CALIFORNIA: ENERGY COMMISSION ADOPTS NEW RULES FOR SMALL WIND TURBINE REBATES
On November 2 and November 16, the California Energy Commission adopted revisions to the requirements for participating in the Emerging Renewables Program (ERP) and receiving incentives to help offset the cost of purchasing and installing eligible small wind generating systems. The highlights of the changes are summarized below. Click here for the Emerging Renewables Guidebook…
On November 2 and November 16, the California Energy Commission adopted revisions to the requirements for participating in the Emerging Renewables Program (ERP) and receiving incentives to help offset the cost of purchasing and installing eligible small wind generating systems. The highlights of the changes are summarized below. Click here for the Emerging Renewables Guidebook with the complete rules.
Changes to the incentive amount
- The rebate level will be $3 per watt for the first 10 kilowatts of a small wind system’s generating capacity until May 7, 2012. After that date, the rebate level will be reduced to $2.50 per watt.
- Rebates for fuel cell and small wind generating systems shall not exceed 50 percent of the net purchase price of the system (before ERP incentives).
Implementation of funding limits
- Available program funds will be divided evenly between rebates for systems using small wind turbines and systems using fuel cells.
- When program funds are exhausted, the Energy Commission will suspend the ERP, but may create a waiting list for unfunded applications.
Changes to the criteria for listing equipment as eligible for the ERP
- Turbines shall no longer receive listing on the list of eligible small wind turbines for the ERP by providing 12 consecutive months of performance data.
- Turbines must be certified to either the International Electrotechnical Commission 61400-2 (IEC 61400-2) standard or the American Wind Energy Association 9.1-2009 (AWEA 9.1-2009) standard to be listed as eligible equipment.
- Turbines listed on the Energy Commission’s list of eligible equipment for the ERP in November 2011 shall provide a certified power curve prepared in accordance with the standards of IEC 61400-12-1 or Section 2 of the AWEA 9.1-2009 standard in order to remain on the list of eligible equipment.
- The rating of small wind turbines shall be standardized at 11 meters per second (24.6 miles per hour) for purposes of determining program incentives.
Additional criteria added for removing equipment from the list of eligible equipment
Source: California Energy Commission
