Solar & Battery Regulation & Incentive Programs

Small-Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program

Program Overview

Category:: Financial Incentive
Program Type:: Rebate Program
Implementing Sector:: State
State:: Vermont
Eligible Storage Technologies:: Solar Water Heat, Biomass
Website:: http://www.rerc-vt.org/
Incentive Amount:: Solar Water Heating:
Residential: $0.40/kWh/yr
Commercial: $0.40/kWh/yr
Special Category: $0.80/kWh/yr

Advanced Wood Pellet Heating:
Flat Incentive: $3,000
Custom Incentive: $1.25/sq-ft; $10.00/MBH thermal storage tank adder
Maximum Incentive:: Solar Water Heating: Residential - $3,000; Commercial - $16,500; Special Category - $45,000
Advanced Wood Pellet Heating: $3,000 (Flat Incentive); $70,000 (Custom Incentive - Residential/Commercial/Industrial); $95,000 (Custom Incentive - Public-Serving Entities)
Eligible System Size:: Wood Pellet Heating Systems: Maximum system size of 100 kW (340kBtu) for the flat incentive
Equipment Requirements:: Solar Hot Water: Rated output of at least 15 kBtu/day
Wood Pellet Heating Systems: Minimum efficiency rating of 85% (wood chip heating systems may have minimum efficiency of 80%) and emissions below 0.08 lbs/MMBtu for PM 2.5
Installation Requirements:: Must be installed by registered Vermont Partners (no self-install).
Ownership of Renewable Energy Credits:: Not addressed
Administrator:: Renewable Energy Resource Center
Applicable Sectors:: Commercial, Construction, Industrial, Local Government, Nonprofit, Residential, Schools, Agricultural, Multifamily Residential, Institutional
Last Updated:: 05/26/2017
Funding Source: Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility	Sectors	Technologies
$/kWh (1 year)0.4000	Residential	Solar Water Heat
max $3000.0000	Residential	Solar Water Heat
$/kWh (1 year)0.4000	Commercial Industrial Nonprofit Agricultural Institutional	Solar Water Heat
max $16500.0000	Commercial Industrial Nonprofit Agricultural Institutional	Solar Water Heat
$/kWh (1 year)0.8000	Local Government Nonprofit Schools	Solar Water Heat
max $45000.0000	Local Government Nonprofit Schools	Solar Water Heat
$/Unit3000.0000	Commercial Industrial Residential	Biomass
$/square foot1.2500	Commercial Industrial Residential	Biomass
max $60000.0000	Commercial Industrial Residential	Biomass
$/square foot1.2500	Nonprofit Institutional	Biomass
max $80.0000	Nonprofit Institutional	Biomass
max % of cost50.0000	Nonprofit Institutional	Biomass

Summary

Vermont's Small Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program (SSREIP), initiated in June 2003, currently provides funding for new solar water heating and advanced wood pellet heating installations. The program is available to residential, commercial, institutional, and non-profit entities. Only systems installed by pre-approved installers will be eligible for funding. Funding must be reserved and applications approved before expenditures are made. Fund availability can be found here. Once reservations are granted, applicants have six months to complete their projects and submit the final application. Current incentives are as follows:

Solar Hot Water

Residential: $0.40/kWh/yr, up to $3,000.
Commercial: $0.40/kWh/yr, up to $16,500.
Special Category: $0.80/kWh/yr, up to $45,000. Solar Hot Water incentives are available for public swimming pools for Special Category customers only.

Advanced Wood Pellet Heating

Flat-Rate Incentive (Residential, Commercial/Industrial): $3,000 (customer lifetime cap = $70,000)
Custom Incentive (Residential, Commercial/Industrial): $1.25/sq-ft heated space connected to the system, up to $60,000. Thermal storage tank adder = $10.00/MBH, up to $10,000. (customer lifetime cap with adders = $70,000)
Custom Incentive (Public-Serving Institutions): $1.25/sq-ft heated space connected to the system, up to the lesser of $80,000 or 50% of installed cost. Thermal storage tank adder = $10,00/MBH, up to $15,000. (customer lifetime cap with adders = $95,000)

Pellet heating systems must have an efficiency rating of 85% or higher, and wood chip heating systems must have a minimum efficiency of 80%. More information on SSREIP wood pellet heating incentives can be found here.

Projects receiving a grant through the Clean Energy Development Fund are not eligible for this incentive.

Authorities

Name	Enacted Date	Effective Date	Expired Date
Act 69 of 2003		6/17/2003 (initial funding)