Clustered PV Installation Program

August 06, 2004

Summary

Six Massachusetts organizations are facilitating the installation of approximately 250 photovoltaic (PV) systems on homes and businesses in clustered regions throughout the state. These organizations will provide outreach activities in their communities and offer installation rebates to lower the PV system purchase cost for consumers. The incentive is partially performance-based in that 70% of the rebate will be paid after the system has successfully operated for 30 days, with the remaining 30% paid as quarterly production payments over three years at a rate of $0.38/kWh of electrical output produced by the PV system. The total production payment is capped at 30% of the installation incentive. The total installation incentive varies from grantee to grantee but is capped at up to $5.00/Watt (AC output). The six organization were awarded grants for these activities as part of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust’s (RET) $10 million Solar-to-Market Initiative. The RET is the state's public benefits fund administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). For more information about the Solar-to-Market Initiative, visit the program Web site shown above. For details about a program in your area, contact the appropriate organization listed below. Cape & Islands Self Reliance Corporation received $525,000 for approximately 100 PV installations of 1 kW each on homes and businesses on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. Contact: Megan Amsler, (508) 457-7679 Center for Ecological Technology received $325,000 for 5 or 6 PV installations totaling 50 kW on farms, businesses, and institutions such as colleges in Berkshire County. Contact: Nancy Nylen, (413) 445-4556 Conservation Services Group received $397,173 for 38 PV systems totaling 64 kW built as integrated components of new Energy Star homes in Northampton, Townsend, and Wrentham. Contact: Mark Hutchins, (508) 836-9500 Cooperative Development Institute received $350,000 for 25 PV systems averaging 2 kW each on homes and businesses in the Franklin County Regional Council of Governments area which includes all of Franklin County as well as Phillipston, Athol, and Amherst. Contact: Don Campbell of Pioneer Valley Photovoltaics, (413) 772-8788 Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance received $525,000 for approximately 40 PV systems totaling 100 kW installed on City of Newton buildings, plus homes and businesses in Boston, Newton, Brookline and Somerville. Contact: Leslie Grossman, (617) 524-3950 Massachusetts Institute of Technology received grants totaling $455,701 for 40 PV installations totaling 75 kW on the MIT campus as well as on schools, homes, and businesses in Cambridge, Watertown, Arlington, Lexington, and Waltham. Contact: Laxmi Rao, (617) 253-6821 As of September 2003, about 25 systems have been installed and another 20 to 30 are expected to be installed by the end of the year. For details about other MTC programs, incentives available for PV in areas not covered by these six grants, or information about upcoming Massachusetts RET programs, contact Sam Nutter at the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust.