Solar Incentives

Whether you're a home, farm, or business owner, financial incentives fall into two categories: Energy Trust incentives and tax credits. 

Energy Trust incentives
 are cash incentives that are paid to your chosen contractor and deducted from the project cost that is quoted to you. 

Tax credits
 reduce the amount of taxes you owe and the end of the year or quarter, depending on how your tax situation is structured. The tax credits available to you fall into two categories, federal and state, both of which are applied to the project cost after the Energy Trust incentives. See the below cost example.

Financial Incentives

Energy Trust
PGE: $1.75/watt DC; Max $20,000 per home
Pacific Power: $1.50/watt DC; Max $20,000 per home
Oregon Residential Energy
Tax Credit

$2.15 per watt of total system size; $6,000 cap; spread evenly over 4 years
Federal Income Tax Credit
30% cost after Energy Trust incentives
claimed at end of year one
(Federal tax credits can be used for up to 10 years)
 

Cost Example

In this example we use a 2.8 kW system, which is considered a small residential system. This system in Oregon will likely produce somewhere around 2800 kWrs in a year. The average home in Oregon uses 10,000 to 12,000 kWhs per year. Therefore this system would cover roughly 25% of the average home's electricity needs.  

$19,880           Installed Cost for 2.8kW Solar Electric system at $7.10 per watt 
  (4,900)           $1.75 per watt cash incentive from Energy Trust of Oregon 
  14,980            Out of Pocket Cost 
   
   (4,494)          30% Federal Tax Credit    
  10,486            Net Cost after Energy Trust Incentives and Federal Tax Credit

  (5,243)            Oregon Residential Energy Tax Credit**    
  $5,243            Net System Cost 


* Project costs do vary for each home. Please call for details.
* This example also assumes the home is a customer of PGE, incentive $1.75/watt.   
** $2.15/watt with a maximum $6,000; no more than of 50% Net Cost after Energy Trust Incentive and             Federal Tax Credit