The generation of electricity from sunlight is commonly referred to as solar power. Power generation using sunlight as the raw material has recently increased in popularity, mainly because it is practical, and more importantly, environment-friendly. These benefits made a lot of states in the US to create programs that promote solar power. One of the states with extensive solar power programs is Delaware. Solar in Delaware has slowly but constantly become part of the state’s mainstream programs.
Delaware’s solar power program started in the 1990s with the establishment of the Delaware Green Energy Fund in 1999. The bill was later amended in 2007. It allows Delaware add a surcharge to its population’s electricity bills. The surcharge amounts to 0.356 mills only, so it has no significant effect on the electricity bills. When added together, however, the surcharges total to $3 million in just one year. This amount gets donated to the Energy Fund, which used the money for its different programs.
A Renewable Energy Standard requiring the state to make 10% of its total energy sold to be from renewable sources was passed by the legislature in 2005. Later, through an amendment in 2007, the percentage was increased to 20%. The amendment also required 2% of the renewable sources to be solar power.
Solar in Delaware includes a net-metering policy that allows residential customers producing 25kW of power using renewable energy sources to participate. It also allows commercial establishments producing 500kW to be eligible. There is, however, a 1% limit to the number of participants at the discretion of the state. This means that the state can change this percentage anytime it wants. The benefit of availing to the policy is that the Green Energy Fund will buy the total excess power produced by the residential and commercial solar systems at the standard utility grid rate.
There are also incentives programs which include rebates and loans. The Green Energy Fund sponsors most of these incentives. Two grants are available: Technology Demonstration Grant and Research Development Grant. The grants allow local governments, companies and non-government organizations to test and develop equipments for power generation from renewable sources. The grants can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another great incentive is the State Rebate Program. It allows renewable power producers to get a 50% discount from the cost of their solar power systems. The discount will be shouldered by the state. Residential customers can have a maximum of $31,500 rebate. There is no limit to the size of the solar systems so homeowners and businessmen can really cut a lot of their power-related costs.
