Solar Homes – Grants for Building Them
by Anna Hart
Filed under Solar Home
Grants for building solar powered homes in the U.S. come in various forms. You will want to check all of the possibilities on local, state, and federal levels. A federal tax credit is available for solar homes in all states.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
A great database, DSIRE offers information on various incentives, rebates, and grants for building solar powered homes. Government programs as well as corporate programs are listed and explained.
For example, here are just a few of the incentives, rebates, credits, and grants for building solar homes in Montana.
1. A state loan program will lend up to $40,000 for solar home elements such as solar water heat, photovoltaic (PV) panels. The solar home owner has 10 years to repay the loan, at 5% interest (2006).
2. Energy West of Montana will lend up to $2000 interest free for solar home energy efficiency measures.
3. Northwest Solar Cooperative will purchase extra electricity from solar homes that are tied to the grid at the rate of $0.05/kWh through December 31, 2009.
4. NorthWestern Energy – USB Renewable Energy Fund periodically gives grants for building solar powered homes. For solar home PV installation, incentives of $3.50 per watt are offered. The maximum per customer is $7,000.
5. Montana has a property tax exemption for solar homes using passive solar space heat, photovoltaics (PV) panels, solar space heat, solar thermal electric, solar thermal process heat, or solar water heat. The 100% exemption is valid for 10 years after building the solar home.
6. A personal tax credit of $500 is allowed owners of solar homes that use passive solar space heat, photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar space heat, or solar water heat.
7. A net-metering law permits investor-owned utilities’ customers to net meter systems that generate electricity using solar up to 50 kilowatts (kW).
In addition to such grants, rebates, and incentives, database programs also reward installation of energy efficient appliances, weather stripping, and other energy-saving measures.
My wife and I have recently purchased some property in the Buffalo , WY . area . We are interested in grants that would assist us in building a home that is 100% self sustaining . We were thinking mainly of wind generators .
There are so many grants that we are having a hard time finding exactly what we need . Can you help ?
As a single mother of four I have worked half my life to get our own lives. I now have my own property but to save up for even a one room shack would take me a few more years. We would like to go 100% self sufficient. I have recieved two wind turbines for the top of my home but would really like information on a grant for a house to put them on. I to am overwhelmed with all the information on grants and was just wondering if you could help me narrow my search just a little.
Trying to find a grant’s for building a green house any new grant’s for 2010?