New Jersey

Solar Legislator Score: *****

“New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™ is recognized as a national model for programs that spur market development and the adoption of clean, renewable energy technologies, managing programs to encourage energy efficiency, and assistance for low-income consumers.” That comes from the state’s website, and refers to actions that have distinguished New Jersey as a leader in promoting renewable energy and implementing progressive pro-solar initiatives. The state also just expanded the Renewable Portfolio Standard requiring the state’s utilities to produce about 1,500 mW of solar by 2021. For setting a high standard for others to follow, New Jersey’s legislators have earned a solar rating of “Excellent”.

STATE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UTILITY REBATES, UTILITY LOANS, and UTILITY INCENTIVES
The New Jersey Clean Energy Rebate Program provides incentives for the use of photovoltaics, landfill gas, wind, biomass, anaerobic digestion, and fuel cells using renewable fuels. Eligible sectors are commercial, residential, nonprofit, schools, and institutional. Rebates are highly variable based on a number of factors and capped for some energy sources. Program budget is $273 million (2005-2008).
In 1980 New Jersey instituted a Solar and Wind Energy Systems Exemption for the commercial, residential, and general public/consumer sectors. A full exemption from the state’s 7% sales tax are applicable to passive solar space heat, solar water heat, solar space heat, solar thermal electric, solar thermal process heat, photovoltaics, wind, and solar pool heating.
Marketable NJ Board of Public Utilities - Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) can be earned by commercial, industrial, residential, nonprofit, schools, local government, state government, tribal government, fed. government, agricultural, and institutional sectors that generate solar-electric power.
Commercial and residential sectors are eligible for Net Metering on solar thermal electric, photovoltaics, landfill gas, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal electric, anaerobic digestion, tidal energy, wave energy, and fuel cells using renewable fuels on systems generating up to 2 mW. Excess power is credited to the next month’s bill and purchased by the utility at the end of the 12-month billing cycle.

EXAMPLE RESIDENTIAL SOLAR INSTALLATION
The Colonial settlement of Newark was founded in 1666 by settlers led by Robert Treat, who reportedly acquired the property from the Hackensack Indians for “gunpowder, one hundred bars of lead, twenty axes, twenty coats, guns, pistols, swords, kettles, blankets, knives, beer, and ten pairs of breeches”. A real bargain, it would seem. Modern Newark is about 24 square miles in size, roughly the size of Manhattan, and is home to nearly 300,000 residents. For the reasonably athletic, Newark is within walking distance of Manhattan on the opposite side of the Hudson River from Newark and Essex County. New Jersey has a relatively low average electrical consumption of 8,976 kWh annually, but rates at 11.74 cents/kWh, while noticeably lower than neighboring New York, are still higher than the U.S. average of 9.45 cents/kWh. In Newark, power is supplied by New Jersey’s oldest and largest provider, Public Service Electric & Gas. With that background, let’s see what can be accomplished with a residential solar energy system in sunny (solar rating: “Good”) Newark.
A solar collector system on a roof area of 350 square feet should be sufficient to reduce conventional electrical needs by 50%. Midrange equipment and installation costs are estimated at $31,500, but state and federal credits and rebates reduce that by almost half.

CONSENSUS
New Jersey’s Office of Clean Energy is charged with the success of the state’s aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standard, which depends in part on installing “sufficient solar capacity to meet the RPS requirements, at the lowest cost to ratepayers, taking into account other policy goals – fairness and equity to all ratepayer classes, job growth, improved reliability/security and improved environmental quality”. They have a big job facing them, but we applaud the New Jersey government and business leadership for putting their shoulders to the task.

http://www.solarpowerrocks.com/new-jersey/