Delaware
Incentives/Policies for Renewable Energy
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Last DSIRE Review: 08/18/2009
| Incentive Type: |
Interconnection |
| State: |
Delaware |
| Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: |
Solar Thermal Electric,
Photovoltaics,
Wind,
Biomass,
Hydroelectric,
Anaerobic Digestion,
Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels,
Other Distributed Generation Technologies
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| Applicable Sectors: |
Commercial,
Industrial,
Residential,
Nonprofit,
Schools,
Local Government,
State Government,
Fed. Government,
Agricultural,
Institutional
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| Applicable Utilities: | All utilities (only Delmarva Power is subject to commission rules) |
| System Capacity Limit: | 1 MW |
| Standard Agreement: | Yes |
| Insurance Requirements: | "Additional" liability insurance not required for systems that meet certain technical standards |
| External Disconnect Switch: | Required for systems between 25 kW and 1 MW |
| Net Metering Required: | Yes |
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Web Site: |
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/
energy/services/Pages/GreenEnergyProgram.aspx
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| Date Effective: | 1/19/2000 (DP&L); 4/1/2000 (DEC) |
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Summary:
Note: Delaware law (26 Del. C. § 1014) requires the Delaware Public Service Commission (PSC), Delaware Electric Cooperative (DEC), and municipal utilities to develop interconnection rules using as a guide the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's (IREC) model interconnection rules and the U.S. Department of Energy's best practices for interconnection. Although this provision was initially enacted in 2007 (S.B. 8), the PSC has not adopted any mandatory interconnection standards, and it does not appear to have resulted in any significant changes to utility rules that were already in place. Because the situation is somewhat confused and occasionally conflicting, this entry largely addresses the rules used by Delmarva Power, the state's largest utility.
Delmarva (formerly Conectiv), Delaware's only investor-owned electric utility, has six categories of interconnection guidelines based on system size, system type (inverter-based or rotating), and energy source (renewable or non-renewable). These categories determine the technical requirements and forms the customer must file. All inverter-based systems with a generating capacity of 25 kilowatts (kW) or less must comply with IEEE 1547 and UL 1741, in addition to Delmarva's technical guidelines. These installations are exempt from the pre-interconnection study. Furthermore, an external disconnect switch is not required for smaller inverter-based systems. (In emergencies, the utility reserves the right to disconnect the system without notification.) The customer accepts full responsibility for any risks involved with disconnecting the system. Renewable-energy systems in this size category (25 kW or less) are eligible for net metering.
Inverter-based systems generating between 25 kW and one megawatt (MW), and systems under 1 MW that use a rotating generator, are required to comply with all sections of the utility's technical guidelines. Larger inverter-based systems must also comply with the IEEE 1547 and UL 1741 standards. All systems between 25 kW and 1 MW must pass a pre-interconnection study and must have an external disconnect switch. Delmarva's standards do not contain any liability insurance requirements for systems of any size.
Delaware Electric Cooperative's (DEC) interconnection guidelines are similar to Delmarva's. For renewable-energy generators 25 kW or less, systems must comply with all applicable safety and performance standards established by the National Electric Code (NEC), IEEE and UL. These systems are also eligible for net metering. DEC customers with systems greater than 25 kW are required to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance per occurrence and $1 million in property-loss insurance. Higher amounts of coverage may be required at the discretion of the DEC, although S.B. 8 states that utilities are not permitted to require "customers who meet all applicable safety and performance standards to install excessive controls, perform or pay for unnecessary tests, or purchase excessive liability insurance". An external disconnect switch is required for systems larger than 25 kW.
For more information on the standards set by each utility, including some individual municipal utilities, please visit the Delaware Green Energy Program website at the top of this page.
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Please note: The information on the DSIRE web site provides an overview of incentives and other policies, but it should not be used as the only source of information when making purchasing decisions, investment decisions, tax decisions or other binding agreements. Please refer to the individual contact provided in each record to verify that a specific incentive or other policy is applicable to your specific project.
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