Special Considerations for Solar on Nontaxable Properties
- Governments and nonprofits face special challenges in accessing solar energy for their facilities.
- They cannot access tax incentives like homeowners and businesses.
- Third-party arrangements often offer the best opportunity for cost-effective installation.
- The third party, a for-profit company, can access the tax incentives and pass the savings through in a contractual rate structure.
- Third-party contracts allow the equipment to be installed for no up-front cost, a big savings for taxpayers or nonprofits with lean budgets.
- Often, these entities also can leverage solar benefits by using their system to educate and inspire children and teens in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Savings
- Savings vary with local utility rates.
- Third-party financing agreements usually offer rates equal to or lower than grid-supplied power.
- Proposed contracts should be scrutinized carefully, clearly delineating such items as maintenance and rate increases.
Choosing a solar contractor
- Installer should be certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) to ensures that the installer is trained and tested in the latest approved installation techniques.
GA Solar maintains a searchable directory of professional installers to help you locate companies that may want to bid on your project :
Two Government Models
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