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November 22, 2024How California’s SGIP New Incentives Can Make Energy Storage Affordable
Solar and battery storage are becoming increasingly popular as the world continues moving toward a more sustainable future. However, home batteries are still costly to purchase and install. In order to help reach its clean energy goals, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) created the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), which provides residents with a rebate for installing batteries in their home.
The rebate is available to clients of SoCal Gas, Southern California Edison, PG&E, and Center for Sustainable Energy who install a battery in California and is dependent on the storage capacity of the installed battery system. However, even with this rebate, installing a storage system can be too expensive for many California residents. As a result, CPUC has expanded SGIP incentives for low-income California residents, adding two additional tiers of incentives for those who may need more support.
The SGIP Equity & Equity Resiliency Programs
As CPUC looks to continue incentivizing clean energy, it recently authorized over $1 billion in funding through the end of 2024 for SGIP. The main focus of this funding is targeting communities that need it most: communities that are in high fire-threat areas; communities that have experienced multiple power shut-off events; customers who are low-income; and those who have medical conditions – for example, people who require CPAC machines or other medical devices that would benefit from energy storage to keep their machines running during outages. This new funding means that some people may be eligible to receive savings which may cover the full cost of a storage system.
These new incentives are broken down into two new levels of eligibility that offer higher rebates, called Equity and Equity Resiliency. In addition to the original General Market eligibility, the three categories are as follows:
- General Market – This is the standard rebate that was already in place. It offers incentives that would cover roughly up to 30% of the cost of an energy storage system. For residential customers, that would be a rebate of roughly $150-200/kWh. Eligibility for this rate is available to all customers of PG&E, SCE, SDG&E and SoCal Gas.
- Equity – This level of eligibility is offered for homes and businesses in low-income housing and communities. The rebate for this level is $850/kWh and is designed to cover up to 85% of the cost of a storage system for residential customers.
- Equity Resiliency – This is targeted at homes and businesses located in areas that are in fire threat zones or at a higher risk for blackouts, and if losing power could be life-threatening – for example, if you have a medical condition that requires medical equipment that is reliant on electricity. At this level, the rebate is designed to cover the full cost of a system with a $1000/kWh rate.
How Solar Discovery Can Help with SGIP
Anyone who is considering installing a battery is eligible for SGIP, and should look further into how much of a rebate they may be qualified to receive. The process of applying for and receiving the rebate may be a bit long and complicated, but it is still worth the effort considering how much money you can save. Solar Discovery knows the ins and outs of this program, and is happy to help you navigate the process to assess your eligibility and receive your rebate if you qualify.
Solar Discovery is a registered developer with SGIP. Every application should be associated with a registered developer, which is a system installer or company that holds the contract for equipment purchase and installation. As the developer, we support you, the applicant, by completing the installation process and providing you with all of the necessary documentation to apply for the rebate.
Once again – the sooner you apply for SGIP, the better. This program is limited by its funding, and functions on a first come first served basis. Solar Discovery is here to help ensure that you get your application done correctly and submitted as soon as possible so that you can maximize your rebate. Get in touch with us today to learn more.
