, biomass, geothermal, combined heat and power systems, anaerobic waste management, small hydroelectric, all distributed generation equipment. |
| Amount | For residential customers, from $1.95 to $3 per watt DC |
| Required Documentation | Forms as required by your utility company |
| Official Web Sites |
http://www.srpnet.com/environment/earthwise/solar/ http://www.aps.com/main/green/choice/choice_23.html?source=hme |
For customers with renewable energy-generating equipment on their properties, many Arizona utilities will basically buy back any energy the equipment generates beyond what the property uses at a rate of about $1.95 to $3 per watt. How much they pay exactly depends on the company and a few different factors, calculated by expected performance. Generally, these companies pay out a lump-sum reimbursement of the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment. Most funds available for these programs are reserved—which means they’re limited. Contact your service provider before installation to find out if funds are available.
Unisource Energy Services’ Renewable Energy Credit Purchase Program will reimburse customers for the cost of purchasing and installing photovoltaic equipment, for example, at a rate of $3 per watt DC for expected performance, up to 60 percent of the cost. This is an upfront incentive, which means UES provides you with a lump sum based on a projection of how much energy your equipment will generate over 20 years and then retains the rights to that energy for those 20 years—they require the equipment to have a 20-year warranty, by the way. To apply, you can access UES’s application on its official website.
Arizona utility SRP offers and incentive program that works basically the same way as that of UES, with SRP customers reimbursed at a rate of $2.15 per watt DC of projected energy output over a period of 20 years, with a maximum payment of $10,750. SRP customers can find application information on its website.
Arizona Public Service offers a similar incentive, with a reimbursement of up to 50 percent of the cost (at a limit of $75,000 total) of equipment and installation. Customers can also choose just to sell the renewable energy their equipment generates back to APS at a rate of $1.95 DC with no limit for residential customers. In addition, APS offers upfront incentives for solar water heating equipment, up to 50 percent of the cost.
All three utilities also offer non-customers (“off-grid”) the opportunity to sell renewable power to the power company at varying rates. Application information for non-customers is available on company websites.
