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What’s Happening with Green Power?

What’s Happening with Green Power?. Bob Gibson Cooperative Research Network/NRECA Savannah, GA, March 29, 2010. Renewable Energy – Expectations vs Reality. Government analysis of growth of renewables in Eastern U.S. by 2020 – 30%

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What’s Happening with Green Power?

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  1. What’s Happening with Green Power? Bob Gibson Cooperative Research Network/NRECA Savannah, GA, March 29, 2010

  2. Renewable Energy –Expectations vs Reality • Government analysis of growth of renewables in Eastern U.S. by 2020 – 30% • NRECA analysis of a realistic target (accounting for lack of transmission, costs) – 5% • And 5% represents a huge increase from today’s numbers

  3. Weighing Both Sides • Advocates for renewable energy often mix policy goals, raw potential and conviction that it’s “the right thing to do” when promoting aggressive goals • Opponents of mandates may focus only on the shortcomings of renewables as compared to traditional, baseload power • There is a middle ground

  4. How Renewable Energy is Affecting Co-ops • In most states, co-op activity in adding renewables and offering green power options is voluntary • Under state mandates – Renewable Portfolio Standards - you must add renewables to your power supply • So far, RPS only affects co-ops in a handful of states: • Arizona • Minnesota • North Carolina • Colorado • New Mexico

  5. One Case Study: Arizona • February 2007 statewide poll on renewable energy found that 87% of the electorate prefers to address Arizona’s current energy situation by “increasing energy efficiency and using more clean energy sources like wind and solar power” rather than by “importing more electricity from coal power in other states” (8%). • Overwhelming majorities of voters support the proposed strategy, including 83% of Republicans, 89% of Independents and 91% of Democrats.

  6. Arizona’s Renewable Energy Standard RES require regulated utilities to generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025 The RES allows utilities to use solar, wind, biomass, biogas, geothermal and other similar technologies A growing percentage of the total resource portfolio must come from distributed generation – residential or non-utility owned installations The distributed energy requirement starts at 5 percent of the total portfolio in 2007 and grows to 30 percent of the total renewable mix after 2011

  7. AZ Electric Cooperatives and Renewables • Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative • Provides incentives of $4.00 per installed watt, or up to 50 percent of the total installed cost of the system, whichever is less. • Trico Electric Cooperative • Photovoltaic (PV) and small wind: Customers receive $4 per installed watt up to half the cost of the system. • Solar water heating: 75 cents per kilowatt hour saved in the first year (determined based on a nameplate rating).

  8. Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative The solar schools program will provide every school in SSVEC’s service territory, with a solar shade structure

  9. Co-ops and Renewable Energy Overall – Baseload Resources • Several G&Ts – and some distribution co-ops – are adding large scale renewables (largely wind) • Generally through PPAs though some co-op ownership • Some of largest purchases are in states without a co-op RPS

  10. Co-ops and Renewable Energy Overall – Green Power • Majority of co-ops across U.S. offer some kind of green power option • A few co-op programs rank every year in national Top Ten lists • Trend is toward local production – Community Renewables - tangible evidence of where premium payment is going

  11. Member-Owned Renewable Energy On The Rise • Across the country, interconnecting renewable energy systems owned by the member – largely solar PV and small wind – is an issue • Evidence of this interest at CRN – our Small Wind Guide is the most popular report CRN has ever issued – and our new Residential PV Guide is right behind that

  12. Co-op Trends in Green Power • Seeking ways to make investments in green power equitable for all members (rather than large rebates that help a few) • Looking at ways to develop local, community-based renewable energy projects • Even distribution co-ops are beginning to add (or convert) staff positions to attend to renewable energy/green power

  13. What Renewable Resources Work on a Community Level? • Best candidates: • Solar (photovoltaic electricity or hot water) • Landfill gas • In some circumstances: • Wind (medium to small scale) • Small hydropower • Animal manure to power • Biomass (wood or plant)

  14. Community Wind Project, Hull, MA In some circumstances, local wind power has been accepted as a community green power resource 14

  15. Co-op Green Power in the Southeast • North Carolina launched GreenCo Solutions • South Carolina co-ops participate in Santee Cooper Green Power • Georgia’s Green Power EMC

  16. Green Power EMC Projects

  17. The Rising Renewable - Solar • Why Solar? • It’s intermittent – but hardly unpredictable • It can be scaled to fit any location and it works anywhere as long as the sun is shining • It is unobtrusive – less likely to be hit by NIMBY • The cost is (finally) coming down – while the cost of almost every other energy resource is going up

  18. Solar Rules in Germany

  19. Breaking a Solar Price Barrier – Without Subsidy For years, solar advocates have been claiming that “we’ll soon install solar for less than $5 a watt (or $5,000 a kW) In December 2009, CoServ (an electric co-op in Corinth , Texas) installed a 95 kW PV system for $4.90 a watt. This with no subsidies, rebates or tax credits.

  20. CoServ’s 95kW PV Project

  21. Net Metering – Co-op Has No Control • Source of contention between co-op and consumer • Adds generation to system that co-op may not want or need

  22. Feed In Tariff – Co-op Has All the Control • Caveat – Using a Feed In Tariff should be a choice of the utility, not a mandate from regulators • Co-op sets price and pays only upon delivery • Frees co-op from interconnection/net metering/rebate issues • Example: Gainesville Regional Utility (FL)

  23. United Power Solar Farm

  24. Traditional Solar Rebate Program • Limited Money $ 100,000 • Limited Systems 11 systems • Limited Customers • Must be Homeowner • Proper solar orientation of roof • No shading issues • Minimum installed costs after rebates > $ 10,000 • Current EE Programs rebate in the $10’s or $100 Some of our load building programs max - $2,500 • Average solar rebate - $9,000

  25. Sol Partners Program • No utility rebate money used • System grows to extent customers participate • Unlimited Customers • Does not need to be a Homeowner • Does not need the proper solar orientation • No customer shading issues • Minimum costs to participate - $ 1,050 • Customer can add to system as funds available • Can transfer credits or ownership • Creates an ongoing utility solar program not the existing solar rebate lottery.

  26. Sol Partners Program • A Co-op idea with multiple owners • Customer writes check – UP installs, maintains, insures. No hassles, customer instantly on solar • Utility Perspective • Controls generation at one location • Potentially No rebates or rate subsidies from other customers • Doesn’t compete with our Time-of-Day programs • Highly visible, publically accessible for educational purposes • No Interconnection Agreement or customer liability insurance • State or utility could buydown cost of panel thru rebate process

  27. Sol Partners Program • Customer Perspective • Opens up solar to everyone – renters, homeowners, developers • Customer can buy additional panels at any time • Would receive retail rate for generation • Customer can transfer credits or ownership at any time • Don’t need to be a customer to buy panel, only to apply credits • Donate credits to charity or school district • Data available on internet so everyone can watch it grow • Customer purchases panel - has solar credits immediately

  28. Questions?

  29. Founders Club - ?? Members Customers who sign up for the first module of 48 panels

  30. Online Internet Monitoring Tools

  31. CRN – A Co-op Resource • CRN is found on Cooperative.com • Download reports, read Tech Surveillance, Ask an Expert, visit our Center for Energy Innovation, join web conferences • Sign up for CRN’s E Update • Join a CRN advisory group

  32. Recent Solar Projects Completed Solar and DG Interconnection Residential PV Guide • On-line toolkit covering best practices, standards, engineering studies, inspection and testing, consumer handbook • Presentation and in-person course (featured at Tech Advantage 2009)

  33. Top CRN Reports – Dec 2009 • Solar Water Heating – A Guide for Co-ops (420 Downloads) • PV Consumer Handout Packet (269 Downloads) • Residential PV Report (233 Downloads) • Solid State Lighting Technology Outlook (233 Downloads) • PHEV Performance Report and Demonstration (177 Downloads) 45

  34. Top Tech Surveillance – Dec 2009 • Ask the Expert: Solar Panel Trends (327 Downloads) • Inverters – What Co-ops Need to Know (93 Downloads) • Ask About Energy Efficiency: Electric Heaters Efficiency (61 Downloads) • Considering AVL? Here are the ABCs to Engaging(60 Downloads) • A Cheat Sheet for Quick Tips on Energy Efficiency(58 Downloads) 46

  35. ThankYou!

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