U.S. investors rush to install solar energy equipment before the end of subsidies

As the U.S. federal grant program is about to end on the 31st, solar-equipment investors are also rushing to catch the last subsidy before the deadline, which also leaves some solar equipment out of stock.

In recent years, incentives for subsidizing people to install solar equipment in their own homes or in open areas have continued to emerge, and the 30% tax relief provided by the federal government is the most attractive. As soon as the installation plan is completed, the investor can receive a refund check within 60 days. For example, if the people spend 2.2 million US dollars to install solar energy equipment, they can get 660,000 US dollars in subsidies.

According to the U.S. renewable energy investment group U. S. According to a September study by the Partnership for Renwable Enery Finance, the amount of investment in solar energy equipment in the United States increased from 3.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2008 to about 6.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2010.

In addition, a survey by an industry group Solar Energy Industries Association showed that thanks to the program, as of October 26, 1,118 solar installations have been installed in the United States. Just seeing that the term of the subsidy program is just around the corner, if Congress does not extend the life of the plan, industry groups are worried that the amount of investment in solar equipment in the United States will shrink dramatically.

The federal government's subsidy program certainly helps stimulate private solar investment, but commercial solar equipment manufacturers have also seen changes. Take Jamie Hahn, director of operations at Solis Partners, a US solar energy plant, as an example. He said that before the subsidy program was launched, about 70% of the solar equipment purchased and installed in commercial buildings was third-party investors. Sell ​​the equipment to the company that owns the building to generate profits. However, with the aid of the subsidy program, the willingness of companies that own buildings to purchase solar energy equipment has greatly increased, and the market for commercial solar energy equipment has changed accordingly.

In addition to being able to obtain free electricity from solar energy equipment, Hahn said that people who actually own solar energy equipment will benefit the most because, in addition to the federal government’s incentive program, state governments also have their own subsidy programs, so installing solar energy equipment will not only The company that owns the building saves a lot of electricity bills and can even bring in revenue for it.

In addition to the 30% tax reduction, the US central and local governments also provide tax rebates for solar equipment depreciation. For example, the New York City has directed the installation of solar energy equipment for more than 4 years. It is stipulated that the property owner can deduct 8.75% of the solar equipment amount in the property tax portion.

In the case of solar power equipment, which can provide $10,000 to $20,000 in electricity for the building's main province each year, and many subsidies from the central government and local government, in fact, the building owner who installs solar energy equipment can begin to recover the investment amount in the fourth year or so. .

Because of the many benefits, building owners in America are rushing to install solar equipment before the end of the federal grant program. The delivery time of important equipment such as solar panels and PV inverters has been extended to around 8 to 12 weeks. However, even though the delivery time has exceeded the deadline at the end of the year, Hahn stated that investors still have the opportunity to apply for subsidies, as long as they sign the contract before the end of the year and submit proof that they have paid 5% of the amount needed to pay for the equipment installation plan.