Colorado Developer Puts “World’s Largest Planned Microgrid” on the Market

Colorado’s 662-MW Niobrara Energy Park, which calls itself the world’s largest planned microgrid, is now shovel-ready and seeking buyers. Cushman & Wakefield announced early Wednesday that it is acting as exclusive agent for the sale of the northern Colorado project, under development for five years by Colorado land and resouce broker, Craig Harrison. Dubbed NED for short, the project stands apart in the microgrid world because of its sheer size and complexity. While most microgrids serve a handful of buildings, at best, and manage a couple of generation sources, NED has secured permits for 52 data centers, a 200-MW gas-fired plant, a 50-MW solar farm, 50 MW of fuel cells, other energy sources, and a range of energy storage technologies: compressed air, batteries, fly wheel, thermal and hydrogen storage, super capacitators and super conductors. “This opportunity is highly unique in its size, scale and scope,” said Jeffrey Cole of Cushman & Wakefield’s Irvine, California office. “We will be marketing this property to investors on a national and international basis, targeting everyone from data center investors, to users that would require cloud computing, to power company investors, telecom centers, local developers, green energy providers, and even certain Wall Street infrastructure funds.” The developer envisions the microgrid managing retail power within the project’s borders and selling any excess power into the wholesale market. The electricity would transfer at the Ault substation, 22 miles to the south, and be sold at one of Colorado’s busiest interconnects. “It’s an energy park, with the ability to provide its own microgrid,” said Cole. “The on-site energy sources include natural gas and a major electrical infrastructure, and plans call for a multitude of renewable energy sources. It also has its own water rights, as well as transcontinental fiber connection with access to 21 fiber carriers or providers. The project includes within its borders triple 230-kV power lines with dual feed direction from four substations, triple natural gas lines, a fiber-optic backbone with diverse carriers and a private 100 million gallons per year water supply. “With special approvals from the state and county in place, it is very rare to have a property of this size with zoning and energy sources already on-site,” Cole said. NED is named after the Niobrara gas and oil shale formation in northeast Colorado. Niobrara also means running water — which has been found under the site. The project is zoned for the 52 energy and data center uses, as well as Cloud data centers, energy-consuming manufacturing, natural gas power plants, solar, wind, and energy storage, with environmental waivers. Energy-related zoning includes up to 50 MW of solar, geothermal and wind, and unlimited energy storage, as well as up to 650 MW of natural gas plants and fuel cell power plants, and more, according to Cushman & Wakefield. It is located near I-25 and US 85 between urban areas of Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. “NED represents a unique opportunity to acquire a strategically located shovel-ready site with extraordinary energy and fiber infrastructure along with entitlements and zoning for a broad range of industrial and energy-related development,” said Jeff Cushman, executive managing director, Cushman & Wakefield. “It offers multiple revenue pathways for an investor along with speed to market. There is nothing else like it in the country.

Colorado PUC Considers Distributed Energy Storage Challenges and Opportunities

Against the backdrop of speculation concerning Tesla’s upcoming announcement which is widely anticipated to be a distributed energy storage product, and with continuing industry reports of a burgeoning domestic and international market for both grid-connected and behind the meter energy storage, on April 23, 2015 the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) spent the afternoon hearing from a wide variety of stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities presented by distributed energy storage. The discussion came in the context of the CPUC’s ongoing proceedings related to retail renewable distributed generation and net metering (Proceeding No. 14M-0235E). Beginning in June, 2014, the CPUC has held a series of panel discussions focused on different aspects of the distributed energy resource and net metering issue. In addition to discussing distribution system design and ancillary benefits associated with solar photovoltaic systems, solar PV system sizing and panel orientation, and minimum billing issues, the CPUC’s most recent panel discussion delved into the current costs and economics of energy storage for residential, commercial and industrial customers, the anticipated growth rate for distributed energy storage in Colorado, the relationship between energy storage and net metering, and the regulatory changes needed to encourage energy storage projects. Ben Kaun, Senior Project Manager in the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) Energy Storage Program, provided an overview of the varying roles energy storage systems can play including functioning as a capacity resource, supporting the grid through flexible ramping, voltage control, and renewable integration, and providing grid reliability and resiliency services. Mr. Kaun emphasized that that traditional metric of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) is not suitable when evaluating energy storage applications; rather, a lifetime net present value approach should be employed to consider the full range of costs and benefits associated with energy storage. Mr. Kaun explained that when evaluating behind-the-meter energy storage it is important to consider the perspective of both the customer and the utility or grid operator since the incentives for energy storage and the potential uses and benefits of storage systems may differ between these two perspectives. A customer whose primary interest is using a storage system to take advantage of time-of-use rates may not be aligned with a utility that is interested in using aggregated energy storage systems to manage overall load. From EPRI’s perspective, the tools needed to understand the value of energy storage and its grid impacts are still under development; however, ongoing industry efforts, including California’s substantial commitment to energy storage deployment, should lead to rapid maturation of energy storage applications over the next five years. Ryan Hanley of SolarCity spoke on behalf of several distributed solar stakeholders. Mr. Hanley updated the Commissioners on the general trend toward declining battery prices which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Describing SolarCity as bullish on energy storage, Mr. Hanley stated that the company expects that by 2020 all of its solar PV installations will include a storage component. Mr. Hanley emphasized, however, that policies are needed which recognize the full range of benefits distributed storage can provide and allow participants to realize the revenues associated with those benefits. Furthermore, widespread deployment of smart inverters is needed to fully recognize the multiple benefits of distributed storage. While focused primarily on the potential of distributed generation paired with distributed storage, Mr. Hanley agreed that there is no one “sweet spot” in terms of energy storage system size, location, and technology; rather, a diverse portfolio of distributed and grid-level storage is needed and should be considered as part of utilities’ planning processes. Commissioner Glenn Vaad asked the question that many people seemed interested in, especially given the context of the proceeding in which this discussion was taking place — isn’t distributed energy storage the anti-thesis of net energy metering? Mr. Hanley acknowledged that customer-sited storage could result in no distributed generation being sent to the grid and, therefore, no need for net metering; however, he opined that storage simply provides another set of flexible benefits in addition to the potential load modification benefits of distributed solar PV. Sky Stanfield spoke on behalf of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and presented specific regulatory recommendations from IREC’s February, 2015 report, “Deploying Distributed Energy Storage: Near-Term Regulatory Considerations to Maximize Benefits.” IREC recommended that the CPUC consider appropriate rate designs, including time of use rates and demand charges, to incentivize customer behavior related to energy storage. Consistent with comments from other speakers, Ms. Stanfield explained the importance of energy storage “benefit stacking” and the need to open-up markets for demand response and ancillary services that can be provided by aggregated energy storage systems. This, however, is a particular challenge in Colorado where there is no ISO or RTO to facilitate such market participation. IREC also recommended that the CPUC ensure that both interconnection and net metering policies and standards are clear and make sense when applied to distributed energy storage systems. Similar to a point made by Mr. Hanley, Ms. Stanfield encouraged the CPUC to integrate consideration of energy storage into the broader utility distribution system planning process. IREC’s final recommendation focused on the importance of a coordinated approach to safety in the context of industry codes and standards for energy storage. throughout the discussion, the CPUC Commissioners probed into the various policy and practical considerations associated with distributed energy storage and its potential applications in Colorado. While Colorado presently lacks the legislative mandate that is driving the deployment of energy storage in California, the Commissioners seemed most interested in identifying how regulatory initiatives could help build Colorado’s experience base related to energy storage. Chairman Joshua Epel framed the challenge as how best to “leap-frog” distributed energy storage in Colorado? Based on the panel discussion, it appears the answer will be a combination of regulatory incentives, creative approaches to realizing the system and monetary benefits associated with energy storage, and patience as technologies mature and utilities, customers, and storage providers gain more experience with deployed energy storage

Colorado’s Solar-Friendly Communities Go National

The thousands of solar installers in Colorado – as in many other states – have a hard time developing energy regulation. As with most other green businesses, they are often small shops in a nascent industry. Since the rules about rooftop solar are local (decided by towns or counties), more than half the cost of installation are now the “soft costs” of permitting and inspection, said Rebecca Cantwell, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA). But COSEIA’s Solar Communities program has made strides so far in streamlining the installation process, offering a $500 discount for customers of participating companies. The organization now hopes to expand its program to the rest of the country. Solar Communities is a program sponsored by a Department of Energy grant through the Sunshot Initiative and managed by COSEIA, which works directly with local governments to help them implement 12 best practices for rooftop solar. So far, Solar Communities has certified 16 communities in Colorado as “solar-friendly” cities, ranging from Denver to Lyons. This covers over half the population of the state. “Solar is growing incredibly fast,” said Cantwell. “Cities might not have the resources to deal with them, and companies (working in different towns) might have to learn 50 different ways of doing business. “Right now, putting solar panels on your roof is almost as complicated as a whole custom-home addition,” she continued. “But it should be as easy as getting a new furnace. It should almost be plug and play.” COSEIA’s staff has done a great deal of outreach to local governments in order to make this happen: In some cities, the city council took action, while some towns in Colorado learned about the program from each other. “In each case, it took a champion,” she said. The form is easy to look at online, and towns can start getting recognized by following the first three of the best practices the team developed. COSEIA’s 12 Best Practices for Local Governments (important enough to list all of them!) Provide a checklist of all requirements for rooftop solar photovoltaics and solar thermal permitting in a single online location Offer a standard permit form that is eligible for streamlined review for standard residential or small commercial rooftop flush-mounted systems Offer electronic or over-the-counter submittal and review options for standard systems Issue permits within a specified time frame Charge actual costs for permits and inspections with a cap on the total Replace community-specific solar licenses, if required, with standard certification for installers Provide inspection checklist that explains unique requirements beyond applicable codes Specify a narrow time window for system inspection For efficiency, require only one inspection for standard rooftop systems on existing homes or businesses Adopt ordinances that encourage distributed solar generation and protect solar rights and access including reasonable roof setback requirements Educate residents on solar energy by providing information on financing options and projected economic benefit Show your commitment to being a solar-friendly community by tracking community solar development and provide tools showing solar access in your community Some of the best practices may not seem like a big deal (they wouldn’t list fixing your website if there wasn’t a need), but what they really affect is time. “For installers, time is money,” as Cantwell said, but in this case, time is also the temperature of the planet.

Renewable energy isn’t boosting electric bills study contends

Renewable energy is seen as the culprit behind higher electricity bills by Colorado Republican lawmakers, but a new study contends it just ain’t so. The Colorado Senate passed a bill rolling back the state’s renewable energy standard – which requires that investor-owned utilities get 30 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020 and rural electric coops to get 20 percent — to 15 percent for both. “We want to make sure we’re not pushing the envelope so far that we’re hurting consumers, especially the rural consumers,” said the sponsor, Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction. And handing out graphs of comparative rates, Rep. Dan Thurlow, R-Grand Junction, said, “We’ve gone from being one of the lowest-cost states, to being higher than most of our neighbors in the mountain states.” The bill, however, died in the Democratic-majority House. It is true that Xcel Energy, the state’s largest electricity provider, has had a series of rate hikes over the last few years, but $347 million in increases between 2006 and 2009 were the result of the utility’s new $1 billion Comanche 3 coal plant coming on line. A lot of the rate increases were also driven by Xcel adding long-deferred infrastructure, such as transmission lines. Putting that aside, have wind and solar installations increased the cost of electricity? A study by Nancy Pfund and Anand Chhabara says there is no evidence to show they have. The study “Renewable Are Driving up Electricity Prices – Wait, What?” looks at the top ten states for renewable energy, the ten state with the least renewable energy and the nation averages. “Basically we didn’t find much difference and I think that’s the point,” said Pfund, who is a managing partner in DBL Investors, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm specializing in clean technologies and sustainable products and services. Chhabara, who is working on dual law and business degrees at Stanford University, was a summer associate a DBL. In their analysis the top 10 states in renewable energy had an average increase in retail electricity prices of 3.06 percent between 2002 and 2013. The 10 states with the least renewable energy generation had a 3.74 percent, while the national average was 3.23 percent. The numbers don’t prove anything one way or another, but they don’t particular support the contention that renewables boost rates. On the other, hand they don’t give any sense of what the rates would have been in those leading renewable energy states if they hadn’t add wind and solar. Another part of the analysis plotted rate increases by year and showed that leaders and laggards had similar curves, though in the early years renewable energy states had higher rates and after 2005 lower rates. Xcel has gone into wind energy in a big way. By 2016, 30 percent of its generation will come from wind. One reason is that the utility has gotten very advantageous prices in wind power purchase agreements. Xcel’s average purchase cost for wind since 2007 has been about $42 a megawatt-hour, according to the company. That is cheaper than natural gas generation and on par with exiting coal plants. “And there are no price fluctuations for the fuel – like you see and coal and natural gas – because the fuel is free,” Pfund said. Solar has been more expensive than wind, but Austin Energy, the Texas city’s municipal utility, in July reportedly signed a purchase power agreement for utility-scale solar at $50 a megawatt-hour. Another way of assessing the relative costs of different generation is a “levelized cost of energy” analysis, which tallies up all the costs of building and running a generation source, a coal plant or a wind farm, over its life and then divides those costs by the amount of energy the plant produces. Lazard, the financial advisor and asset management firm – no earnest environmentalists they, have been tracking levelized costs for several years. In their 2014 analysis for the competing types of generation without any consideration of subsidies finds a pretty tight price spread. Lazard gives ranges for costs per megawatt-hour and the range for utility-scale photovoltaic solar is $72 to $86, while onshore wind is $37 to $81. The range for a supercritical pulverized coal plant, the most efficient coal technology, is between $66 and $151. A natural gas combined cycle plant – again the best technology – is $61 to $87. While natural gas and coal might be marginally cheaper on the low side, renewables looked to be more predictable in price. Residential rooftop solar is just about the most expensive form of generation at $180 to $265 a megawatt-hour – even more expensive than nuclear power or coal with carbon capture, according the the Lazard analysis. The only electricity generation more pricey is a diesel at $297 to $332. Looking back at Lazard’s 2012 analysis one finds utility-scale PV at $101 to $149 per megawatt-hour and wind at $48 to $95. At the same time the price for coal has edged-up from 2012 by $4 to $10 a megawatt-hour. “The cost curves are coming down for renewables,” Pfund said. “And they will continue to come down as markets grow and technologies achieve economies of scale. It is a virtuous cycle.”

Colorado's Big Coal Cosuming Utilities Move to Renewable Power

Most of the electricity developed in Colorado still comes from burning coal, but even the state's two largest coal burners are adding far more renewable energy. The Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and Platte River Power Authority every single lately announced plans for new renewable energy sources. "We've observed the rates dropping, and we've been in a position to add these renewable power projects," stated Lee Boughey, a spokesman for Westminster-primarily based Tri-State. Tri-State announced this month that it would add a 150-megawatt wind farm in Kit Carson County. Platte River Energy, based in Fort Collins, is set to add a 22-megawatt solar installation near Wellington. "Their current investments in wind and solar represent true progress and are essential methods toward diversifying their power supplies," said John Nielsen, power plan director at the environmental group Western Resource Advocates. Colorado has a Renewable Power Regular that calls for investor-owned utilities to get 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Municipal utilities have a ten % target, and rural electric cooperatives, below a bill in the legislature, would have a 15 percent target. Advertisement Platte River Power and Tri-State are wholesale electricity generators and do not fall directly beneath the standards for renewable power. Tri-State supplies electricity to 44 rural electric cooperatives in four states, such as 18 in Colorado. Platte River Energy serves municipal systems in Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. About three-quarters of the electrical energy the two corporations generated in 2014 came from coal, according to company figures. And so, though there have been advances in adding natural gas and renewable energy generation, coal remains king in Colorado. In December 2014, 58 % of Colorado's electricity generation came from coal-fired plants, and renewable sources created up 15 percent. By comparison, Minneapolis-primarily based Xcel Power, Colorado's largest electrical energy supplier, reduce its coal-fired generation to 53 % in 2014 from 65 % in 2005. Xcel, an investor-owned utility, projects coal will be 46 percent of generation in 2020 and renewable sources 28 percent. About 26 percent will be natural gas. Still, Tri-State and Platte River Energy slowly are adding renewable sources. Tri-State has added 800 megawatts of renewable resources due to the fact 2008, Boughey said, and 24 % of its electrical energy came from wind and hydropower in 2014. In 2013, for example, Tri-State contracted with the city of Boulder to invest in electrical energy from the Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric facility. The new Kit Carson wind farm is being built by Juno Beach, Fla.-primarily based NextEra Power at a price of $240 million and will sell energy to Tri-State on a 25-year contract. Though the prices for renewable energy are coming down, Tri-State's Boughey said the challenge is adding transmission to tie in these sources. Tri-State is building a 72-mile line in between Burlington and Wray at a projected expense of $40 million. "Developing transmission lines is time-consuming and expensive," Boughey said. Tri-State's member cooperatives also added 54 megawatts of distributed renewable-power resources, and an extra 15 megawatts are under development. Distributed resources are smaller sized generation projects that include things like wind, solar, hydropower and recycled-heat projects, Boughey said. In October, Tri-State put out a contact for proposals for further renewable-power projects and these are now below overview, Boughey mentioned. Platte River Power generates significantly less than 5 % of its energy from wind and, at the moment, none from solar. About 20 % of the authority's energy comes from hydroelectric plants. The authority board, even so, has set a goal for reducing carbon emissions from energy generation by 20 % by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. Coal-fired power plants are the largest single supply of carbon dioxide emissions &mdash about 30 % of the nation's 2014 total, according to the federal Energy Facts Administration. Carbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas linked to climate alter in several scientific studies. And so, the Platte River Power Authority board's request is aimed straight at the company's three massive coal-fired plants. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has drafted rules that would require Colorado to reduce back energy plant carbon emissions by 35 percent by 2030. Platte River Energy is effectively on the way to raising its renewable energy to 32 percent by 2016, stated John Bleem, the authority's organizing and customer service director. That figure involves hydropower and renewable power credits bought from renewable-energy installations in other states, Bleem said. As for trying to get to the purpose of an 80 percent reduce in carbon by 2050, Bleem stated "we've been crunching the numbers." That purpose has to be met in the context of sustaining reliability of the program and keeping rates amongst the lowest of wholesale suppliers, Bleem mentioned. Platte River Energy sells kilowatt-hours to its municipal systems for about 5.5 cents a kilowatt-hour, Bleem said. That is about half the rate Xcel charges residential buyers. The steps taken by Platte River Power and Tri-State enable them to greater integrate renewable energy on their systems, said Western Resource Advocates' Nielsen. "With this expertise in hand, resistance to these technologies decreases and utilities develop into significantly additional open to acquiring further renewable energy," Nielsen stated. "Our hope is that this will be the case with each Platte River and Tri-State."

Colorado shows growth in residential, commercial solar installations

Led by solid growth in both the residential and commercial markets, Colorado ranked 13th in the nation in installed solar capacity last year, according to the recently-released U.S. Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review. In 2014, Colorado added 67 MW of solar electric capacity, bringing its total to 398 MW. That’s enough clean, affordable energy to power more than 76,000 homes. The report went on to point out that Colorado’s biggest solar gains came in residential installations, but commercial installations increased, as well. Of the new capacity added, 42 MW were residential and 25 MW were commercial. Together, these installations represented a $212 million investment across Colorado. From an environmental perspective, solar also helped to offset nearly 450,000 metric tons of harmful carbon emissions last year in Colorado – the equivalent of removing more than 90,000 cars off the state’s roads and highways, or not burning nearly 500,000 gallons of gasoline. “To put the state’s solar growth in some context, the 398 MW of solar PV installed today in Colorado is nearly as much as the entire country had installed by 2006. And frankly, the state is just scratching the surface of its enormous potential,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “Looking forward, we expect 2015 to be the best year ever for new PV installations across the state, with 100 MW in new projects expected to come online.” Today, there are 380 solar companies at work throughout the value chain in Colorado, employing more than 4,000 people. Notable solar projects in Colorado include: Alamosa Solar Generating Project was completed in 2012 by developer Cogentrix. This concentrating photovoltaic (PV) project has the capacity to generate 30 MW of electricity – enough to power more than 5,400 Colorado homes. Another utility scale project, the Hooper Solar Project, is currently under construction in Colorado and is scheduled to come online in 2016. Several large retailers in Colorado have also gone solar, including Kohl's, REI, Safeway and Walmart. IKEA has installed one of the largest corporate PV systems in the state with 1,120 kilowatt (kW) of solar capacity at its location in Centennial. In addition to a growing commercial sector, the Colorado residential market also showed impressive gains last year, with installed system prices dropping by 8 percent – and down a total of 49 percent since 2010. Nationwide, the U.S. residential market added 1.2 GW of installed capacity in 2014, marking the first time that this growing sector surpassed 1 GW of clean, affordable solar. Residential also continues to be the fastest-growing market segment in the U.S., with 2014 marking three consecutive years of greater than 50 percent annual growth. “Today, the U.S. solar industry employs 174,000 Americans nationwide – more than tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter combined – and pumps nearly $18 billion a year into our economy,” Resch added. “This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both the U.S. and Colorado economies, as well as for our environment.”

GRID's First Community Solar Groundbreaking

The GRID Alternatives Colorado office is embarking on an unprecedented and first-of-its-kind project this spring. Community Solar is a new approach that GRID is piloting in Colorado that will increase access to solar energy for low-income families. Differing from our Rooftop program, Community Solar will be a large scale, ground-mounted photovoltaic system brought about through partnerships with local utility companies such as Grand Junction based Grand Valley Power. By increasing the size of the solar systems GRID volunteers install, we will better be able to serve greater numbers of clients by reducing qualifications and increasing energy output. On Friday March 27th, encouraged by the applause produced by a 50+ person group made up of GRID Alternatives staff, representatives from Grand Valley Power and members of the Grand Valley business community, GRID Colorado’s Executive Director Chuck Watkins celebrated the official groundbreaking on a site that will soon provide 7 families clean, renewable and affordable solar energy. Friday’s groundbreaking was the first event celebrating GRID Alternative’s investment in community solar but it certainly will not be the last. The Grand Valley Power project will wrap up with a two day Community Solarthon event taking place on May 29th and 30th, 2015. During Community Solarthon, over 100 volunteers consisting of community members, solar sponsors and job trainees will participate in every aspect of the instillation process from setting up racking to panel install and wiring. There is still time for you to participate in this landmark event! Please see the Community Solarthon website for sponsorship opportunities or speak to a GRID staff member over the phone at (303)968-1326.

The Innovation That Lets Low-Income People Profit From the Solar Energy Boom

Thanks to net metering—a practice that lets homeowners sell excess electricity generated by solar panels to utilities—Americans in more than 45 states enjoy cheaper and carbon-free power. Yet one group has missed out on the solar bonanza: Low-income families, who are more likely to rent or live in multifamily housing where net metering isn’t available. But just as community gardens allow people without backyards grow healthy food, the United States’ first utility-built community solar farm hopes to plug the roofless into the green-energy boom. Colorado’s Grand Valley Power last week broke ground on a photovoltaic power plant in Grand Junction, a mainly rural, low-income area. Residents will be able to buy electricity generated by the 25-kilowatt solar system, saving an estimated $50 to $75 on their monthly utility bill. The solar farm is likely to be the first of many if state legislation encouraging their construction is approved. “This is different than the other community solar models that exist,” said Kristina Sickles, Colorado development director for GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit that worked with Grand Valley Power on the project. “Many are put together by a for-profit solar developer owned by a larger financing firm.” For Grand Junction resident Brenda Lange, a disabled 58-year-old living on a limited income, that means she and partner Herb Sanders, 62, will be able to save money on their energy bill when the solar farm goes online later this year—with no money down. Lange had looked into going solar as a way to cut the couple’s expenses discovered a that installing a photovoltaic system was too expensive. “Every month our energy bill seemed like it was getting higher, and when you live on a fixed income you can’t have that,” she said. “It’s a good thing for the community, it’s great to produce a cleaner alternative for energy, and it’s helping us out financially.” The 25-kilowatt solar farm will generate enough energy to serve six to 10 families. Those subscribers are still being selected, Sickles said, based on demonstrated need. Each family must pay a $30 monthly fee to access the grid. They also must pay two cents per kilowatt-hour for the amount of electricity consumed, which is a steal compared to the 11 cents per kilowatt-hour Grand Valley Power normally charges. Each family will sign a four-year contract, which is renewable if they continue to qualify for the program. Tom Walch, Grand Valley Power’s general manager, said that the utility, which operates as a cooperative, wanted to take on the project because it’s focused on providing services—not profits—to its member owners. “We operate at the lowest costs we can,” he said. “We have to earn a margin to keep our members satisfied, but the margins we earn are allocated to members based on their patronage.” To keep costs down, GRID Alternatives negotiated agreements with SunEdison, Enphase Energy, and IronRidge to supply solar panels and other components at a discount. And local organizations Atlasta Solar and Alpine Bank made donations to the project. Walch says that several other local electricity cooperatives have approached him with interest in emulating the model. Legislation now before the Colorado legislature could encourage the spread of community solar farms by letting utilities count them toward a mandate that they obtain 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. In the true barn-raising model, GRID Alternatives and local nonprofit Housing Resources of Western Colorado are gathering local community members to help finish construction of the solar farm. “Herb and I will be there,” Lange said. “We may not be able to get up on the roof, but we’ll be helping out in some other way.”

GRID Alternatives and Grand Valley Power Announce Community Solar Partnership to Serve Low-Income Customers

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GRID Alternatives, the nation’s largest non-profit solar installer, and Grand Valley Power (GVP), an electric cooperative utility based in Grand Junction, CO, today announced an unprecedented partnership to develop and produce a community solar garden dedicated exclusively to rate-payers qualified as low-income. The first of its kind in Colorado, the 25kW array will provide clean, renewable power to 6-10 families in the Grand Junction area, offsetting up to 90% of their electricity costs. “This model makes sense. We can make clean energy available to folks who have never had access to it. Everybody benefits. By leveraging GRID Alternatives’ expertise in solar development and working with lower income families, we can successfully serve some of our most vulnerable members” "We have seen a tremendous groundswell of hard-working families wanting solar and the benefits it brings,” says Chuck Watkins, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Colorado. “Community solar can provide solar to all Coloradans regardless if they’re renters or homeowners. We’d like to see this replicated all over Colorado.” The community solar project is the first in the country to be developed by a non-profit in direct partnership with a utility to provide renewable energy generation to qualifying rate-payers. GVP is a major stakeholder in the project, providing land, interconnection, and philanthropic support for the array, which is being designed and built by GRID Alternatives. The utility will own the solar equipment and provide retail bill credit for participating low-income households. GRID and GVP see this partnership as a model that can be duplicated with municipal and cooperative utilities throughout Colorado. “This model makes sense. We can make clean energy available to folks who have never had access to it. Everybody benefits. By leveraging GRID Alternatives’ expertise in solar development and working with lower income families, we can successfully serve some of our most vulnerable members,” stated Tom Walch, General Manager of GVP. In addition to support from GVP, GRID Alternatives is working with local partners such as Housing Resources of Western Colorado, Atlasta Solar and Alpine Bank, and bringing to the project equipment donations from its national partners SunEdison, Enphase Energy and IronRidge. The pilot development will break ground on March 27, and is slated for completion during GRID Alternatives Colorado’s Community Solarthon event on May 30th, 2015. The project will bring together over 100 stakeholders, utility leaders and community members, and make GVP and Colorado a trailblazer in renewable energy access.

Colorado A New Era For Solar

A solar array is going up on a roof of a home or business in the U.S. every four minutes — by one estimate — but getting them hooked up to the grid can take a lot longer. And as the demand grows for photovoltaic solar panels, the processing, approval and connection is becoming a bigger issue and potential barrier. "Addressing this is critical to widespread adoption of PV," said Kristen Ardani, co-author of a National Renewable Energy Laboratory study of the time it takes to apply for and hook-up home and small-business systems to the grid. Ardani's study — based on data from 87 utilities in 16 states — found that while the average time from application to connection to be 53 business days, in Colorado it was 60 business days. The installation of the panels on a roof took two to four days of that time. Another NREL study warned that permitting, inspection and interconnection delays could become "a market barrier that can deter project completion entirely." Faced with the growing list of homeowners opting for solar, Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest electricity supplier, and the state's main trade group, the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, have taken steps aimed at speeding approvals. "We are growing into a new era of solar in Colorado," said John Bringenberg, a COSEIA board member. "Our systems have to change with it." Rooftop solar is soaring in Colorado and across the nation, which saw a record 6,201 megawatts of installations in 2014, a 30 percent increase over 2013, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Annual home installations in Colorado more than doubled between 2012 and 2014 to 42 megawatts. In May, Xcel Energy launched a new online, cloud-computing-based portal for its customers and panel installers to file applications. The utility's "legacy system" couldn't keep up, said Lee Gabler, Xcel's director of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Parts of the filing are now automated; signatures can be done electronically. High marksSolar installers and industry representatives give Xcel's new system high marks. "It is much more transparent and enables you to track projects," said Dan Yechout, residential solar sales director for Boulder-based installer Namaste Solar. Using the portal, application work and approvals can be done in about two weeks, Yechout said. (Click to enlarge) While applications can be done online for Xcel, municipal applications and those for other utilities are still done on paper, Yechout said. When a customer applies for rooftop solar through the portal, the application goes into a queue for Xcel's Solar Rewards program. Solar Rewards provides an incentive of 2 cents for each kilowatt-hour a customer-owned home solar unit generates and 1 cent for each kilowatt-hour generated by leased systems. The program, however, has a cap of 24 megawatts a year, Gabler said. Since 2006, 24,232 customers have installed 223 megawatts of solar generation under the Solar Rewards program. Even with the improvement in online applications, installers say that there are still problems with Xcel's system. "Sometimes it feels as if utilities are not trying to make this partnership work," said Will Craven, a spokesman for SolarCity, which leases home solar panels in 16 states. SolarCity has 7,000 customers in Colorado, according to the company. In Xcel's Colorado service area, it takes an average of 41 days to complete a residential system, Craven said. That isn't as bad as SolarCity's experience with Maryland's Pepco — 90 days — but it puts Xcel in the bottom quarter, Craven said. Among the best performers, Craven said, are Connecticut Light & Power and San Diego Gas and Electric at five days or less. As Solar Rewards incentives have been cut — and are set to become smaller — some customers are ready to forgo them and just install panels, Namaste's Yechout said. It turns out that is more complicated and time-consuming than applying for a Solar Rewards incentive, he said. "You can't go through the portal. And unless the installer is persistent, an application can languish," Yechout said. "It will be essential for the utility to create a process for these applications because more and more customers will go that route." Xcel plans to add this type of application to the online portal, the company said. Streamlining steps Ardani's NREL analysis found that nationally the largest chunk of time is tied up in the utility application process — an average of 18 days. The second-most-time-consuming step was getting the permission to tie into the grid — 10 to 12 days. "But every state is different, and so are the challenges," Ardani said. The NREL study didn't break out the time for local building permit applications. In some Colorado communities this can take as long as 45 days, Yechout said. In 2012, the state trade group COSEIA launched the "Solar Friendly Communities" program to encourage local governments to streamline permitting. "It is a voluntary program, but the response has been very good," COSEIA executive director Rebecca Cantwell said. The program now covers 16 Front Range counties and communities, with about half the state's population, Cantwell said. "As solar arrays become more standardized, we are trying to encourage local building departments to think of them not like a custom house addition but a furnace," she said. Changes made by Fort Collins knocked two weeks off the city's permitting process, Cantwell said. Denver provides one-day, over-the-counter permits. Once a system is on the roof, the last step is for Xcel to add a second meter to measure the solar electricity it produces. Yechout said this can take 15 to 20 days. San Diego Gas & Electric has an online system where it can take as little as four days to complete the applications and interconnection, said Ken Parks, the utility's customer generation manager. "We have seen a dramatic growth in solar," Parks said. "We have to keep up." In 2012, the San Diego utility approved 5,200 solar arrays. It expects to approve more than 22,000 this year, Parks said. And when all the approvals are in and the panels are up, they are immediately plugged into the grid. "We don't have to add a meter," Parks said. "We have smart meters that we can program remotely, and then they are on."

Will Colorado Xcel Energy Coal Investments Become Stranded Assets?

A machine that no rational person wants to build is one that generates stranded assets — assets that become non-functional long before they have been paid for. Unfortunately, customers of Colorado's largest utility, Xcel, are bound to just such a "stranded asset machine," given the poor decisions that the Public Utilities Commission is allowing Xcel to make. Since the turn of this century, Xcel has spent about $1 billion on the Comanche 3 coal plant in Pueblo to serve the Denver-Boulder area, and now the PUC is turning a blind eye, yet again, while Xcel spends hundreds of millions of dollars on old Colorado coal plants in 2014 and 2015. Under the current system, Xcel fully expects its customers to not only pay for these coal plant expenditures, but to also provide Xcel a return of between 7 percent and 8 percent on the money. In addition, Xcel will pass 100 percent of future coal costs through to customers under the Electric Commodity Adjustment mechanism. This risk-free way of generating profit is good business as long as you can get the PUC to agree to it — which the PUC routinely does. The financial world is abuzz with discussions of "unburnable carbon" and the need to avoid investments in fossil fuel assets that are likely to become stranded given the urgency of addressing the climate crisis. None of this is being discussed as the Colorado PUC stands ready to approve hundreds of millions of dollars of expenditures on old Colorado coal plants as part of the ongoing Xcel rate case. The PUC seems to have an unspoken rule that when you walk through the doors of the commission, all discussion and concerns about the planet and unburnable carbon will be left at the door. In the 21st century, that is not only unconscionable, it is also leading Colorado into a very risky economic situation. Even if there were no concerns about climate change, ocean acidification, boiling off Colorado's precious water supplies to produce electricity, or the copious amounts of air, water and coal ash pollution created by coal plants, it still would be a bad idea to allow large investments in coal plants in the 21st century. First of all, as the costs for wind and solar plummet and storage technologies evolve rapidly, the opportunity to move beyond coal for purely financial reasons becomes ever more viable. Second, resources built in this century should be extremely flexible in their operation to match the variable nature of the wind and solar that Colorado is so blessed with. Flexible is precisely what baseload coal plants are not — and we shouldn't be investing in them. Finally, coal plants need a supply of coal to operate and the truth about coal is that most of the U.S. coal that can be mined at a profit is gone. The U.S. coal industry is running seriously in the red, stock prices have cratered, the largest companies are facing billions of dollars of debt and Wall Street has largely left the U.S. coal industry for dead. Consequently, it is completely unclear who will be mining U.S. coal in the coming years and decades — what's less for the five more decades that Xcel's Comanche 3 coal plant is scheduled to operate. Spending money on coal plants in light of these harsh realities is the height of economic (to say nothing of planetary) folly — but that is exactly what the Colorado PUC is letting Colorado's largest utility do. While the PUC is firmly keeping its eyes covered and its ears plugged to the realities of the 21st century, it is long past time that the state's economic and political leaders took a hard look at the facts that the PUC is ignoring and put an end to Colorado's stranded asset machine.

COSEIA Launches Solar CitiSuns Advocacy Group

Recently at the Colorado Solar Energy industries Association’s (COSEIA’s) Conference: 2015 Solar Power Colorado: The Next 25 Years the organization introduced its new grassroots nonprofit Solar CitiSuns. The new nonprofit is aimed at engaging Coloradans in advocating for clean energy policy and making sure solar remains a viable industry in the state. It was a public unveiling of the new nonprofit, which was first introduced last November. “Without the grassroots support of citizens we don’t have the momentum behind us to advance such policy,” said COSEIA Board President Piper Foster, a vice president at Amaris Controls. “So this year the COSIEA Board of Directors voted to inaugurate a new non-profit for the purpose of cultivating this solar grassroots activism called Solar CitiSuns.” Solar on a home. Courtesy Solar CitiSuns “Stable solar policy is incredibly important to our industry,” said COSEIA Board member T.J. Slocum, a regional sales manager with Sunrun. He observed that in the last year there were at least 21 battles against net-metering across the country. “We won 20 out of 21 of those disputes.” The new nonprofit is based on COSEIA’s previous Million Solar Roofs campaign and is organized to engage Colorado’s residents in a way that COSEIA isn’t. “We’ve organized and had people come out to support solar but its always been a little bit difficult doing that through a network of companies and making sure we’re getting the message out clearly,” Slocum said. He added, “It’s not necessarily appropriate for people to be a member of a business association. Solar CitiSuns, Slocum said, is a way to engage interested people in what’s happening with policy in solar in general. “We’ll have a membership base that’s going to receive a quarterly newsletter and…they can become part of an engaged online community that we can call to action if we need to and get people involved,” he said. The organization started with $3,500 in seed funding at a party in Colorado Springs in November. It has a site at www.gosolarcolorado.org where people can sign up for quarterly newsletters and learn about solar legislation and advocacy efforts.

Grand Junction Community solar garden makes major financial impact

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. A one of a kind energy project in Grand Junction has been in the works for three years and it's now proving to be worth the wait. The solar garden - located on D 1/4 Road - is one of, if not the biggest, in Colorado. With 6,666 solar panels spread across 10 acres of land, it's contributing more than just bragging rights for the county. The solar garden has contributed $70,000 worth of energy to District 51 in the short time it's been up and running. The structure is responsible for powering 25-percent of the school district making District 51 one of the most energy efficient districts in the state. District 51 energy manager Eric Anderson said, "We're doing what we can to conserve energy - to use renewable power where we can - and do that in a way that's efficient and effective." District 51 isn't the only one benefiting. Other entities including governmental, non-governmental, low income and residential areas are taking part in the available renewable energy. Anderson said $50,000 worth of bill credits were expected to come from the garden within the first year, but just in the last couple of months they've already calculated $25,000 worth of credits - so the garden is well on its way to beating that original goal.

Solar Leaders Look Ahead At COSEIA's Solar Power Colorado 2015

The theme of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association's (COSEIA) Solar Power Colorado 2015 conference ostensibly was celebrating the last-quarter century and looking forward to the next one. Most of the industry experts seemed to agree that the outlook extending to 2040 is positive. There was a lot of discussion, however, on how to make it through the next few years, first. "We need to have a bigger vision of the future," said Hank Price, chief technology officer of Abengoa Solar and a member of the opening session panel for solar CEOs and executives. "We need to move the discussion to what is the long-term vision for energy for Colorado, for the country and for the world, what is the path to achieve that, is solar the right technology, and does it have a key role to play." Price added that the developer is already looking beyond 2016 and the end of the federal investment tax credit (ITC). "It takes us longer than two years to build a plant," he said. "So, we are in the post-ITC world." Panel moderator K.K. DuVivier, a University of Denver law professor, started the session by asking what it will take for solar to become the primary energy source. Glen Davis, CEO of RES Americas, said cost and system reliability give solar an advantage. Other factors that can help solar include battery companies developing better storage technologies and a shift from centralized to decentralized decision=making in energy generation. "One of the things about PV is modularity," Davis said. "Whether you build on a roof or you have hundreds of modules in a field, you are not losing economies of scale by going smaller." There are still some challenges, said Paul Spencer, founder and CEO of the community solar developer Clean Energy Collective. “Equipment is down in price and up in efficiency," he said. "That’s a great trend but a smaller piece of the pie in terms of the overall cost of solar. The other costs, such as design, interconnection, permitting, legal fees and finance costs, still need to decrease." One factor that Spencer said is not a threat - although it has gained some attention - is falling oil prices. Most states do not burn oil for electricity, so the only effect oil prices will have will be in shipping costs. Carbon pricing is important though, said Lou Villaire, co-owner of the installer Atlasta Solar Center. "We need to stop fossil fuel companies from polluting for free," he said. Customers of the installer often say they want solar because they want to reduce carbon emissions. "Whatever reason you want to do solar is fine with us," Villaire said. "People want a radically different energy portfolio than they have today." People also want solar installations on their homes to positively affect resale values. Villaire noted that it helps that real estate appraisers are gaining knowledge of how to value a residential solar installation. Community effort Of course, not everyone wants solar on their home, so community solar gardens were a major topic at the conference. During one community solar panel, J.W. Postal, senior vice president of the community solar company SunShare, said he expects the Colorado Community Solar Gardens program, which was created by legislation in 2010, to be expanded. "Community solar has an opportunity to be a game-changer," he said. "All citizens can participate. Consumers will choose the better fuel. That’s the future. It may be disruptive to some businesses, but that’s where the world is headed." Community solar programs are an example of states taking an increasingly important role in solar development opportunities, either through regulation or legislation. "I don’t trust the federal Congress to get anything done, so it comes down to the states," said Jared Schoch, principal at Turning Point Energy, a development, investment and advisory firm. "We can look at rates, from commercial, residential and community solar, and how to make the rate structure work so customers want to do solar. If not, I think we will have a shakeup in 2017. I don’t see us getting around it." The states’ efforts can be a positive force, said Mark Safty, a partner with the law firm Holland and Hart. "There is tremendous justification for hope in this area," he said. "We have a federal government that has certain powers, then 50 states that are generally free, which means at least 50 laboratories for rollout and deployment of this change." Colorado is doing its part with rolling out changes. At another session on solar financing models, speakers covered topics such as power purchase agreements for residential customers, property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, green banks, credit unions and other methods to finance projects. Moderator Ryan Arney, a partner with the law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs, invited panelists to look at the future of finance. One tool might be a new version of PACE financing, which helps building owners pay for energy improvements. PACE for residential solar installations ended in 2010 with the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s rule against the program, although these have been coming back to life, led by efforts in California. Paul Sharfenberger, director of finance and operations for the Colorado Energy Office, said Colorado is getting ready to roll out a commercial real estate version of PACE financing this spring. Connecticut has a commercial version called C-PACE, and New York has the Energize Commercial New York program. "You have building owners who are paying utility bills, but the tenants are enjoying the benefits," Sharfenberger said. "Commercial PACE offers benefits that commercial property owners can pursue. It stays with the property; it's 20-year financing at six or seven percent interest, which is fairly commensurate with other commercial lending products." There are other alternatives, such as credit unions and green banks, said Blake Jones, president of Namaste Solar. But one finance issue must be settled first and foremost: "The number one thing I want is defending net metering," Jones said. "Plain and simple."

Rollback of renewable-energy standards dies in Colorado Legislature

An effort to roll back Colorado's renewable energy standard in the state Legislature died Monday in a House of Representatives committee. Democrats on the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted on a party line over Republican objections to kill Senate Bill 44. The bill, which passed the Republican-majority Senate last month, would have cut the minimum portfolio of energy the state's investor-owned utilities would have to obtain from renewable sources from 30 percent back to 15 percent by 2020, and it would have reduced the same standards for cooperative electric associations from 20 percent to 15 percent. Sponsoring state Rep. Dan Thurlow, R-Grand Junction, said the standards have helped to create a thriving renewable-energy industry but also have raised energy prices considerably in Colorado — to the point where companies are looking twice at the cost of locating here. "If we're trying to attract businesses, one of the biggest things we can do is give them a low cost structure," Thurlow said. But environmentalists and renewable-energy leaders argued that the rollback would send the wrong message about the state's commitment to clean power and that it could hurt a solar-energy industry that now employs 4,200 people in this state. "I'm sending you a message: The business community is very supportive of the renewable energy standard as it stands and does not support a rollback," said Roger Freeman, a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP in Denver and policy chairman for the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association, who noted that no utilities came to testify for the bill.

Appraising Solar Energy’s Value - Solar Panels and Home Values

New research sponsored by the Department of Energy shows that buyers are willing to pay more for homes with rooftop solar panels — a finding that may strengthen the case for factoring the value of sustainable features into home appraisals. The study, conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, examined sales data for almost 23,000 homes in eight states from 2002 to 2013. About 4,000 of the homes had solar photovoltaic systems, all of them owned (as opposed to being financed through a lease with the solar company). Researchers found that buyers were willing to pay a premium of $15,000 for a home with the average-size solar photovoltaic system (3.6 kilowatts, or 3,600 watts), compared with a similar home without one. Put another way, that translates to about four additional dollars per watt of solar power. The study involved more solar property sales than previous research, making this sample particularly “robust,” said Sandra Adomatis, an appraiser in Punta Gorda, Fla., who is considered an expert in “green” valuation and is one of the study’s authors. “This study is important for the buying public and the lending side,” Ms. Adomatis said, “and appraisers can say, here’s some proof there is some value to the system.” More homeowners have been installing these systems as the cost of solar technology has dropped over the last decade. As of mid-2014, more than a half-million homes had solar systems, according to the report. Real estate agents, appraisers and lenders are still trying to catch up with the technology, along with other energy-saving features, in terms of calculating their effect on home values — or lack thereof — in any given market. Fannie Mae has acknowledged the growing proliferation of solar. In December, the government-sponsored institution issued a guideline specifying that if a house has an owned solar system, the appraiser should analyze the system and the market to see if it adds value. The guideline provides “critical verbiage to give us some leverage” with lenders, said Gerard O’Connor, an appraiser in Lindenhurst, on Long Island, who has been trained in green valuation. Long Island’s high electric costs have made it an attractive market for solar. About 40 percent of all systems installed in New York are on Long Island, according to the state’s Energy Research and Development Authority. Buyers are “certainly willing to pay more” for a house with the electric bills to prove the savings attached to its solar system, Mr. O’Connor said. But, he added, most lenders haven’t yet recognized that market shift. Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story Arthur Wilson, a builder developing five homes (all presold) with geothermal and solar panels in Middle Island on Long Island, has had his own issues with lenders. He said that an appraisal of $498,000 for the second house to be completed was recently “shot down” as too high by bank reviewers who he said were untrained in valuing green home features. The lender asked Mr. O’Connor to look at the appraisal, and he said that he believed it was accurate in estimating the value of energy-saving features. “Any new item or feature is always a nightmare in appraising,” Mr. O’Connor said. He noted that, under the new Fannie Mae guideline, appraisers may not add value for leased solar systems, which are increasingly popular because they usually require no money upfront. The Berkeley lab report notes that more research is needed into the effect of leased systems on home value.

Senate Republicans advance renewable energy standard rollback

Colorado State Senate Republicans on Thursday passed a bill that would roll back Colorado’s 2013 Renewable Energy Standard on a party-line 18-17 vote. The measure, SB 44, reduces the requirement to 15 percent of all power generation by 2020. It would mean lowering the bar for clean energy sources 50 percent for large utilities and 25 percent for rural electric cooperatives. The existing standard is 30 percent for large utilities and 20 percent for rural cooperatives. Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction, who sponsored the rollback, argued that the 30 percent standard moves beyond the realm of productive incentive and into the realm of consumer burden. “Rolling back these standards to a reasonable level makes a lot of sense for the people of Colorado,” said Scott. “We’ve done a great job but let’s not get carried away, let’s just leave it alone.” Sen. Matt Jones, D-Boulder, a co-sponsor of the measure that created the standard, vehemently disagreed. “Testimony on this [rollback] bill told us that we’re going to meet the standard and that it’s critical to keep it because renewables are a job creator and cheaper,” he said, pointing out that both large utilities like Xcel and providers for smaller rural cooperatives, like Tri-State, have been choosing wind and utility-scale solar over other energy bids not just because of the mandate but because they’re cheaper. The Renewable Energy Standard has been a political hot potato since it passed, part of a larger partisan war over energy policy pushed by campaigning politicians and messaging groups and fueled by campaign finance realities as well as “old Colorado” versus “new Colorado” economies. Mostly rural extraction industry loyalty, even nostalgia, is pitted against mostly Front Range clean-energy-industry futuristic enthusiasm. On the floor, Jones argued that the inclusion of wind has saved Xcel ratepayers $40 million dollars since 2009 and that the renewable standard has made Colorado the leading state in the nation for clean tech — a 22,000 job, $1.7 billion industry in the state. Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, agreed the standard has seen Colorado move ahead of the pack — but mainly for ratcheting up the cost of energy. “We once had the lowest energy costs in the western United States… now we have the second highest energy rates in the western United States,” he said. On the contrary, said Sen. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins. He said that, in his semi-rural district, expanded renewables have lead to some of the lowest rates in the state. In their back and forth about whether renewables are, in fact, cheaper, lawmakers bitterly argued over tax subsidies. The data they cited on subsidies seemed fungible. At least, they used it to support what they wanted to say. DBL Investors, a clean-and-high-tech venture capital firm, completed a study of a century worth of federal subsidies and found that, on a per-year average, fossil fuels have received about 13 times the amount of federal assistance renewable energy has received. Yes, maybe, said Scott, but in recent years the tables have turned. In 2010, he said, the Energy Information Association found that solar and coal were subsidized at roughly the same level, while wind received nearly four times the subsidies dolled out to coal. Another point of disagreement was about what Coloradan’s actually want. Unsurprisingly, lawmakers from rural, and particularly coal-driven, districts were adamant that the standard is at least indirectly tied to some of the recent, devastating mine-worker layoffs in counties like Delta. Rural-area Republicans resoundingly agreed, emphasizing that even slightly higher electricity costs have an outsized impact on profit-margins in agricultural industries. “We need to listen to the people of Colorado,” said Sen. Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, who said that his constituents have seen steadily increasing electricity costs. But the Union of Concerned Scientists pointed to the bipartisan Colorado College 2014 Conservation in the West poll, which found whopping voter support for candidates who support renewables: Poll: 76% of Coloradans more likely to support candidates who promote renewable energy @ColoradoCollege https://t.co/c7MVQgwRdP #coleg

Utility industry needs a variety of investments - Will Coal Investments Become Stranded Assets?

The utility industry is changing. Anticipating and embracing that change is a key strategy for Xcel Energy. In this complex energy evolution, the dialogue needs to extend beyond just coal. Investments in the grid, energy infrastructure and technology are needed to support the integration of new energy sources. The recently proposed electric rate case settlement agreement allows Xcel Energy to begin recouping investments made in its state-approved Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act Plan. The $1 billion of investments will result in the retirement and replacement of older coal-fired plants and provide emission controls on remaining plants. By 2020, these efforts will result in an 80 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury emissions. It will enable the company to meet the EPA's overall targeted emission reduction levels 10 years early. The plan also contributes to the company's 35 percent planned reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in Colorado (compared to 2005 levels), while modernizing our power plants for the future. Xcel Energy supports renewable energy and the growing customer demand for it. This means investing in the most cost-effective renewable resources to keep energy prices affordable for everyone, without sacrificing reliability. Since 2010, the amount of solar on our Colorado system increased by more than 200 percent and wind has grown by more than 100 percent. Over 90 percent of the solar that exists in Colorado is on the Xcel Energy system. Our company has been the No. 1 provider of wind in the country for 10 consecutive years. Renewable energy sources are extremely valuable, yet intermittent. Without massive storage facilities, wind and solar resources need to be balanced with other generation sources so that power is there when our customers need it. This takes thought, sophisticated planning, and time to ensure reliability and affordable costs for our customers. David Eves is president and CEO of Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy Company.

Black Hills agrees to solar owner refunds

Black Hills Colorado Electric is willing to refund $46,000 to about 850 local customers who have solar panels, but the utility is resisting a possible $165,000 fine by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The PUC, which oversees Colorado utilities, sent Black Hills a show cause letter on Jan. 21 that said the commission hadn’t authorized a $5 monthly fee being charged to customers with net meters — those that also measure power being generated by the customer’s solar panels. The PUC said Black Hills should refund that money and face the $165,000 fine as well. Black Hills answered the letter earlier this week, filing a proposed plan to erase the $5 fee and refund the $46,735 it generated since August 2013. But the utility disputes the fee was unauthorized. “We’ve reviewed the record of that rate case,” spokesman Brett Jones said Thursday. In related news, Black Hills offers payment help. Black Hills charges the fee to pay its costs for accepting electricity being generated by customers with solar panels, according to Jones. The commission threatened Black Hills with the fine in January, saying there were records of 9,000 billings that included the $5 fee. While the PUC can fine the utility up to $2,000 per offense, state law caps any total fine at $165,000 by law. If Black Hills pays any fine within 10 days, it can be cut by 50 percent. The $5 fee became an issue in December when an energy analyst for Western Resource Advocates, Gwen Farnsworth, was researching Black Hills rates and said she could find no authorization for that monthly charge. She notified the PUC staff and the commission agreed with the complaint, sending the show cause letter on Jan. 21.

Don’t change our state’s renewable energy standards

It is very disappointing to watch our newly elected state Senator attack Colorado’s renewable energy standards. He mistakenly thinks these clean energy standards are detrimental to Colorado. What about our children and grandchildren? Do they not have the right to enjoy our beautiful state the way we do? If we don’t step up to combat climate change, future generations will be harmed far more than we can even imagine. Clean energy policies, such as Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, are significantly cutting emissions of carbon pollution — the leading cause of global warming — according to a new report by Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center. The report, Moving America Forward, showed that Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard saved 3.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere in 2012. That is comparable to the annual emissions from over 750,000 cars. This effort is building a strong clean energy economy and is helping us break our dangerous addiction to fossil fuels. Colorado has been a leader in clean energy action for years and we must continue this leadership. Clean energy benefits our economy and environment. The protections of these standards safeguard future Coloradans’ quality of life. Don’t jeopardize those qualities that make Colorado so special. Join me in asking our elected representatives to resist any rollbacks in our renewable energy standards. RICK BAER Grand Junction

Xcel Energy says proposed giant solar gardens don't look like 'community' projects

Xcel Energy Inc. warned state regulators Tuesday that a state-mandated solar garden program is encouraging large-scale projects that benefit commercial-industrial customers, but could sock all ratepayers with higher electric bills. When the utility opened the door to solar gardens in December, renewable energy developers proposed more than 400 projects, each with an output of 1 million watts. But Xcel officials said most of the proposals are concentrated fields of solar panels 10 times that size — with the electricity marketed to large businesses. “The statute has a 1-megawatt limit,” Chris Clark, president of Xcel’s Minnesota regional operations, said in an interview. “Most of the projects are a 1-megawatt garden next to a 1-megawatt garden next to a 1-megawatt garden.” Solar gardens are centrally located solar arrays whose output is shared by subscribers who pay an upfront or monthly payment to the developer. A 2013 state law requires Xcel Energy to set up the program, and the utility has publicly endorsed it. Under tariffs established by the state Public Utilities Commission, the solar power is sold to Xcel at above retail rates, resulting in a savings to participants, but at a cost to all customers. So far, no solar gardens have been approved by Xcel. That process is expected to take several weeks. In the meantime, the utility serving 1.2 million electric customers asked the PUC to take another look at the solar garden rules. Xcel said in a regulatory filing that energy developers proposing large solar gardens are “skirting” the typically ­competitive process used for big generating projects. Instead, solar developers stand to benefit from a rate structure “intended for small-scale development,” Xcel said. If all of the projects are built, it could add $50 million to all customers’ rates, Xcel said. That would be a 1.5 percent hike to all residential customers bills and up to 1.8 percent to commercial-industrial customers, Xcel said. “We are seeing the gardens being targeted to large commercial and industrial customers, which is not what we had anticipated,” Clark said. “We had envisioned more neighborhood-type gardens where neighbors in the community, nonprofits or a church or something would have a garden. We envisioned something that was different.” In January, Ecolab Inc., a Fortune 500 company based in St. Paul, said it would subscribe to community solar gardens to offset all of its Minnesota electrical needs — and save money while doing it. Clark said other large Xcel customers have told the utility that they’re being pitched solar garden deals. David Amster-Olszewski, CEO of SunShare, a Colorado solar garden developer, said Xcel has done a good job setting up the program. “This will spur a good discussion,” he said after reading the regulatory filing. He said SunShare’s proposed projects range in size from 1 megawatt to 9 megawatts. While the company is seeking large industrial customers as “anchors” in solar gardens, the goal is to sign up residential, small business and other customers as it has done on similar projects in Colorado, he added. Amster-Olszewski said about half of the 430 proposed Minnesota projects probably won’t get built, so the effect on rates won’t be as dire as Xcel suggested in its filing. Michael Noble, executive director of Fresh Energy, a St. Paul nonprofit that pushed for the solar garden program, said Xcel shouldn’t be surprised that energy developers are choosing the least expensive approach to solar — large, concentrated projects on inexpensive land on the fringe of the metro area. “The whole idea of community solar is that anybody who wanted solar could get it,” he said. “You didn’t have to have a sunny roof. You didn’t have an expensive solar system on your business. You could get the economies of scale at the lowest possible cost and get credit on your bill.”

NRG Energy to Sell Solar Directly to Consumers in Colorado

NRG Energy Inc. will sell solar power directly to consumers in Colorado as part of a push into renewable energy. NRG, the nation’s largest independent power producer, will join with SunShare LLC to build five so-called community solar projects in Denver and Colorado Springs, the companies said Wednesday. Under this model, anyone can get power from the sun even if they don’t have a good roof for panels. “These types of programs, whether with homeowners, commercial businesses or municipalities, allow us to democratize participation in renewable power consumption,” NRG Senior Vice President Craig Cornelius said in a phone interview. Colorado, which has one of the nation’s most aggressive renewable energy standards, was the first state to allow private developers to create community solar gardens in 2010. Unlike other large solar installations, which usually provide power to utilities, community projects sell directly to consumers who get a credit on their bills. The number of these types of solar farms has increased 64 percent since 2013, according to a Sept. 2014 report by the Solar Electric Power Association. NRG’s expansion into solar comes as its conventional fossil-fuel power business faces declining demand growth. Some consumers are opting for technologies that allow them to produce their own electricity. Solar-generated electricity has become increasingly attractive to customers as the price of panels have plunged by nearly two-thirds since 2011. ‘Untapped Opportunity’ With 75 percent of U.S. homeowners unable to install panels on their rooftops, community solar represents a “largely untapped opportunity,” said Cory Honeyman, an analyst with GTM Research. Utilities in 21 states now offer community solar programs, according to GTM. The Colorado installations will provide 8.2 megawatts of power, enough for 1,600 homes, and are expected to be operating by the middle of the year, NRG said. Customers, mostly businesses and municipalities, will sign a 20-year agreement to get electricity from the ground-mounted panels. NRG is providing the financing and will be the majority owner while SunShare will manage the customer contracts, the companies said. The projects could be dropped down into NRG Yield, a separately-traded unit that holds renewable-power plants, Cornelius said. NRG, based in Princeton, New Jersey, plans to bring these types of projects to other states, including Minnesota and Massachusetts, Cornelius said.

Leading Solar Experts to speak at Solar Power Colorado 2015: The Next 25 Years

Leaders in solar business, policy and technology will be speaking later this month at Solar Power Colorado 2015: The Next 25 Years. The annual conference of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association will acknowledge the quarter century history of COSEIA while focusing on the future. The conference takes place February, 23-25 at the Omni Resort in Broomfield and registration is open at http://coseia.org/conference/. “We are delighted that inspirational leaders in the solar industry from around the nation are coming to engage in stimulating conversation that we hope will lead to great insights into the best path forward,’’ said Rebecca Cantwell, executive director of COSEIA. Headlining the opening CEO panel will be the new CEO of RES Americas, Glen Davis, and Abengoa Solar’s U.S. executive Frederick Redell, along with home grown Colorado solar leaders Paul Spencer of Clean Energy Collective and Lou Villaire of Grand Junction’s Atlasta Solar. Exploring the Future of Utilities will be utility leaders including Marc Romito, renewable energy program manager for Arizona Public Service, Beth Chacon of Xcel Energy, Derek Elder of Grand Valley Power and Heather Bailey, who is spearheading Boulder’s efforts to create a new municipal utility. They’ll be joined by veteran utilities executives David Freeman and Julie Blunden in a session moderated by Tanuj Deora, EVP of the Solar Electric Power Association. Panel sessions will explore all the hot-button solar issues of the day. Looking into the future of energy storage and batteries will be speakers from Solar City, Rocky Mountain Institute, Iron Edison and the Energy Storage Association. A session moderated by Rick Gilliam of Vote Solar looking at state policies will feature Jacqueline Patterson, Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program of the NAACP, along with Wirth Chair at CU Mark Safty and speakers from SunShare, Fort Collins Utilities and more. Climate Change policy is on the minds of everyone from the President to the United Nations and the our panel will feature top experts on national, state and global policy including leading climate scientist Kevin Trenberth from NCAR, John Jimison of the Energy Future Coalition, and Laura Farris of the EPA. New solar financing models are cropping up for solar energy systems both big and small, and our panel of experts will include top Colin Murchie of Sol Systems and Blake Jones of Namaste Solar, along with experts from the Colorado Energy Office and NREL. Looking at what it will take to build a more intelligent energy system is the subject of a panel on The Internet of Energy that will feature Ameet Konkar, Enphase Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives; Vince Guthrie of Ft. Carson, Chris Black of Tendril and Paul Denholm of NREL. Solar thermal technologies and financing methods are developing quickly and Andrew East, CEO of AET Solar will share his approach, as will Patrick Sheppard, the President of VaporGenics. John Perlin, author of Let It Shine: The 6000 year story of Solar Energy will be the luncheon speaker on Feb. 25. Solar Power Colorado also features a prominent exhibit hall where leading solar organizations from numerous industry segments will show off their newest technology and solutions. They include CED Greentech, SolarEdge, Battery Systems, NESCO, Sunbandit, Enphase, Solectira, eGauge and many more. Visit 2015 Solar Power Colorado Exhibitors to see our current list of exhibiting companies from around the country.

Don't hobble Colorado renewable energy rules

By just about every metric imaginable, Colorado's renewable energy standard has been a success. It has created jobs in the wind and solar industries. It has provided additional income for rural landowners. It has reduced the reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation at a reasonable cost. What's not to love? Several GOP lawmakers have found something, it would seem. Last week, they used a 5-4 majority in a state Senate committee to advance Senate Bill 44, which would reduce the portion of energy generated from renewables. It would cut in half the 30 percent renewable requirement that investor-owned utilities, such as Xcel, would have to meet by 2020. It would also bust down the standard for rural electric associations from 20 to 15 percent from 2020 onward. In addition, Senate Bill 46, scheduled to be heard this week, would reduce the amount of energy rural co-ops are required to generate from what is called "distributed generation." In short, that is energy generated on the customer side of the meter. Neither of these bills is in the best interest of Colorado, which has been a leader in renewable energy development. The industry provides thousands of jobs for installers, manufacturers and maintenance, argues Pete Maysmith, executive director of Conservation Colorado. Maysmith said it's disappointing that the issue of clean energy development, which traditionally has enjoyed bipartisan support in Colorado, has become partisan. Furthermore, it would seem to be detrimental to constituencies that Republicans consider their own. Former Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. told us that the standard has been a boon to farmers and ranchers, who typically get $4,000 to $6,000 in annual lease payments for each wind turbine located on their land. Those payments can provide a buffer during lean years. It seems that rolling back renewable standards is popular in state legislatures. Last year, there were 14 rollback bills proposed around the country, with two of them passing, according to an analysis done by the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. It's not unusual for such ideas to make the rounds, often pitched by one interest group or another. The sheer volume, however, doesn't make them good ideas. In fact, we would argue to the contrary in Colorado's case — and hope lawmakers keep the standards in place unchanged.

Town of Silt Completes 234 kW PV Array

The Town of Silt, Colo., has placed a 234 kW solar photovoltaic power system into service. The ground-mount array, developed by Sunsense and Sunforce Solutions, is located near Silt's waste treatment plant. The facility consists of 756 Canadian Solar CS6x-P 310 W modules mounted on S:Flex racking. The system incorporates eight SMA Sunny Tripower 24000TL-US and 1 12000TL-US string inverters. The PV plant will provide electricity for the town under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Xcel is buying the renewable energy certificates generated by the plant at $0.06/kWh. Sunsense was responsible for the installation, and Sunforce structured the financing and all contractual documentation and sold the system to a Colorado investor. Samuel Engineering Inc. provided construction services. Jens Herzog, chief operating officer for San Francisco-based Sunforce Solutions, says Silt was looking to reduce their electricity costs while improving sustainability. The site near the waste treatment facility proved nearly ideal for a ground-mount array. "The site was pretty level, and only minor grading was necessary," Herzog says. "Site access was easy, and the area was large enough to size the system according to the city’s needs. We had no environmental issues, and permitting was easy. The town and all people involved were very supportive."

Craig community celebrate solar garden

Craig — Although the solar garden reception started just as the sun dropped behind the horizon, plenty of energy filled Cassidy's Bar and Lounge Wednesday night at the Clarion Inn and Suites. The garden is a collaborative effort between the city of Craig, Clean Energy Collective and Yampa Valley Electric Association. CEC hosted the reception to celebrate finishing the 577-kilowatt system. Those who rent or own property on YVEA’s electric grid can purchase one of the $825 panels. Each panel will save customers about $45 per year on electric bills. As of Oct. 8, customers had purchased 46 percent of the garden. Paul Spencer, CEO and founder of Clean Energy Collective, said he's happy the Craig community is open to looking at all available solutions to energy production. Spencer spoke at a reception hosted by CEC to celebrate and answer questions about Craig's solar garden. Craig Mayor Terry Carwile, YVEA General Manager Diane Johnson and CEC Chief Executive Officer Paul Spencer spoke at the reception and expressed gratitude at the ability to participate in a partnership that brings diversification to Craig’s energy blend. “The project is small, but the impact potential is huge,” Carwile said. At the same time the garden brings diversification to Craig’s energy sources, it also helps YVEA meet state regulations. In June 2013, the Colorado Senate passed a bill that requires YVEA to have 20 percent of the energy in their portfolio come from renewable sources by 2020. Spencer said his company approached YVEA years ago, but it just wasn’t the right time for the company to make the move. He was glad to see the change of heart when YVEA approached him in 2012 “It became important to them,” Spencer said. “And others see it as momentous that Craig has engaged it as a viable solution.” The entire state of Colorado has 359 megawatts of solar energy capacity, or enough to power 68,600 homes. Carwile talked about touring the garden and seeing Craig Station’s smokestacks in the background, as well as his past employment in the coal industry and present pride in the garden. “It’s been a grand opportunity for me to help facilitate a new energy project in this community,” Carwile said. “And I want to say in a broader sense that I believe that we should be energy leaders in this part of the state.”

Leading Solar Experts to speak at Solar Power Colorado 2015: The Next 25 Years

Omni Resort and Conference Center Broomfield, Colorado (Denver Area) February 23-25, 2015 The Largest Solar Energy Conference in the Rocky Mountain Region Leading Solar Experts to speak at Solar Power Colorado 2015: The Next 25 Years Leaders in solar business, policy and technology will be speaking next month at Solar Power Colorado 2015: The Next 25 Years. The annual conference of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association will acknowledge the quarter century history of COSEIA, while focusing on the future. The conference takes place February, 23-25 at the Omni Resort in Broomfield and registration is open at http://coseia.org/conference/. "We are excited that inspirational leaders in the solar industry from around the nation are coming to engage in stimulating conversation that will provide important insights into the best path forward,'' said Rebecca Cantwell, executive director of COSEIA. "This is a unique opportunity in the Rocky Mountain region to hear from so many leaders, and to network with fellow professionals as well.'' Headlining the opening CEO panel will be the new CEO of RES Americas, Glen Davis, and Abengoa Solar's U.S. executive Frederick Redell, along with home grown Colorado solar leaders Paul Spencer of Clean Energy Collective and Lou Villaire of Grand Junction's Atlasta Solar. Exploring the Future of Utilities will be Jeff Guldner of Arizona Public Service, Derek Elder of Grand Valley Power and Heather Bailey, who is spearheading Boulder's efforts to create a new municipal utility. They'll be joined by veteran utilities executive David Freeman in a session moderated by Tanuj Deora, EVP of the Solar Electric Power Association. Panel sessions will explore all the hot-button solar issues of the day. Looking into the future of energy storage and batteries will be speakers from Solar City, Rocky Mountain Institute, Iron Edison and the Energy Storage Association. A session looking at how state policies need to evolve will feature Jacqueline Patterson, Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program of the NAACP. along with speakers from SunShare, Fort Collins Utilities and more. Confronting Climate Change is on the minds of everyone from the President to the United Nations and our panel will feature top experts on national, state and global policy including leading climate scientist Kevin Trenberth from NCAR. New solar financing models are cropping up for solar energy systems both big and small, and our panel of experts will include top thinkers from NREL, Sol Systems, the Colorado Energy Office and Namaste Solar. Looking at what it will take to build a more intelligent energy system is the subject of a panel on The Internet of Energy that will feature Ameet Konkar, Enphase Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives; Chris Black of Tendril and Paul Denholm of NREL. Solar thermal technologies and financing methods are developing quickly and Andrew East, CEO of AET Solar will share his approach, as will Patrick Sheppard, President of VaporGenics. Solar Power Colorado also features a prominent exhibit hall where leading solar organizations from numerous industry segments will show off their newest technology and solutions. They include CED Greentech, SolarEdge, Battery Systems, NESCO, Sunbandit, Enphase, Solectria, eGauge and many more. Visit 2015 Solar Power Colorado Exhibitors to see our current list of exhibiting companies from around the country. ================================================================== For more information: Rebecca Cantwell, Executive Director, COSEIA, rcantwell@coseia.org or 303-333-7342.

Solar Industry Creating Jobs Nearly 20 Times Faster than Overall U.S. Economy

The Solar Foundation (TSF), an independent nonprofit solar research and education organization, has released its fifth annual National Solar Jobs Census. The Census found that the U.S. solar industry employed 173,807 Americans in 2014, a figure that includes the addition of more than 31,000 solar jobs over the previous year, representing 21.8 percent growth in solar industry employment since November 2013. Solar employment grew nearly 20 times faster than the national average employment growth rate of 1.1 percent in the same period. “The solar industry has once again proven to be a powerful engine of economic growth and job creation,” said Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director of The Solar Foundation. “The solar sector has grown an extraordinary 86 percent in the last four years, adding approximately 81,000 jobs. Our Census findings show that one out of every 78 new jobs created in the U.S. over the past 12 months was created by the solar industry – nearly 1.3% of all jobs. It also shows for the fifth consecutive year, the solar industry is attracting highly-skilled, well-paid professionals. That growth is putting people back to work and strengthening our nation’s economy.” The solar installation sector is already larger than well-established sectors of fossil fuel generation, such as coal mining (93,185 jobs). The solar installation sector added nearly 50% more jobs in 2014 than the total created by both the oil and gas pipeline construction industry (10,529), and the crude petroleum and natural gas extraction industry (8,688). Solar employers are also optimistic about 2015, expecting to add another 36,000 jobs over the coming year.[i] “The tremendous growth in the solar industry last year, including job growth that is outpacing the national average, is further evidence that we can clean our air and cut climate pollution while also growing the economy,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P., philanthropist and 108th Mayor of New York City. "The more data we have about the renewable energy industry, the better positioned policymakers and investors will be to make informed decisions. The Solar Jobs Census has the potential to help make that possible." “Demand for clean renewable power is growing. Solar exists at the critical intersection between energy, the economy, and the environment,” said Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. “As the nation’s fastest growing energy source, solar is adding thousands of new jobs each year. Its growth will almost surely continue to be robust in coming years.” “SolarCity is extremely proud to be the largest solar employer in the U.S., and to have added more than 4,000 new U.S. jobs in 2014 – jobs that can’t be outsourced,” said Lyndon Rive, Chief Executive Officer of SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY). “Americans want greater clean energy deployment, and conventional electricity generation is among the largest sources of air and water pollution in the U.S. As the Census underscores, solar is providing a tremendous boost to our economy while meeting public demand for choice, competition, and cleaner, more affordable energy.” “SunEdison is an American company that employs thousands of talented men and women across the United States,” said Ahmad Chatila, Chief Executive Officer of SunEdison (NASDAQ: SUNE). “As the largest renewable energy development company in the world, I’m very proud to be part of an industry that is creating thousands of high quality American jobs.” Corporate leaders heralded The Solar Foundation’s Census findings, noting the exceptional double bottom line return on investment that solar deployment has provided them. "IKEA is proud of its installation of approximately 40MW of solar arrays atop nearly 90% of our U.S. locations,” said Rob Olson, Chief Financial Officer, IKEA. “We are thrilled that our solar investment also helps contribute to a growing clean tech economy – and accelerate the creation of new solar jobs throughout the country." “At General Motors, we believe in the economic benefits that come with investment in and deployment of renewable energy,” said Rob Threlkeld, Global Renewable Energy Manager, GM (NYSE: GM). “With more than 46 megawatts of solar housed at 18 facilities across the globe, we see the power of sunshine as an integral part of becoming a more energy efficient company.” The National Solar Jobs Census 2014 was conducted by The Solar Foundation and BW Research Partnership with support from The George Washington University. The report, derived from data collected from more than 7,600 U.S. businesses, measured employment growth in the solar industry between November 2013 and November 2014. The margin of error of this data set is +/-2.03%, significantly lower than any similar national industry study. “The study shows both aggressive hiring and clear optimism among U.S. solar companies,” said Philip Jordan, Vice President at BW Research Partnership. “Of particular interest was the continued high wages among solar installers. Additionally, we found that the installation sector is generally more diverse than other energy sectors, hiring African-Americans and Latinos at a faster rate than the oil, gas, coal and construction sectors.” The full National Solar Jobs Census report is available at http://TheSolarFoundation.org. State-by-state jobs numbers, including a more detailed analysis of the Arizona, California, Georgia, Maryland, New York and Texas solar markets, as well as The Solar Foundation’s updated State Solar Jobs Map, will be released in mid-February. The Solar Foundation® (TSF) http://thesolarfoundation.org

New Multi State Study from Lawrence Berkeley Lab Shows Solar Improves Home Value

A new SunShot-funded study led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that homebuyers have been willing to pay more for homes with host-owned PV systems. Homebuyers will pay about $4 more per watt of PV installed across various states, housing and PV markets, and home types. This equates to a premium of about $15,000 for a typical PV system. The team analyzed almost 22,000 sales of homes, almost 4,000 of which contained PV systems in eight states from 2002 to 2013—producing the most authoritative estimates to date of price premiums for U.S. homes with PV systems.

US: Solar better investment than stocks, study finds

A typical solar PV system represents a better investment than the stock market in 46 of America's largest 50 cities, according to a report from NC Clean Energy Technology Center. Rooftop install, Oklahoma. A study by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center has found that the majority of U.S. homeowners who invest in a typical 5 kW solar PV system will be making a better investment than if they put their money into the stock market. According to the report, titled Going Solar in America: Ranking Solar’s Value to Consumers in America’s Largest Cities (PDF) and which was funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), citizens in 46 of America’s 50 largest cities will enjoy greater returns from a fully financed solar PV installation, while residents of 42 of these cities already enjoy solar energy costs that are lower than those of the local utility. Further, the report also estimates that some 9.1 million Americans live in a city where solar costs less than current utility rates even when a PV system is bought outright – dispelling the notion that solar energy is either for the rich or only viable on a lease or loan basis. Additionally, low-cost financing models make solar the cheapest energy option for nearly 21 million Americans, found the study. The report’s authors point to a "clear information gap" between the realities of solar’s affordability and its perceived costs. Its conclusion that solar is a "real opportunity for anyone looking to take greater control over their monthly utility bills and make a long-term, relatively low-risk investment" is championed by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). "This study proves once again that solar makes great financial sense for a large number of Americans," said SEIA CEO and president, Rhone Resch. "Every three minutes of every single day, the U.S. solar industry is flipping the switch on another completed solar project, benefiting homeowners and businesses nationwide." Solar vs. stocks and utilities The NC Clean Energy Technology Center study ranked the relative value of investing in solar against a long-term investment indexed to the Standard and Poor’s 500 stock index, giving a Net Present Value (NPV) for investment in each of America’s 50 largest cities. It found that for solar customers in 20 of these cities, paying cash upfront for a solar PV system is a better investment than the stock market over the 25-year life cycle of a typical installation. San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland led the way on this metric. Financed solar models, meanwhile, proved a better investment than stocks in 46 of those cities, thanks largely to these models’ spreading of costs that allow the consumer to benefit from the existing federal tax credit. When levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is examined, solar once again comes up trumps, with residents in Washington D.C., Miami, New York, Colorado Springs, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Boston, Philadelphia and San Antonio enjoying favorable rates whether investing in a fully financed or a 0% financed PV system. To calculate this rate of return, the study divided the cost of a typical PV system by the total estimated output of its lifecycle, adjusted for inflation, and then examined the rate at which typical utility bills are expected to rise during that period. Across the U.S., the study estimates that utility rates will rise between 33%-83% over the 25-year typical life of a solar system. Addressing soft costs and other challenges The study placed particular emphasis on the reduction of soft costs, stressing that bringing down the cost of installation, labor, fees and other processes involved with solar was key if the industry hoped to compete in a nationwide, incentive-free environment. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in 2012 soft costs were responsible for 64% of the total cost of a U.S. residential PV system. Today, both hard and soft costs have come down, but the percentage of soft costs remains one of the highest in the world. The DOE’s SunShot initiative has placed emphasis on bringing soft costs down further, particularly in terms of installation, customer acquisition, financing and permitting/inspections, but the study urges local governments and municipal utilities to do more to bring costs down further, including streamlining permitting processes, leading by example (in fitting solar PV systems atop schools and government buildings) and offering community solar options. The SEIA stresses that solar’s impressive growth in recent years must be maintained, particularly now it is largely provable that PV systems are one of the most affordable energy sources. Recent SEIA/GTM Research findings state that the national blended average system prices for solar PV have fallen 53% since 2010. Furthermore, the industry employs 143,000 Americans, pumps more than $15 billion a year into the U.S. economy and boasts more than 20 GW of capacity – enough to power four million U.S. households. Resch attributes this remarkable growth to smart and effective public policies such as net metering, renewable portfolio standards and the solar investment tax credit. "By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both the economy and our environment," Resch said. With 50% growth in each of the past three years, and the average price to install residential solar falling to $3.92/watt, the industry is entering unchartered territory where it is now a seriously viable energy option for all Americans – not just wealthy homeowners or zealous environmentalists.