Solar Information

The City of Newark Electric Department supports customer solar installations, with an opportunity for net-metering. If you are interested in installing solar, please fill out the following interconnection application and send it to Lucas Beidler (lbeidler@newark.de.us).

Solar Interconnection Application

 

Benefits of Solar

Solar installations are beneficial to customers in the following ways:

  1. Providing electric bill savings. The energy generated will offset electric usage and decrease electric bills. This adds up to significant savings over time. Use a solar savings calculator like the following to estimate savings: https://sunroof.withgoogle.com/
  2. If net-metering, additional savings are unlocked. With net-metering, excess energy generated by customer solar that is pushed back to the utility will be credited on electric bills and count against any positive usage. For example, if the monthly bill has 100 kWh of billed usage and the excess generation was 80 kWh, then the net billed usage is 20kWh. If excess generation credits exceed usage for the month, they store and can be used to reduce bills for the remainder of the billing year (April 1 – March 31) before resetting. Typically, excess generation will build up over the summer and get used up in the winter months.
  3. Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) are generated and can be sold. SRECs represent the monetary value of the “greenness” that the installation provides. By owning the solar installation, customers can sell SRECs on the energy market, providing an additional income stream. https://help.srecs.solsystems.com/s/article/Delaware-SRECs-101
  4. Helping protect the environment and climate. By decreasing electric usage from the grid, customers decrease the amount of energy they use that is generated from “dirty” sources such as coal and natural gas, replacing that usage with a renewable source, solar. For example, a 5kW fixed rooftop solar system (typical for residential installations) in Newark, DE generates roughly 6,961 kWh (over $1000) per year. That energy offsets from the grid energy usage, which contributes to roughly 2.3 metric tons of CO2 emissions decrease per year. That reduction in CO2 is equivalent to planting roughly 105 trees or removing half a gas car from the roads annually. Installing customer solar is a great way to give back to the planet. Estimated solar production can be calculated from the following website: https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php.

To learn about everything there is to know about solar in Delaware, visit the following website: https://solardelaware.org/. The website is thorough and easy to navigate and should answer most if not all questions about solar in Delaware.

Solar Incentives

In addition to the financial benefits of load reduction and net-metering through the City electric utility, there are state and federal-level benefits for customer solar installations: 

State:

Federal:

  • The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) covers solar panel cost, labor cost including installation, permitting fees, inspection fees, and developer fees, other solar equipment costs including batteries to be charged by solar, and sales tax on eligible equipment. It accounts for a dollar-for-dollar reduction in federal taxes owed. Read the following website for more information: https://solardelaware.org/im-interested-in/grants-incentives-financing/