BOSTON, MA SNAPSHOT
City Population (2006)Metro Area Population (2005) / 596,638
4,411,835
Serving Utility / NSTAR
Utility Ownership type / Investor Owned Utility
Prior Solar Installations
Photovoltaics (PV)
Solar Hot Water (SHW) / .5 MW
City Solar Installation Goal(s) / 10 MW by 2015
Other City Green Goal(s) / Reduce Annual GHG emissions by 7 % below 1990 levels by 2012 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050
Total Program Funds
Amount Awarded
Cost Share / $550,000
$150,000
$400,000
APPROACH
City of Boston’s objective in creating Solar Boston is to maximize solar technology’s role in the City’s sustainable development, educational and emergency preparedness policies. Solar Boston’s objective is the installation of solar technology on all feasible and appropriate locations throughout Boston.
Partners
•The City of Boston
•Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
•Commonwealth of Massachusetts
•NSTAR Electric and Gas
•KeySpan Energy Delivery
•International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
•Boston Community Capital
•Solar Energy Business Association of New England (SEBANE)
•Local Governments for Sustainability
•Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance
•Green Roundtable
•New Ecology, Inc
Boston, MA “SOLAR ENVIRONMENT” BENCHMARKING & TRACKING MATRIX
The Benchmarking & Tracking Matrix provides a quarterly overview of the City’s status with regard to policies and activities that affect solar deployment. For cities awarded in 2007, benchmarking was completed July 1 – September 30, 2007; for cities awarded in 2008, benchmarking was completed April 1 – June 30, 2008. For each policy or activity marked as “YES” the listed status is hyperlinked to a more detailed description in the below “Benchmarking & Tracking Description.” For some policies or activities there are multiple providers listed. If no status is listed for a certain policy or action, it means DOE staff has not yet confirmed the status.
Solar Environment / Benchmark:Jul 1 –
Sept 30 / 2007
Oct 1 –
Dec 31 / 2008
Jan 1 –
Mar 31 / 2008
Apr 1 –
Jun 30 / 2008
Jul 1 –
Sept 30 / 2008
Oct 1-
Dec 31 / 2009
Jan 1 –
Mar 31 / 2009
Apr 1 –
Jun 30 / 2009
Jul 1 –
Sept 30
Rules, Regulations, and Policies
Interconnection Standards
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES
Net Metering
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YESU
Solar Set-Asides in RPS
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
Public Benefits Funds
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YESU / YES
Solar Access Laws
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES
Solar Mandates in Building Standards
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
Expedited Solar System Permitting
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
Solar in Emergency Preparedness Plan
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
Financial Incentives
Direct Incentives
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YESU / YES / YES / YES
Low-Interest Loans/ Innovative Financing Packages
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES
Income/Investment Tax Credits
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YESU
Property Tax Incentives
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES
Sales Tax Incentives
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES / YES
Permit Fee Discounts/Waivers
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
Property Tax Assessment Financing
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
Industry Development Incentives
City / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO
State / NO / NO / NO / NO / NO / YESU
Utility Programs
Other NotableCity Programs
Benchmarking Matrix Details and Description
RULES, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES
Interconnection Standards
Benchmark: September 30, 2007
City: (NO)
State:(YES)Interconnection Standards - Massachusetts's interconnection standards apply to all forms of distributed generation (DG), including renewables, and to all customers of the state's four investor-owned utilities. The original Model Interconnection Tariff was developed by the Massachusetts DG Collaborative and adopted by the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (DTE) in February 2004. (The DG Collaborative -- a combination of the state's utilities and DG stakeholders -- was created by the DTE in October 2002 to develop interconnection standards for Massachusetts. The DG Collaborative's work encompasses all sizes of DG on both radial and secondary network systems.) The DTE adopted minor revisions to the Model Interconnection Tariff in December 2005 and again in February 2007, based on the DG Collaborative's recommendations.
The Model Interconnection Tariff includes provisions for three levels of interconnection. Simplified interconnection applies to certified, inverter-based, single-phase less than 10 kilowatts (kW) and certified, three-phase systems up to 25 kW in capacity. For simplified interconnection, there are no fees for the interconnection approval process, and applications must be processed within 15 days. However, if the proposed interconnection is on a distribution network circuit, the utility may charge a $100 fee to review the network protector's interaction with the system. For simplified network interconnection, the aggregate generating facility capacity must be less than 1/15th of the customer’s minimum load. (The issue of interconnection to network systems is particularly important in Massachusetts because network systems are commonly used in dense urban areas, such as Boston.)
Other interconnections can either qualify for "expedited" interconnection or will have to undergo "standard" interconnection review. Under the expedited interconnection procedures, both the time frames and fees to complete the interconnection are limited. Fees are set at $3 per kW of generator capacity, with a minimum fee of $300 and a maximum of $2,500. For small renewables and larger DG systems, technical requirements are based on the IEEE 1547 and UL 1741 standards. A manual external disconnect switch may be required at the discretion of the utility. Utilities must collect and track information on the interconnection process. This information will be used in revising and updating the standards.
The DG Collaborative has developed an interconnection guide to help customers navigate the interconnection process.
For most-up-to-date information on state policies, go to:
Net Metering
Benchmark: September 30, 2007
City: (NO)
State: (YES) Originally, when net metering rules were first created in 1982, renewable-energy systems and combined-heat-and-power (CHP) facilities with a generating capacity up to 30 kilowatts (kW) were eligible for net metering, and net excess generation (NEG) was purchased at the utility's avoided-cost rate. The 1997 amendments increased the maximum individual system capacity to 60 kW and allowed customer-generators to carry NEG -- credited at the "average monthly market price of generation" -- to their next bill.
The state's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Municipal utilities are not obligated to offer net metering, but they may do so voluntarily. (Massachusetts does not have electric cooperatives.) Investor-owned utilities are prohibited from imposing special fees -- such as backup charges and demand charges -- or additional controls, or liability insurance on customers who choose to net meter, provided the customer's facility complies with the state's interconnection standards and all relevant safety and power-quality standards.
For most-up-to-date information on state policies, go to:
January 6, 2009 U
The record above describes net metering in Massachusetts based on the statutory changes made by S.B. 2768, which was enacted July 2, 2008. However, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) must first adopt new net-metering rules before these changes take effect (in practice). Under the current DPU rules, net metering is generally permitted for farm- renewable-energy systems and combined heat and power (CHP) systems up to 60 kilowatts (kW) in capacity. Please refer to the current rules for additional details. Contact the DPU for more information.
Solar Set-Aside in RPS
City: (NO)
State: (NO)
Public Benefits Fund
Benchmark: September 30, 2007
City: (NO)
State:(YES) Renewable Energy Trust Fund - Massachusetts's 1997 electric-utility restructuring legislation created separate public benefits funds to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency for all customer classes. The renewable energy fund, known as the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (MRET), is supported by a non-bypassable surcharge of surcharge of $0.0005 per kilowatt-hour (0.5 mill/kWh), imposed on customers of all investor-owned electric utilities and competitive municipal utilities in Massachusetts. (Non-competitive municipal utilities generally may opt into the MRET by agreeing to the same provisions that apply to investor-owned utilities and competitive municipal utilities.) The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), a quasi-public research and development entity, administers the RET with oversight and planning assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and an advisory board. The MRET does not have an expiration date.
July 31, 2008 U
State: (YES) Both funds were significantly revised by legislation enacted in July 2008 (S.B. 2768). The RET may provide grants, contracts, loans, equity investments, energy production credits, bill credits and rebates to customers. The fund is authorized to support “Class I” and “Class II” renewables, which are generally include solar photovoltaics (PV); solar thermal electric energy; wind energy; ocean thermal, wave or tidal energy; fuel cells utilizing renewable fuels; landfill gas; energy generated by certain existing hydroelectric facilities up to five megawatts in capacity; certain waste-to-energy which is a component of conventional municipal solid waste plant technology in commercial use; low-emission advanced biomass power conversion technologies using fuels such as wood, by-products or waste from agricultural crops, food or animals, energy crops, biogas, liquid biofuels; marine or hydrokinetic energy; and geothermal energy. In addition, the fund may support combined heat and power (CHP) systems less than 60 kilowatts (kW) and solar hot water.
The MRET is required to transfer, upon the written request of the governor, moneys in the fund, in an amount not exceeding $17 million in the aggregate, for deposit in the state's general fund. In turn, the state must use any transferred money to enter into long-term contracts for the purchase of renewable energy. The maximum payment in any fiscal year under all such contracts is limited to $5 million.
Additional information regarding the MRET and the programs it supports is available on the MRET’s web site, listed above. To view the MRET's 2007 annual report, click here. Massachusetts has also established a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) through restructuring. It was the first state to have enacted both an RPS and a public benefits fund for renewables.For most up-to-date information on State policies, go to:
Solar Access Laws
Benchmark: September 30, 2007
City: (NO)
State:(YES) Solar Access Laws - Solar access provisions in the General Laws of Massachusetts allow for the creation of voluntary solar easements to protect solar exposure and authorizes zoning rules that prohibit unreasonable infringements on solar access. Similar to solar easement provisions in many other states, Massachusetts solar easements allow for the voluntary creation of solar access contracts, but do not make solar access an automatic right. The statutes allow for communities to authorize zoning boards to issue permits creating solar rights.
Massachusetts also prohibits restrictions on solar devices, voiding "any provision in an instrument relative to the ownership or use of real property which purports to forbid or unreasonably restrict the installation or use of a solar energy systemor the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy." For most up-to-date information on State policies, go to:
Solar Mandates in Building Standards
City: (NO)
State: (NO)
Expedited Solar System Permitting / Zoning
City: (NO)
State: (NO)
Solar in Emergency Preparedness Plan
City: (NO)
State: (NO)
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
Direct Incentives
Benchmark: September 30, 2007
City: (NO)
State: (YES) Alternative Energy and Energy Conservation Patent Exemption - Massachusetts offers a personal income tax deduction for any income received from the sale of a patent or royalty income from a patent deemed beneficial for energy conservation or alternative energy development. The Massachusetts commissioner of energy resources determines if a patent is eligible. This deduction is unique among incentives in that it targets patents and not simply real property. For most up-to-date information on State policies, go to:
State:(YES) MTC - Matching Grants for Communities - The Clean Energy Choice program, launched in October 2004, allows Massachusetts electric customers* to pay an additional premium each month to support green power. When consumers choose to support clean energy projects that qualify under the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS), the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) will match those premiums with up to $2.5 million annually in grants. Through matching grants for communities, towns and cities may receive up to one dollar in funding for each dollar residents spend on clean energy. Towns and cities may use this money to fund clean energy projects in their communities. The MTC may award additional bonus grants to towns and cities that meet specific goals for customer participation in clean energy programs.
Every three months, the MTC informs each municipal government of the amount of matching funding for which the government is eligible. The local community may either use the funding immediately or allow funding to accrue in the community’s account with the MTC. Communities may pool their funds with neighboring communities for joint projects. Grants may be used to purchase qualifying renewable-energy generating equipment or educational materials, or to conduct qualifying educational activities, building analyses or building improvements.
The MTC administers the Renewable Energy Trust (RET) Fund, the state's public benefits fund. The RET Fund supports this grant program.
Because customers of municipal utilities do not pay into the RET, the Clean Energy Choice program does not provide matching grants to these communities. However, when a resident of a municipal utility makes a purchase of any Clean Energy Choice-qualified offering, MTC will provide a matching grant for low-income projects.For most up-to-date information on State policies, go to:
March 31, 2008U
State: (YES)Solar Rebate Program - Launched in January 2008 by MTC. The program provides rebates for the installation of grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems at residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and public facilities. Commonwealth Solar rebates are available to electricity customers served by the following Massachusetts investor-owned electric utilities: Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light, National Grid, NSTAR Electric and Western Massachusetts Electric. Non-residential projects are eligible for rebates for PV projects up to 500 kilowatts (kW) in capacity, and residential projects are eligible for incentives for systems up to 5 kW. Larger PV systems are eligible for rebates, but only for the first 500 kW (DC) for non-residential systems and for the first 5 kW (DC) for residential systems. The minimum project size is 1 kW-DC.
Rebate amounts are based on the PV system size and certain other characteristics of the project. Residential rebates are capped at the lesser of 100% of total installed costs, or a rebate based on a maximum size of 5 kW (DC) -- even if the system is larger. The current rebate levels for residential PV systems are:
- Base incentive: $2.00/watt
- Adder for Massachusetts company components: $0.25/watt
- Adder for moderate home value: $1.25/watt
- Adder for moderate income: $1.00/watt or $2.00/watt, depending on income level
Non-residential rebates are capped at the lesser of 100% of total installed costs, or a rebate based on a maximum system size of 500 kW (DC) -- even if the system is larger. A single non-residential applicant is generally limited to $1.2 million in total Commonwealth Solar rebates per calendar year. The current rebate levels for nonresidential PV systems up to are:
- $3.25/watt for the first 25 kW of system capacity, plus an adder of $0.25/watt for Massachusetts company components, and an adder of $0.50/watt for public buildings
- $2.50/watt for the next 75 kW of system capacity, plus an adder of $0.25/watt for Massachusetts company components, and an adder of $0.50/watt for public buildings
- $2.00/watt for the next 100 kW of system capacity, plus an adder of $0.25/watt for Massachusetts company components, and an adder of $0.25/watt for public buildings
- $1.50/watt for the next 300 kW of system capacity, plus an adder of $0.25/watt for Massachusetts company components, and an adder of $0.25/watt for public buildings
The applicant must be the future owner of the PV project and consumer of the electricity generated by the proposed PV project, and must demonstrate that 50% or more of the electricity generated by the PV system will be used behind-the-meter, based on annual production and usage estimates. Commonwealth Solar allows for third-party ownership of PV projects. In addition, all PV projects receiving a rebate based on a project size of greater than 10 kW must demonstrate that they are set up for automated reporting. Renewable-energy credits (RECs) associated with system generation belong to the system owner. MTC reserves the right to conduct post-installation inspections of PV projects prior to approval for payments. Recipients of awards through other MTC programs for a proposed project may still be eligible for a Commonwealth Solar rebate.
System installers are responsible for walking applicants through the rebate process and securing necessary permits. An energy-efficiency audit is generally required. Required documentation generally includes electric utility interconnection approval, an energy-efficiency audit, paid invoices or equivalent, and, if applicable, evidence that automated reporting is functional. All installers must comply with the minimum insurance requirements established by the MTC. It is recommended, but not required, that installers or their subcontractors obtain or seek to obtain North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) PV installer certification.
A production tracking system (PTS) is used to support the market for renewable energy certificates (RECs) and to help MTC monitor PV project performance. PV project owners may participate in the green power markets by selling the RECs produced by their PV project and accounted for in PTS. MTC recommends that PV projects less than or equal to 10 kW (DC) report to the PTS. For PV projects larger than 10 kW (DC), MTC requires that PV projects automatically report to the PTS for five years.
Commonwealth Solar is a $68 million, four-year program designed to promote the deployment of PV installations in Massachusetts. The effort combines $40 million from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (Trust) and $28 million from the Alternative Compliance Payment funds that the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources has collected under the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program. Of the total $68 million, at least $16 million will be reserved for PV projects on Massachusetts public buildings, and at least $8 million will be reserved for PV projects on residences. The state estimates that Commonwealth Solar will result in 27 megawatts (MW) of PV projects during the four-year program.For most up-to-date information on state policies, go to: