As the weather gets colder the heating bills can become onerous.  At 21 Acres we’re always looking for ways to keep our energy costs low and to help others do the same.  In our recent issue of the Fresh News, Gretchen Garth, 21 Acres Board President, writes about the value of passive solar; Kurt Sahl, Program Development, provides a long list of resources for information about alternative energy programs, incentives and loans.  We’ve included these below.  If you need advice or suggestions about where to start please feel free to email Kurt, kurt@21acres.org. He’s a wealth of information.

Resources:

RENEWABLE ENERGY INCENTIVES (local)

For customer-generated electricity (residential) in Washington, the primary incentive source is the Renewable Energy Cost Recovery Incentive Program. (This incentive pays customers for the electricity they produce.) There is also a sales tax exemption for renewable energy equipment purchased (same Web site as above.

Renewable Energy Incentive Options

Seattle City Light has three options:

1. Green Up — Customers pay a little extra each month to support renewable energy generation.
2. Community Solar — Customers buy a “share” of a remote solar panel array and receive a credit on their electricity bill.
3. Customer generation — Customer installed and owned solar array that produces electricity (Washington State Cost Recovery Program).

Puget Sound Energy has two options:

1. Green Power — Customers pay a little extra each month to support renewable energy generation.
2. Customer generation — Customers install solar array and generate electricity (Washington state Cost Recovery Program).

ELECTRICITY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS (local)

Puget Sound Energy

Seattle City Light

WASHINGTON STATE ENERGY INCENTIVES (entire state)

Database of state incentives

The one-stop shop for energy information in Washington is WSU Extension Energy Program.

Graphs that show the growth in customer-owned generation — Renewable Cost Recovery System Results.

LOANS

Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union has many loan programs.

RENEWABLE SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Northwest S.E.E.D. – Sustainable Energy for Economic Development helps communities collaborate on solar.