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New Hampshire Specific - Indefinite hold on solar rebates

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  • New Hampshire Specific - Indefinite hold on solar rebates

    The state PUC has put an indefinite hold on accepting applications for solar rebates. The source of funding ran dry.

    If its like the other energy efficiency rebates they will open it up again next year possibly with less generous payments.

    Of course considering the price drop for solar, the original intended purpose of buying down the cost of a PV system to make it competitive is long gone. That "pump" was long ago primed.

    At least one firm is pushing group buys in communities as a way of keeping busy without the rebate.
    Last edited by peakbagger; 08-04-2017, 10:09 AM.

  • #2
    Perhaps part of the drop in prices has more to do with the loss of some of the subsidy than improvements in productivity alone.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by J.P.M. View Post
      Perhaps part of the drop in prices has more to do with the loss of some of the subsidy than improvements in productivity alone.
      Hard to say. A number of years ago Florida had a solar fund that would provide a rebate to pv installers. Unfortunately the fund was quickly used up each year putting a lot of people on a waiting list. When the new governor was elected the solar fund was shut down so no state rebates.

      My guess is that NH may be going through similar steps to reduce state costs which usually means a number of "projects" run out of funds quickly and may or may not get funded next year. Hopefully their solar fund gets refilled next year.

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      • #4
        I am pretty sure the NH solar market is not big enough to influence the worldwide trend in solar pricing. My original panels in 2002 were 6.60 per watt. My last install in 2015 was 0.95 cents a watt. The grid tie inverters I bought also went down in price per watt (but far less significant) . I have heard the argument that subsidies inevitably are just sucked up by the install firms but not sure I buy it.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by peakbagger View Post
          I am pretty sure the NH solar market is not big enough to influence the worldwide trend in solar pricing. My original panels in 2002 were 6.60 per watt. My last install in 2015 was 0.95 cents a watt. The grid tie inverters I bought also went down in price per watt (but far less significant) . I have heard the argument that subsidies inevitably are just sucked up by the install firms but not sure I buy it.
          I agree. A market the size of even a few states shouldn't affect the cost of solar hardware based on if they can get rebates or not.

          I do expect that any additional import tariffs for solar panels coming from Asia will raise the price. Hopefully it will stay below $1.50/watt but time will tell.

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          • #6
            What was New Hampshires rebate? Another solar site had them ranked 2nd after CT.

            CT is still offering the best in the nation rebate with $540 back per kW, and $400/kW for a system sized larger than your usage, up to 20kW, meaning the max you can get from the program is $9,400.

            I think they lower it slightly every 6 months and there is still a 10 million in the fund.

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            • #7
              I think its up to $2500 per system. Its been awhile but the sweet spot was somewhere in the 4 to 5 KW range to maximize, smaller systems got less but larger systems were held to a max of $2,500.

              The far bigger recent impact to solar in NH is the pure net metering program is being diluted by adding surcharges, stranded costs and system benefit to any power that had been sent to the utility and returned back. I generate a big excess in the warm season to heat my house with a heat pump in colder weather so I will be paying those surcharges. I expect the heat pump will still make sense for days over 30 degrees as its lot less work than running my wood boiler.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by SunEagle View Post

                I agree. A market the size of even a few states shouldn't affect the cost of solar hardware based on if they can get rebates or not.

                I do expect that any additional import tariffs for solar panels coming from Asia will raise the price. Hopefully it will stay below $1.50/watt but time will tell.
                I contend that local/state rebates have an effect on local/state retail prices in that, to the extent they exist, such rebates will not lower prices by anywhere near as much as thought, or perhaps not at all, and like a rising tide lifting all boats, may actually have the effect of artificially raising all prices by not lowering them as much as might be suggested. My point was more addressed to local markets and the idea that prices from retailers to consumers are often higher where local (state ?) rebates are higher, and lower when local rebates are lower or non existent. This is hard to quantify and probably inseparable from the lowered prices made possible by the undeniable price reductions made possible by improvements in productivity.

                Basically, I'm suggesting, as I've done for a long time, that rebates and tax credits, etc. really exist for the benefit of vendors and manufacturers rather than consumers, with most or all of the largess afforded by the rebates staying with the vendors/mfgs./sellers of rebate eligible equipment/services. Similar to trickle down economics, the top takes most of the benefits and little of it gets down to those it claims to help. Or, another way to look at it, I'm pretty convinced that a 30 % tax credit does not translate to consumers paying 30 % less for a PV system on their roof. Some maybe. 30% - no way.

                I was a peddler too long to swallow that one.

                Another side (non)bennie to rebates - to the extent that rebates get somehow retained by sellers, they allow those sellers who are scumbags or dopes to remain in business longer than a truly competitive marketplace would tolerate. I don't see a system that allows the unqualified to thrive as a good thing for a robust solar energy industry.

                Similarly, tariffs on imports do no one any good, except domestic manufacturers (in the short term), and maybe vendors who tack on a %age of their material costs to the prices they charge. Tariffs thus, and particularly hurt consumers/end users the most. The tide of price rises for all. Those farther up the supply chain add their opportunistic cut. Still, even domestic manufacturers are hurt in the long run. They do not have the same impetus of competition poking/chasing them to stay lean and sharp, so productivity and product quality can suffer, hurting them, consumers and the vitality of U.S. manufacturing as well.

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                • #9
                  About time funds start going away and killing this scam.
                  MSEE, PE

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