Oregon can be cloudy but a solar system is still a great investment for your home to make it more sustainable. To make your purchase easier and more profitable in the long run, take advantage of solar incentives in Oregon.
The US government wants more people to go solar: it’s a modern and green way of getting energy. This is why the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) program was developed. It allows American citizens to claim 30% of the cost of their installation as an income tax deduction. The cost here is not only solar panels, but also shipping, installation expenses and more. For example, if your system overall made you spend $10,000, the government returns you $3,000. To claim the ITC, complete all the necessary forms and submit them when filing your taxes.
Solar laws in Oregon oblige all utilities and electric cooperatives to offer net metering. It allows residential solar owners to put the excess electricity into the utility grid instead of storing it with batteries. When you sell your solar power to the grid, you receive kWh credits that can be used to offset your next bills. Once every year all unused credits will be transferred to the utilities’ low-income assistance programs. There are slight differences between the state’s two largest utilities and smaller local providers.
Pacific Power and PGE provide more than 70% of Oregon’s electricity. They both grant kWh credits and direct unused funds to assist low-income households once a year. Smaller local players may use different approaches to net metering. For example, the City of Ashland buys the remaining kWh credits instead of using them for other purposes, while EWEB uses net billing.
Renewable Energy Credits are certificates granted to any person or entity upon generation of each MWh of clean electricity. Unlike with net metering, you don’t need to sell any electricity to get credits. The value of RECs is always changing, which makes them similar to stock market assets. Based on the available data, selling RECs could mean anywhere from $300 to $1,000 annually for a 10kW solar system. To participate, contact the Oregon Public Utilities Commission for relevant details. After that, you can create a REC account with the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS) to begin storing and selling your credits.
The City of Ashland Conservation Division offers residential and commercial electric customers installing photovoltaic systems a rebate of $0.25 per watt up to a maximum of $5,000 per system. Central Lincoln People’s Utility District provides financial incentives for its commercial and residential customers to install photovoltaic (PV) systems on their property. The incentive is 500.00 $/kW with a maximum of $2000.00.
Salem Electric offers a rebate to residential customers who install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The rebate offered is $300/kW, up to a cap of 50% of project costs or $1,500. Energy Trust offers cash incentives that reduce the upfront cost of solar installations. The incentive amount depends on the size of your system and your electric utility. For Portland General Electric it is $500 per project, while for Pacific Power it is $600 per project.
Energy Trust of Oregon’s Solar Electric Incentive Program is available to customers of Pacific Power and PGE who install new photovoltaic (PV) systems. Current incentive amounts are as follows: $400 per project from PGE and $450 per project Pacific Power.
A solar PV system installed in a home increases its value by about 4%. This would mean higher property taxes in other states, but not in Oregon. According to the state’s legislature, any increase in property value caused by the installation of renewable energy equipment, including solar PV systems, may not be considered for the purposes of taxation.
4%
this is how much solar panels increase the value of your house
A solar easement contract is a written agreement between you and another party, for example, your neighbor. This type of contract helps to ensure that your PV system will always have adequate sun exposure, protecting you from potential obstacles. It is voluntary, but can not be canceled unless a specific clause is included in the document. Once signed, it is tied to the land, not the owner.
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Years of experience in translation and a love of nature help Julia find the right words to encourage going solar. She joined the team in 2023 and is happy to make her contribution to a greener future.
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