Columbia Water & Light – Solar Energy Loans

Columbia Water & Light (CWL) offers electric residential and commercial customers low-interest loans for photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar water heaters.

Eligibility

The loan applicant should be the property owner* (Deed of Trust required), have a good payment history with the utility, be current with property tax statements, follow the parameters of the PV net metering agreement/rebate or the solar water heater rebate, and meet specific minimum insulation requirements. Residential customers applying for the loan for a solar energy system on a home that was built more than 10 years prior to the date from when the Net Metering Agreement application is submitted must have a Home Performance with Energy Star assessment completed by a CWL certified contractor. A commercial customer must submit engineering stamped drawings of the building to CWL for review.

Solar Energy Loans do not subordinate to other loans a customer may have on their property. If a customer refinances a current business loan or sells their building, the customer is required to pay off the Solar Energy Loan. Requesting subordination of your Solar Energy Loan generally takes at least 2 months. Contact CWL with any questions about subordination.

PV System Requirements

Customers installing PV systems must fill out and submit the Interconnection & Net Metering Agreement (under Missouri law, systems up to 100 kilowatts are eligible for net metering). PV panels must come with a 25-yr or greater manufacturers warranty. All grid-tie, sine-wave inverters must come with a minimum 10-yr manufacturer’s warranty. A copy of the insurance certificate is required for systems rated over 10 kilowatts. More details surrounding PV system requirements can be found within the Interconnection & Net Metering Agreement. CWL will inspect the installed equipment to make sure it meets all the program’s guidelines before the loan/rebate is finalized.

Solar Water Heater Requirements

Solar water heaters that provide at least 50% of water heating costs are eligible. Solar systems must utilize an active solar heat collector. All systems must be OG certified by the Solar Rating & Certification Corporation. All solar heating projects must be permitted and approved by the Building and Site Development division of the Community Development Department. CWL will inspect the installed equipment to make sure it meets all the program’s guidelines before the loan/rebate is finalized. 

* A customer who owns a multi-family residential dwelling or leases a commercial building can contact Columbia Water & Light to see if the building would qualify for a solar energy loan.