PGE: Homes, businesses can make money by going solar
PORTLAND, Ore. - Home and business owners looking for a reason to install solar panels on their properties got another one Tuesday with the start of the Solar Payment Option plan from Portland General Electric.
The new program, which begins taking applications on July 1, will pay owners of “qualifying solar installations” money for excess power generated from the photovoltaic arrays.
Currently, PGE customers with solar arrays receive kilowatt-hour credits for excess power through PGE's Net Metering plan, which will continue, according to a press release issued June 29.
One difference between the programs is that customers will have to personally pay more up front to install the systems since they will not qualify for Oregon solar energy tax credits or Energy Trust of Oregon incentives available through the Net Metering program.
However, federal tax credits and assistance programs will still apply to new installations. Depending on the length of the program, customers could make back their initial investment over time.
"This new solar incentive pilot program provides our customers another program option to develop solar energy resources for their home or business," said Carol Dillin, vice president of customers and economic development at PGE said in the press release. "We look forward to learning from our customers' experience over the course of this pilot."
Other energy utility companies in Oregon are expected to offer similar programs. The PGE program is a result of an incentive project created by the Oregon legislature in 2009 to boost creation of solar power-generating infrastructure.
The program will be administered under Oregon Public Utilities Commission guidelines. The amount of money paid per kilowatt-hour was not disclosed and PGE’s press release said the amount may vary by region.
The payout schedule will be adjusted twice a year as needed by the OPUC.
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