PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

Six areas of Massachusetts to receive buydowns through aggregators

The Renewable Energy Trust (RET) in Massachusetts has promised $2.6 million in grants to selected communities around the state. It will be used to install nearly 250 systems with a total value of about $9 million.

The money is part of a $10 million Solar-to-Market Initiative intended to help the solar industry create new high-tech jobs in Massachusetts. RET, which is administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), controls a total of $150 million for promoting renewables.

Moneer Azzam, vice-president of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, says the MTC awarded the PV grants on a competitive basis to aggregators on Oct. 10. Although $6 per watt was available, higher ranking was given to aggregators who agreed to leverage the money by offering lower buydowns. The average rebate will be just under $3 per watt for systems that will vary widely in size. Most of the six winners, who received about $430,000 each, already have deals with component suppliers, says Azzam.

Among the winners was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which received $456,000 for about 40 installations on campus and in neighboring communities, and the Cape & Islands self Reliance Corp., which has $525,000 for about 100 installations on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.

Residential and commercial customers chosen by the aggregators will first receive 75 percent of the money to install the systems, and then collect the remainder one year after installation if the system is still producing at least 90 percent of its rated power.

Azzam says the RET board will consider a second $2.5 million program with direct PV subsidies for consumers in November. Funds could be available as early as December. The amount of the buydown will not be known until the solicitation process begins.

For more information, go to: www.mtpc.org/Grants_and_Awards/Awards/gpp/02GP03Clu.htm