The installed cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is partly a product of solar energy incentives designed to lower out-of-pocket costs and boost adoption. These incentives include: (1) a 30-percent federal renewable energy tax credit; (2) any solar tax credits, rebates or production-based incentives available in your state. Given that these kinds of solar incentives can help lower costs by between a third and half, depending on the state and/or utility, it’s no wonder that some state programs — like Connecticut’s — are regularly oversubscribed.

Well, as it turns out, solar just got more affordable — for more people — in Wisconsin. As reported by the Milwaukee Business Journal, Madison Gas & Electric will be more than tripling the size of its Clean Power Parnters program:

Clean Power Partners encourages customers to install solar photovoltaic systems on their homes or businesses and then sell the energy back to MGE for 25 cents per kilowatt-hour. The solar energy is part of MGE’s green pricing program — Green Power Tomorrow.

The utility received permission last week from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to increase this pilot program from 300 kilowatts to 1 megawatt, said Gary Wolter, chairman, president and CEO, at the 2009 MGE Energy Inc. annual meeting. Madison-based MGE Energy (NASDAQ: MGEE) is the parent company of Madison Gas and Electric.

In 2008, the program’s capacity was doubled from its original 150 kilowatts. Clean Power Partners is now fully subscribed with a total of 62 solar installations — 40 residential and 22 commercial/industrial projects.

Pretty cool news for WI residents and businesses who are customers of MGE. For more inofrmation on Wisconsin solar programs, check out our WI solar incentives page.