The Pennsylvania Solar Center is now in its fourth round of the Galvanizing our Energy Transition (GET) solar program, which provides technical support and financial advice to companies looking to take advantage of solar energy. This round is specifically focused on Pennsylvania businesses.
Applications remain open until March 1, 2021.
The start of the GET Solar program coincides with the recent extension of the federal tax credit for solar investments from 26% to 2023. The credit combined with accelerated depreciation will save companies approximately 50% of the total cost of the system in the first five years. Some counties also offer C-PACE funding, which allows businesses to switch to solar power without paying upfront.
“It's really a great time to be running solar,” said Sharon Pillar, executive director of the Pa. Solar center. “The extension of the federal tax credit is a huge incentive that will hopefully encourage more companies to move to clean energy, saving companies thousands of dollars in energy costs over the life of the system. Solar energy creates both environmental and financial sustainability, which the pandemic highlighted as an important goal that many more companies are now paying more attention to. “
With GET Solar, the Solar Center carries out a preliminary assessment of a company's solar potential, helps it understand the financing options and connects it with qualified solar developers.
For more details, the Solar Center will host a webinar on February 10th with a second webinar discussing funding options including C-PACE on February 17th. Plug Smart, an energy services company, will attend the webinar on February 17th and offer free C-PACE consultation to qualified companies considering other energy infrastructure upgrades.
“We are excited to be working with Pa. Solar Center to help companies with GET Solar,” said Matt Mahoney, Senior Project Developer at Plug Smart. “Within C-PACE, solar energy plays an important role in evaluating a portfolio of infrastructure requirements, as it can improve the energy and tax efficiency of the overall project. The combination of energy saving measures opens up new possibilities for reducing costs while improving the building. And now flexible financing options like C-PACE, builders have an option that creates positive cash flow immediately. “
Building owners in Pennsylvania can use C-PACE or Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy to fund building infrastructure improvements such as roof replacements, HVAC, LED lighting, windows, elevators, building automation, and solar without having to come out of pocket. C-PACE offers 100% financing with low interest rates that are fully amortized over a term of up to 30 years, enabling property owners to achieve energy and cost savings, especially when combined with tax incentives and other cost reduction programs.
For these reasons, more and more Pennsylvania companies and organizations are turning to solar. Once the equipment is paid for, the energy from the sun or wind is free, so the cost of electricity is known for the life of the equipment 25 years or more.
The application for GET Solar can be found here.