The Two Incentive Paths

In the past there was only one incentive "path" to take when going solar. Energy Trust of Oregon cash incentives in combination with Oregon State Tax credits is still one of the best incentive paths in the nation. Now there is another great option. It's called the Oregon Feed-in Tariff. It's modeled after a program in Germany which helped grow their economy by fueling solar installations and creating jobs in clean technology. Now that you have two incentive paths to choose from, you can look at the examples below to see which will work better for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us.

Oregon Feed-in Tariff Incentive Path

The Oregon Feed-in Tariff makes cents! The major difference from the Energy Trust and state tax credit incentive path is that there is a larger out of pocket expense and a greater return on investment. For some people, this will make the going solar more attractive. 

2.3 kW Solar Photovoltaic System
5.2 kW Solar Photovoltaic System
Out of Pocket Cost
$14,950
Out of Pocket Cost
$28,952
30% Federal Tax Credit
-$4,485
30% Federal Tax Credit
-$8,685
Net Cost
$10,465
Net Cost
$20,267
Simple Payback
7.65 Years
Simple Payback
6.5 Years
   Annual Production Value    $1,366    Annual Production Value    $3,071
15 Year Value of Energy Produced 
$24,219
15 Year Value of Energy Produced 
$54,440
15 Year Return on Investment
230%
15 Year Return on Investment
270%

Energy Trust of Oregon and State Tax Credits Incentive Path

For some people, the Energy Trust of Oregon incentive path makes more sense than the Feed-in Tariff. The major difference is that with Energy Trust incentives there is less out of pocket expense. The drawbacks are that the pay back period is longer and has a much lower lifetime value (in these two examples) than the Feed-in Tariff incentive path.

2.3 kW Solar Photovoltaic System
5.2 kW Solar Photovoltaic System
System Cost
$14,950
System Cost
$28,952
Energy Trust Incentive
 -$4,025
Energy Trust Incentive
-$9,048
Out of Pocket
$10,925
Out of Pocket
$19,904
Oregon Tax Credit
 -$6,000
Oregon Tax Credit
-$6,000
Federal Tax Credit
-$3,278
Federal Tax Credit
-$5,971
Net Cost
 $1,647
Net Cost
$7,933
Simple Payback
6.6 years
Simple Payback
14.21 years
15 Year Value of Energy Produced 
$3,720
15 Year Value of Energy Produced 
$8,375
Return on Investment
225%
Return on Investment
105%
 

   

About these Examples

These examples are designed to be informative and helpful for your research. It's impossible for us to give a set price because there are so many variables involved in going solar. These examples used the following assumptions:

  1.  Locally Made Solar World modules
  2. $6.50/watt installed cost for the 2.3 kW system
  3. $5.60/watt installed cost for the 5.2 kW system
  4. Energy Trust of Oregon incentive of $1.75/watt
  5. Perfect power production (perfect tilt, no shading, etc)
  6. Feed-in tariff pays $0.65 per kwh produced 
  7. Energy Trust incentive example uses $0.10 per kWh for production value 
  8. No additional charges for extra steep roofs, 3 level homes, etc.