New Hampshire Solar Rebates and Incentives
Solar Rebate and Incentive Programs
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New Hampshire Rebates and Incentives Summary
The Granite state, New Hampshire, is a beautiful, verdant northeastern state renowned as ski territory, covered bridges and gorgeous autumns with a sea of colors. It’s also home to some of the strongest winds in the world. And despite its northern location, the state still sports enough sun to justify installing solar power.
The state already derives about 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources. That percentage will increase as utilities in the state add more renewables into their energy mix to comply with the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), requiring utilities in the state to source 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025. As such, the state and its utilities offer some decent discounts to encourage residents and businesses to install solar and other renewable energy on their homes and buildings. In addition to the incentives outlined here, check with local utilities about other incentive opportunities.
New Hampshire’s southern region gets just shy of 4.5 kilowatt hours of sun per square meter per day, while its northwestern gets nearly 4 kWh of sun per square meter per day. It’s far less than some other states like Arizona, but still enough to warrant a solar installation.
However, solar systems in New Hampshire should be sized to compensate for the lower levels of sunlight. The DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated that New Hampshire also has potential for other types of renewable energy generation, including wind, wood and biomass. Given that New Hampshire has one of the windiest places in the world, Mount Washington—where wind speeds have reached 231 miles an hour—the potential for wind generation in the state is strong.
While 10 percent of New Hampshire’s electric needs come from renewables, the majority still comes from a nuclear generator and two large natural gas-fired power plants, which collectively provide about 75 percent of the state’s energy needs. EIA stated that overall electric use in the state is relatively low because there’s little need for air conditioning in the state’s cool summers and most buildings use fuel oil for heating their homes in the winter.
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New Hampshire Net Metering
Program Type Net Metering Technologies Photovoltaics Amount Left up to utility Required Documentation Interconnection agreement with local utility Official Web Site http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/energy/RenewableEnergyIncentives.htm Under New Hampshire’s net-metering rules, all utilities are required to participate. Homeowners and system owners can net meter renewable energy systems up to 100 kW in size. The state requires that net excess generation is credited toward future bills, but it did not establish the rate at which excess generation is compensated. However, utilities can establish what payment incentives they will offer their customers for net excess generation.
As of November 2010, utilities can net meter customers until the total amount of net-metered systems is equal to 1 percent of the utility's annual peak energy demand. The utility is responsible for paying for a meter capable of measuring bi-directional energy flows, so it can measure energy produced and energy used.
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Renewable Energy Generation Incentive Program
Program Type Rebate Technologies Photovoltaics and Wind Energy Amount $4,500 or 50 percent of system costs Required Documentation Application (being redeveloped as of November 2010): Final Incentive Request Form Official Web Site http://www.puc.nh.gov/Sustainable%20Energy/RenewableEnergyRebates.htm As of November 2011, the residential renewable electric generation rebate program is out of funds because of its popularity. The state Public Utility Commission’s Sustainable Energy Division continues to accept applications, however, because funds may become available as early as July 2011. And funds will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The division said, “There is no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available at that time to fund even those applications presently in the queue.”
In 2008, the state made available $5.78 million from its renewable energy fund to fund the rebate program. At that point the state offered rebates of $3.00 per watt of generation capacity, up to a maximum of $6,000 or 50 percent of the system’s cost, whichever is less. To accommodate demand, people applying after Sept.15,2010, were eligible for incentive payments of $1.25 per watt up to $4,500 or 50 percent of the system cost, whichever is less. However, since then the program has run out of funds. The commission said it also is in the process of creating additional rebate programs for residential and commercial renewable energy systems.
The current program covered systems up to 5 kW in size. Two steps were required to receive the rebate. First the resident must apply for pre-approval prior to installing the system. Upon completing installation, the system owner must submit their final incentive application. The state sent the rebate after receiving the final approval.
Installed systems had to be located at the owner’s residence, whether it was a solar or wind system. PV systems must meet UL 1703 standards. Renewable energy systems did not have to be grid-tied to qualify for the incentive.The program is funded through alternative compliance payments made as a result of New Hampshire’s RPS. Since municipal utilities are exempt from the RPS law, customers of the municipal utilities were not eligible for the rebate.
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Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption
Program Type Property Tax Exemption Technologies Photovoltaics, Solar Hot Water Heating, other renewables Amount Dependent on municipality Required Documentation Form PA-29 Official Web Site http://nh.gov/oep/programs/energy/RenewableEnergyIncentives.htm New Hampshire allows cities and towns to exempt renewable energy installations from local property taxes. Among these are PV, solar thermal, wind and central wood-fired heating systems, not including stoves or fireplaces. The property tax exemption excludes the value of the solar energy system from being included in the value of the property when it comes to taxation at the state level.
According to New Hampshire, 84 cities and towns have adopted at least one renewable energy property tax exemption. The exemptions are made based on data received from towns through its “annual municipal land use regulation database survey.” If people live in a city or town that offers such an exemption, people can qualify for the exemption by completing the Department of Revenue Administration’s Form PA-29.
While the state said interested parties should consult with local officials to find out about the status of local tax exemptions, it warns that some officials may not be aware that the municipality offers such exemptions (the law was enacted 30 years ago).
The state also offers help to those seeking to enact such an exemption through its procedures for adopting local property tax exemptions and sample warrant articles.
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New Hampshire Solar Power Financial Incentives
Financial Incentives
Property Tax Exemption
State Loan Program
State Rebate Program
Utility Grant Program
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - Low-Income Energy Assistance Grant Program
- PSNH - Energy Rewards RFP Program
Utility Loan Program
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - SmartSTART Energy Efficiency Loan Program
- PSNH - Municipal Smart Start Program
Utility Rebate Program
- National Grid – Commercial (Electric) Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs
- National Grid – Commercial (Gas) Energy Efficiency Programs
- National Grid - Residential (Electric) Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs
- National Grid - Residential (Gas) Energy Efficiency Program
- National Grid – Small/Mid-Sized Business Energy Efficiency Program
- National Grid - Solar Thermal Rebate Program
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - Large Business Energy Solutions
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - New Equipment and Construction Program
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - Small Business Energy Solutions
- New Hampshire Electric Co-Op - Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program
- Northern Utilities - Commercial Energy Efficiency Programs
- Northern Utilities - Residential Energy Efficiency Programs
- PSNH - Large Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- PSNH - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- PSNH - Small Business Retrofit Program
- Unitil - Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs
- Unitil - Residential Energy Efficiency Programs
Rules, Regulations & Policies
Building Energy Code
- New Hampshire Building Energy Code
- Town of Epping - Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design Requirement
Energy Standards for Public Buildings
Interconnection
Net Metering
Public Benefits Fund
Renewables Portfolio Standard
Solar Access Law/Guideline
Related Programs & Initiatives
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) provides a wide range of information and resources to enable the use of alternative fuels and other petroleum-reduction options, such as advanced vehicles, fuel blends, idle reduction and fuel economy. The AFDC site offers a database of state and federal laws and incentives related to alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, fuel efficiency, and other transportation-related topics.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network provides news and information on green power markets and activities, including opportunities to buy green power. This site provides state-by-state information on green power marketing and utility green power programs. In addition, the site lists marketers of renewable energy credits (RECs), also known as green tags or renewable energy certificates, which represent the environmental attributes of the power produced from renewable energy projects.
Weatherization Assistance Program
The U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy-efficient. Through this program, weatherization service providers install energy-efficiency measures in the homes of qualifying homeowners free of charge. The WAP program web site offers a state-by-state map of opportunities, projects and activities.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America site provides state-by-state information on wind projects and activities, including wind working groups, validated wind maps, anemometer loan programs, small wind guides, state-specific news, wind for schools, workshops and web casts.
