What Is the Solar With Reach Program in Oregon?
Solar Within Reach is a program through the Energy Trust of Oregon that provides incentives for income-qualified families. Adding a solar power system to your home can greatly reduce your energy bills, and this program is designed to help offset the costs of installing such a system, so you can reap the benefits without a big startup cost.
Over 15,000 Oregonians have already made the switch to clean solar energy, and on average, each homeowner saves about $125 per year for every four solar panels that they install on their home. Since most homes have anywhere from 15 to 20 panels, that results in an annual savings of over $600!
How May I Participate?
In order to participate, you must be an Oregon homeowner and a customer of Portland General Electric or Pacific Power. To qualify, you must own one of the following types of residences:
Single-family home
Manufactured home
Floating home
Condo
Multifamily residence – attached side-by-side unit, duplex, triplex, or fourplex
You will also need to work with an Energy Trust-approved solar trade ally contractor who is participating in the Solar Within Reach program. Your solar contractor will confirm that your home is a good fit for solar energy, give you a bid for the project that shows your total cost both before and after incentives have been applied, provide an estimate of annual savings and energy generation, assist you with loan options, take care of solar permitting and paperwork, and ultimately install your solar energy system.
Finally, only certain income-qualified households are eligible to receive up to 60% cashback. Everyone else is limited to 40%.
Income Qualifications
Based on how many residents there are in your home, these are the maximum gross annual income amounts in order to be eligible for this incentive:
1 resident – $54,240
2 residents – $62,040
3 residents – $69,720
4 residents – $77,520
5 residents – $83,760
6 residents – $89,880
7 residents – $96,120
8 residents – $102,360
The cash incentive that you will receive from the Energy Trust varies based on the size of your solar energy system. You can receive up to $1.50 per watt, with a maximum total amount of $9,000 per home.
Go Solar With Us!
At Sunbridge Solar, we are experts in the field and we will help you secure every possible incentive and rebate for your solar energy system installation. Contact us today to get started!
FAQs
Your household’s gross annual income is the total amount earned by all residents of the home, before taxes and other deductions. This includes any type of income as defined by the IRS income tax return.
Anyone who regularly sleeps at your home who is not a temporary guest will count as a resident, including children of a shared custody agreement.
Yes! If you invest in other energy-saving improvements for your home, you can receive other Oregon solar incentives. But, each improvement is only eligible for one incentive.Â
This depends on how many solar panels you install, whether you choose to go with a battery storage system, and how many incentives are applicable. It’s always a good idea to get bids from several contractors for your project to get the best possible deal.
