Following in Xcel Energy's footsteps, Black Hills Energy is reducing the solar rebate for small category systems in Colorado (less than 10kW). The rebate will drop from $3.50 per watt down to $2.70 per watt, a reduction of 23%.

This $0.80 per watt reduction in the Black Hills Energy solar rebate will be effective at Midnight tonight (January 15th).

The Black Hills Energy solar rebate, like Xcel Energy, is a combination of a rebate payment and a renewable energy credit (REC) payment. The REC payment of the small category incentive (currently at $1.50 per watt) will decrease to $0.70 per watt, the rebate payment ($2 per watt) is fixed and thus will remain unchanged.

Xcel Energy has initiated similar reductions to their solar rewards rebates over the past several months. Xcel released a new tiered rebate system to inform solar integrators and customers exactly when and how their solar rebate would change in the future. The California Solar Initiative (CSI) has a similar method of distributing rebates.

If you are a Black Hills Energy customer in Colorado, please contact us today if you are interested in solar for your home or business.

Link: http://bit.ly/6kr28A

ColoradoBiz Magazine devotes its annual "power-list issue" to recognizing the people who drive growth, the often unsung heroes of business who keep cash coming in the door by connecting clients with the products and services they need to prosper.

Osea Nelson has been named to this list as the premier salesperson in Solar Energy. Read more about Osea's story...

Our own Jesse Malcomb is running for one of the three available Board of Director seats for the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA). Read his bio below and remember to vote by January 13th.

Following my passion for alternative energies, I currently serve as the VP of Business Development at Astralux Power Systems. With this position, I have been able to leverage my technical background in Government R&D with several years of renewable energy market research and analysis experience. My focus has been to implement strategies to cost]effectively identify and educate receptive market segments that have otherwise been neglected or ignored by the industry. As a corollary, I have developed a deep qualitative understanding of the local solar market. I have been involved in the Colorado solar industry since the start of the "rebate era" in 2006.

My goals for CoSEIA would involve helping the organization focus on working towards greater consumer awareness or "forward equity". We are at a saturation point in the Colorado solar market, and reaching out beyond the typical solar niche markets is the key to the long term success of the solar industry. The catalyst for this outreach must be CoSEIA, as this wonderful organization is the foundation of the Colorado solar industry. I hope to bring my years of proven marketing and development expertise to expanding the reach and awareness of CoSEIA.

Osea Nelson has been named one of the Top 25 Salespeople in Colorado by ColoradoBiz Magazine. Osea has been a Client Services Representative for Astralux since 2008, and is a big reason for Astralux's success over the past 2 years.

Everyone at Astralux congratulates Osea for this distinction and for all of his accomplishments in the solar energy field.

Holy Cross Electric in Colorado has announced an additional $250,000 in solar rebates for 2009.

Holy Cross has already given out over $1.1 million in rebates this year, and given the overwhelming demand, has decided to reallocate other funds into more solar rebates.

The rebate will remain at $2 per watt, with a cap of $12,000. For more information on reserving rebates in that area - contact us.

[Source: Aspen Times]

Concluding our 5 part series on Solar Electricity in Colorado.

"Look around Colorado, the Solar rush is on. Thousands of Coloradans have joined the millions around the world harnessing cheap, clean, and reliable energy that the sun provides everyday..."

Read more: http://www.astraluxsolar.com/Solar_In_Colorado_Part5.pdf

Black Hills Energy, serving most of Southern Colorado, has the nation’s highest solar rebate at $4.50 per Watt. This means that a typical 3kW system will end up costing under $1,500 after rebates and tax credits. This system will pay for itself in only 2 1/2 years!

Colorado is leading the way for other states to adopting renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and solar rebates. Missouri just passed their own voter-initiated (as Colorado did with Amendment 37) bill that will provide generous solar rebate to their residents.

Continuing our 5 part series on Solar Electricity in Colorado.

"While granite countertops and hardwood floors may be an investment in your home’s aesthetics, a solar electric system has benefits that are financially quantifiable..."

Read more ... http://www.astraluxsolar.com/Solar_In_Colorado_Part4.pdf

Continuing our 5 part series on Solar Electricity in Colorado.

"One home using Solar Energy prevents over 150,000 pounds of Coal from being burned..."

Read more ... http://www.astraluxsolar.com/Solar_In_Colorado_Part3.pdf

Continuing our 5 part series on Solar Electricity in Colorado.

"Why have over 1.5 million Americans invested in solar energy?..."

Read more ... http://www.astraluxsolar.com/Solar_In_Colorado-Part2.pdf