I'm an independant consultant that helps churches aquire solar pv systems, on their property, with no cost to the church or the investor. Here's how it works in Arizona.

I secure the utility company incentive for the investor, which is 40% of the cost of the system over 20 years. For this, the utility company keeps the REC's asssociated with the pv system, over the 20 year period. 

Then the church agrees to buy the power that the pv system generates, from the investor(s), at the same price that the utility co. charges today (.10/kw currently). The system is sized to produce most of the power used over the course of a year. (AZrequires net metering, so the power made during the day is enough to cover the use at night, as well).

There is a 30%, dollar-for-dollar, federal tax credit, not a tax write-off, associated with the investment, as well. This means that after you do your taxes, that you have the equivalent of a $30,000.00 tax voucher to waive in front of the IRS for a pv system costing $100,000.00, or $300,000.00 for a $1M solar pv system. If you do not have that much of a tax liability in one year, you may use the "voucher" over the following 2 years.

I then put out an RFP to the most qualified integrators (installers) in the area, and have them bid on the pv system that I've designed. They are the ones that cover my fee, as they are happy to have a qualified individual walk in their door with all the initial pieces, in place. My fee is usually less than the commission they would pay to their own people.

I have completed 4 of these projects, just as described above, from 40kw-120kw. These range in cost from $200,000.00-600,000.00, as the installation ranges from $4-5/watt. Financing is what's stopping me from doing more. This is small potatoes to most investors, so I'm looking for small investors who want to do something good with their money. This is a great long-term investment and legacy for your family. Once you confirm all I've shared with you here, you'll see that the risk is whether the sun will shine in AZ.

You can reach me thru the NABCEP.org website, as a qualified PV Tech Sales Certificant or thru the contact info below.