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In
This Issue
Solar Installations in First Half of 2008 Exceed
All of 2006
News for PG&E’s E-7/EL-7 Customers
Program Manager Chosen for CSI RD&D and
Low-Income Programs
CPUC Hosts CSI Budget and Drop-Out Workshop
CSI Database Increases Functionality
Performance Data Provider Workshop Report
Available
PG&E Begins Six Sigma CSI Process Improvement
Project
CCSE Offers More CSI Training Via Webinars
CSI Public Forum Promotes Participant
Interactivity
Marketing and Media Support Available for New
Solar Homes Partnership Developments
August is Solar Energy Awareness Month in
California
Trigger Tracker Snapshot for July 24, 2008
Call for Photos of CSI-Funded Solar Systems
Useful Links
California Center for Sustainable Energy
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Southern California Edison
California Public Utilities Commission
Go Solar California Web site
CSI Handbook |
Greetings ARLEEN,
August
is Solar Energy Awareness Month in sunny
California! This month’s feature photo comes
from Santa Rosa homeowners Marcia and Eckhard
Konkel, whose 3.57-kW system, installed by
Akeena Solar, will provide clean, renewable
energy for years to come. Read on for important
CSI Program updates and an opportunity to submit
photos of your CSI-funded solar project.
Solar Installations in First Half of 2008 Exceed
All of 2006
On July 11, 2008, the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) Energy Division
issued the fourth Progress Report on the
California Solar Initiative (CSI) Program, and
announced that there have been 59 MW of
installations in the CSI program in the first
half of 2008, which is the same number of
megawatts installed statewide for all of 2006.
>> click here to view more statistics and
read about other program progress, and to
download the July Staff Progress Report.
News for PG&E’s E-7/EL-7 Customers
In early April, 2008, PG&E—working with the
solar industry-- filed a Petition to Modify
D.06-12-025 to increase enrollment in Rate
Schedules E-7 and EL-7. PG&E sought to offer its
E-7 rate schedule to all eligible solar
customers who submitted interconnection or
rebate requests in 2007 and planned to complete
their projects in 2008. The CPUC granted the
modification on June 12, 2008, in Decision (D)
08-06-011, and PG&E is ready to move forward and
fulfill eligible solar customers’ requests for
the E-7/EL-7 . If you have any questions
regarding the requirements needed to
successfully finalize your interconnection, call
PG&E at 877-743-4112.
>> click here for additional information on
PG&E’s net energy metering Web site.
Program Manager Chosen for CSI RD&D and
Low-Income Programs
On July 1, 2008, CPUC Energy Division staff
issued Draft Resolution E-4179, which proposed
the selection of Itron Inc. as the Program
Manager for the CSI RD&D Program. The Draft
Resolution will be considered at the July 31,
2008, Commission meeting. The CPUC also
announced the selection of
Grid Alternatives as the Program Manager for
the CSI Low-Income Single-Family Program.
CPUC Hosts CSI Budget and Drop-Out Workshop
On July 14,2008, the CPUC held a public
stakeholder workshop to discuss issues raised by
parties relating to the California Solar
Initiative (CSI) budget, potential unspent
program funds and incentive applications that
drop out. CPUC staff led the discussion, which
included potential options for program
modifications. Parties have until Aug. 4, 2008,
to submit post-workshop comments to address the
issues raised in the workshop presentation.
After reviewing the comments, CPUC staff will
decide whether any steps need to be taken.
>> click here for the workshop agenda and
presentation.
CSI Database Increases Functionality
CSI Power Clerk, the online database used by the
CSI Program Administrators to record and display
CSI reservation status and incentive levels for
all customer classes, has recently added new
user functions. The database now calculates
split incentives for projects that are reserved
at different steps, and also allows inverter and
array association. Additionally, the design
factor for each array may be entered
individually and the estimated annual kWh
production amount may be adjusted manually at
any point during the process. Contact your
program administrator for training.
>> click here to access the written
instructions.
Performance Data Provider Workshop Report
Available
On June 30, 2008, the CPUC issued a workshop
report outlining the results of three workshops
on the subject of performance data provider (PDP)
protocols. With the release of this workshop
report, the CSI Program Administrators have 30
days to submit a draft PDP protocol via advice
letter. The draft PDP protocol will be
considered by the CPUC and, if ratified, will be
included in the CSI Handbook.
>> click here to view the PDP workshop
report.
PG&E Begins Six Sigma CSI Process Improvement
Project
Integral to PG&E’s commitment to streamline
processes and improve customer satisfaction,
PG&E has embarked on a Six Sigma Process
Improvement project. One of the early data
points resulting from this project is the
identification of the most commonly omitted
items in Incentive Claim Form packages, i.e.,
the 10-year warranty and PMRS quotes. Since
missing items slow down payment of incentives by
an average of 33 days, the Program
Administrators have included suggestions in the
upcoming Advice Filing to make it easier for
customers to meet these requirements.
CCSE Offers More CSI Training via Webinars
To expand its curriculum of solar trainings for
installers and consumers, CCSE has announced a
new series of free solar webinars. Topics
covered include How to Read Your Electric Bill,
Residential Power Clerk Training and Solar for
Homeowners. CCSE’s newest webinar topic—Required
Documents for a CSI Reservation—provides
examples of required documentation to obtain a
reservation for an incentive, as well as
detailed information on accurate completion of
the forms. The online workshops can be accessed
at any time, are self-paced and provide examples
of paperwork that needs to be submitted, as well
as PowerPoint slides and audio commentary.
>> click here to view the webinars.
CSI Public Forum Promotes Participant
Interactivity
PG&E hosted the latest quarterly public forum at
its San Francisco headquarters on July 17, 2008.
The main points offered by the highly engaged
group of stakeholders involved data integrity
and advance notice of calculator and other
program changes. Two topics in particular
stimulated robust interaction: the California
Energy Commission's proposed changes for 2009
and the Program Administrators’ proposal to
eliminate the reservation process for
residential projects. The next Forum will be
held in October in conjunction with Solar Power
2008 in San Diego.
>> click here for more information.
Marketing and Media Support Available for New
Solar Homes Partnership Developments
The New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP), a
component of the California Solar Initiative
managed by the California Energy Commission
(Energy Commission), provides financial
incentives and marketing support to builders
that install eligible solar photovoltaic systems
on
new
residential construction projects sited in
investor-owned utility territories. To
facilitate the marketing and outreach efforts of
new homebuilders and developers with completed
and approved NSHP applications, the Energy
Commission provides a range of support,
including: media outreach to promote their
development’s grand opening; a speaker from the
Energy Commission at the grand opening event;
builder logo featured on a Web site banner
located on the Go Solar California Web site;
NSHP development named on radio commercial tags;
tailored Energy Commission quotes in builder
press releases; and a secured radio station live
remote at the development grand opening.
Marketing support varies according to the
builder’s chosen partnership level. The highest
level, called Platinum-level partners, are
builders that feature solar as a standard
feature throughout their development and exceed
energy efficiency standards by 35 percent (Tier
2) or more.
>> click here for additional information
about the builder marketing support available
through the NSHP and to download the Builder
Outreach Kit.
August is Solar Energy Awareness Month in
California
The Go Solar California! campaign and the
thousands who participate by going solar have
had far-reaching effects on state policy. To
promote even greater adoption of solar energy,
the Energy Commission has declared August "Solar
Energy Awareness Month." More information will
be available soon on the Go Solar California!
Web site.
>> click here to visit the Go Solar
California! site.
Trigger Tracker Snapshot for July 24, 2008
|
California Solar Initiative |
|
TRIGGER TRACKER SNAPSHOT FOR
JULY 24, 2008
|
|
Administrator
|
Customer Class
|
Current Step |
Revised Total MW in Steps |
MW Remaining |
MW Under Review |
|
PG&E
|
Residential |
4
|
19.11 |
13.10 |
2.08 |
|
Non-Res |
5 |
62.13 |
40.25 |
5.83 |
|
SCE
|
Residential |
3 |
15.26 |
13.24 |
1.14 |
|
Non-Res |
5 |
58.21 |
52.79
|
5.69 |
|
CCSE
|
Residential |
3 |
3.42 |
1.66 |
0.07 |
|
Non-Res |
4 |
9.92 |
5.22 |
1.38 |
The California Solar Initiative Trigger Tracker
provides an indicator of when the CSI incentive
levels are expected to drop by showing the
reservation and review status of all incentive
classes. This snapshot compares the megawatts
remaining in each step with the megawatts under
review, so that users can estimate how close the
incentives are to declining. When there are more
megawatts under review than remaining in the
step, then it may be probable that any new
applications will be at the next (i.e. LOWER)
incentive step level.
>> click here to view today’s Statewide
Trigger Tracker.
Call for Photos of CSI-Funded Solar Systems
The California Solar initiative seeks photos of
CSI-funded solar systems for use in future
newsletters or other CSI-related publicity. When
submitting your solar PV system photos, please
provide the following: name of photographer;
name of installer, seller or system owner;
system size and location; and full permission to
use photo in CSI-related publicity.
>> click here to submit your CSI-funded
solar system photos.
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Workshops and Trainings
Southern California Edison Introduction to CSI
Training
Aug. 12, 2008* Aug. 27, 2008*
8 a.m.–noon
6090 Irwindale Ave.
Irwindale, CA 91702
To register, please call: (800) 336-2822, ext.
42537. *Both of these classes are available
online via webinar.
>> click here for maps and directions.
PG&E Monthly Installer Workshop
Aug. 13, 2008
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Pacific Energy Center
851 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
>> click here for maps and directions.
>> click here to register.
CCSE Monthly Solar for Homeowners Workshop
July 31, 2008
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
8690 Balboa Ave., Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92123
>> click here
for directions.
>> click here for maps and directions.
Special Events
Solar Power 2008
October 13-16, 2008
San Diego, CA
>> Solar Power 2008
CCSE Family Solar Day
Oct. 12, 2008
Spanish Landing Park
San Diego, CA 92101
>> click here to register.
Solar Metering and Performance Monitoring
Exposition
Aug. 5-6, 2008
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
UC Berkeley MLK Student Union
2475 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94720
>> click here to register.
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