• Rebates for solar are getting turned back on May 1st and will follow this general schedule until further notice:
  • Residential PV rebates will be $1.35 per watt
  • Commercial PV rebates will be $1.35 per watt
  • Residential Solar Water Heater rebates will be $0.45 per watt
  • Commercial Solar Water Heater rebates will be $0.45 per watt
• SRP will be placing a higher emphasis on Energy Efficiency
  • Program changes have been proposed to differentiate between SRP’s investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency

Altogether, what does this mean for you?  Well, plain and simple, SRP has realized that the cost of installing solar on your home has come down and are adjusting their incentives accordingly.  Furthermore, there will be additional money driven into the realm of Energy Efficiency.  This is a good thing because Energy Efficiency is the first step in the “solar process.”

The bad news is that SRP appears to be looking primarily at keeping their budgets quite low for these programs for the following year, meaning if you don’t act quickly, you will likely lose out on the first chunk of allocated funds.  Please speak to your Energy Expert at Echo Energies today or if you are in need of an initial consultation, call (480) 818 – 5050 so we can schedule an Energy Audit to see what rebates you can take advantage of!

Download the Letter from SRP (.pdf)

Want to buy solar? There are ways to get rebate money if your “solar consultant” knows where to look.  Talk to an Energy Expert today and learn about a Sun Garden (TM) by Echo Energies.

Our management team has just received a notification from the Salt River Project solar team with the following:

Effective today, SRP is temporarily suspending its residential and small commercial solar electric incentive programs until May 1, 2011. During the interim time period from now until May 1, 2011 when the new budget and incentive levels will be announced, limited funds have been set aside for residential and small commercial customers willing to invest in a solar project. The incentive will be at a reduced level of $1 per watt as opposed to the current level of $2.15 per watt for residential customers and $2 per watt for small commercial customers. This will allow customers to move forward with a project should they decide to do so now, or they may wait until the next fiscal year when the incentive could be higher than $1 per watt. Other than the change in the incentive level, all other program requirements will remain intact.

At this time, the solar water heater programs for both residential and commercial customers, as well as the large commercial solar electric program, will remain unchanged.

What does this mean for you if you still want to purchase a solar system for your home?

First off, don’t ignore the portion of this release that states “solar water heater programs for both residential and commercial customers…will remain unchanged.”  Learn about our Heliodyne Solar Hot Water systems

Suspension of these solar rebate programs has become a bit of common thing, unfortunately.  However, Echo Energies is familiar with the process of getting you a rebate during this difficult times and is prepared to help you reserve your rebate when the programs open back up.  It all starts with a free and friendly consultation with one of our trained and professional Energy Experts.  Solar is just a fraction of the incredible things that you can do to help protect the environment and pad your pocket book with some energy savings.  Get started…

Thousands of APS customers are anxiously awaiting the APS solar rebates to unfreeze in October of 2010.  The APS solar rebates program has been such a success, that in fear of running out of funding, APS has been forced to make numerous cuts to their solar rebate amount, as well as freeze the program until October.  Of course, perception is reality for most homeowners and a freeze on the APS solar rebate program has raised several questions.  If you are like most of our customers, a big concern you might have is “how do I buy a solar system and get my hands on that rebate money?”  And of course, most answer their own question and say, “well I can’t, so I’ll wait.”  How do I put this nicely…umm…wrong answer.  At least, on the surface its the wrong answer.

The APS solar rebates are gone until October, but only if you don’t know where to look

Little do most people know, there are still several budgets at APS that can help you dramatically reduce your electric bill loaded with plenty of funds.  Even though the APS solar rebates for photovoltaics (PV) are on hold until October, there is plenty of APS solar rebate money available to fund your home’s energy makeover.  The trick is that you need a consultant to help you understand your options and balance what you’re wanting to do long term with where you can get the most bang for your buck, right now.

Who you really need to talk to is Bart Miller ~ Senior Energy Expert at Echo Energies

Bart has held top level positions with highly reputable companies and has spent his life learning exactly how to develop top quality engineered systems and provide them with more financing options than you can shake a stick at.  His life experience, combined with the intense Echo Energy Expert training regiment, you’re getting a genuine energy consultant, not a sleazy used car salesman turned into a sleazy solar salesman…

What you must understand is that there will be a line when APS solar rebates unfreeze in October.  If you’re not in that line soon, you might have to wait much longer than October for APS solar rebates

Now, keep in mind that solar power is not contracted today and installed tomorrow, regardless of what APS solar rebates are doing.  Rather, there is a process of design, permitting, procurement, installation, inspection, and commissioning.  Bottom line, this process takes time, anywhere from 45 days to  3 months, just for the solar portion.  If you choose to include any other things in your project, this time line can get pushed out even more.  The point is that there are numerous things that you can be doing right now to prepare yourself to take full advantage of APS solar rebates, or any solar rebate for that matter.

When you purchased your home, there were a few things you needed to do before hand that ensured you were getting a good deal on a home that fits your needs and wants.  Paying off debt, increasing your savings, staying away from random credit checks and so on.  When you are looking at investing in solar power and using APS solar rebates, there are also things that need done before hand.  The good news is that we can handle the majority of these things for you, but at the end of the day, whether you end up joining the Echo Energies Family or not, you need to make sure you have the right person in your corner, looking out for your best interest.

Just doing your research? Great! We love savvy homeowners because most of them choose to business with us

We have developed an educational program called the 7 Secret Tips to Going Solar.  Why?  Well, if you start doing your homework now, in the long run, you’ll make out like a bandit instead of ending up as the chump who gets hard-sold into something ridiculous like a leased solar system.  Thousands have used our resource to help them get on the path to energy independence.  If you’re looking into going solar or even just want to reduce your electric bills, you should too.

In June 2010, the US Sent $27.3 Billion Overseas to Import Oil

The average American commutes to work 5 days a week.  Typically, these trips are done alone, both there and back.  Chances are, you are one of these people.  Don’t worry, we’re not pointing fingers at you, but at the infrastructure that our society has built.  On every highway and in every town across the country, you can easily find gas stations.  They’re everywhere.  The problem is that gasoline is bleeding our nation dry.  As a nation, we are importing over 50% of this oil, most of which comes from countries that don’t like the US!

The solution to this problem comes in many forms but the true resolution is in the sky ~ solar power and electric vehicles.  As solar power becomes more prevalent on parking structures, parking lots and large buildings, you will soon see more charging stations similar to the one in the video, where fuel is no longer something you really need to worry about.  Not only that, but with less moving parts in the engine, you’ll be spending less on car repairs too.

Did You Know?  The money spent to import oil in April 2009 could have hired 364,000 new teachers

On the business side, as more people start to rely on the benefits of electric vehicles and solar power, those businesses who are prepared with electric charging stations supplied by solar power will surely attract more business.  When the option is grocery store #1 without an EV charging station or grocery store #2 with an EV charging station, well, where do you think the EV drivers will go?  In the next couple of years, every major car manufacturer will be releasing an electric vehicle.  An interesting recent development is how Toyota will be pairing with Tesla to make an electric RAV4 set to be released in 2012.  The Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf, and a whole myriad of electric vehicles will soon flood the market meaning there will be thousands of people with one thing on their mind ~ where can I fill up?  Businesses prepared to satisfy that demand will attract more customers.

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy.  What a source of power!  I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” ~Thomas Edison

Another important thing to think about is the fact that as more people begin filling up their tank from their outlet, electricity rates are sure to rise.  There are programs with limited funding that will help pay for you to buy solar power.  Bottom line, you need to protect yourself from the coming onslaught of rate hikes that will surely come as we shift to an electric society.  Learn about the incredible benefits of solar power and learn how to protect yourself against sub par contractor work by downloading the 7 Secret Tips to Going Solar.