Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics:
Capabilities-
Converts sunlight into electricity to provide electrical power to a home. It has the added benefit of being able to sell excess power back into the grid. Not efficient for providing heat. Usually is connected to the grid, but can be independent of it- although there is not great storage capacity.
Costs-
$5,500 to $22,500 installed depends on the total amount of watts you need- the bigger the system, the more cost effective the installation is. No maintenance cost if it is on the grid- if you have a battery for storing electricity for cloudy days or in the event of power outages, then there is maintenance cost.
Incentives
See the website: 
http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/maphomeowner.cfm?State=MA&CurrentPageId=1&RE=1&EE=1
- Feed-in tariffs and net metering make it so that the electric utilities have to buy your excess power above market rates set by the government.
- For solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, the allowable federal tax
credit is 30% of the qualified PV system expenditures up to a maximum tax credit limitation of $2,000. applies until end of this year- so may change.
- Massachusetts allows a 15% credit -- up to $1,000 -- against the state income tax for the cost of a renewable-energy system (including installation costs) installed on an individuals primary residence. If the credit amount is greater than a resident's income tax liability, the excess credit amount may be carried forward to the next succeeding year for up to three years. Eligible technologies include solar water and space heating, photovoltaics (PV), and wind-energy systems.
- Massachusetts law provides that solar-energy systems and wind-energy systems used as a primary or auxiliary power system for the purpose of heating or otherwise supplying the energy needs of taxable property are exempt from local property tax for a 20-year period.
- Massachusetts law exempts from the state's sales tax "equipment directly relating to any solar, windpowered; or heat pump system, which is being utilized as a primary or auxiliary power system for the purpose of heating or otherwise supplying the energy needs of an individual's principal residence in the commonwealth."
Commonwealth Solar, a program launched in January 2008 by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), provides rebates for the installation of grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems at residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and public facilities.* Commonwealth Solar rebates are available to electricity customers served by the following Massachusetts investor-owned electric utilities: Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light (Unitil), National Grid, NSTAR Electric and Western Massachusetts Electric. Non-residential projects are eligible for rebates for PV projects up to 500 kilowatts (kW) in capacity, and residential projects are eligible for incentives for systems up to 5 kW. Larger PV systems are eligible for rebates, but only for the first 500 kW (DC) for non-residential systems and for the first 5 kW (DC) for residential systems.
More information or Estimates-
Northeast Solar Design 1-877-SOLARVIllage
gosolar@nesolardesign.com
MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE 65 Schoolhouse Rd, Amherst, MA 01002 phone 413-259-3750 fax 413-825-0703 Product types: solar electric power systems, hydro energy systems (small). Service types: consulting, design, installation, site survey and assessment services, contractor services, testing services
Berkshire Photovoltaic Services
Business type: service, retail sales
Product types: solar electric power systems.
Service types: system installation
Address: 46 Howland Ave, Adams, Vermont USA 01220
Telephone: 413-743-0152
FAX: 802-694-1929(*51)
Web Site: http://bpvs.com
E-mail: Send Email to Berkshire Photovoltaic Services
