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Solar Incentives

SunPower works closely with regional utilities, government agencies and public policy advocates to reduce the cost of solar power.

Federal and regional government policy makers in the United States, Europe and Asia are continuously enhancing public policies to help make solar power available to a larger community of users.

The following policies may be relevant in your region and may lower the cost of solar power to you:

Public Policies At a Glance

Tax Credits
Specific national, regional, and state tax laws permit systems owners to credit a percentage of the purchase price of the solar power system against their annual tax bill

Performance-Based Incentives and Feed-in Tarrifs
Regional utilities purchase solar generated kWh at specific rates or prices for specified periods of time when the kWh are delivered to the utility grid

Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
REC transactions occur in many regions based on the production of clean power; utilities purchase a specific number of RECs from clean power generators, including solar, to meet mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). RECs may also be traded on an open market to willing buyers.

Net Metering
Regional utilities may offer a credit for excess solar electricity added to the utility grid from the customer's own solar system; excess solar electricity typically may not exceed the customer's own annual load.

For More Information on Solar Incentives

Use these resources to learn more about regional-specific public policies:

United States
http://www.dsireusa.org/ - comprehensive source of information on U.S. state, local and federal incentives that promote renewable energy.
http://www.seia.org/ - The Solar Energy Industries Association is the leading solar trade association in the U.S.

Europe
http://www.epia.org/ - The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) is the world's largest industry association devoted to the solar electricity market

Germany
www.solarwirtschaft.de - German Solar Energy Association

Italy
www.grtn.it - Italian grid operator with solar related information

Spain
www.asif.org - Spanish Solar Energy Association