Incentivizing Distributed Solar: Best Practices (Presentation)
The presentation discussed findings of a recent NREL technical report on best practices for designing and implementing incentives for small and mid-sized residential and commercial distributed solar energy projects. Topics covered included: factors to consider in setting and modifying incentive levels over time, differentiating incentives to encourage various market segments, and administrative issues such as providing equitable access to incentives and customer protection. In addition, the presentation explored how incentive programs can be designed to respond to changing market conditions while attempting to provide a longer-term and stable environment for the solar industry. The findings of the report were based on interviews with program administrators, regulators, and industry representatives as well as data from numerous incentive programs nationally, particularly the largest and longest-running programs.