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| California Solar Initiative (CSI) Newsletter - November 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue CPUC Releases Draft Resolution on Providing Incentives to Non-PV Technologies Governor Signs Solar Water Heating Bill CPUC
Adopts the CSI Single Family Low Income Solar Incentive
Program Trigger Tracker Snapshot - November 2007 Assembly Member Levine Convenes CSI Progress Forum in Beverly Hills San Diego Gas and Electric Settles General Rate Case Phase 2 with Solar Industry's Support CCSE
Solar Conference a Resounding Success California
Center for Sustainable Energy |
 CPUC Releases Draft Resolution Providing Incentives to Non-PV Technologies The CPUC moved a step
closer to integrating non-PV technologies into the CSI Program with the
release of a draft resolution (E-4131) that adopts rules and eligibility
requirements for non-PV technologies to receive solar incentives. The
draft Resolution is based on an Advice Letter filed by PG&E in June
2007. Comments to the draft Resolution are due to the CPUC by December 7,
2007, and the Resolution is expected to be on the CPUC meeting agenda on
December 7, 2007. Governor Signs Solar Water Heating Bill California’s state-wide
effort to utilize solar energy gained momentum on October 12, 2007 when
Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1470 (AB) 1470 (Huffman,
2007), creating the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The
act authorizes the CPUC to develop a $250 million statewide Solar Water
Heating incentive program that could install 200,000 systems statewide,
and it allows the CPUC to decide whether to create such a program pending
the outcome of the current solar water heating pilot in the San Diego
area. The current pilot program runs through mid-2009, and preliminary
results of the pilot program will not be available until late 2008. The
CPUC expects the data from the pilot program will be used to consider
whether to create a future program under the authority granted in AB 1470.
CPUC Adopts the CSI Single Family Low-Income Solar Incentive Program On November 16, 2007 the
CPUC adopted an unprecedented $108 million Low-Income Solar Incentive
program that provides incentives to low-income single-family homeowners.
The CPUC decision provided the framework for the program, and the CPUC
will select a Program Manager to administer the program in 2008.
Incentives will range from $4.75 to $7.00 per watt, depending on the
applicants tax and income status. CPUC Releases Draft Resolution to Implement Renewables Feed-In Tariff On Friday November 16,
2007, the CPUC issued a draft Resolution (E-4137) authorizing standard
tariffs and contracts for the purchase of up to 478 MW of renewable energy
(including solar) from grid-connected facilities (up to 1.5 MW each)
throughout the state. Assembly Bill 1969 (Yee, 2006) authorized the CPUC
to create "feed-in" tariffs for up to 250 MW from public water and
wastewater facilities to encourage development of renewable distributed
generation resources. In Decision 07-07-027, the CPUC extended this by 228
MW of renewable energy from all facilities in PG&E's or SCE's
territories. (The extension does not apply to SDG&E.) Customers under
these tariffs would be paid a fixed, long-term price for renewable energy
generation based on the price adopted by the Commission. Facilities up to
1.5 MW, including solar installations, will be eligible for the tariffs
provided that they have not participated in other generation incentive
programs like CSI or the Self Generation Incentive Program. Public
comments are due on December 7, 2007. Trigger Tracker Snapshot - November 2007 The California Solar
Initiative Trigger Tracker notifies the public of when the CSI incentive
levels are expected to drop. Installers can consult the Statewide Trigger
Tracker to track the current incentive "step" for each customer class and
territory, the megawatts available in each step, the megawatts under
review, and the megawatts left in each step. If there are More Megawatts
under review than "Left in the step" – then it is highly likely that any
new applications will be at the next (i.e. LOWER) incentive step level.
>> view the Statewide Trigger Tracker data in its entirety. California Energy Commission Releases Committee Final Guidelines for California's Solar Programs Pursuant to SB1 The California Energy
Commission will vote on December 19th on its Guidelines for California's
Solar Programs. The CEC Guidelines will govern the eligibility and
criteria for all solar incentives statewide, including CPUC-funded,
CEC-funded, and POU-funded solar installations. Assembly Member Levine Convenes CSI Progress Forum in Beverly Hills On October 30th, the State
Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce held an informational hearing
on implementation of the CSI at the City Council chambers in Beverly
Hills. With Committee Chair Assembly Member Lloyd Levine presiding, the
Committee heard from CPUC Energy Division Director Sean Gallagher as well
as representatives from solar manufacturers and installers, the CSI
program administrators, publicly-owned utilities and advocacy
organizations. Major issues discussed included program results to date,
streamlining efforts, incentive approaches including net metering and
feed-in tariffs, and program outreach possibilities. San Diego Gas and Electric Settles General Rate Case Phase 2 with Solar Industry's Support The ongoing SDG&E General Rate Case proceeding appears close to a resolution. Negotiations have centered around non-residential rates, particularly the impact of demand charges for customers with solar. A new rate structure has been proposed that reallocates some demand charges to the energy side, which should improve the economics for non-residential SDG&E utility customers interested in going solar. The CPUC is considering the settlement, and solar fans should stay tuned for word of the final settlement. CCSE Solar Conference a Resounding Success
CSI Public Forum Highlights Statewide Efforts to Streamline Program
Call for Photos of CSI-Funded Solar Systems Calling all shutterbugs!
The CSI program is looking for photos of solar systems installed under the
CSI program. The program may use the photos in the next newsletter or
other CSI-related publicity.
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Mark Your Calendar
Noteworthy and Quoteworthy “If the statewide power demand during the peak 58 hours per year were reduced by 10% it would eliminate the need for the next 10 power plants slated for California.”--Paul Clanon, CPUC Solar Energy Conference 2007 “AB 1470 is a historic bill for California... The solar water industry is growing by leaps and bounds world-wide. With this bill, California can step back into the lead building stronger businesses and more jobs right here at home.” --Sue Kately, California Solar Energy Industry Association “In the first 9 months alone, the new (CSI) program is nearing California’s total installed solar from the previous 26 years (198 MW).” --Melicia
Charles, CPUC Solar Energy Conference 2007 “Renewable energy produced about 6% of total U.S. energy in 2006, created 450,000 jobs, and totaled nearly $40 billion in gross revenues." --Brad
Collins, American Solar Energy Society Solar Energy Conference 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CCSE's Solar Energy Conference was held on October 25th in San
Diego, CA. As the San Diego wildfires ravaged the county, about 500 solar
enthusiasts and vendors gathered to hear some of the industry's finest
speak about the future of solar. Conference attendees increasingly felt
the need for safe distributed generation to power homes and businesses as
power outages were reported across parts of the County due to the
fires.
The CSI Program Forum was held on October 12th at the California
Center for Sustainable Energy offices. The Program Forum attracted
approximately 90 attendees and 25 phone-in attendees interested in hearing
about the CSI program progress, as well as recent and proposed changes to
the CSI program.
