There are incentives offered by both the federal government and Wisconsin’s FOCUS ON ENERGY. 

The federal government’s 30% tax credit is available to both individual homeowners and businesses.  Residential tax incentives are capped at $2,000 while federal tax incentives for business are unlimited. 

Both businesses and individual homeowners that purchase energy for a domestic hot water system from a utility participating in the FOCUS ON ENERGY program qualify for cash-back rewards.  The size of the reward is based upon domestic hot water needs and the capability of the solar thermal system to address those needs. 

At SUNNY SOLUTIONS, LLC we can assist eligible candidates in completing the necessary FOCUS ON ENERGY application forms for initial consideration of a cash-back incentive and the eventual notice of system installation for receipt of the cash-back incentive.

The Canadian Natural Resources Board developed a software program known as the “RET Screen.”  This excel based program is able to generate a financial analysis pertaining to the feasibility of various Solar Thermal systems for residential or  business applications.  The feasibility analysis is determined through various inputs (i.e., number of occupants, fuel costs, average available sunlight and the load/demand of the consumer) which are matched against Solar Thermal System outputs (i.e., size and efficiency of solar collector, solar storage, heat exchanger efficiency, heat loss). 

The RET Screen analysis allows a prospective customer to project future energy savings, the payback period and the return on the investment derived from the installation of a paticular solar thermal system.

Sample "RET Screen" screen shots
Click on image for larger view

A sample of a RET Screen program is illustrated above.  This sample assumes a family of four which consumes approximately 20 gallons of hot water per person  per day.  This analysis further assumes the area where two 4’ X 10’ solar collectors will be placed has an unobstructed exposure to the sun through out the year.  The cost of natural gas is assumed to be $1.40/therm.  The installed cost of the system is $7,800 with offsetting cash-back grant and federal tax incentive to equal $3,900 for a net cost of $3,900.