EWEB - Solar Electric Program (Performance-Based Incentive)

Summary

The Eugene Water & Electric Board's (EWEB) Solar Electric Program offers financial incentives for residential and commercial customers who generate electricity using solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Rebates are available to customers who choose to net meter, and a performance-based incentive is available to customers with systems greater than 10 kilowatts (kW) in capacity who choose not to net meter. Under the latter arrangement, all electricity generated is fed into the grid.

The rebate for residential customers who choose to net meter is $1.70 per watt-AC, with a maximum incentive of $6,000. The rebate for commercial customers who choose to net meter is $1.00 per watt-AC, with a maximum incentive of $20,000. Rebate amounts are based on the electrical output of the system after equipment and site losses are calculated. Under the rebate program, customers retain ownership of all renewable-energy credits (RECs) associated with customer generation. There is a reservation system for customers taking the rebate under the net metering program, with aggregate caps for each of three reservation periods.

PV systems sized 10 to 200 kW in capacity that are designed to generate and feed electricity directly into the grid -- an arrangement under which the customer uses none of the electricity generated by the PV system -- are eligible for a production payment of $0.0856 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) generated, payable for 10 years (but subject to annual review). The level of the incentive varies, depending on the season and level of monthly kWh generation. These "direct generation" systems require a separate EWEB service and electric meter to measure the amount of kWh generated. Under this program, EWEB assumes ownership of all RECs associated with customer generation.

All system owners must execute an EWEB interconnection agreement and program agreement. A building permit is required, and all systems must be inspected first by city or county building officials and then by EWEB. All system equipment must be UL-listed. All PV modules and inverters must be listed and rated in the California Energy Commission’s Emerging Renewables Program.  This list is available on the Go Solar California's Eligible Solar Equipment web site.