Some states have "de-regulated" their utilities. This is an effort to encourage competition by decoupling the generation of electricity from the transportation of electricity. The wires are now the highway for electrons, but anyone can generate and sell their electrons (just like anyone can drive their car on the road). The utilities in these states are now like road maintenance companies. They maintain the wires, relays, switches, transformers and all equipment needed to keep those electrons moving. The generators can be any company that can meet the requirements of the Independent System Operator committee (which is kind of analogous to the DMV for cars). Of course all these generating companies wnat to make and sell the cheapest electricity so they can get lots of customers. However, the cheapest electricity is not always the cleanest. Or, it may cheap to generate and not make too much pollution now but there's still cleanup that has to be done in the future at the expense of the ratepayers or taxpayers (nuclear power has this problem).

To offset this pollution expense, some states have required the creation of a systems benefit fund (SBF). This fund is accumulated by requiring the utilities to charge some small amount per kWh and forwarding the money to the state SBF. For example, this charge might show up on your bill as 1/10th of one penny per kWh. This is a small fee per customer, but adds up to 10s of millions dollars per year in some states. This money is then given back to the ratepayers as grant money for special programs. These programs are usually set up to promote something that will off-set pollution. In New York, most of the money goes to fund energy efficiency improvements. But there is a decent amount going to encourage the installation of renewable energy generators also. This is great for the customers since they get to reduce their energy bills and improve the planet at the same time.

At ETM, we make this easy for you. If you are a residential customer and want to get 10 kW of photovoltaics or less, we will fill out the bulk of the paperwork you need for the state and give you the incentive as a discount right off the top! In New York (except Long Island), the state program requires that you go thru one of the contractors listed at www.nyserda.org
. NYSERDA requires that elligible installers install your PV system.

In Long Island and New Jersey, the incentive money is given as a rebate. This rebate can go to the customer or be assigned to the contractor. If you assign it to the contractor, then, at ETM, we give it as a discount. Again, we will fill out the forms for you, or you can download them:
Long Island: www.lipower.org
NJ www.njcep.com

LIPA and the NJ Clean Energy Program do not require the PV system to be installed by PV installers, but it is wise to get a PV installer if you are getting a large system, or a system with a battery bank as the installation of these is more than just hooking up a few wires! If you are installing your own system, please be careful! PV electricity is just as deadly as other kinds and falling off the roof is definitely to be avoided.

In addition to rebate application forms, you also have to sign a net metering agreement with the utility. At ETM, we fill out the technical parts of these, make up the wiring diagrams and supply specifications on inverters that the utilities require. Once you or we send in the agreement, the utility will ponder it for anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks and send you a final version to sign. Before the PV system is officially allowed to net meter, the utility may require, depending on utility, all or some of the following:

• An electrical inspection by the local code authority
  
• An isolation transformer (usually installed by utility)
  
• An inspection by utility engineer
  
• A new meter that records forward and backwards
  
• A grid protection relay (for some kinds of inverters)
  

At ETM, we have a person in our office who follows up on these items to make sure things happen in a reasonable time. But, inspite of our best efforts, it can still take as much as a couple of months to get thru all this stuff, so be prepared to be patient.

Net Metering Systems in New York State are eligible for a NYS tax credit. Just fill out the tax credit form at tax time.
Information (.pdf)
tax form IT-255 (.pdf)

Access the incentives thru ETM Solar Works
info@etmsolar.com
phone = 607-785-6499
ask for Gay or Lori