Solar Energy in Idaho had started to make some good improvements over the years. In January 2015 there was 461 MW of solar power contracted to be built, giving the state more solar capacity per capita than any other state. Further, Grand View Solar near Boise (Idaho’s largest solar plant) opened in October 2016 and has the ability to power more than 17,500 homes.
Idaho is one of the nation’s best states for solar. On top of a Federal Solar Tax Credit, there are also state tax incentives that homeowners can continue to take advantage of for several years on their Idaho state tax returns.
Although the state of Idaho does not require utilities to offer net metering, most major utility companies have decided to offer net metering programs. For more information on net metering in Idaho, please check with your local provider.
The first, and most common, type of solar installation in Idaho is a grid tie electric system. (Also known as ‘grid-tied’ or ‘utility intertie photvoltaics/PV’) This system takes advantage of the sun by turning all available sunlight into electricity while still being connected to utility power.
If you use more power than your solar panels produce, your system will automatically pull energy from the grid. On the other hand, if your system is generating more power than you are using, the excess energy is sent out to the grid for use elsewhere. This is called Net Metering. A solar battery backup storage system is particularly useful in an event of a blackout or other utility power failure. The damage from a natural disaster or winter storm can be somewhat unpredictable. With a solar battery, you can rely on the fact that you’ll have continuous electricity no matter what.
Instead of sending excess energy back to the grid, this energy will be stored in your own personal solar battery. (If the battery is fully charged, you can send energy back to the grid). When you don’t have electricity from the solar panels or the grid, you can draw from this storage.
Roof Mounted Solar is great for:
Ground Mounted Solar is great for:
Big Dog Solar
620 Pheasant Ridge Dr. Pocatello, ID 83201
(800) 291-SOLAR