Saturday, December 20, 2014

Xcel gets 427 solar garden applications in Minnesota | Star Tribune

In the week since opening Minnesota's door to community solar ­gardens, Xcel Energy Inc. said Friday that 427 applications have arrived from energy developers, a much bigger response than anticipated.

The Minneapolis-based company said the applications propose a total of 420 megawatts of solar output, or the equivalent of a sizable power plant. A megawatt is 1 million watts.

Read more: http://m.startribune.com/business/286401911.html


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Sunday, December 14, 2014

Press Release: Advocates Applaud NY PSC Progress on Community Shared Solar | Vote Solar

Albany, NY – Dec 12, 2014 – Organizations representing community, social justice, business, and environmental interests today joined together to applaud progress toward expanding clean energy access to more New Yorkers. At its regularly scheduled meeting yesterday, the New York Public Service Commission announced plans to advance Community Shared Renewables, an innovative concept that could enable renters and millions of other New York energy consumers to go solar for the first time.

The Commission will engage in a consultative process to assess New York's Shared Renewables potential and program design. Solar advocates are celebrating the Commission's interest in Shared Renewables and are urging the Commission and other policymakers to act quickly to unleash the many economic, environmental and public health benefits of expanded solar access.

Read more: http://votesolar.org/about-us/press/press-release-advocates-applaud-ny-psc-progress-on-community-shared-solar/


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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Colorado PUC rejects Xcel Solar Connect plan over competition concerns | Denver Post

Xcel Energy's bid to create a premium solar energy program — potentially in competition with solar installers — was rejected Monday by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

Under the proposed Solar Connect program, customers would pay Xcel, the state's largest electricity provider, a premium on their bills to support solar projects.

Read more:


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Gov. Patrick signs Harvard Community Solar Garden bill into law - News - The Harvard Post - Harvard, MA

S2138, An Act Relative to Community Shared Solar Energy Systems in the Town of Harvard, the Harvard community solar legislation, was signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick, allowing for community shared solar energy systems within the town to be exempt for taxes for 20 years after installation.

This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, and Rep. Jennifer Benson, D-Lunenburg, will effectively allow for off-site solar construction, remove ambiguities for tax applications and potentially increase the availability of solar energy to Harvard residents.

Read more: 


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Friday, November 14, 2014

India's plan to stop importing coal deals another blow to Australia : Renew Economy

A key target is the delivery of electricity to 52 million households (more than 300 million people) who live beyond the grid. Despite a plan to attract $US50 billion of new investment building out a nationally interconnected transmission and distribution grid, Minister Goyal acknowledged the cost of extending the centralised grid to remote areas is prohibitive, particularly as most of these households live in poverty and cant afford the high cost of centralised electricity.

Whilst the target is for eventual delivery of electricity 24/7 for all, Minister Goyal acknowledged 4/7 (i.e. access to light and cooking in the evening) would be a massive improvement on the current total absence of supply. Distributed electricity generation and the roll-out of micro grids will be the near-term solution to addressing this key priority of the Modi government. This will involve small distributed solar systems with battery storage and LED lighting.

Read more:

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Solar Power Mini-Grid Opens Energy Access to Rural Laos - News 2013 - Sunlabob

Sunlabob and Fondation Energies pour le Monde this week announced the completion of a solar-powered mini-grid that is now delivering reliable, affordable electricity to nearly 500 people in a remote village in Luang Prabang Province, Laos.

Ban Houaypha, a village of 83 households, has limited job opportunities, low income levels, inadequate education and health services and no short-term outlook to receive electricity from the national electricity grid. The average household income is less than $2.50 a day.

The 6.5 kWp solar plant will distribute electricity through a decentralized village grid to households, a community center and five street lights. The Ban Houaypha mini-grid is the first step within the Fondation's long-term rural electrification strategy in Laos that aims to implement 15 solar village grids to provide energy access to at least 10,000 rural Laotians and contribute to the Lao Government's target of 90% electrification by 2020.

http://www.sunlabob.com/news-2013/solar-power-mini-grid-opens-energy-access-to-rural-laos.html

Monday, October 13, 2014

Bloodhound Gang Tracks Source Of China Distributed Solar Fail

It started with a mystery: what happened to the huge amount of distributed solar China was supposed to deploy in 2014?

We were a well-selected bunch of curious cleantech investigators: Alan Beebe and three of his colleagues from EY's cleantech practice, a solar finance expert from a US solar company, Julian Schwabe from China Greentech, and myself, Anders Hove, from Azure International. We were headed to Shunyi to visit Cai Yuanqing of Greenpeace, who had graciously agreed to host our group to discuss their office's rooftop solar system and all its pluses and minuses.



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Solar Stocks Rally on China Policy of Distributed Production - Yahoo Finance

China, the world's prime manufacturer of solar panels, is gradually emerging as the leading market for solar photovoltaic (PV.V) to meet the growing need for clean energy. The Chinese government announced new policies to encourage local governments to promote more solar installations on home and business rooftops, and ground mounted plants of up to 20 megawatt (MW).



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Saturday, October 11, 2014

Pueblo Chieftain | Solar garden grows in Antonito

ANTONITO — A project more than five years in the making has sprouted wings in this small San Luis Valley town near the New Mexico state line.

Work crews have begun installing a 500-killowatt array of solar panels on the southeastern edge of town that should be online by the start of the new year.

Read more: http://www.chieftain.com/news/2960719-120/project-antonito-solar-town


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Friday, October 10, 2014

Indiana: Tipmont Community Solar

"Community solar is a new thing, especially in Indiana," said energy management supervisor Jason Monroe. "We want to educate our members with what community solar is. That's why we're trying in community solar with community day."

Tipmont members can buy a portion of the solar energy by signing a 25-year lease agreement and will then have the ability to lease the output from one of 240 panels available.

http://thepaper24-7.com/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=22&ArticleID=48603


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Friday, October 3, 2014

Jefferson County Cities Leading the Way on Embracing Solar Energy

 

                                Jefferson County Cities Leading the Way on

Embracing  Solar Energy

JeffCo leads state in cities certified as Solar Friendly

 

Golden, CO - Jefferson County communities are going solar in a big way, with nationally-leading policies that save money for their residents and reduce air pollution for everyone, leaders told a crowd of interested citizens Friday.

 

Leading JeffCo cities are installing solar energy on their own facilities to cut energy bills, supporting their residents' desire to go solar, and purchasing thousands of kilowatts of solar energy from community projects. And more projects are planned, they told attendees at the ''Building Community in JeffCo with Solar" on Friday, the first effort to look comprehensively at the cities' accomplishments.

 

The event took place the day before the Golden Tour of Solar Homes on October 4, the only such tour in Colorado this year as part of a national day of solar home tours.

 

While the cities encourage rooftop solar arrays on individual homes, they are also leading backers of community solutions. Jefferson County is home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and NREL's Jason Coughlin noted that when the  lab opened 37 years ago gas was 62 cents a gallon, and solar power about $100 a watt. "Now a gallon of gas costs more than a watt of solar PV," he said. "And of course, we are so fortunate to be located in Colorado, one of the nation's leading solar states."

 

Four of the county's leading cities: Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster and Golden have been certified as Solar Friendly Communities for steps they have taken to make it faster, easier and more affordable for citizens to go solar. No other county has as many certified cities.

 

Lakewood, the county's biggest city, has installed more than 5,264 kilowatts of solar energy just since 2010 through 719 separate solar projects. The city also purchased 274 more kilowatts of solar energy over a 20-year period from a Community Solar Garden built by Clean Energy Collective in Golden.

 

"Lakewood is developing its first city-wide Sustainability Plan with an emphasis on expanding the use of renewable energy for both it its municipal operations and for its residents, institutions, and businesses," said city council member Tom Quinn, who spoke at the event. "Lakewood's investments in solar energy will help the City get off to a great start in achieving these goals."

 

"Arvada has issued 1,347 solar permits since 2007, with interest increasing dramatically in the past two years," said sustainability coordinator Jessica Prosser. "The city has more than 800 kW of solar mounted on city buildings and has purchased another 600 kW of solar from a SunShare Community Solar Garden," she added.

 

Westminster, located partially in Jefferson County, became Colorado's first platinum-level Solar Friendly Community last summer in recognition for its many efforts to streamline solar permitting. The city has also purchased significant electricity from a SunShare Solar Garden.


 Golden has opted to install its own solar projects and the city has spent $3 million on eight different projects on city facilities so far. They include the 90-panel solar thermal system heating the swimming pool at the community center and 600kW in PV solar arrays on other city facilities, with another project planned soon.

 
 

Solar thermal array on the Golden Community Center

 

Clean Energy Collective, which has built two Community Solar Gardens in Jefferson County -totaling 686 KW -reports overwhelmingly positive response.

 

SunShare, another Community Solar developer, has also found strong interest in Jeffco and Friday announced the building of another 1.5 MW Solar Garden outside Golden near White Ranch.  The current Solar Garden is more than 85% sold-out, SunShare said, with three municipal customers and dozens of homeowners.

 

"We are thrilled to be a part of these communities' success - it is leadership like that shown from each of the cities and citizens choosing to participate in our Jefferson County Solar Garden and other innovative solar programs that will drive greater adoption of renewable energy across the state," said Marc Bencivenni, Vice President of SunShare.

 

With the requirement that five percent of the energy go to low-income residents, CEC forecasts that its facility will deliver more than $120,844 worth of clean energy to residents over the program's 20-year term.  SunShare similarly estimates its facility will deliver more than $225,000 worth of clean energy to low-income residents in Jefferson County.

 

 "Jefferson County is also home to many solar thermal systems, which offer an attractive return on investment especially to propane and electric heating customers. Capitol Solar Energy, for example, has installed more than 2,500 kW of power capacity that represents annual savings of nearly $300,000 and avoided CO2 emissions of 1.5 million tons per year. Capitol Solar also services more than 100 older systems in JeffCo and although many are 35 years old they show no sign of wearing out,"said Capitol Solar vice-president Laurent Meillon.

 

 Jefferson County, one of Colorado's most populous located on the western side of the Denver metro area, has shown that locally-based decisions on solar energy can make a big difference for residents, said Rebecca Cantwell, Executive Director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, which organized the event. " Going solar is growing easier and more affordable every day and it just makes economic sense for cities,'' she said.

 

----

The public is invited to the Golden Solar Tour of Homes starting at 9 a.m. Saturday  October 4 at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, finishing with a reception and green expo from 4 pm to 8 pm  at the Center, 710 10th St in Golden.

---

 

 Community Solar Discussion at the Golden Community Center

 

 For more information: Rebecca Cantwell, COSEIA, rcantwell@coseia.org,  or 303-333-7342

Jefferson County Cities Leading the Way on Embracing Solar Energy

 

                                Jefferson County Cities Leading the Way on

Embracing  Solar Energy

JeffCo leads state in cities certified as Solar Friendly

 

Golden, CO - Jefferson County communities are going solar in a big way, with nationally-leading policies that save money for their residents and reduce air pollution for everyone, leaders told a crowd of interested citizens Friday.

 

Leading JeffCo cities are installing solar energy on their own facilities to cut energy bills, supporting their residents' desire to go solar, and purchasing thousands of kilowatts of solar energy from community projects. And more projects are planned, they told attendees at the ''Building Community in JeffCo with Solar" on Friday, the first effort to look comprehensively at the cities' accomplishments.

 

The event took place the day before the Golden Tour of Solar Homes on October 4, the only such tour in Colorado this year as part of a national day of solar home tours.

 

While the cities encourage rooftop solar arrays on individual homes, they are also leading backers of community solutions. Jefferson County is home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and NREL's Jason Coughlin noted that when the  lab opened 37 years ago gas was 62 cents a gallon, and solar power about $100 a watt. "Now a gallon of gas costs more than a watt of solar PV," he said. "And of course, we are so fortunate to be located in Colorado, one of the nation's leading solar states."

 

Four of the county's leading cities: Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster and Golden have been certified as Solar Friendly Communities for steps they have taken to make it faster, easier and more affordable for citizens to go solar. No other county has as many certified cities.

 

Lakewood, the county's biggest city, has installed more than 5,264 kilowatts of solar energy just since 2010 through 719 separate solar projects. The city also purchased 274 more kilowatts of solar energy over a 20-year period from a Community Solar Garden built by Clean Energy Collective in Golden.

 

"Lakewood is developing its first city-wide Sustainability Plan with an emphasis on expanding the use of renewable energy for both it its municipal operations and for its residents, institutions, and businesses," said city council member Tom Quinn, who spoke at the event. "Lakewood's investments in solar energy will help the City get off to a great start in achieving these goals."

 

"Arvada has issued 1,347 solar permits since 2007, with interest increasing dramatically in the past two years," said sustainability coordinator Jessica Prosser. "The city has more than 800 kW of solar mounted on city buildings and has purchased another 600 kW of solar from a SunShare Community Solar Garden," she added.

 

Westminster, located partially in Jefferson County, became Colorado's first platinum-level Solar Friendly Community last summer in recognition for its many efforts to streamline solar permitting. The city has also purchased significant electricity from a SunShare Solar Garden.


 Golden has opted to install its own solar projects and the city has spent $3 million on eight different projects on city facilities so far. They include the 90-panel solar thermal system heating the swimming pool at the community center and 600kW in PV solar arrays on other city facilities, with another project planned soon.

 
 

Solar thermal array on the Golden Community Center

 

Clean Energy Collective, which has built two Community Solar Gardens in Jefferson County -totaling 686 KW -reports overwhelmingly positive response.

 

SunShare, another Community Solar developer, has also found strong interest in Jeffco and Friday announced the building of another 1.5 MW Solar Garden outside Golden near White Ranch.  The current Solar Garden is more than 85% sold-out, SunShare said, with three municipal customers and dozens of homeowners.

 

"We are thrilled to be a part of these communities' success - it is leadership like that shown from each of the cities and citizens choosing to participate in our Jefferson County Solar Garden and other innovative solar programs that will drive greater adoption of renewable energy across the state," said Marc Bencivenni, Vice President of SunShare.

 

With the requirement that five percent of the energy go to low-income residents, CEC forecasts that its facility will deliver more than $120,844 worth of clean energy to residents over the program's 20-year term.  SunShare similarly estimates its facility will deliver more than $225,000 worth of clean energy to low-income residents in Jefferson County.

 

 "Jefferson County is also home to many solar thermal systems, which offer an attractive return on investment especially to propane and electric heating customers. Capitol Solar Energy, for example, has installed more than 2,500 kW of power capacity that represents annual savings of nearly $300,000 and avoided CO2 emissions of 1.5 million tons per year. Capitol Solar also services more than 100 older systems in JeffCo and although many are 35 years old they show no sign of wearing out,"said Capitol Solar vice-president Laurent Meillon.

 

 Jefferson County, one of Colorado's most populous located on the western side of the Denver metro area, has shown that locally-based decisions on solar energy can make a big difference for residents, said Rebecca Cantwell, Executive Director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, which organized the event. " Going solar is growing easier and more affordable every day and it just makes economic sense for cities,'' she said.

 

----

The public is invited to the Golden Solar Tour of Homes starting at 9 a.m. Saturday  October 4 at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, finishing with a reception and green expo from 4 pm to 8 pm  at the Center, 710 10th St in Golden.

---

 

 Community Solar Discussion at the Golden Community Center

 

 For more information: Rebecca Cantwell, COSEIA, rcantwell@coseia.org,  or 303-333-7342

'Solar garden' proposal opens access to savings | Electric Power News | Energy Central

Lawmakers and Hawaiian Electric Co. want to give utility customers who don't own rooftop space the opportunity to take advantage of certain benefits of renewable energy.
The plan is to create community solar farms or "solar gardens" that give people the option to invest in large-scale solar systems and lower their electrical bills.
Community solar will be one option for residents in the near future, HECO said at a legislative briefing Sept. 19 . The utility proposed community solar as part of an energy transition plan it filed with the state Public Utilities Commission in August.
Read more: http://www.energycentral.com/news/en/33839679/-Solar-garden-proposal-opens-access-to-savings


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Monday, September 22, 2014

China Update

A very long flight took me to Beijing, and a high-speed train took me to the city of Qingdao at over 300 km/hr. The seaside city is famous for its Tsingtao beer, and its wonderful seafood. Solar hot water heaters sit on almost every building!

The air-quality in China leaves a lot to be desired. Solar energy will help address China's most pressing environmental problem.

The Low-Carbon Earth Summit is a high-powered event with sustainability leaders from all over the world. The entertainment has been amazing! I have attended a variety of presentations about exciting new solar technologies.

The Solar Gardens Institute presentation cover community and shared so the models from all over the world. I discussed the opportunity for China, which is hands-down the world's largest potential market for shared solar.

Next I am off to Beijing to meet with NGO leaders about the possibility of using shared solar models in China. I will be traveling throughout China for the next several weeks, so I will have many updates for you as I go along.

Thank you to all of you who donated money or air miles!

Joy Hughes
Solar Gardens Institute Founder

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Hawaiian Electric Has Plans For Community Solar Gardens - KHNR

(Honolulu, HI) -- Hawaiian Electric is working on plans for community solar gardens across the state. "Pacific Business News" reports the program is designed to give businesses and residents an opportunity to invest in renewable energy by owning portions of an off-site solar energy facility that sells power back to the utility. Officials say they're open to suggestions.

See more at:
http://khnr.com/news/articles/hawaiian-electric-has-plans-for-community-solar-gardens

Minnesota Community Solar Garden Program Approved, Set to Open | Renewable + Law

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission today issued its long-awaited Order approving (with modifications) Xcel Energy's Community Solar Garden (CSG) Program - Solar Rewards*Community.  The Order starts the clock for the program to open no later than 90 days from issuance of the Order (mid-December) and officially plows the furrow for community solar projects in Minnesota.  It is not, however, clear that Xcel Energy will have the luxury of using the full 90 days for opening its CSG program- the Minnesota CSG Statuterequires Xcel Energy to begin crediting subscriber accounts for each CSG within 180 days of the CSG plan's approval. Stay tuned for additional details.


SEPA Report on Utility-Led Community Solar - Solar Novus Today

Community solar projects are popping up across the United States, offering those without the perfect solar roof, or no roof at all, the chance to cut their electric bills with solar energy. And leadership in the growth of this emerging trend is coming from an unexpected source -- electric utilities.

A new study from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), "Expanding Solar Access Through Utility-led Community Solar," finds that the number of these programs in the US has jumped 64 percent in the past 18 months and an overwhelming majority, more than 90%, have been developed by utilities.

http://www.solarnovus.com/sepa-report-on-utility-led-community-solar_N8138.html


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Community Solar for Our Schools | San Juan Island Update: News about the things that make living here great.

http://sanjuanupdate.com/2014/09/community-solar-for-our-schools/


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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

For Minnesota churches, clean energy is a higher calling | Midwest Energy News

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran and Minnesota Community Solar came together earlier this year to promote a solar garden that will sit atop the roof of the Minneapolis church.
Without a panel yet installed, the 40-kilowatt (kW) solar garden attracted enough support from the church’s members and surrounding Bancroft neighborhood to be fully subscribed. The project encapsulated for Rev. Brenda L. Froisland a deeper spiritual tug that speaks to her faith and the teachings of Christianity.
“Part of our vision is that in gratitude, Bethel amplifies God’s grace, nourishes God’s creation, reaches out and builds community,” she said. “This is very much a manifestation of those points and our vision. “We’re noting this incredible resource called solar energy God gives us, and we’re nourishing God’s creation by reducing our carbon footprint and consuming less coal — all that’s connected to global warming, sustainability and simplicity.”

Routt County commissioners hesitate to invest public monies in community solar garden

 — The Routt County commissioners placed an emphasis on the goal of transitioning to “future energy economies” in their recent strategic planning process, and they already oversee a significant solar array on top of the Routt County Justice Center on the west side of Steamboat Springs. But they weren’t ready Monday to tell Facilities Director Tim Winter to continue to explore investing in the new community solar garden that Clean Energy Collective is planning to begin constructing next month in Craig in collaboration with Yampa Valley Electric Association.

Commissioners Steve Ivancie and Doug Monger said they were uncomfortable investing public dollars given CEC’s unwillingness to share with them some of the financial details involved in building the solar array.

Read more: http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2014/sep/15/routt-commissioners-hesitate-invest-public-monies-/


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Off to China!

From Thursday September 18 until November 5, I will be traveling in China for the Low-Carbon Earth Summit and to meet with renewable energy professionals and NGOs. Depending on the access I have available, I may be able to blog as I travel. However, if my access is limited, there may be a gap in blog postings until I return.

Thank you so much to the Solar Gardens community! Thanks to all of you SGI has raised the full $5000 in cash and in-kind contributions to make this important journey a reality.

many thanks,

Joy Hughes
Founder, Solar Gardens Institute

Friday, September 12, 2014

Intelligent Generation: Integrating Solar And Storage Profitably - Forbes

In 2009, Jay Marhoefer observed what was going on in energy markets and decided it was time to create a virtual power plant.  There were few actors in the space at that time who were talking about virtual power plants, and most of them were demand response (DR) providers such as EnerNOC, Constellation, or Energy Curtailment Services. Those actors were looking at 'dispatching' energy from customers who would otherwise be consuming it at certain times.

Marhoefer, on the other hand, thought he could dispatch actual power from storage located on the customer premise.  In this way, he could create the same types of value as demand response, but without inconveniencing the customers by turning things off. The idea was to develop a software-as-a-service business, controlling storage assets behind the meter while creating value for the customer.

Read more:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2014/09/11/intelligent-generation-integrating-solar-and-storage-profitably/


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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Oregon: Central Electric Cooperative plans 'community solar project' meetings | KTVZ.com

To educate its members about national and regional growth in utility-developed community solar projects and the possibility of establishing one of its own, Central Electric Cooperative today announced a slate of October informational meetings. Members can attend any one of eight meetings that fit their schedule.


A community solar project is a single, large facility powered arrays of solar photovoltaic panels and supported by the direct participation of individuals, businesses or agencies. In CEC’s case, participants must be co-op members.
“We want to explain the concept to our members and hear their ideas,” said Dave Markham, CEC president and chief executive officer.
Read more:  http://www.ktvz.com/news/cec-plans-community-solar-project-meetings/27983700

Soulardarity: Donate to bring solar streetlights to inner-city Highland Park, Michigan

This is an amazing grassroots, youth-led organization that is bringing solar-powered streetlights to a community that has been left in the dark. Please watch their video and donate to the cause!
-Joy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Soulardarity is a community organization formed in response to the repossession of over 1000 streetlights from the city of Highland Park, MI. We’re building community power, promoting community-owned clean energy, and creating self-determination in Highland Park through the collective planning and cooperative ownership of 200 solar-powered streetlights. We just installed our second streetlight at a community park in HP. In the next year, we are launching a community cooperative and installing the first 20 streetlights owned by the Co-op. We need your help to raise $25K to pay local organizers, build the cooperative, and leverage full funding for the 20 streetlights in 2015, with the full 200 coming within two years.
Watch video and donate here: https://ioby.org/project/soulardarity

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Washington: Community solar program pursued | The Columbian

Clark Public Utilities is pursuing a community solar project that would allow customers to purchase a stake in putting electricity generated by the sun onto the grid.
The utility is working with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes renewables, to develop the project's design and to prepare a request for bids to build an installation of solar panels.
Not all of the details have been worked out. And the utility's Board of Commissioners must give the final OK before a contractor goes to work, and before marketing and operations begin. But plans call for the utility to build and operate a solar panel array near the corner of Northeast Padden Parkway and Northeast 117th Avenue at the Clark Public Utilities Operations Center.

Solar Gardens for China - Update, Thank You, and Request

I will be speaking at the Low Carbon Earth Summit to be held September 21-23 in Qingdao, China. The title of my talk will be Powering Planet Earth — Community and Shared Solar Worldwide (see the abstract below).

On behalf of the Solar Gardens Institute, I will be visiting Beijing and other Chinese cities to meet with members of climate, environmental, and renewable energy organizations to discuss the possibility of shared renewables models in China, and to learn about the recent surge of solar power development there. This research will be very valuable for my upcoming book on community solar.

The Institute would like to extend enormous gratitude to the donors who have made this possible, including one anonymous contributor of air miles for the flights to and from Beijing. There are only eight days left until my September 18 departure from Denver! Of our $5000 goal, we still need to raise $2328 to cover internal travel, lodging, and other expenses. The more we raise, the more cities I will be able to visit to spread the word about solar gardens.

Click here to donate to the Solar Gardens Institute and support community solar in China and worldwide!
http://www.solargardens.org/donate-to-the-solar-gardens-institute/

Chinese Solar: Wikipedia
Your donation will be tax deductible through our fiscal sponsor, Grand Aspirations. 

Abstract

Not everyone can install solar panels on his or her own roof. Many people live in apartments or have roofs that are shaded by trees or other buildings. Shared solar systems, also referred to as community solar or “solar gardens,” have the potential to allow everyone to own their own solar panels. An investor or cooperative member in a shared system receives a credit on his or her electric bill through Virtual Net Metering or a specialized shared solar tariff. Solar gardens have become increasingly popular in the United States, the European Union, and Australia. Shared solar offers the potential to power millions of people in urban areas worldwide, and for rural electrification in developing countries. This is an important tool to conserve fossil fuels and reduce air pollution. The Solar Gardens Institute provides training and tools for community solar projects everywhere. This session will discuss strategies for implementing community and shared solar systems throughout the world.

Joy Hughes
Founder, Solar Gardens Institute

Solar for All: Making Solar PV Accessible to Low-Income Families in the U.S. | Rocky Mountain Institute

While it’s great to see large homes owned by the likes ofWoody Harrelson and Will Ferrell being solar-powered, rooftop solar should be accessible to people across the socio-economic spectrum of the U.S., not just the one percent. But putting solar on all of these different roofs is currently a serious challenge.
Even with lowered PV costs and the prevalence of third-party financing programs, solar is largely out of reach for many low-income families. Many are renters who do not own their homes, putting them at the mercy of their landlord. For those that do own their homes, few have enough tax liability to take full advantage of federal and state tax incentives for rooftop solar. That’s largely a moot point anyway, since even with incentives the steep upfront cost of rooftop solar in the U.S. still puts a PV system financially out of reach for low-income families. That’s where third-party leasing can come in, but many low-income families have low credit scores and most solar leasing companies require a credit score of at least 700. It’s one potential financial barrier after another.
Fortunately, there are groups around the country working to overcome these barriers to market participation and ultimately bring solar to low-income households. Giving low-income families access to solar PV systems can help lower their utility bills, provide employment opportunities, and bring about an element of environmental justice.

Friday, September 5, 2014

CFC, Federated and NRCO Celebrate First Anniversary of Community Solar Program | Power Engineering

INDIANAPOLIS, IN--(Marketwired - Sep 4, 2014) - The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange (Federated) and the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO) are celebrating the first anniversary of their landmark Solar Cooperative Community Projects (sCOOP) program, which offers electric cooperatives access to cost-effective and locally-generated solar electric resources to their members. CFC marked the anniversary at its District Meeting today.
The organizations created the program in response to growing interest among electric cooperatives in deploying small-scale solar generation resources, allowing members to purchase part of the output of the solar arrays on a voluntary subscription basis.
"Over the past year we've seen a significant amount of interest in solar on the part of electric cooperatives," CFC CEO Sheldon C. Petersen said. "The collaborative efforts behind the sCOOP program have enabled those co-ops interested in solar to pursue projects in a more cost-effective way."

Energy Storage: A Different View from Germany | Solar Energy Power Association

Germany leads the world in solar photovoltaic generation, so it would seem to follow that the country’s interest in energy storage would also be soaring. But when Ben Kaun, an expert storage specialist with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), traveled to an international energy storage conference in Dusseldorf earlier this year, he found that storage is viewed somewhat differently there than in the U.S.
As Germans look to the future, Kaun notes that they have a broader definition of energy storage than in the United States. The U.S. definition of energy storage typically focuses on electric power in, electric power out – that is, electricity storage. In Germany’s definition is broader, characterized by three main categories: power to heat, power to gas (specifically hydrogen) and power to power, which can utilize a range of storage technologies, including electrochemical (batteries), mechanical or thermal.

In the first category, electric power is stored and converted to heat for direct use as heat in buildings, district heating or industrial processes. For power to gas, electricity is converted to hydrogen through an electrolysis process and then stored (with some challenges), combusted and used in fuel cell generators. It can also be further converted into natural gas or liquid transportation fuels. Power to power — or direct electricity storage — may be lagging, in part due to a historical lack of enthusiasm for electric cars in Germany when compared to the growing electric vehicle battery market in the U.S.

Solar gardens grow power | The Durango Herald

The first collective solar energy project to be built under a La Plata Electric Association policy approved last year should be delivering power by Oct. 1.
John Shaw, who installed the first solar panels in the LPEA service area 13 years ago, is building the area’s first solar garden in Ignacio.
A community solar garden allows investment in solar energy by LPEA customers who are renters, who can’t afford the investment alone or whose house isn’t oriented to receive sufficient sun.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

SunShare Announces Program to Provide Free Electricity from its Community Solar Garden to Families

DENVERAug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/—Flanked by more than a dozen kindergarten students, the founder of SunShare, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and the principal of Academy 360 public charter school today announced a new program to provide free solar energy to all families of children who attend the school.
“We are grateful to SunShare for helping us bring green, sustainable solar energy to our families. Not only are we contributing to a healthy environment, but every dollar that is saved on electricity is a dollar that families can spend on healthier foods, after school programs, books for their home, and other essential family needs,” said Sally Sorte, principal of Academy 360.

Clean Energy Collective opens two Denver community solar arrays | Denver Business Journal

Two community solar power systems, each capable of generating 500 kilowatts of power, have opened in Denver — and are available to Xcel Energy Inc. customers who live in the city.
Boulder’s Clean Energy Collective (CEC) developed the systems, which went on-line Thursday.

Community solar project to ride out RET threat | The Australian

A planned solar farm in the southern NSW coast town of Tathra, which will spell out the word 'Imagine' in 50m-high letters, is set to push ahead despite concerns about the future of the Renewable Energy Target, ABC Online reports.
According to the news service, organisers of the community project – which is set to provide 50% of the power to the council-owned sewerage treatment works with the savings to subsidise the cost of operating community venues – say fundraising efforts are continuing, with backers Clean Energy for Eternity hoping to raise $80,000 by year's end with the tally already over $50,000.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Can Open Standards Accelerate Community Shared Solar? by Joy Hughes | Renewable Energy World

Tesla Motors recently announced that it would share its technology patents, which has put a spotlight on open source and open standards. These standards already play a huge role in the computer industry: PCs have an open architecture and the World Wide Web has open standards. Google built its business on the open source Apache server and developed the open Android operating system. In 2011, Tioga Energy released an open source solar PPA. Can open standards and open source benefit the community shared solar industry?

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Solar Gardens for China - An Appeal to our Readers

I have been invited to speak at the Low Carbon Energy Summit in Qingdao, China on September 21-23. The title of my talk will be Powering Planet Earth: Community and Shared Solar Worldwide. Over the following two months, I plan to give workshops in the major cities of China explaining how we have implemented community solar here in the United States, and how the idea might translate to other countries. Of course I will be blogging the whole time!

For many reasons, China is the ideal place to build shared solar arrays. Many people live in apartment buildings, and the population is generally interested in savings and investment. China faces severe air pollution and has become a coal importer, and the high carbon intensity of its electricity means that a solar panel installed there will prevent more carbon emissions than one installed in the United States. China installs more renewable energy than any other country in the world -- yet the idea of community solar has not yet become mainstream in China.

I believe Chinese solar manufacturers will be quite interested in this idea! I am interested in referrals to companies and organizations that might wish to host workshops in China, and any other useful contacts you may have. I would be most grateful!

I have been offered a greatly reduced registration rate for the conference. I will, however, still need to raise funds for my travel and expenses - about $5000 total. You can help by making a donation at:
http://www.solargardens.org/donate-to-the-solar-gardens-institute/

I will be happy to mention larger donors ($500 or over) on the blog and at my talk and workshops as sponsors of the Solar Gardens for China tour.

Please forward this email widely to any appropriate individuals or lists.

Sincerely,

Joy Hughes
Founder, Solar Gardens Institute

Open-Source PVMapper Tool A Cure For The Not-In-My-Backyard Blues | Solar Industry Magazine

Wouldn't it be nice to have a map of all the backyards people don't want your proposedsolar project in?

Working under a $2.8 million grant from the U.SDepartment of Energy'sSunShot Initiativea group of researchers from Boise State UniversityIdaho StateUniversitythe University of Idaho and the Idaho National Laboratory have developedPVMappera geographic information system (GISthat helps large-scale photovoltaicproject developers take social preferences and constraints into account.

"I've been working on infrastructure siting for a while now," says David Solandirectorof the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State University and a leader on the PVMapper project. "There used to be a school of thought that just because a project was green,people wouldn't care about its proximity to certain thingsSurprisePV is still infrastructure."


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