About Solar Savings

Informed Customers Are Happy Customers

You may be interested in Rhode Island incentives:

Fundamentals of Savings

When you install a solar power system you become your own electric utility provider for a portion of power you require. The energy you generate and use is no longer purchased. In many instances, the excess energy you produce is sold back to the electric utility. Businesses and organizations that go solar have more control than ever over their energy costs in this way. The solar savings benefits include the following:

Reducing Your Monthly Energy Expense

The electricity your solar system generates is no longer purchased from the utility grid. Depending on the size and efficiency of your solar system, these savings can be substantial.

Direct savings on monthly electric bills — Energy no longer purchased
Additional savings from excess energy sold back to the electric utility (Net Metering)
Increased savings over time — Electric utility costs increase by 3% average/year
Potential additional utility savings with an integrated battery storage system

Cumulative Positive Cash Flow

Beyond the savings on your monthly electric utility bills, solar energy systems continue providing a substantial positive cash flow for years after the system cost pay-back has been achieved. Solar system component costs have recently dropped dramatically. It is now very common for commercial businesses and organizations to achieve their system pay-back in less than 5 years.

For the rest of the productive years of the system — projected to be more than 25 years for quality equipment – the cost of this electricity is nearly zero. This savings is monetized as a Cumulative Positive Cash Flow of many times the initial system cost.

Incentives & SMART Program

For over a decade the solar energy industry has been booming in Massachusetts. The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program is the third generation approach to policy to adjust to the changing solar landscape.

SMART Highlights

New incentives to take effect in 2018

Establishes predictable, constant incentive value over a 10 or 20 year period

The largest incentives are at the beginning of the program

Larger solar systems have more incentive value

Added incentives promote alternative designs and emerging solar technologies

SMART Program Details

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) designed the SMART program to provide more long-term revenue certainty and remove value fluctuation for solar system owners. To do this, the program provides a single compensation rate that reflects what was previously both the energy value and the incentive value. Total SMART program income for the system owner can be predicted and tracked more accurately than in the past.

2018

The year the SMART program benefits replace the existing multiple incentives.

2020

The year new DOER regulations were finalized to expand the SMART program by doubling the capacity allowed into the program.

3,200 MW

The current limit to installed capacity covered by the SMART program has been expanded from 1,600MW to 3,200MW. The goal is to facilitate the use of solar power in order to meet the new 2050 goal of 100% renewable energy.

8 Blocks of 200 MW

The expanded program will offer incentives for a second series – 1,600 MegaWatts (MW) of qualifying Solar Power projects in 8 blocks of 200 MWs.

Decreasing Incentives

It is predicted that incentive value for each of the 7 successive blocks after the program starts will drop by approximately 4%. The policy makers anticipate this will follow the steadily declining prices of solar energy system components.

10 to 20 Years

The SMART incentives establish a payment value at the time of system interconnection that remains constant over a 10 or 20 year period. This eliminates the uncertainty of the incentive value of prior SREC programs. Knowing the incentive value in advance makes it easier for solar customers to determine the cost and payoff time frame for their system.

Solar systems rated above 25 kW and above are eligible for the 20 year payout. At or below 25 kW solar systems are eligible for the 10 year payout.

Larger Systems Realize Larger Incentives

The incentives are most generous for solar energy systems below 1 MW. In general, larger systems realize larger incentives since the incentive amount is based on the amount of produced electricity. If your business or organization may be a candidate for a solar energy system larger than 1 MW, let us show you how a larger system can still return your investment as quickly as a smaller system.

Special SMART Program Adders

Additional policy objectives have been set that increase the incentive by a specific amount ($/kWh). These “adders” are intended to encourage solary energy system designs using certain new technologies and that will generally be more productive in property use. These incentives are also projected to decline with each of the 7 successive blocks of 20 MW within the program. Some examples of the adders to enhance solar savings include the following:

Solar systems on canopies (over parking areas or as shade structures)
Solar systems on rooftops (commercial businesses and organizations)
Solar systems with integrated battery storage
Solar systems over otherwise unusable property (such as landfill or brownfield properties)

We Support Customers in Many Industries

Where do you fit and how can we help?

BlueSel Commercial Solar understands the unique energy requirements for lodging and hospitality. Let us show you how solar works for your location whether a year round or a seasonal location.

Commercial solar is a bankable way for business, large or small, to get control of rising energy costs. Let us show you how to you can turn solar savings into a benefit for your core business.

BlueSel addresses the distinctive financial needs of non-profit organizations. Variable budgets require precise and efficient designs, and specific financing. Let us show you how to save with solar.