Energy Trust announces new cash incentives for homeowners to add solar battery storage for backup power
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Energy Trust of Oregon announced new solar battery storage incentives that can help Oregon homeowners save about one-third or more on the cost of adding battery storage to solar panels. Homeowners can receive incentives up to $3,000 for battery storage or up to $10,000 if they meet income guidelines for Energy Trust’s Solar Within Reach program.
Energy Trust incentives can be combined with a 30% federal tax credit and rebates from the State of Oregon to further reduce costs. These new Energy Trust incentives and the federal tax credit are available to people installing battery storage with new solar panels and to those adding battery storage to existing solar.
More than 25,000 Oregonians have added solar over the past 20 years, allowing them to shrink their energy bills and reduce their overall impact on the environment.
“Adding battery storage to a solar system provides peace of mind, supplying emergency backup power during outages or disasters,” said Dave McClelland, senior program manager for Energy Trust. “During outages, solar energy saved to your battery can keep your lights on and the refrigerator running, which can be really important for families who need to keep medication and other supplies cool. And battery storage offers all this without the noise and exhaust of a gas or diesel generator.”
With solar + storage, solar panels generate clean, renewable energy that can be used to immediately power essential needs – like keeping well pumps running for the roughly 1 million Oregonians who rely on well water – or can be saved for later in the battery storage system. Plus, solar power helps lower electric bills so homeowners can benefit from their system every day, not just during power outages.
Homeowners interested in exploring if solar + storage is right for them can request a free bid at www.energytrust.org/solarbid. From there, a contractor pre-qualified by Energy Trust, called a solar trade ally, will perform a custom analysis of the home, explain the available incentives and answer any questions.
For more information on solar + storage visit:
Solar + Storage Means Peace of Mind
Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping utility customers benefit from saving energy and generating renewable power. Our services, cash incentives and energy solutions have helped participating customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista save $6.3 billion on energy bills. Our work helps keep energy costs as low as possible, creates jobs and builds a sustainable energy future. Learn more at www.energytrust.org or call 1-866-368-7878.
