Federal and Connecticut Incentives
for Greenhouse Energy Conservation
 and Renewable Energy  

Website - www.dsireusa.org/ - This is a comprehensive source of information on federal, state, local and utility incentive programs.  It lists them individually noting funds available, eligibility, purpose and authorized uses. 

The following are some of the main incentives that apply to greenhouse and nursery operations:

 

USDA Rural Development – Section 9006 Loan and Grant Program – Energy Efficiency

Contact: Eastern Area Office, 238 West Town St. Norwich (860/859-5218) or Windsor Area Office, 100 Northfield Drive, 4^th Fl, Windsor (860/688-7725)

Funds available:  Grants to $250,000 – cannot exceed 25% of total project cost

    Loans to $10 million with rates and terms negotiated

Uses:    Energy efficient fixtures, machinery and equipment – energy blankets

            Energy efficient real estate improvements

            New facilities if they replace existing inefficient facilities of same size

 

USDA Rural Development – Section 9006 Loan and Grant Program – Energy Generation

Contact: Eastern Area Office, 238 West Town St., Norwich (860/859-5218) or Windsor Area Office, 100 Northfield Drive, 4^th Fl., Windsor CT (860/688-7725)

Funds available: $500,000 maximum – cannot exceed 25% of total project cost

                            Loans to $10 million with rates and terms negotiated

Uses:    Renewable energy generation systems including: Biomass, geothermal, solar and wind

 

Connecticut Light & Power – Express Rebate Program

Contact: CL&P, P.O.Box 270, Hartford CT 06141 – 877/947-3873 – www.cl-p.com/index.asp

Purpose: incentives for efficient lighting, motors and HVAC – minimum use 2000 hours

Incentive: Depends on equipment

 

Connecticut Light & Power – Operation and Maintenance Program

Contact: CL&P, P.O.Box 270, Hartford CT 06141 – 877/947-3873 – www.cl-p.com/index.asp

Purpose: Lighting, furnaces, boilers programmable thermostats, energy management systems.

Incentive: Energy analysis – 50% of cost, Installation costs – up to 50% of cost

 

Connecticut Light & Power – Small business Energy Advantage Program

Contact: CL&P, P.O.Box 270, Hartford CT 06141 – 877/947-3873 – www.cl-p.com/index.asp

Purpose: combined rebate and loan program to make energy efficiency improvements

Incentive: varies by project – Average peak demand must be between 10 kw and 200 kw

 

The United Illuminating Company and Connecticut Natural Gas have similar programs as part of the Connecticut Energy Efficiency fund.

 

 

Connecticut Viability Grants – CT Department of Agriculture, 165 Capitol Avenue, Room 129, Hartford CT 06106 – 860/713-2503 – www.ct.gov/doag                                   

Purpose:  To promote agriculture sustainability and/or increase the economic viability farm businesses.  Can be used for new facilities.

Size of award: up to $50,000 with matching funds

 

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund

Contact: www.ctinnovations.com

Purpose: to invest in biomass, photovoltaics, hydroelectric and fuel cell technology

 

Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Systems

Contact: Taxpayer Services, CT Dept. of Revenue Services, 25 Sigourney St, Hartford CT

06106 – 860/382-9463 – www.ct.gov/drs

Purpose: local property tax exemption for “Class I” renewable energy systems including            biomass, wind geothermal and hydroelectric.  Local community authorization needed.

 

Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Energy-Efficient Products

Contact: Public Information Officer, CT Dept. of revenue Services, 25 Sigourney St., Hartford CT 06106 – 860/297-5962 – www.ct.gov.DRS

Incentive: Sales Tax Exemption – 100%

Eligible Technologies: Furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, programmable thermostats, etc.

 

Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Solar and Geothermal Systems

Contact: Public Information Officer, CT Dept. of Revenue Services, 25 Sigourney St., Hartford CT 06106 – 860/297-5962 – www.ct.gov/DRS

Incentive: Sales tax exemption – 100%

Eligible technologies: Solar water and space heaters, photovoltaics, geothermal heat pumps

 

DPUC – Low Interest Loans for Customer-Side Distributed Resources

Contact: Maureen Hofman, CT Dept of Public Utility control, 10 Franklin Square, New Britain CT 06051 – 860/827-2613 – www.state.ct.us/dpuc

Incentive: State loan program – capital and project development costs

Eligible technologies: CHP/cogeneration, photovoltaics, wind, fuel cells

 

Net Metering

Contact: Mark Quinlan, CT Dept of Public Utility control, 10 Franklin Square, New Britain CT 06051 – 860/827-2691 –www.state.ct.us/dpuc

 

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