The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has announced the end of the Commonwealth Solar II program, which will have provided $36 million in rebates for more than 13,000 solar electric systems valued at $407 million since 2010.
Created to stimulate adoption of small-scale solar systems, the rebate program was funded by MassCEC and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER). MassCEC says small scale solar systems have stimulated expansion of the commonwealth's solar sector, creating more than 12,000 high-quality jobs.
Under the life of the Commonwealth Solar II program, installation prices for small-scale solar systems have dropped dramatically, falling nearly 30% since the program's inception. Corresponding to these falling prices, MassCEC has scaled back rebate levels over time, from an average of 20% of project costs in the program's first funding block to an average of 5% of project costs in the program's last funding block.
‘This program was launched to help drive down the price of small solar electric systems in Massachusetts, and with prices dropping significantly over the past several years, the time is right to phase out this successful program,’ says Alicia Barton, CEO of MassCEC. ‘This program has met its ambitious goals of increasing the adoption of solar electricity and creating high-quality local jobs.’
MassCEC is partnering with DOER to launch Mass Solar Loan, a new $30 million program to connect homeowners who seek to install solar electric systems with low-interest loans to help finance the projects.
