CHEYENNE -- Homeowners have new incentives to install renewable energy systems.

The Wyoming State Energy Office collected more than $2.2 million in federal stimulus money to help homeowners defray the costs of solar, wind and ground source energy installation. A successful application earns homeowners up to $10,000 or 50 percent of the costs, depending on the size of the project.

The one-time financial boost is nearly 30 times greater than the current budget of $74,000. It also expands the state's solar program to include reimbursements for other types of renewable energy.

"When the funds are gone, we don't expect the Department of Energy to replenish it at this level," said Shannon Stanfill, program manager for the Wyoming State Energy Office.

She added that she expects more than 400 applications, which will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Projects that are already completed or under contract aren't eligible.

Last year, the program awarded 25 applicants with $2,000 and $3,000 rebates. Stanfill said while the program was successful, the latest incentives interrupted the market for new installations. She added that many homeowners put their projects on hold so that they could apply for reimbursement grants.

"(Money for) wind and ground source heat wasn't available before and not in these amounts," Stanfill said. "The solar program before was simply a $2,000 reimbursement. Now it's $2,000 for every kilowatt installed."

Stanfill said an additional incentive is the fact that homeowners can apply for a 30 percent tax credit from the federal government after installation. She added that interest is high because these projects are expensive.

The installation of a small wind turbine or solar panels could cost $10,000 to $20,000. The bills for a homeowner who converts their home heating system could total $30,000 to $40,000. Stanfill said a homeowner who adds a 2.4-kilowatt wind system could earn $4,800 from the grant program. The additional tax incentive also could help pay off the system in five years instead of 10.

Some customers have postponed their projects since August, said Kevin Beers, president of Cheyenne Wind Energy. He added that the new incentives are a deciding factor for 90 percent of the people who plan to install a wind turbine.

"Up until February this year, wind had no (federal) tax incentives," Beers said.