| State: |
Colorado |
| Incentive Type: |
Performance-Based Incentive |
| Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: |
Photovoltaics |
| Applicable Sectors: |
Commercial, Residential, Nonprofit, Local Government, Installer/Contractor, Low-Income Residential |
| Amount: | 2013 Standard Offer Program (launching on June 1):
Small Program (systems 10 - 50 kW): $0.13/kWh for 20 years
Medium Program (systems 50.1 - 500 kW): $0.10/kWh for 20 years
Large RFP Program: determined through competitive bid |
| Eligible System Size: | 2 MW maximum size for Large RFP Program |
| Ownership of Renewable Energy Credits: | Xcel Energy |
| Program Budget: | Up to 9 MW of projects for 2013 |
| Start Date: | 08/15/2012 |
| Web Site: |
https://www.xcelenergy.com/Save_Money_&_Energy/For_Your_Home/Rene...
|
Note: Xcel will begin accepting applications for the 2013 Standard Offer Program for systems between 10 kW and 500 kW on June 1, 2013. The RFP Program for systems between 500.1 kW and 2 MW will solicit competitive bids starting on August 1, 2013. See web site above for more information.
Legislation approved in 2010 allowed for the development of "community solar gardens" in Colorado. Under the rules of traditional net metering, a utility customer may offset their electricity consumption with electricity produced by a renewable energy system located on their property. Community solar gardens allow for multiple utility customers to purchase or lease interests in a single photovoltaic (PV) system not located on their property, and to have the electricity produced by their share of the system offset the electricity consumption of their home or business. Xcel Energy's Solar*Rewards Community Program provides incentives to stimulate the development of community solar gardens in its service territory.
The payments shown above are for the renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with the electricity produced by the system. REC payments are awarded to the subscriber organization which develops the project. Subscribing customers will receive bill credits for the amount of electricity produced by their share of the larger system, but will not receive the REC payments.
Community solar gardens must have at least 10 customer subscribers to qualify for this program, and at least 5% of the allocation must be attributed to income-qualified subscribers. No one subscriber can own an interest in more than 40% of a single project. Further, subscribing customers are limited to subscriptions that will produce no more than 120% of their annual electric usage. Subscribers must be Xcel Energy electric customers in the same county as the garden. Subscribers in counties with less than 20,000 population can participate in gardens in adjacent counties that also have populations less than 20,000.
Additional rules apply. See website above for complete details.
