Salt Lake City’s Uncapped Renewable Energy Potential

Solar is worth the investment, but the Utah solar incentives make the deal even sweeter. Incentives are made possible through solar policy. This can also be referred to as the installation climate.

Utah’s Solar Panel Installation Climate

As seen in the past,a solar policy can either support or kill the market. This is largely due to the fact that solar is still too expensive to purchase without incentives.

Air quality in Utah isn’t that great, but the solar policy is. Taking a look at Utah’s state and utility solar policy gives a full picture of why solar is able to thrive here.

Utah’s Solar Policy

In 2008, Utah created its current renewable energy goal. All Utah utilities are required to generate 20 percent of their 2025 retail sales from approved renewable sources. These sources not only have to be good for the environment, but they also have to be cost effective for the utility.

Although, Utah doesn’t have preparatory target dates it does have scheduled progress reports. Utility progress toward this goal was reported in 2010 and 2015. The other scheduled reports are in 2020 and 2024.  

Your Utah Electric Utility’s Effect on Solar Savings

Because solar arrays can’t store excess generation without battery backup, the solar industry has to depend on utility policy. A quality metering policy pays or credits the solar customer for excess generation. Ideally, this rate would match the rate the customer pays for power pulled off the grid.

Utilities, however, have found it difficult to compete with solar when this is the case. As a result, there is often a slight gap between the generation and utility rate. To counter this, solar systems are often sized to produce enough to cover the difference.

Rocky Mountain Power: Utah’s Main Utility

Rocky Mountain Power is the main utility in Utah. They recently switched to a form of tariff metering. In the end, this metering rate ends up crediting the customer 90 percent of the retail rate for excess solar.  

Utah Municipal Utilities

Utah also has municipal utilities across the state. Most of these utilities have net-metering policies that support solar. There are a few, however, that don’t have quality solar metering policies. People that live in these areas won’t find as much benefit from their solar array.  

If you would like to be less dependent on the grid you can purchase a solar backup option. Although a couple of Tesla Powerwalls will power your entire home, they may not be in your price range. This is why Go Solar Group offers a selection of solar backup that will cover basic needs during a power outage.

Well-known Utah Solar Panel Incentives

Solar supporting policies have also given way to some pretty great solar incentives. Utahans benefit from both State and Federal solar tax credits.

Federal Solar Tax Credit (ITC) – the Investment Tax Credit

The Federal tax credit, also known as the investment tax credit (ITC), covers up to 30 percent of the cost of solar. This is a large chunk of the cost of photovoltaics. Which is why those that don’t qualify for this credit often can’t afford to get solar.

How the Federal Solar Tax Credit Works

In order to qualify for this credit, you need to have taxable income. This is necessary because this credit is taken out of taxes that you would have owed to the federal government.

Those who can qualify for this incentive should take advantage of it as soon as possible. For commercial projects, this incentive will hit a floor of 10 percent. But after 2022, this credit will no longer exist for residential installs.

Utah’s 2019 Solar Tax Credit

Utah also has a state tax credit. All individuals that have taxable income can receive $1,600 dollars toward solar.

This credit will be decreasing after 2021. It will decrease until 2023; after which, it will be eliminated.  

These, however, are not the only solar incentives out there. Solar companies also have incentive programs in place, called referral programs. Unfortunately, most people don’t see the unlimited potential they have.

Go Solar Group’s Utah Solar Referral Program

Although many Utah solar companies have referral programs Go Solar Group’s stands apart. This is because you don’t have to be a customer to receive the incentive.  

Go Solar Group’s Utah Sun Share Club

Those that have purchased solar from Go Solar Group are in for a treat. Go Solar Group’s sun share club members receive $1,000 for their first qualified referral. Every qualified referral received afterward is then awarded $500 with no cap.

Go Solar Group’s Utah Sun Split Club

Unfortunately, solar isn’t a good fit for everyone. Many factors have to line up, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer. You can still earn $500 dollars for every qualified referral through Go Solar Group’s sun split club. And like the sun share club, your earning potential is limitless.

How Do I Know Whether I Qualify for Go Solar Group’s Referral Programs?

Each solar referral program has its own referral qualifications. For Go Solar Group your referral has to have purchased solar within a year from the day you referred them.

Taking a Look at Utah’s Solar Referral Program Competition

Although Go Solar Group has one of the best solar referral programs in Utah, we don’t want you to just take our word for it. Take a look for yourself.

Solar City/Tesla Utah Referral Program

Although one of the most well known solar companies, Tesla actually just terminated their referral program. And although this may change it won’t before a while.

The Utah Referral Program at Sun Power

For every qualified referral, Sun Power gives the referrer $100 dollars. You can refer either online or through their mobile app.

Sunrun and its Utah Referral Program

Sunrun pays $350 dollars for each qualified referral. They have an online form that you can fill out.

Vivint Solar’s Utah Referral Program

Vivant has an automated message you can send to friends and family  through social media. You can then track from their app whether any of the people you shared with got solar. Unfortunately, Vivant didn’t share how much their incentive is on their website.

Auric Solar Referral Program in Utah

Although Auric does have a referral program there isn’t any incentive information are on the website. Once you have referred someone you can track when they purchased solar on their app.

Utah Solar Referral Program at Intermountain Wind and Solar

Although Intermountain Wind and Solar may have a solar referral program it isn’t on their website. This means that either they don’t have a solar program or they aren’t focusing on it.

Blue Raven and Their Solar Referral Program

Blue Raven offers $250 dollars for every qualified referral that receives a quote. Referrals that purchase solar as a result of the quote are awarded an extra $250 dollars.

Importance of Quality Solar Referrals in Utah

Giving quality solar referrals helps in more ways than one. It increases the chances of solar purchase and decreases annoying cold calls.

How to Provide Quality Utah Referrals

When someone gives a referral that they haven’t talked to, the company is cold calling. There are few people that are going to answer a number they don’t recognize or expect.

If they do answer they will most likely hang up if they don’t know you referred them. This means that the company has wasted its time and your friend is now frustrated.

Although going through your contact list to find referrals is a good start it shouldn’t be the only thing you do. Quality referrals are people you have talked to and gauged their interest in the product.

Once they have indicated that they have interest and would like to know more it is time to give your referral. If you want to go the extra mile you can volunteer to be at their appointment as well.  

Who to Give Your Utah Solar Referrals to

Choosing who to give your referrals to has a lot to do with your own personal experience with the company. If, however, you aren’t sure which solar company to choose, take a look at their referral program.

A solid referral program will reward you for doing what you would have already done. Talk about the product you just purchased and how awesome it is with your friends and family.