GEORGIA SOLAR BASICS

Residential Solar is unique in Georgia and South Carolina. 

In Georgia, the public service commission set regulations that all power companies must purchase power from solar customers at a wholesale rate when interconnected to the electric grid. Currently, that rate is 3.5 cents per kwh, helping to create a fair market. However, there are currently no state-level rebates or incentives outside of purchasing all your extra power. Georgia Power has offered net metering in the past and will hopefully re-open that program again in the future.

South Carolina offers several rebates and incentives statewide. The SC state tax rebate is 25% of the cost of the system. The largest credit that can be applied in a single year is $3500 or 50% of your state tax liability, whichever is less. If you have service with Duke Power, they offer a $1 per watt rebate off the cost of the system. They're currently offering net metering, but it must be applied for.

All residential systems qualify for the national tax incentive of 30% for solar and now includes 30% for battery systems that do not charge from the grid. 

Solar is a great asset to a home and adds value to the resale of your home. These systems can be paired with batteries or generators for uninterrupted backup power during outages, helping to give you and your family security and comfort in your home.

Any building or property that is owned by your company and used for business is a prime location to include solar. The obvious benefits are lowered operating costs, better profitability, and being a more environmentally friendly organization. But here are additional benefits our customers have seen:

• More customer engagement (who doesn't like to talk about solar?) The more customer engagement, the more personable your company is.
• Helping your local community by reducing the demand on the grid in your area.
• Most of our companies see a reduction in maintenance in a variety of areas. As your solar system helps share the electrical load, it helps support the overall demand of your building.

In addition to the continued benefits the system provides, you are also able to take advantage of these immediate incentives:

• Federal ITC - this tax credit is 30% of the system cost
• Schedule 179 depreciation - this is an additional 30%
• The REAP grant applies to any business that falls in a USDA area and is 25% of the system cost

This is our bread and butter; we know the agricultural industry and what it takes to operate a farm outside of solar. We feel this gives us a distinct advantage when it comes to designing systems that truly work! 

• We use 12 months of power bills to perform a detailed analysis of your power usage.
• Our analysis includes a comprehensive historical weather assessment which uses data from NOA and NREL.
• The highest return and efficiency for a farm is between 60 and 70 %.
• The typical farm has an average return on investment of 3.5 years
• Most farms will see around $750,000 in power savings through the life of the system.
• All farms qualify for 3 incentives:

1. Schedule 179 depreciation - typically at a rate of 30% of the cost
2. The Federal ITC - now 30% cost through 2032
3. The REAP Grant - currently pays 25% of the total cost. This is a grant which has to be applied for and selections happen twice per year. 

• We always recommend that you take our proposals and figures to your accountant to receive an assessment pertaining specifically to your business. Benefits will vary depending on how your taxes are filed.