The Two Incentive Paths

In the past there was only one incentive "path" to take when going solar. Energy Trust of Oregon cash incentives in combination with Oregon State Tax credits is still one of the best incentive paths in the nation. Now there is another great option. It's called the Oregon Feed-in Tariff. It's modeled after a program in Germany which helped grow their economy by fueling solar installations and creating jobs in clean technology. Now that you have two incentive paths to choose from, you can look at the examples below to see which will work better for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us.

Oregon Feed-in Tariff Incentive Path

The Oregon Feed-In Tariff makes cents! The major difference from the Energy Trust and state tax credit incentive path is that there is a larger out of pocket expense and a greater return on investment. For some people, this will make the going solar more attractive. 

3.06 kW Solar Electric System 6.12 kW Solar Electric System
Out of Pocket Cost  $23,686 Out of Pocket Cost  $43,189
30% Federal Tax Credit -$7,106 30% Federal Tax Credit -$12,957
Net Cost  $16,580 Net Cost  $30,232
  ~ Annual Feed-In Tariff Payment    $925   ~ Annual Feed-In Tariff Payment    $1,850
Simple Payback 17.6 Years Simple Payback

13.7 Years
  Years Left of Feed-In Tariff    -2.6 Years    Years Left of Feed-In Tariff    1.3 Years

Energy Trust of Oregon and State Tax Credits Incentive Path

For some people, the Energy Trust of Oregon incentive path makes more sense than the Feed-In Tariff. The major difference is that with Energy Trust incentives there is less out of pocket expense. The drawbacks are that the pay back period is longer and has a lower lifetime value (in these two examples) than the Feed-In Tariff incentive path.

3.06 kW Solar Electric System 6.12  kW Solar Electric System
System Cost  $23,686 System Cost  $43,189
Energy Trust Incentive -$3,825 Energy Trust Incentive -$7,500
Out of Pocket  $19,861 Out of Pocket  $35,689
  Federal Tax Credit   -$5,958   Federal Tax Credit    -10,707
Oregon Tax Credit -$6,000 Oregon Tax Credit -$6,000
Net Cost  $7,903 Net Cost  $18,982
Simple Payback 23.4 Years Simple Payback 28.1 Years
Annual Electricity Payment Savings  $338 Annual Electricity Payment Savings  $676
 

About these Examples

These examples are designed to be informative and helpful for your research. It's impossible for us to give a set price because there are so many variables involved in going solar. These examples used the following assumptions:

  1. Locally made 255 watt Solar World modules; Oregon Made PV Powered inverter for 3.06 kW system & SMA Sunny Boy inverter for the 6.12 kW system.
  2. $7.71/watt installed cost for the 3.06 kW system
  3. $7.06/watt installed cost for the 6.12 kW system
  4. Energy Trust of Oregon incentive of $1.25/watt for PGE customers, max cap $7,500
  5. Excellent power production (perfect tilt, no shading, etc)
  6. Feed-in tariff pays $0.411 per kwh produced 
  7. Energy Trust incentive example uses $0.11 per kWh for production value 
  8. No additional charges are included in this example for extra steep roofs, 3 level homes, etc.