DOER Pledges $2.3 Million to New MLP Rebate Program
The Massachusetts Department of Energy has just announced a brand new rebate program in partnership with a number of Municipal Light Plants across the state. This is especially big news, since these are customers who would have been ineligible for the last big solar incentive to be pushed by the state, the SMART program.
Under the new program, homeowners in participating towns will be able to receive a $1.20 per watt rebate on all qualifying solar energy installations. Most towns cap the rebate at 25 kW (or a $30,000 rebate), which is far more than the average homeowner would need to entirely offset their electricity bill. The average residential solar installation is about 5 kW, which would garner a $6,000 rebate under this new program.
Which Towns are Participating?
The following towns have pledged funds to participate in the Municipal Solar Rebate Program in conjunction with the DOER of Massachusetts:
Ashburnham
Belmont
Braintree
Boylston
Concord
Chicopee
Danvers
Groton
Georgetown
Groveland
Holden
Hingham
Hudson (Stow)
Ipswich
Littleton (Boxborough)
Mansfield
Marblehead
Middleborough (Lakeville)
Middleton
North Attleborough
Norwood
Paxton
Peabody
Princeton
Reading (Lynnfield, North Reading, Wilmington)
Rowley
Shrewsbury
South Hadley
Sterling
Taunton (Berkely, Dighton, Raynham)
Templeton
Wakefield
Wellesley
West Boylston
Westfield
How Exactly is the Program Funded?
The DOER will front $2,300,000 for the program until June 30th 2020, or until the funds are expended. However the DOER will only be paying half of the customer rebate – the other half is covered by the Municipal Light Plant in that town.
Furthermore, each town has pledged different amounts to the program, so once your town’s fund has been expended the rebate will no longer be valid in that town. This will lead to a disparity in how many homeowners will be able to take advantage of these rebates in each town. Interested homeowners in towns with smaller pledge amounts should book appointments ASAP to make sure they don’t miss out.
See exactly how much each town has pledged here.
Interested in a no-strings attached solar quote? We’ve been installing solar in Massachusetts for 11 years, and would be more than happy to walk you through the process. To schedule a free consultation with one of our solar experts, you can contact us here.