Welcome to El Paso Electric Solar PV Pilot Program

Update 1/22/2013: We will begin accepting new incentive applications for the El Paso Electric PV Incentive Program on Friday, February 1, 12 noon Mountain time (1 pm Central time). All incentive applications must be submitted by registered service providers to pvapps@frontierassoc.com. Incentive applications received prior to the program opening date/time will not be reviewed.

The El Paso Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Pilot Program is designed to help El Paso electric customers meet a portion of their energy needs with solar electric systems. The Program offers financial incentives that help offset the initial cost of installing a solar energy system. By installing solar on your home or business, you can generate a portion of your own electricity and help the environment.

Incentives Available

El Paso Electric and the City of El Paso have made available $425,000 in incentives for 2013 in support of customers who install solar PV systems meeting Program eligibility criteria for system interconnection and expected performance. The 2013 program will begin accepting new applications for funding in early February, 2013. An exact date and time of opening will be announced. The anticipated 2013 incentive levels are:

  • $0.75 per DC watt for residential projects with a maximum incentive of $7,500
  • $1.00 per DC watt for non-residential projects within City limits with a maximum incentive of $50,000

( Hurry and call Solar Smart Living  at 915-581-6209 to get your rebate application started, the money doesn’t last long!)

Once the solar PV system is specified and agreed to between you and your Service Provider, the participation process is as follows:

(Don’t worry about the paperwork, Solar Smart Living does it all for you!!!)

  1. The Service Provider submits project pre-application materials to the Program Manager. The project pre-application contains information about:
    • The customer,
    • Proposed installation site,
    • Technical details of the proposed installation,
    • The requested incentive amount, and
    • The entity who is requested to receive the incentive check (this is typically the Service Provider, but can also be the customer, or another entity).
  1. The Program Manager reviews the application to verify eligibility for an incentive, and, if approved, sends a letter to the Service Provider approving the project and the requested rebate amount. The turnaround time for approvals is typically about 2 weeks, but can take longer if applications are incomplete or if there are problems with what is proposed.
  2. Once approved, your Service Provider works with you to schedule the installation. The Service Provider obtains locally-required permits, completes construction, passes local inspections (if required) and informs the Program Manager when the job is complete.
  3. The Program Manager may then schedule and conduct their own inspection of the completed system. If selected for inspection, we  aim to complete the inspection within two weeks of being informed by the Service Provider that the project is complete.
  4. Once the installation is completed and verified, the Program Manager requests incentive check processing from the Utilities. Within 6-8 weeks after passing the final inspection, the Program Manager mails the incentive check to the  Service Provider or customer.