Focus on Energy: Solar Hot Water Incentive Program

Bonus incentives are available for projects that incorporate efficiency, and adders may also be available from local utilities. Due to the maturation of and increased interest in efficiency and solar technologies in Wisconsin, the incentive levels and procedures for project approval are subject to change in 2011.
  

The levels of incentives provided are one factor in stimulating commercial solar hot water installations in Wisconsin, but other, non-monetary program elements are just as important. These elements include:

• Technology specificity: Focus on Energy has developed a program just for commercial solar hot water, meaning it is not in competition with other technologies that may meet different objectives (such as PV for electricity generation).
• Non-competitive, ongoing: As long as funds remain in the program and all elibility criteria are met, commercial solar hot water projects are assured funding in a first-come, first-served manner on a rolling basis.
• Simple paperwork: Focus on Energy provides a form with detailed instructions for the customer and his or her installer to fill out, requiring all the information that the program administrators will need to determine a project’s eligibility. The installer base has been well-trained to facilitate the submission of this paperwork for approval.
• Broad applications allowed: Focus allows for systems in situations ranging from hot water to process heating to pools heating, meeting the needs of most potential high-use customers.
• Assistance offered: Focus helps customers at both the front and the back ends of the process, from offering discounted site assessments, design review, a list of installation requirements, and a preapproved list of contractors to verifying systems post-completion and requiring monitoring systems on larger installations, so the program and the customer can track a system’s effectiveness.

The following chart illustrates the success of the program since its inception:

These incentives have served a wide variety of applications, including:

• Dentists’ offices
• Laundromats
• Landscaping firms
• Churches
• Health care clinics
• Hospitals
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Schools
• Public pools
• Apartments
• Industrial applications

Special thanks to Kari  Heinrich, Solar Hot Water Lead,  Focus on Energy for her assistance in preparing this Solar Spotlight.

A PDF file of this program summary can be downloaded by Clicking Here.

June 25, 2010 – 1 pm EDT
Title: CESA Update Call: Solar ABCs Policy Recommendations

This monthly Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) update WEBINAR will feature the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs) new policy recommendations addressing the use of qualification and reliability standards for photovoltaic (PV) modules. Currently, there is no qualification or reliability testing required for PV modules in the U.S. marketplace, which, as a result, may be flooded with lower-quality PV modules. The Solar ABCs’ recommendations set a minimum standard that will restrict poorer-quality PV modules from being sold in the U.S. marketplace.

Webinar Recording (Windows Media Player)

Presentation (pdf) by Dr. (Mani) Govindasamy TamizhMani, president of TUV Rheinland Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory and a professor in the Department of Electronics Systems at Arizona State University.

Solar ABCs Recommendation: Recommended Standards for PV Modules and Systems, January 2010 (pdf)

FAILURE ANALYSIS OF MODULE DESIGN QUALIFICATION TESTING – III: 1997-2005 vs. 2005-2007 vs. 2007-2009, by G. TamizhMani, B. Li, T. Arends, J. Kuitche, B. Raghuraman, W. Shisler, K. Farnsworth, A. Voropayev and D. Parker TUV Rheinland PTL, LLC. Tempe, Arizona, United States. June 2010. (pdf)    

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Source: Clean Energy States Alliance

 The Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit public purpose organization dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy development, is partnering with the City of Portland and local neighborhood coalitions to offer residents of Portland a unique group purchasing mechanism for installing solar electric systems in their communities. Solarize Portland is an innovative program that helps residents overcome the financial and logistical hurdles of going solar. The project featured a single installer selected through a competitive process; a low, set price for participants; community-led marketing and outreach; educational workshops and a limited enrollment period. The effort was an unprecedented success, resulting in 120 new, home photovoltaic systems in five months, more than three times the number of systems installed in the city of Portland in 2008.

Energy Trust has been working for years to address the financial and policy barriers homeowners encounter when they start down the path to solar. The organization has developed several successful marketing strategies to make it easier for home and business owners to go solar in Oregon. However, Solarize Portlandwas a unique opportunity to roll community building and education, smart marketing, green job creation, and economies of scale into a single package. “It was a true triple bottom line success. You don’t get those very often,” says Lizzie Rubado, senior solar project manager, Energy Trust. Solarize Portland tackled the primary market barriers for homeowners looking to go solar: upfront cost, discomfort with contractors and the sales process, unfamiliarity with solar technology, financial complexity, and inertia. Above all, it was designed to be simple to engage and enroll in, featuring:

• Grassroots outreach and promotion by neighborhood volunteers
• Competitively selected contractor with set pricing tiers
• Educational workshops
• Free site assessments for all enrollees to determine suitability
• Incentives of $2.25/watt, plus state and federal tax credits
• Limited-time enrollment period

Though known up-front, pricing for Solarize Portland depended on the volume of participation from the community. It ranged from $7.20/watt for very little participation, down to $6.80/watt for more than 150 kilowatts of cumulatively installed capacity. However, enrollment in Solarize Portland was so fast that it became apparent early on that the price for all participants would be $6.80/watt—29 percent less than the average price in Portland at the time.

Critical to the success of Solarize Portland was the collaboration of Energy Trust, a statewide nonprofit organization with deep solar expertise and market familiarity, with Southeast Uplift  Neighborhood Coalition (SE Uplift), a local nonprofit experienced in engaging citizens and implementing community projects. The project design made the most of each organization’s strengths and credibility with homeowners. Outreach was led by SE Uplift and a corps of dedicated volunteers from five of its neighborhoods. In addition, a project website was created at www.solarizeportland.org. This website, which was written and maintained by a neighborhood volunteer, became the central resource for information about the project as it progressed.

Workshops
To make it easy for homeowners to get up to speed, Solarize Portland delivered a series of educational workshops. All interested neighbors were strongly encouraged to attend one of five introductory, one-hour seminars, held in each of the neighborhoods that were actively recruiting participants. These seminars were a Solarize Portland crash course, explaining how the project worked, the benefits of buying in bulk, how to participate and a brief introduction to solar. After attending an introductory workshop, those who wanted  additional, in-depth information were also invited to attend Q&A sessions held after business hours, three weeks in a row. These informal, open-format sessions covered different topic areas, including incentives, tax credits and financing; technical nuts and bolts; and net metering.

Results
The original goal was to enroll 50 homeowners and achieve 25 installations through the effort. Solarize Portland and its unique and successful melding of community activism, education and bulk purchasing, enrolled more than 300 homes in six weeks. In the end, 120 residential solar electric systems were installed in six months—more than triple the 38 installations completed on homes citywide in 2008. The 120 installations added 350 kilowatts of new PV capacity to Portland, and will produce an estimated 359,000 kWh of electricity per year. The project also helped provide 18 professional wage jobs for site assessors, engineers, project managers, journeyman electricians, and roofers.

The concept has grown into a winning model that is spreading quickly to other neighborhoods in Portland and beyond. The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is helping other neighborhood organizations to take Solarize Portland citywide. Thanks to their support, Solarizeprojects are gearing up now in both Northeast and Southwest Portland, with goals forecasting another 500+ installations in 2010. Meanwhile, Pendleton, a rural city in northeastern Oregon, will launch its community bulk-purchasing project in late March of 2010.

Lessons learned and recommendations for other organizations

• Plan for success: People love a good deal. Expect high levels of interest.
• Collaborate with a trusted, local organization: Let them take center stage as much as possible. They know how to talk to their constituents. You’ll also be laying the groundwork for an organization filled with solar-savvy advocates.
• Consider multiple installers: If you are targeting a community with the potential to secure more than 50 installations, select more than one contractor. Creating a queue of enthusiastic neighbors that then have to wait to be served can kill the buzz. Serving them immediately will increase the likelihood that they will install.
• Keep it focused: Define your participation area to limit the scope of your effort and keep it cost effective for your installer.
• Start early and give yourself time: Select your contractor(s) before beginning your outreach so you have answers to all your questions ahead of time. This also gives the contractor time to wrap up projects with previous clients.
• Keep it simple: Avoid creating options for people. Each decision increases the chance that you’ll lose them along the way.
• Don’t get disheartened with dissenters: This isn’t for everyone. Some people will object to the lack of choices. Connect them to the standard offer.
• Don’t be afraid to talk money: Consumers are hungry for comparative cost statistics. Being transparent speeds decision-making.
• Beg, borrow or steal a dedicated project manager: There will be lots of responsibilities to juggle and you need a single point of contact for fielding inquiries.
• Use an online sign-up: Preferably one connected to a database. You will save yourself a lot of work.

“This project has truly brought our community together, all moving toward one goal,” said Tim O’Neal, sustainability coordinator, SE Uplift. “From attending workshops to watching as neighbors went solar street by street — it’s been great to see what we’ve been able to accomplish as a group.”

Special thanks to Lizzie Rubado of the Energy Trust of Oregon for her assistance in preparing this Solar Spotlight.

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File Type: PDF
File Source: Clean Energy States Alliance

This CESA report provides an overview and specific examples of three creative finance tools that any state can use to support PV in the context of an existing RPS: solar set-asides, feed-in tariffs, and reverse auction mechanisms. These tools are primarily targeted at commercial- and utility-scale projects, and use of any of them can reduce the need for states to provide direct rebates and incentives to PV projects. These tools, if smartly designed, can allow states to build sustainable solar markets with programs that are economically efficient, reward PV system performance, allow for program continuity, advance market transformation and avoid rebate dependency.

The authors contend that providing special treatment to PV projects in the context of an RPS is important if states are to build and maintain public support for their RPS programs, particularly in cases where solar is the most widely accessible in-state renewable energy resource.

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File Format: PDF
Source: Clean Energy States Alliance

The New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) is part of a comprehensive statewide solar program known as the California Solar Initiative (CSI).The NSHP implements the Energy Commission’s portion of the CSI and provides financial incentives to encourage the installation of eligible, solar energy systems on new residential construction. The Energy Commission will work with builders and developers to incorporate high levels of energy efficiency and high-performing solar systems to help create a self-sustaining solar market.

 The NSHP seeks to achieve 400 megawatts of installed solar electric capacity in California by the end of 2016.

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File Type: PDF
Source: California Energy Commission

March 30, 2010
1 pm – 2 pm EDT
Renewable Energy Finance and Policy Toolkit

Clean Energy Group and Council of State Governments Webcast

State clean energy funds and programs have a variety of financing tools at their disposal to support distributed renewable energy deployment.  Historically, states have relied heavily on rebates and other forms of direct project assistance.  However, states are increasingly looking for ways to leverage available dollars.  This webinar will review the Renewable Energy Finance Toolkit recently published by Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA).  The toolkit provides an overview of established and emerging financing tools–including their strengths, weaknesses and best practices– which states can use to advance clean energy.

Charlie Kubert, CESA Project Director and key author of the report, will cover findings from the report and explain how these finance and policy tools can be used as a portfolio of approaches to create the most robust and effective clean energy programs.

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File Format: PDF
File Source: Clean Energy States Alliance If you would like to register for this March 30th webcast, please send an email to maria@cleanegroup.org with “PV Toolkit” in the subject line and include your contact information; the call in information will be provided at that time.

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File Format: PDF
Source: California Public Utilities Commission

Over the past decade, states have played an increasingly important role in providing financial support to renewable energy projects, with funding often derived from state-established public benefit funds. The financial support tools for renewable energy projects have ranged from rebates to competitive grants to loans. Complementing these tools has been a set of public policies— tax incentives, net metering and interconnection rules, renewable portfolio standards—passed by state legislatures and regulators. Recently, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) also provided significant funding to states to support clean energy investments.

The purpose of this report is to describe the many financing options available to state energy offices, municipal governments, and other energy agencies for utilizing public funds for clean energy project support. The report analyzes their strengths and weaknesses and identifies best practices. One key finding is that, while each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses, the use of these tools as a portfolio of approaches creates the most robust, effective programs.

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File Format: PDF
File Souce: Clean Energy States Alliance