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The Solar communities program for residential customers
How it works:
Apply
After you answer a few pre-qualification questions, if you meet the basic eligibility requirements, you will be prompted to complete an application and will need to sign an agreement.
Income eligibility
Inspection
If your home passes the on-site inspection and your income eligibility is verified, you'll be contacted to schedule the installation of the solar system on your roof, and it will be inspected by your local municipality.
We'll then do our own inspection to make sure the system is correctly connected to our grid, install a production meter to make sure the system is producing as it should, and turn it on.
Bill credits
Get a $50 Referral Bonus
Refer a friend or family member for the Solar Communities program and you could get a $50 bill credit to save on your energy bill.
FAQs
Participation in the APS Solar communities program is limited to:
• Customers who meet the income eligibility requirement
• Customers with qualified single-family homes with a roof that has a west-facing or south-facing side that is not shaded
• Roof in good condition
• Roof with enough space to accommodate a minimum of eight solar panels and with a minimum of 200 square feet, plus additional clearance space for fire code requirements
• Homes with location sustainability
A top Arizona-based rooftop solar system installer will install the solar panels on your home.
The amount of time required for installation at each home will vary based on several factors, such as the layout of the roof and system design. Typical install is two to three business days.
You will need to be at the home during the initial inspection to provide the installer access to your attic, if necessary. During the installation of the system, the installer will require unrestricted access to the roof and any gated areas where rooftop solar system equipment may be placed.
One of our team members will contact you to schedule an appointment at a convenient time for you and the installer.
To participate in the program, the meter on the home will need to be an automated meter (AMI) to measure the solar production generated.
You will continue to be billed as you are today, but as an APS Solar Communities Program participant, you'll receive a $30 credit on your APS electric bill each month for 20 years, as long as you have the solar panels on your roof. If a particular monthly bill is less than $30 before that month's credit is applied, the unused credit will roll forward and credit your next month's bill. If you are enrolled in Budget Billing, the bill credit reduces the monthly cost of electricity used to calculate the payment over time. No additional credit is given for solar generated.
The $30 credit will be applied to the customer's bill for the address where the rooftop solar system is installed. If the ownership of the home changes, through the sale of the home or otherwise, the subsequent homeowner(s) can elect to take your place in the agreement. If the subsequent homeowner(s) decline participation in the agreement, we will remove the rooftop solar system and the bill credit will end.
One time during the program term, we will (at our cost) remove the system from your roof for up to 90 days if you need to repair or replace the roof. We will then reinstall the system.
If you wish to be removed from the program, we require 90 days written notice, and we will work with you to schedule the removal of the system and equipment at no cost to you, and you will no longer receive the bill credit.
This program gives you a $30 bill credit every month for 20 years guaranteed for allowing us to place the rooftop solar system on your roof. With a lease, you have two bills, one from your leasing company to cover the cost of financing the system and its maintenance, and one from us to provide energy when your leased rooftop solar system can't power your home (at night, high usage times or when you need an in-rush of energy to cycle on your air conditioner or certain appliances). With a lease, your potential savings are realized only if adding both of those bills together is less than what your cost would have been with us alone. Many leases also have "escalators" that increase your lease payments by 2% or 3% each year for 20 years. For perspective, our residential rates have increased on average 1.2% annually for the past 25 years - well below the rate of inflation.
The rooftop solar system will be owned by us, and we will own the power it produces.
We will work with the rooftop solar system installers to maintain the rooftop solar system during the term of the program. Any service issues will be appropriately addressed as they may arise. You will continue to receive the $30 bill credit while repairs or maintenance are completed on the system.
We recommend that you work with your homeowners insurance provider to address any roof leaks or damage to your home. We will protect and hold you harmless from any damage to the property that results from the negligence in installing, operating, removing or maintaining the rooftop solar system.
We will pay any property taxes relating to the rooftop solar system. You will be responsible for any income taxes that apply to you that are related to the $30 monthly credit. Although you will not be issued a 1099 tax form since the annual credit will be under $600, we do recommend you consult your tax advisor for any specific tax questions or concerns.
We will provide insurance for the rooftop solar system. You must maintain homeowners insurance on the home while it has an APS-owned rooftop solar system installed on it. Any questions about your insurance premiums and coverage should be addressed with your insurance provider prior to the installation of the rooftop system.
The "Arizona Solar Rights Law" (A.R.S. § 33-439) states that any HOA restriction that "...effectively prohibits the installation or use of a solar energy device... is voided and unenforceable." We recommend you contact your HOA to advise them of the solar system being installed on your rooftop.
Please call the APS Solar Communities program line at 844-605-4340 or email apssolarcommunities@aps.com with any questions.
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• Not have existing covered parking on-site
• Serve APS limited-income customers
How it works:
To apply
Agreement
Easement
Permitting and Construction
We will work with an Arizona-based solar installer to review the project site plan. The permitting/construction phase then begins.
When construction is complete, we'll then do our own inspection to verify the system is correctly connected to our grid, install a production meter and turn it on.
Bill Credit
You will start seeing the bill credit on your monthly bill.
FAQs
Nonprofits: any organization that has 501(c)(3) status in good standing for at least three years and whose primary mission is to serve the limited-income population.
Rural government: any state, local or tribal government entity in or serving a rural municipality.
Rural municipalities: Arizona incorporated cities and towns with populations of less than 150,000 (based on U.S. Census Bureau 2010 population data) not contiguous with or situated within a metro area (a city with a population of 750,000 or more and its contiguous and surrounding communities).
Title I schools: schools that serve not less than 40 percent of children who are from limited-income families, or not less than 40 percent of the children enrolled in the school are from such families.
The bill credit will be valued by the size of your parking structure solar system ($2.5/kW). For example, a 50 kW system would be $125/monthly bill credit.
Yes.
No, you do not need to own the land. But the easement will require the landowner's participation and approval because they would be signing the easement.
We have partnered with Arizona-based local installers.
The installation of the system will include mounting of the parking shade structure, installation of additional conduit for power, communications and sensors, solar PV modules and LED lighting on the structure.
Depending on the size of the project, the installation could take anywhere from three to six months, on average.
The solar system will be owned by us, and we will own the power it produces.
We will work with the installers to maintain the solar system during the term of the program. Any service issues will be appropriately addressed as they may arise. You will continue to receive the bill credit while repairs or maintenance are completed on the system.
Please email us at apssolarcommunities@aps.com or contact your APS community manager with any questions.
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Our APS Solar Communities program is free and open to multifamily housing complexes that serve the limited-income population. The program provides a free solar-covered parking structure that will be owned and maintained by APS for 20 years.
Qualified multifamily housing complexes will receive a solar-covered parking structure plus a $1,000 annual bill credit, while tenants will receive a $15 monthly bill credit on their energy bill.
Examples of housing complexes that meet the income requirements for this program include government-assisted housing, public housing and privately-owned complexes that serve the limited-income population.
• Not have existing covered parking on-site
• At least 50% of tenants must meet the income requirements for this program
• All units must be individually metered
• Other restrictions may apply
How it works:
To apply
Inspection
Agreement
Easement
Construction
We will work with an Arizona-based solar installer to review the project site plan. The permitting/construction phase then begins.
When construction is complete, we'll then do our own inspection to verify the system is correctly connected to our grid, install a production meter and turn it on.
Bill credit
The multifamily housing complex will receive the annual $1,000 bill credit and tenants will receive the $15 monthly bill credit as long as they live in the complex.
FAQs
Already having an existing solar system on the premises will not automatically exclude you from the program, but it may impact site selection.
Yes, there is an easement requirement to participate in the program.
No, you don't need to own the land, but the easement will require the landowner's participation and approval because they will be signing the easement.
We have partnered with Arizona-based local installers.
The installation of the system will include mounting of the parking shade structure, installation of additional conduit for power, communications and sensors, solar PV modules and LED lighting on the structure.
Depending on the size of the project, the installation could take anywhere from three to six months on average.
You will continue to be billed as you are today, but as an APS Solar Communities program participant, you'll receive an annual $1,000 bill credit on your electric bill for 20 years, as long as you have the solar structure on your property.
Additionally, all tenants that live in the complex will receive a $15 monthly bill credit for 20 years, as long as the structure is on the property and they continue to live in the complex. No additional credit is given for solar generated.
The solar system will be owned by us and we will own the power it produces.
We will work with the installer to maintain the solar system during the term of the program. Any service issues will be appropriately addressed as they may arise. You will continue to receive the bill credit while repairs or maintenance are completed on the system.
Please email us at apssolarcommunities@aps.com or contact your APS community manager with any questions.
