Green Energy Program Incentives
| Program Type | State Grants |
|---|---|
| Technologies | Photovoltaics, Solar Hot Water Heating, Geothermal, Wind Energy |
| Amount | Varies per utility |
| Required Documentation | Completed application and use of an approved vendor |
| Official Web Site | http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/energy/services/Pages/GreenEnergyProgram.aspx |
This program is sponsored by the state but run in distinctive fashions by three different power suppliers. Funding for it is provided by the Delaware Green Energy Fund, which collects an extra 18 cents a month on the average home’s electric bill.
Each of the three utility companies receive state funding in the same way but divide grant monies differently and require different application materials and documentation.
The programs are administered by Delmarva, the Delaware Electric Cooperative, and municipal providers.
Delmarva offers grants of up to 25 percent of the installed cost of qualified renewable energy sources for residential development and 35 percent for non-residential. Wait times for those making grant applications can be lengthy due to the popularity and success of the program. The program awards grants on a first-come, first-serve basis. No more than 60 percent of grants will go to residential projects and no more than 40 percent will go to non-residential proposals.
Members of the Delmarva system may apply for multiple grants and projects in multiple years, but may not be awarded more than $10,000 for residential projects and no more than $20,000 for non-residential projects.
The Delaware Electric Cooperative program operates this state-funded grant program similarly to Delmarva. Their web site warns that applicants are likely to wait 36 months for word on whether or not they’ve been approved. The cooperative, however, will grant up to a third of the total cost of installation for photovoltaic and wind technologies and up to 50 percent for other technologies.
Municipal providers will typically award up to a third of installation costs and up to half of the cost for solar water heating. Dover and Seaford utility companies have slightly different incentive amounts.
