San Marcos issues first solar rebate

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - The city of San Marcos issued its first solar rebate to electric customers Todd Derkacz and Betsy Robertson under a rebate system approved in October 2011.

The San Marcos City Council established the distributed generation rebate program to encourage residents to install alternative energy systems such as solar photovoltaic and wind generators.

The program also sets in place a system through which residents can sell back any excess power they produce.

Derkacz and Robertson installed a four-kilowatt rooftop solar system on their home located on Progress Street.

“These residents already have a very efficient home, so it is the perfect location for alternative energy,” said Jan Klein, the city's conservation coordinator. “They are already producing excess energy and returning it to the city’s distribution system.”

"We're proud to be the first family to benefit from the city of San Marcos' solar rebate program and really grateful to the city for offering it” said homeowner Betsy Robertson. “We get a kick watching our meter run backwards when the sun is shining."

The rebate for solar photovoltaic systems is $2.50 per watt up to $5,000, and the rebate for wind generators is $1 per watt up to $5,000. The rebate cannot exceed 50 percent of the installed cost of the system.

The program is open to all San Marcos electric utility customers, and the system must be interconnected to the city electric distribution system.