Payments for Specified Energy Property in Lieu of Tax Credits

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

1603 Program Online System Guide

https://1603.treasury.gov

The online system is to be used for submitting applications, Terms and Conditions, and annual reports. Before 

entering the online system, be sure to read carefully through the sample application, Terms and Conditions, and 

applicant checklist on our website, http://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/recovery/Pages/1603.aspx. 

Registering as a New User Pages 1 – 2 

Submitting an Application (no longer available) Pages 2 – 3

Converting a Begun Construction Application (no 

longer available)

Page 4

Submitting Application Documentation (no longer 

available)

Page 5

Finding the Application Control Panel Page Pages 5 – 6

Changing Username Page 6

Changing Password Pages 6 – 7

Resetting Security Questions Page 7

Submitting Reviewer Requested Application 

Documentation

Pages 7 – 8

Extending Reviewer Requested Application 

Documentation Time (no longer available)

Pages 9 – 10

Submitting an Annual Report Pages 10 – 11

Extending Session Time Page 12

Withdrawing an Application Page 12 – 13
1

Registering As a New User

To register as a new user, go to: https://1603.treasury.gov

Click the “Register” button at the bottom, under the “New Users” heading on the left hand side of the page.

This will take you to the page to insert the user information. Follow the directions at the top of the page and 

enter the requested information in each of the boxes. The email address entered will become your username. 

The answers to the security questions are case sensitive, so be sure to remember exactly how you enter them

and check the spelling.

Once all of the fields are complete, click the “Register” button at the bottom.
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A Temporary password will be sent to your email. Once you have received the password, you may sign in for 

the first time from the main page, https://1603.treasury.gov.

Type your username (this is the email address you entered earlier) and the temporary password in the boxes 

under the “Registered Users” heading on the right hand side of the page. If the temporary password does not 

work the first time, try copying and pasting it from the email you received from the system to ensure it is exact.

Only copy and paste what is within the brackets; do not copy the brackets themselves.

Once in the system you will be asked to answer security questions and to enter a new password. Be sure to 

remember this password. If you forget the new password, see Changing Password below. If you forget the 

answers to the security questions, see Resetting Security Questions below.

Submitting an Application -- This feature is no longer available. The deadline for submitting new 

applications has expired. 

At the bottom of the Main Menu page, click the radio button next to “Add another property,” (even if this is 

your first application) then click the “Start or continue the application or reporting process” button.

This will take you to the Application Package Control Panel page for New Applications. 
3

If the property has not yet been placed in service, select the month and year you expect the energy property to 

be placed in service. If the energy property has been placed in service, select the month and year the property 

was placed in service. Once the appropriate date has been selected, click the “Go” button. This will take you to 

the relevant application to complete.

This will take you to the Applicant Checklist page. Read through the Applicant Checklist before beginning the 

application to be sure you have all necessary documentation, as you will not be able to save the application 

and come back to it.

Once you are certain you have all necessary documentation, click the “Start the application process” button in 

the bottom left hand corner of the page. Next you will be taken to the application. Read each question and its 

directions carefully.
4

Converting a Begun Construction Application-- This feature is no longer available. 

The deadline for submitting new applications has expired.

Once a property for which a Begun Construction application was submitted is placed in service, the Begun 

Construction application may be updated to a Converted application.

To convert the application, click the radio button next to the relevant property at the bottom of the Main Menu 

page. Then click the “Start or continue the application or reporting process” button.

On the next page, click the blue underlined text that reads “Update Your Existing Begun Construction 

Application to Placed in Service” and click “Go”.

This will take you to the application for this property, and you can enter the placed in service information.

Once all information has been entered and all documentation has been uploaded, click the “Submit application” 

button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page in order to submit the updated application.

Once an application has been converted, you will not be able to modify or edit the application. You will be able 

to upload additional documentation for three days after converting the application. If you realize after 

converting the application that a mistake has been made, upload a document within this 3 day period explaining 

the error and provide the corrected information.
5

Submitting Application Documentation -- This feature is no longer available. The deadline for 

submitting new applications has expired.

When filling out the application, please note that you can only submit one attachment for each box given. Click 

the “Browse” button next to each relevant box to locate the document on your computer that you are looking to 

upload. 

To attach additional documentation, you must wait until after you have submitted the application and return to 

the Application Package Control Panel page. Accepted file types include: Office (doc, docx, xls, xlsx), 

postscript (pdf), and plain text (txt) formats. Please limit total size of all files to 100 MB or less.

Click the radio button next to “Add/Modify Supporting Documentation,” then click the “Go” button. This 

function remains available for three days after an application is submitted.

Finding the Application Control Panel Page

Once you have signed in, at the bottom of the Main Menu page, click the radio button next to the relevant 

property, then click the “Start or continue the application or reporting process” button.
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The next page you will see is the Applicant Control Panel page for previously submitted applications.

Changing Username

The username is the email address used to originally submit the application. Only the applicant is able to view 

any applications he or she submitted. If for some reason, the applicant’s email changes, or an application needs

to be linked to someone other than the original applicant, the applicant may request a change.

First, the new user must register in the online system (see Registering as a New User).

Next, the new user sends an email to 1603Questions@treasury.gov giving the following information for each 

application to be reassigned: 1.) the reason for the change, 2.) the new username, and 3.) the TAN of the 

original application (e.g. 2011E48SE012345).

At that point, the system administrator will be able to reassign those applications. Once this has been completed 

both the new user and the previous user will receive an email notifying them that the applications have been 

reassigned to the new user. Only the new user will have access to the application.

Changing Password

To reset your password, you may click the "Help: I forgot, lost, or didn't receive my username/password or my 

password has expired" link on the main page, https://1603.treasury.gov.
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This takes you to the Reset Password page, where you type in your username (email) and click the “Enter” 

button.

The online system sends a temporary password to the email address entered. Type your username (this is the 

email address you entered earlier) and the temporary password in the boxes under the “Registered Users” 

heading on the right hand side of the page. If the temporary password does not work the first time, try copying 

and pasting it from the email you received from the system to ensure it is exact. Only copy and paste what is 

within the brackets; do not copy the brackets themselves. Note that passwords expire every 90 days.

Resetting Security Questions

You may email 1603Questions@treasury.gov to request that your security questions be reset. In the email, state

1) your username and 2) the old security questions (not the answers).Once the security questions have been 

reset, you will receive an email notification.

Security questions are case sensitive and the answers will only be accepted exactly as they were input 

when initially submitted. If at first the answers are not accepted, try submitting the answers with the first letter 

in both upper-case and lower-case letters. Check the spelling.

Submitting Reviewer Requested Application Documentation--This feature is no longer 

available. The deadline for submitting new applications has expired.

When the review team requests additional documentation, the applicant has 21 calendar days to upload the

requested documents. Failure to submit documentation within the time period causes the application to be 

denied. After September 30, 2012, this is a final determination; the application cannot be reinstated. 

To upload requested documents, at the bottom of the Main Menu page, click the radio button next to the 

relevant property. Then click the “Start or continue the application or reporting process” button.
8

On the next page, click the radio button next to “View information requested” in order to see what the review 

team is requesting; it is a duplicate of the email request from the review team. To upload the documentation

click the radio button next to “Add/Modify Supporting Documentation,” then click the “Go” button.

The next page will allow you to upload the additional documentation. Click the “Browse” button next to each 

relevant box to locate the document on your computer that you are looking to upload. 

Make sure the radio button next to “Add to existing documentation” is checked for each box. Once you have 

attached all additional documents, click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page.
9

On the next page, if you have uploaded all additional documentation, you should click the “Close now” 

button at the bottom of the page; this will allow the review process to begin again. If you do not close, the 

review process will not be able to begin again until it closes automatically on the date given at the bottom of the 

page in bold.
10

Extending Reviewer Requested Application Documentation Time --This feature is no longer 

available. The deadline for submitting new applications has expired.

After October 1, 2012, an applicant may increase the amount of time for responding to a reviewer request for 

documentation. This is done in the on-line system. At any time during the 21-day period an applicant has for 

responding to the reviewer’s request, the applicant may add 30 days to the 21-day period, thus allowing a total 

of 51 days for responding to the reviewer’s request. For example, an applicant with a 21-day period beginning 

on November 1, 2012 and ending on November 21, 2012 has the option of extending the period for another 30 

days at any time between November 1 and November 21. Doing so allows the applicant until December 20, 

2012. 

Failure to extend the window during the 21-day period causes the application to be denied. Denial is a final 

determination; the application cannot be reinstated. Sending an email to 1603Questions@treasury.gov or to 

treas1603@nrel.gov does NOT extend the time period for responding to a reviewer request for documentation. 

The extension must be done in the on-line system during the initial 21-day period.

To extend the time, go to the Application Control Panel. Click the radio button next to “Extend the document 

upload window for the application by 30 days” then click the “Go” button. The “Review Issues Documents

due:” will change to show the final day of the extended time period. The due date will also be shown on the 

Application Control Panel.

Submitting an Annual Report

At the bottom of the Main Menu page, click the radio button next to the property for which you are trying to 

submit an Annual Report, then click the “Start or continue the application or reporting process” button.

If you are not able to see the property for which you are trying to submit an Annual Report listed, you are not 

listed as the owner of this TAN. Send an email to 1603Questions@treasury.gov giving 1.) the reason you are 

requesting the TAN be reassigned to you, 2.) your username and 3.) the TAN (e.g. 2011E48SE012345) for each 

property to be reassigned.

At that point, the system administrator will be able to reassign that TAN. Once this has been completed both 

the new owner and the previous owner will receive an email notifying them that the TAN has been reassigned 

to the new owner. Only the new owner will have access to the TAN.
11

At the bottom of the next page, click the radio button next to “Add/Update Annual Performance Report and 

Certification,” then click the “Go” button.

This will take you to the report. Please be sure to read each question carefully before answering. When 

answering question 3.1, please be aware that the 1603 program offers payments in lieu of tax credit; therefore, 

receiving this 1603 payment alone is not reason to answer “yes” to this question. Click “yes” if you claimed a 

tax credit under section 45 or 48 for this energy property on your federal tax form. Otherwise, click “no”.

Once you have answered all the questions and attached supporting documentation, you may print a copy of the 

report by clicking the “Print without submitting” button at the bottom of the page. To submit, click the “Submit 

annual report” button at the bottom of the page. If you need to reset the form to remove all information you 

have entered, click the “Cancel (discard edits, restore defaults)” button.

If you experience any trouble uploading the documentation to provide evidence of annual energy 

production, please email 1603Questions@treasury.gov. 
12

Extending Session Time

Once signed in to the online system, you will see a clock at the top right hand side of the screen that counts 

down from 60 minutes; this clock shows how much time is left in the session. 

When there is one minute left, a pop-up window will appear giving you the option to extend the session. In 

order to extend your session for another 60 minutes, click the “Extend” button; otherwise, click the “Log off 

now” button. If you do not click either button, you will automatically be logged off once the final minute has 

passed.

Withdrawing an Application – After September 30, 2012 this causes the application to be denied;

the application cannot be reinstated.

An applicant can withdraw an application at any point prior to award; note the warning above. To do so, at the 

bottom of the Main Menu page, click the radio button next to the relevant property. Then click the “Start or 

continue the application or reporting process” button.
13

On the next page, click the radio button next to “Withdraw this application,” then click the “Go” button.