Solar Pool Heating

Renewable Energy Renaissance Zones

In 2006, Michigan enacted legislation allowing for the creation of Renewable Energy Renaissance Zones (RERZ). Renaissance zones offer significant tax benefits to facilities located within their boundaries. Facilities within a renaissance zone do not pay the Michigan Business Tax*, state education tax, personal and real property taxes, or local income taxes (where applicable). These taxes may be abated for up to 15 years, with the abatements being phased out in 25% increments over the last three years of the zone designation. For residents of renaissance zones designated before 2012, taxpayers are exempt from paying certain income taxes, if they

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Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - Solar Thermal Loans

Clay Electric Cooperative (CEC), a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, covers 14 counties in northern Florida, including Gainesville, Keystone Heights, Lake City, Orange Park, Palatka, and Salt Springs. CEC offers low interest loans to help customers finance solar water heaters and solar pool heaters. Basic qualifications for an energy conservation loan include a good credit history, good payment record with Clay Electric and service with CEC for one year. An energy survey conducted by a CEC representative within the past year is required. A non-refundable $25 loan processing fee will be assessed on all applications submitted for loan consideration.

For questions, you

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Puerto Rico - Building Energy Code with Mandatory Solar Water Heating


In 2009, the Governor of Puerto Rico provided assurance that Puerto Rico would update its building energy codes as part of the state's application for State Energy Program funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Specifically, the Governor's Assurance assigned the Puerto Rican Energy Affairs Administration (EAA) the following responsibilities:

  • Implement building energy codes for residential buildings that meet or exceed the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2009).
  • Implement building energy codes for commercial buildings that meet the 2007 ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, “Energy Standard for Buildings except Low-Rise Residential Buildings”
  • Implement a plan to achieve compliance with the
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Virginia - Solar Rights

According to state law, community associations in Virginia generally may not prohibit a homeowner from installing or using a solar energy collection device on their property. A community association may, however, establish reasonable restrictions concerning the size, place, manner of placement of individual solar devices or restrict the installation of solar devices on common areas within the development served by the community association. Restriction imposed by a community association will be deemed unreasonable if it increases the installation cost by five percent or more, or if it reduces the energy production ten percent below the proposed installation's projected energy production

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Puerto Rico - Property Tax Exemption for Solar and Renewable Energy Equipment

Puerto Rico provides a property tax exemption for all "solar powered material, equipment or accessory and renewable energy collection, storage, generation, distribution, and application equipment."  Renewable energy is defined per Ley 325-2004: solar, wind, hydro, biomass, ocean thermal, wave, tidal and other energy "whose use is clean, reliable, safe and sustainable."

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Property Tax Abatement for Production and Manufacturing Facilities

In May 2007, Montana enacted legislation (H.B. 3) that allows a property tax abatement for new renewable energy production facilities, new renewable energy manufacturing facilities, and renewable energy research and development equipment. Eligible facilities and equipment are assessed at 50% of their taxable value.

Qualifying renewable energy manufacturing facilities are those that (1) produce materials, components or systems to convert solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas or waste heat resources into useful energy, and (2) whose annual production of renewable energy equipment makes up at least half of the facility's total production. Fuel cells and components of fuel cells that generate

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Dominion Energy - Home Builder Gas Appliance Rebate Program

Dominion Energy provides incentives for home builders who incorporate energy efficiency into new construction. Builders can receive whole house rebates for building Energy Star homes (certified by an eligible home rater) and High Performance homes . All equipment and construction requirements must be met in order to participate. The program application, builder participation agreement, and more details about incentive amounts and efficiency requirements are located on the program web site.



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Dominion Energy - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs

Dominion Energy provides rebates for residential customers who make their homes more energy efficient by installing certain efficient heating equipment and certain weatherization measures. Incentives are available for programmable thermostats, water heats, boilers and dual-fuel heat pumps.

For more information on incentives, program guidelines and terms, and to access rebate applications, visit the program web site or contact Dominion Energy.

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North Carolina Solar Rights

Cities and counties in North Carolina generally may not adopt ordinances prohibiting the installation of "a solar collector that gathers solar radiation as a substitute for traditional energy for water heating, active space heating and cooling, passive heating, or generating electricity for residential property."(§ 160D-914.a)* 

However, this does not prohibit development regulation regulating the location and screening of solar collectors as described previously, provided the regulation does not have the effect of preventing the reasonable use of a solar collector for a residential property. (§ 160D-914.b)

Nor does this prevent development regulation that would prohibit the location of solar collectors

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Green Energy Technology in Public Buildings

Green Energy Technology

Enacted in June 2007, HB 2620 introduced a unique requirement for installing solar systems for public buildings. In 2012, SB 1533 amended the requirement to allow the use of any Green Energy Technology (GET). As of January 1, 2020, GET has been defined as energy systems that employ:

  • Geothermal electric
  • Geothermal direct use
  • Solar electric
  • Solar thermal
  • Passive solar
  • Battery storage equipment paired with the above

Eligble Alternative technologies include:

  • Woody Biomass*
  • Energy Use Efficiency**

The law requires public agencies to spend at least 1.5% of the total contract price of an eligible public building on green
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