Residential Solar Energy Grants
Energy costs continuously rise in the U.S., among other issues related to fossil fuel consumption. Government agencies, at the local through federal levels, have in recent years responded by providing grants and other incentives to users of renewable energy. Many programs award money to businesses or government agencies to produce or distribute green energies, such as solar power. But there are grant programs that can benefit individual homeowners who need financial help buying and installing solar panels and other renewable energy devices.
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Energy Department Grant
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The U.S. Department of Energy awards incentives related to solar energy through several Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy programs. In many cases the department awards tax credits or loans to homeowners. Grants usually go only to businesses or government agencies, but one ongoing program, the Tribal Energy Program, awards alternative energy grants that can directly benefit individuals living in Native American nations. The program awards hundreds of thousands of dollars to tribes to install solar panels and other renewable energy devices in homes. The money can also go toward beginning energy programs or outreach.
Agriculture Department Grant
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Eligible farmers and ranchers can receive grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to cover up to 25 percent of the costs of installing solar panels. The office of Rural Development's Rural Energy for America Program is open to agricultural producers and small businesses in communities of 20,000 residents or fewer; there is a special emphasis on helping low-income rural communities or those with 5,000 people or fewer. REAP awards a maximum of $500,000 to install eligible renewable energy systems, including solar, or $250,000 for efficiency improvements. The program also awards up to $50,000 to conduct feasibility studies. A third REAP grant, worth up to $100,000, goes to local government agencies and other community organizations to audit energy needs.
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State Grants
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Many state-level departments award grants to their residents to help them install solar panels and other renewable energy devices. New York, for example, has the Assisted Home Performance Grants program, which covers up to 50 percent of the costs for low-income families to upgrade energy systems or efficiencies in their homes. Some states also offer grants and other incentives at the local level. Many individual government agencies provide information about their grants and other incentives on their websites, and there is an online database of all current state and federal programs.
Other Incentives
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Federal, state, and local government agencies award funding other than grants to install solar panels. One of the largest incentive programs is Energy Star, a collaboration between the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Energy Star issues tax credits to cover up to 30 percent of the costs for solar panels and other renewable energy systems. The federal government also offers loans for energy upgrades. The USDA's REAP, for example, also offers loans that cover up to 75 percent of system installation costs, up to $25 million. Many state agencies also offer tax breaks, loans, and other incentives to install solar panels and other types of green energy.
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- Photo Credit Solar Panel image by kuhar from Fotolia.com
