If you’re an Empire/Liberties Electric customer, now’s the time to go solar — and we mean right now! Empire/Liberty Utilities is offering its customers MONEY to go solar, but this is a very limited time rebate.

To help you get the most solar bang for your buck, we’re sharing this quick guide to the rebate program offered to Empire/Liberty Electric customers:  

1. What is the Solar Rebate?

As part of the Missouri Clean Energy Act (also known as Proposition C), investor-owned utility providers in Missouri, such as Empire/Liberty, Ameren and KCP&L, are required to offer its customers a solar rebate.  When an Empire/Liberty Electric customer installs a solar energy system on his or her home or business that they own, Empire/Liberty pays that customer per watt in the form of a solar rebate check.

2. How Much Money Can I Get Paid By Going Solar?

How much you get paid in solar rebates from Empire/Liberty Utilities depends on the size of your solar energy system and when it is installed. In 2018, Empire/Liberty paid out $.50/watt to customers who went solar. So, let’s say you purchased a $10KW solar energy system, you would receive a rebate check from Empire/Liberty for $5000.

This year, 2019, the payout is cut in half which means you get $.25/watt. So on that same 10KW solar energy system, you will get a rebate check for $2500 – still a great refund! Add in the 30% Federal Tax Credit* (roughly $5,000- $10,000 for a 10kW system) and your solar savings just keeps getting better.

*Always check with your tax adviser to see if you qualify for the Federal Tax Credit

3. Who Qualifies for the Empire/Liberty Solar Rebate?

Both home and business owners who are customers of Empire/Liberty Electric in Missouri can receive this solar rebate.

To qualify for this solar rebate program, you must have a solar energy system permanently installed on your property and the system must be connected to the grid through Empire’s Net Metering Program. Net Metering allows you to feed excess power generated by your solar to the utility grid and you get paid dollar for dollar from your utility company in exchange.

4. When Should I Claim the Solar Rebate?

Frankly put, you need to claim your rebate money from Empire/Liberty immediately. The solar rebate money is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and you do not want to wait until the rebate money is maxed out.

Not to mention, the Federal Tax Credit is set to diminish from a generous 30% of your entire solar system’s cost to 26% in 2020. And it’ll only keep going down after that! In 2021, the Federal Tax Credit will drop to 22%. After 2021, the Federal Tax Credit for residential projects will drop to 0% while the tax credit for businesses drop to a permanent 10%.