The Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO) is not just hoping that every roof of the future will include a solar installation, it's betting on it by providing owners and developers with cash rebates to make new buildings solar-ready from the outset. The ETO Solar Ready program provides three rebates, which become available in three phases: The first is after completing a site survey to assess the building for its solar potential. The second rebate comes when a design with engineering and bid specifications has been accepted by the building department. The third is issued at construction, after inspection of conduit runs and labeling of an electrical panel that can accommodate a future solar system. Read more.
Note: The ETO program takes "solar-ready" a step further than the state of California, which mandated that all new buildings in California be built "solar ready" under the 2013 Title 24 Standards, which went into effect on July 1, 2014. In California's case, however, "solar-ready" simply means that all new roofs must have an open space large enough to accommodate a solar array—not a very difficult requirement on most residential roofs, but could be a hurdle on smaller commercial rooftops crowded with HVAC equipment.
