| Although the Northwest United States may not seem | | | | Washington now offers a production incentive of $0.15 |
| like an ideal place for solar, it is actually a great location | | | | kilowatt-hour or more for electricity from solar energy, |
| for home solar panels. Higher latitudes, such as where | | | | depending on where the technology was |
| the northwest of the United States sits, receive fewer | | | | manufactured. Montana and Oregon also exempt solar |
| annual hours of sunlight than places that most people | | | | systems from property tax assessment, while Idaho |
| would consider a good location for solar energy. | | | | and Washington exempt solar system purchases from |
| However, home solar panels operate at a much | | | | sales taxes. Many local utilities and regional |
| greater efficiency in cooler climates like in the | | | | organizations also provide additional incentives. One |
| northwest and this makes it a great location for solar | | | | example is the Energy Trust of Oregon, which offers |
| power. | | | | additional rebates and loans to customers of Oregon's |
| The Northwest receives more than enough sunlight to | | | | two largest utilities. Many utilities also offer additional |
| meet the entire energy needs of your home. The long | | | | rebates, loans, or production incentives for solar energy |
| summer days during the many months of high solar | | | | systems. |
| hours provide plenty of solar energy. And although the | | | | Washington has modeled its solar electric financial |
| Northwest faces long, overcast winters, even on | | | | incentive programs on those of Germany because of |
| cloudy winter days, home solar panels will still provide | | | | the huge success of it's solar power program. With |
| power to meet some, if not most of your energy | | | | the additional solar hours available in Eastern |
| needs. Places like Seattle and Portland which have | | | | Washington, there are additional incentive programs |
| long, rainy winters, still provide enough solar energy for | | | | available including the Chelan County's SNAP program, |
| home solar panels to work. There are really not any | | | | which has led to a rapid increase of solar installations |
| bad solar areas in the Northwest. Most of the | | | | occurring in Wenatchee over the past few years. |
| Northwest actually receives up to 70% of the sunlight | | | | Net Metering for Home Solar Panels in the Northwest |
| that the Los Angeles area receives during the winter | | | | Utilities in all four Northwestern states offer net |
| months. The Northwest also receives at least half as | | | | metering programs. Net metering is available from |
| much solar energy as the desert areas of California | | | | utilities throughout Oregon, Washington and is required |
| and Arizona, and receives much more solar energy | | | | by law for Montana utilities. Net metering makes it |
| than Germany, which has made itself into one of the | | | | easy for customers to install home solar panels, |
| solar energy leaders of the world. | | | | because any extra power generated by your home |
| Germany gets much less sunlight than the Northwest | | | | solar panels during the day is fed back to the utility's |
| receives but is producing 55% of the world's solar | | | | electrical grid for distribution to other customers. Then |
| panels and has high expectations of being 100% green | | | | at night or any other time when you need more power |
| in its national energy use by 2010. Germany has | | | | than you are generating, you can draw power back |
| around 10% fewer annual hours of sunlight than | | | | from the utility grid. |
| Portland and Seattle, yet it is generating over half of | | | | Net metering allows customers to install home solar |
| the world's solar energy. So if Germany has the ability | | | | panels without the need for expensive storage |
| to produce so much solar energy with far less sun light | | | | systems, and without wasting or losing any extra |
| than what the Northwest receives, it is clear that home | | | | power generated when sunlight is at its peak. These |
| solar panels are a great investment in the Northwest | | | | programs also provide a simple, standardized way for |
| area and will provide you with an affordable energy | | | | customers to use solar systems while retaining access |
| solution. | | | | to utility-supplied power. |
| Incentive Programs for Home Solar Panels in the | | | | In most net metering programs, the utility installs a |
| Northwest | | | | special 'dual-reading' meter at the customers home |
| Washington and Oregon have some of the best | | | | that will keep track of both the energy consumed by |
| incentive programs in the country for home solar | | | | the home, and energy that is generated by the home |
| panels. These state incentives make solar more | | | | solar panels. The customer is then billed only for the |
| financially attractive here than in the majority of the | | | | net amount of electricity that they draw from the utility, |
| Southern United States. Every state in the Northwest | | | | effectively receiving the utility's full retail price for the |
| offers incentives for solar energy development. | | | | electricity that is generated from the home solar |
| Oregon, Idaho and Montana all offer low-interest loans | | | | panels. |
| and substantial tax credits for home solar panels. | | | | |