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Solar Assistance and Incentives

For new commercial construction or major renovation projects that are considering a solar electric or solar water heating system, Energy Trust offers special incentives, design guidance and longer incentive reservations to fit your timeline. Projects may engage with Energy Trust at any of the following stages.

Solar support for every stage

Assessment: Receive technical support and a $2,000 incentive to help your design team assess your building for solar potential.

Initial design & bid development: Technical guidance and up to $5,000 to help offset the cost of preparing solar plans and specifications for bidding.

Preliminary incentive reservation: For those projects that decide to install solar as part of the initial construction or major renovation project, work with a Solar Design Ally to reserve solar installation incentives of up to $75,000. This effectively extends the usual incentive reservation period for solar projects, and allows Project Owners to reserve funding before hiring a Solar Trade Ally Installer.

Solar Ready construction: Projects that find themselves unable to install solar during the initial contraction or renovation effort can receive assistance and funding of up to $15,000 for constructing the building to Energy Trust’s Solar Ready standards.

The incentives and assistance available to your project will depend on what phase you are in. To get started, contact one of our New Buildings Outreach Managers at 1.877.467.0930.

Projects applying for solar assessment and design assistance, a preliminary solar incentive reservation or solar ready funding must have a project owner that is invested in the solar design process and committed to installing solar on the building at some point. In addition, the project must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • The project must be served by Portland General Electric or Pacific Power to receive incentives for electric measures and NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas to receive incentives for a gas-backup solar water heating system.
  • The project must pay or plan to pay the public purpose charge.
  • The project site must be located in Oregon.
  • The project must be new construction, an addition to an existing structure, a major renovation to an existing structure or, for Preliminary Incentive Reservations only, a municipal project going through an extended RFP process.
  • The project must be a commercial, industrial, manufacturing or institutional building.
  • The Solar Ready features must meet Energy Trust's Solar Ready Design and Construction Requirements.

Eligible building types may include office, retail, healthcare and hospitals, warehouse or storage, restaurant, manufacturing, grocery, hotels and motels, public and private schools or colleges, mixed-use, multifamily residential and parking garages.

  • Step 1: Contact a New Buildings Outreach Manager by email or at 1.877.467.0930 to discuss your project.
  • Step 2: If you haven’t already, complete a Project Enrollment form.
  • Step 3: Review our list of approved Solar Design Allies. These architects, engineers and designers are familiar with Energy trust’s technical installation standards and experienced in solar system design. They will be able to apply for preliminary solar incentives on behalf of your project. If your design team is interested in becoming Solar Design Allies, have them contact our Trade Ally Coordinator at 503.459.4070. 

Customers must submit a completed copy of the Project Enrollment Application form prior to applying for incentives.

Preliminary Solar Incentive Forms

  • Solar Water Heating Preliminary Incentive Application (PDF | Excel)
  • Solar Electric Preliminary Incentive Application (PDF | Excel)

Solar Ready Forms and Templates