Burbank Water and Power's Solar Support Rebate Program
Solar Support Rebate (SSR) Program Guidelines
All PV systems must meet requirements listed herein and Public Resource Code Section 25782 to qualify for the BWP SSR Program.
Eligible Customers and Solar Energy Systems
Any consumer taking electrical energy service from BWP is eligible for SSR incentives.
Currently, only solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are eligible for financial incentives under the SSR.
Solar System Size, Location, and Ownership Requirements
Size: The solar energy system must be between 1kW and 1,000 kW CEC-AC and intended primarily to offset part or all of the Customer’s own electricity demand. Systems should be sized to produce no more than 100% of the Customer’s average annual energy consumption as shown on the BWP billing record for the two years previous to the issuance of the Reservation. If the customer’s account has less than two year history, the average will be calculated with available data.
Solar systems installed under the previous Solar Support Rebate program qualify for additional solar capacity under SSR. A new application is required and all current SSR requirements will apply. Attaching additional new panels to an existing (used) inverter is not allowed.
Location: The PV system must be permanently installed on the same premises where the Customer’s electricity load is located.
Interconnection: The PV system must be connected to BWP’s electrical distribution grid.
Ownership: The customer must own or lease the PV system. Solar power purchased from a third-party PV system owner/operator/installer is prohibited in Burbank.
Leasing requirements: Leasing agreements must be approved in advance in writing by the BWP Solar Support Manager. The minimum lease term is 10 years and the customer must have the option to purchase the solar system at the end of the term. A “Performance Guarantee” agreement with a term equal to the lease must also be provided. Lease terms of less than 20 years will have the rebate amount prorated to 20 years. For example, a 10 year lease would receive 50% of the otherwise applicable rebate amount.
SSR Application, Interconnection and Net-Metering Agreement
Customers and/or installers are required to applying for a building permit for a solar installation before applying on-line with PowerClerk. Once all the required paperwork is received at BWP the PowerClerk program will reflect the reservation is approved by BWP and funds will be automatically reserved for the solar installation for a specified period.
All solar PV installations must submit two signed copies of the BWP Interconnection and Net Metering Agreement before they may be connected to the electric grid.
Solar Energy System Components and Warranty
All components in the solar energy system must be new and unused and must not have been previously been placed in service in any other location or for any other application.
All major solar energy system components, including PV modules, inverters, and meters must be included on the California Energy Commission (CEC) Eligible Equipment Lists, which may be found on the CEC website.The entire solar energy system must have a minimum ten (10)-year warranty to protect against defects and undue degradation of electrical generation output.
Installation
The solar energy system must be installed in conformance with the manufacturer’s specifications and in compliance with all applicable electrical and building code standards.
To read about BWP’s rules and regulations for electrical design and installation, please click here.
All installations require submittal of electrical drawings such as single line diagram and site plan. Refer to Step 5 of the SSR Application Process for more specific requirements.
All installations are required to obtain the appropriate building permits from the City of Burbank Community Development Department before installing a solar system on a home or business facility. You or your installer must apply for a permit prior to applying for the SSR.
The Building Division offices and permit counter have moved to the first floor of the Community Services Building, located at 150 N. Third Street, on the southeast corner of Orange Grove Ave. and Third St. For more information, please visit Burbank’s Community Development Department website or call 818-238-5220
AC Manual Disconnect
All installations are required to install a manual disconnect device that has a Visible Disconnect on the AC side of the PV system. The AC disconnect must be capable of being locked in the open position and be directly accessible to BWP employees at all times.
This disconnect must be installed at no more than eight (8) feet from the utility’s electric meter, or at the discretion of the utility. If you have questions regarding the location of the AC disconnect, please call BWP’s Utility Electric Engineering Section at (818) 238-3575.
Meter Requirements
Prior to the photovoltaic system installation, the customer/contractor must contact BWP Engineering at (818) 238-3647 and receive a Confirmation of Electric Service. All meter installations must conform to the National Electric Code (NEC), Burbank Water and Power Rules and Regulations, and Electric Utility Service Equipment Committee (EUSERC) requirements.
All systems larger than 30 kW AC delivered are required to purchase a kilowatt/hour electric performance or generation meter from the Burbank Water and Power test section. The installation of the correct meter socket for this PV performance meter is the responsibility of the solar installer.
With solar installations equal to or smaller than 30 kW AC the customer/contractor must supply and wire a 4-jaw meter socket and panel. Ring-less sockets are not acceptable. The meter socket shall be wired between the output of the inverter and the service entrance revenue meter. The location of the performance meter and AC disconnect shall be within 10 (ten) feet and line-of-site from the revenue meter location. A utility provided kilowatt/hour electric performance meter will be provided and installed by BWP. Any question regarding electric metering should be directed to the Burbank Water and Power Test Section at (818) 238-3585
For the Performance Meter Installation Guide Drawing and EUSERC Meter Guidelines, click here. Service panels must meet all local building and utility codes. In addition, all service equipment must be UL approved and comply with the applicable EUSERC guidelines and drawings. Additional information is available at the EUSERC web site.
If necessary, BWP will also replace the existing revenue electric meter with a bidirectional revenue net meter before the system is connected to the grid at no cost to the customer. BWP may require customer provided meter communication connections for systems over 30 kW and others receiving monthly Performance Based Incentive (PBI) solar rebate payments.
Solar Equipment Labeling Requirements
All NEC and BWP required labeling will be made of sunlight and weather-resistant material. Labeling on disconnects, inverters and service panels will be made of an engraved, phenolic material and be permanently attached to its respective device. The labels must have a red background with white lettering. All AC and DC disconnects shall be lockable in the open position. The following labels are required where indicated:
- AC disconnects shall be labeled: “AC PHOTOVOLTAIC DISCONNECT”.
- DC disconnects shall be labeled: “DC PHOTOVOLTAIC DISCONNECT”.
- Where DC disconnects are not located near the electrical service, a label stating-
“DC DISCONNECT IS LOCATED _________” and/or post a diagram showing and describing the location of the DC disconnect near the service entrance as required by BWP or City inspectors. - On the service entrance, a label stating-
“PV SYSTEM WARNING – ELECTRIC SHOCK. THIS EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED FROM MORE THAN ONE SOURCE. TERMINALS MAY BE ENERGIZED IN OPEN POSITION”. - At the service entrance and the inverter, if not located at the same location, a label providing the location and description of the service disconnecting means and the photovoltaic system disconnecting means.
- The circuit breaker in the service entrance panel that connects to the photovoltaic system shall be labeled “Photovoltaic System”.
Maximizing Solar Generation
BWP’s SSR provides financial incentives for high quality solar installations with maximum system performance during periods of peak electric demand.
All solar installations are required to submit a shading analysis through the use of a device such as a solar Pathfinder (a device that calculates the sun’s path throughout the year) or any equivalent technology. A shading analysis must be done for each separate solar array. The solar shading analysis must be provided in PowerClerk as part of the SSR Application Process. For additional help with how to complete or enter a solar shading analysis please download the following instructions (add link). Additional assistance with solar shading is available by contacting EcoMotion at 949-450-7151.
Energy Efficiency Audits
All solar PV installations are required to complete an energy efficiency audit of the facility where the solar system is installed and submit the results to BWP at Step 5 on the SSR Application Process. In each case the customer must sign the results page of the analysis. Energy efficiency audits are available for BWP customers from the following sources:
Residential Customers – Click here to link to BWP’s Home Energy Analyzer. Complete either the simple or detailed version of this online audit and print out the recommendations page(s). Provide a copy of this report signed by the customer with your SSR application.
Residential Customers may also call for a complimentary in-house water, electric and natural gas audit by calling the Green Home House Call number at 1-866-365-7358.
Small Commercial Customers under 250,000 kWh per year – A facility audit may be obtained for free by calling BWP’s Business Bucks hotline at 1-877-290-2590. The operator can tell you if your business qualifies for this program. Provide a copy of the Business Bucks audit recommendations signed by the customer with your SSR application.
Large Commercial Customers - Must hire an independent energy auditor to survey the planned solar building site and provide a copy of the audit report with the SSR application.
Maximum Rebate Payable
Solar installations must not exceed the two year historical average usage of the home or business electrical service. Rebates will also not exceed 50% of the installed cost, or 50% of the equipment only cost in the case of a self installation. Additionally, in the case of monthly performance based rebate payments, no individual solar installation can exceed $400,000 in a 12 month period.
Rebate Payment Assignment
Customers may have the rebate payment made directly to a third party by asking the solar contractor to fill in the appropriate “Payee” information on the PowerClerk Incentive Claim form. Make sure both the customer and installer sign the completed form and provide a copy to BWP.