SMALL WIND REBATE PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008
CONTACT:
Megan Castle, 303.866.2262
“GOVERNOR’S ENERGY OFFICE ANNOUNCES PARTNERS FOR
SMALL WIND INCENTIVE PROGRAM”
DENVER – The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) announced four partners selected for the Small Wind Incentive Program: Highline Electric Association, Sangre De Cristo Electric Association, Inc, Southeast Colorado Power Association, and the Town of Estes Park. This program was designed to respond to the growing interest in harnessing wind power to provide local, renewable power.
GEO has selected partners that will administer and promote the incentive program to increase the number of wind turbine installations by homeowners and businesses. GEO will use $150,000 in Clean Energy Funds to support this initiative and each partner will contribute matching funds.
“Small wind can be a great option for homes or small businesses that want to use renewable energy. Combined with energy efficiency, wind energy is an opportunity to control energy costs,” said Tom Plant, GEO director. “This program will allow more Coloradans, especially those in rural areas, to participate in the New Energy Economy.”
Partners in this program will be responsible for providing match funding and staff support to administer the rebate program. This program is expected to add a total of forty new small wind energy installations.
The Small Wind Incentive Program, similar to GEO’s Residential Solar Program, was created in response to the growing demand of Coloradans to reduce their carbon footprint and benefit from Colorado’s abundant renewable energy resources.
Small Wind Incentive Program Details:
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GEO has a $25,000 maximum matching grant for each partner’s $25,000 match
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Rebates will be paid for up to 10 kW of installed DC capacity per installation, including systems larger than 10 kW.
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Incentive will be $1/watt DC from the partner and $1/watt DC from GEO, totaling $2/watt
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Rebates will not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project, or $10,000
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Wind systems must be grid-tied and net metered by the interconnecting utility. Stand alone systems are not eligible
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Eligibility for the rebate will require demonstration that all cost effective energy efficiency measures have been implemented in order to obtain the highest level of energy performance
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All systems shall have a minimum 5 year warranty required on major system components and installation, with the exception of batteries, for which a minimum 2 year warranty is required
Small Wind Incentive Partner Contact Information:
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Highline Electric Association: Jason Depperschmidt, 970-854-2236, jason@hea.coop
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Sangre De Cristo Electric Association, Inc: Bill Bennett, 719-395-4590, bennett@myelectric.coop
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Southeast Colorado Power Association: Jack Wolfe, 719-384-2551, jackw@secpa.com
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Town of Estes Park: Michael Mangelsen, 970-577-3583, mmangelsen@estes.org
To learn more about this program, contact your local partner or visit GEO’s website, www.colorado.gov/energy.
SDCEA SMALL WIND REBATE
INFORMATION
The Governor's Energy Office (GEO) has announced the launch of its Residential Small Wind Incentive Program. This program was created in response to the growing demand of homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint, participate in the New Energy Economy, and to take advantage of Colorado's abundant renewable energy resources. This program is an important step toward making wind technologies more accessible to residents in areas of the state that have not been able to take advantage of Residential Small Wind Rebate programs in the past. Sangre De Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA) is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of only 4 program partners to participate in this pilot program. If you are interested in participating in this program, please review and complete the necessary steps below:
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a direct-to-homeowner rebate from the state. All qualified rebates will be awarded from SDCEA directly to a Small Wind vendor selected by the homeowner. Rebates will continue in the order they are qualified until the allocated money is exhausted. To become eligible for the rebate, you must agree to and complete all steps in the following qualification process.
Step 1 (Qualifications): In order to qualify for a Small Wind Rebate, you must have an established residential (non-commercial) account number with SDCEA, as well as a satisfactory payment history. The home must be your primary residence. Seasonal or part-time residents do not qualify. Businesses do not qualify, and homes that are off-grid do not qualify. Any Solar installation in progress before the launch of our program does not qualify. If you operate a business out of your home, you may still qualify as the “homeowner,” but the business does not qualify and cannot participate.
Step 2 (Expected Cost): A typical Residential Small Wind installation is 1500 - 5000 watts AC, at a cost of approximately $8.50 /watt installed price. At this output rating, you can expect the initial total cost to range from $13,000 to $43,000. If you qualify, you may receive a Residential Small Wind Rebate of $2/watt, with a maximum rebate of $10,000, not to exceed 50% of the total system cost. In addition, if you meet certain conditions, SDCEA may offer you a 5 year, interest free loan for a maximum amount of $5000. This loan will require a non-refundable $100 origination fee. Both the Rebate, and any loan amount will go directly from SDCEA to the Small Wind vendor you select, to reduce the initial cost of your system by up to $15,000. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to seek any Federal or State Tax incentives which may be applicable.
Step 3 (Basic Energy Audit): This program requires a Basic Energy Audit which is non-refundable at a cost of $225 (plus possible travel expense depending upon your location). This audit must be performed by a certified E-Star and Built Green party not associated with SDCEA to insure all parties receive a thorough analysis. This report will allow the homeowner to understand often simple and inexpensive, but very effective energy efficiency upgrades instead of, or in parallel with installation of an alternative
energy source. The Basic Energy Audit will identify energy efficiency improvements which are a critical first step when considering renewable energy systems. Successful completion of this step will establish you as being pre-qualified for selecting a Small Wind vendor and receiving a complete cost estimate.
Click here: http://ww.headwatersenergy.com/existing-home-energy-audit.html for more information on the Site Analysis, and Basic Energy Audit, as well as other in-depth audits you may wish to consider.
Step 4 (Small Wind vendors): Your next step is to select a Small Wind vendor/installer. All vendors on our list have agreed to adhere to all of the steps and rules of our rebate program. If you select a vendor not on our list, be sure they contact SDCEA so that they understand and agree to all aspects of our program. Failure to adhere to our program will result in disqualification.
Headwaters Energy and Finance
www.headwatersenergy.com
(719) 395-9255
EcoDepot
www.ecodeptusa.com
(719) 539-6000 or (877) ECO-DEPOT
AC Solar
william-acsolar@hughes.net
(719) 966-2319
Step 5 (Small Wind Estimate): The vendor you select will be required to visit your pre-qualified site and perform their own independent assessment. There is no charge for this second visit. If they agree that your home has good potential for wind energy generation, they will provide you and SDCEA with a copy of their analysis, as well as a detailed cost estimate of your Small Wind installation. The cost estimate must include; parts, labor, taxes, rebate amount, loan if applicable, and Federal tax credit if applicable. This estimate must include an “outside” AC manual lockable disconnect, and a payback analysis for the homeowner. The estimated equipment must meet all industry safety standards including UL/CEC listing, NEC codes, and certification for use as a utility interactive system. It must also meet city and/or county codes, and go through the permitting process.
Step 6 (Sign Agreements): If the estimate is acceptable, you must contact SDCEA to sign our required documents for the Rebate, interest free loan if applicable, interconnection agreement, and permission for SDCEA to receive full credit for all the Renewable Energy generated by your Small Wind installation. If you choose to be net-metered, you will receive monetary credit on your account for the power you generate versus the power you receive from SDCEA per our Net Metering agreement. However, SDCEA will receive 100% of the Renewable Energy credits associated with this project. At this point the vendor will work directly with you to complete the installation.
Step 7 (Issue Rebate): After the installation is completed, SDCEA will forward the completed Rebate application to the GEO requesting the Rebate be issued directly to the vendor. Any rebate, and any loan money must go directly to the selected Small Wind vendor on your behalf, and may not be used for any other purpose.
Step 8 (Finalize and Verify): When the installation is completed you are subject to an Installation Verification. You must agree to a site visit for the express
purpose of verifying that the system was installed as designed and is functioning per specification. This verification will require the cooperation and potential participation of any and all parties that have been part of this process. The vendor you selected is also required to perform an annual site visit to check for any safety and performance issues.
If you cannot agree to all aspects of these 8 Steps, you are not qualified to apply for this program and you should not contact SDCEA for further information.
Primary contact for the Small Wind Rebate is:
Sangre De Cristo Electric Association, Inc.
Bill Bennett, Energy Use Advisor
(719) 395-2412
