solar_basics_core_short

Editor's Notes

• #4: There are three existing and utilized solar technologies; solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, and concentrated solar power. This presentation focuses on solar photovoltaic systems, or PV systems, which can be used to generate electricity from dispersed sites like residential rooftops. Solar hot water, or solar water heating, is a mature renewable technology that has been well established and used at large scale in many countries including Australia, China, Jordan, Spain, and Turkey. Concentrated solar power is for large scale power generation. These systems use mirrors on a moveable array and focus sunlight to a central solar power tower that concentrates the sunlight and converts it to heat. This drives a heat engine that produces energy through a steam turbine.
• #5: A solar panel is one unit of a solar array and contains multiple individual PV cells.
• #6: This presentation focuses on Battery-less, grid-tied systems because they are the most common in the United States. They exchange energy with the grid depending on the production and energy demands of the system and, where net-metering is available, excess energy sent back to the grid is rewarded with energy credits. Battery-based, grid-tied systems receive any extra needed energy from the grid or send excess electricity to the utilities but rely on the stored energy in batteries to provide electricity during a power outage due to severe weather. Off-grid systems which are only tied to a battery bank don’t exchange any energy with a power utility, but can store excess energy in the batteries for use when energy is not being produced. The batteries can then provide energy when the PV system is not producing electricity. PV direct systems are the simplest of solar power systems because their power only lasts while the sun is shining. There are no batteries or grid connections collecting power, and the PV must be directly connecting to its destination to function properly. A solar calculator is an example of this
• #7: Solar PV can be ground mounted or roof mounted. It can be mounted on a variety of roof slopes from flat roofs to pitched roofs.
• #8: Total system costs for solar pv are made up of the soft costs and the hardware costs, which we will discuss in more detail. The hardware costs include the costs of the panels, but also the other hardware required, such as wiring and mounting, referred to in the industry as the balance of system costs.
• #9: The soft costs of installing a solar system involve financing, permitting, customer acquisition, installation, and maintenance. Essentially they are the cost of everything beyond the hardware of the solar PV system. Some of these costs can be reduced significantly through regulatory reform, and some are decreased dramatically in countries where solar is widely used. I Local and State regulations are a major factor in permitting costs and financing options available. Customer acquisition, installation, and maintenance costs can be lowered as solar becomes more widely used because the public is more familiar with the technology and there are multiple competitive solar companies.
• #10: Solar Cells make up a Solar Module. Solar Modules are combined into a Solar Panel. Solar Panels make a Solar Array. When this is combined with other hardware, the array becomes the complete PV System. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_system#mediaviewer/File:From_a_solar_cell_to_a_PV_system.svg
• #11: The ‘balance of system’ refers to the hardware components of a solar energy system other than the PV panels. The wiring, switches, mounting system, the inverter, and utility meter are included in the Balance of System or BOS costs.
• #12: The PV array converts solar energy to direct current electricity, which goes to the system’s inverter to be converted to alternating current. The utility grade solar meter measures the input energy from the solar power and the building energy demands. The breaker box and disconnect switch provides an interconnection point to the consumer or grid. These requirements may vary by utility. The outlay of these items can vary visually.
• #13: Just to put it back in perspective, the hardware costs and soft costs combine to create the total solar PV system costs. The system is now ready to be connected to the grid.
• #14: Another solar term you may hear is Interconnection. Interconnection is the connection of two electric systems that allows for the sale or exchange of electricity. When a residence has a distributed generation system, like a PV array, it is usually connected to the greater electrical grid of the region. Resource: http://www.nrel.gov/learning/eds_grid_interconnection.html
• #15: Base load power is the minimum power used in 24 hours and the peaking power takes care of peaks in energy that occur during a typical day. A power plant supplying base load power needs to be able to run for months on end without needing to be taken down for maintenance, and it's best if the fuel costs are relatively low. Typical base load power plants are coal-fired, nuclear and hydroelectric. Base load power plants tend to be expensive to build, and coal and nuclear take days to reach full power once fired up A peaking power plant is one we can switch on when we need additional power, which will come online without much delay and start generating power on a moments' notice. Peaker power plants often rely on natural gas and produce energy at a higher cost than base load power plants. Solar PV can act as a peaking power plant if peak demand is midday. Resource: http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/explainers/explainer-base-load-and-peaking-power.html
• #16: Net metering allows utilities to distribute excess energy from PV customers during the day to other users on the grid. In return, the PV customer is credited for that energy production when they use energy supplied from the utility. Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Daily_net_metering.png
• #17: Now we will discuss the basics of financing solar PV projects and policies.
• #18: This graph shows that in recent years the cost of residential solar PV has significantly decreased. Can update from MAREA. Update with local graph. Show with and without rebates.
• #19: This graph shows that in recent years the cost of residential solar PV has significantly decreased, with the price dropping by a quarter from 2010 to 2012.
• #20: This graph shows the aspirational trends in the solar market. Over time, the price of solar is projected to drop below the retail price. The first stage is customer-driven. Customers pay a premium over market rate for the benefit of having solar power that is higher than the retail rate they would receive from their utility currently. In this stage most solar is customer owned and net metered. When the price of solar matches the retail rate, then we have achieved grid parity. Resource: http://votesolar.org/SEPA_Utility_Solar_Trends.pdf May not be easy enough to use off the shelf. Solar price is going down. Grid Parity is a term we may want to define. Buying the next 25 years of energy at today’s price. Cell phone or other technology changes. Computers. Early adopter.
• #21: When buying a solar installation, one is buying 25 years of solar electricity production at today’s price. This can help level out electricity price swings over time for the individual consumer.
• #22: Solar Technology is similar to computer or cell phone technology in that as there are higher adoption rates, prices decreases. The price decrease is due to savings both in hardware costs and soft costs. Hardware costs are decreased due to increased manufacturer competition and efficiencies of scale. Soft costs are decreased due to increased understanding among customers, financers and government officials that help lower customer acquisition, financing, and permitting costs.
• #23: There are many policies and incentives in place that can be utilized to support the solar market.
• #24: The federal policies and incentives for solar energy development include investment tax credits, qualified clean energy bonds, and accelerated depreciation. These can be examined further using the other training material resources. Resources: http://www.seia.org/policy/finance-tax/solar-investment-tax-credit http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/A-Brief-Overview-of-Depreciation http://www.seia.org/policy/finance-tax/depreciation-solar-energy-property-macrs http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/solutioncenter/qecb.html http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US51F http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/solutioncenter/qecb.html IRS/Treasury QECB Guidance: June 2012, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Guidance Overview April 2010 February 2009 LBNL Case Studies: Using QECBs for Street Lighting Upgrades: Lighting the Way to Lower Energy Bills in San Diego Using QECBs for Public Building Upgrades: Reducing Energy Bills in the City of Philadelphia Using Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECBs) to Fund a Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program: Case Study on Saint Louis County, MO Energy Programs Consortium Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds Memo DOE Clean Energy Finance Guide: QECB Bonding Options and Frequently Asked Questions DOE Guidance for use of EECBG and SEP to support QECB issuances DOE QECB/CREB Primer Websites: LBNL QECB Web Portal
• #25: The policies and incentives available to State and Utility are going to be discussed in the following slides very generally for context. One of the main tools available in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is metering. As previously discussed, net metering with solar power is a service that allows a solar customer to send the excess energy produced by the solar panels to the local utility which can then be used to offset the cost of energy from the grid during times the panels are not producing electricity to meet demand.
• #26: A tax credit can be used as a subsidy as a deduction from taxes to encourage investment in solar energy. Generally, tax credits are deducted from the total amount a taxpayer owes the state. This map shows the states that use this financing tool, which does not include Pennsylvania or New Jersey. (Source: www.dsireusa.org).
• #27: This slide shows the various property tax incentives used by 38 states. These incentives include a variety of financial subsidies. From the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org/glossary): “Property tax incentives include exemptions, exclusions, abatements and credits. Most property tax incentives provide that the added value of a renewable energy system is excluded from the valuation of the property for taxation purposes. For example, if a new heating system that uses renewable energy costs more than a conventional heating system, the additional cost of the renewable energy system is not included in the property assessment. In a few cases, property tax incentives apply to the additional cost of a green building. Because property taxes are collected locally, some states have granted local taxing authorities the option of allowing a property tax incentive for renewables.” Wind property tax incentive and federal tax credit.
• #28: Sales tax incentives deduct the added cost of state tax from the sale of solar or renewable energy infrastructure. From the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org/glossary): “Sales tax incentives typically provide an exemption from, or refund of, the state sales tax (or sales and use tax) for the purchase of a renewable energy system or energy-efficiency measures. Some states have established an annual "sales tax holiday" for energy efficiency measures by annually allowing a temporary exemption -- usually for one or two days -- from the state sales tax.”
• #29: A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a regulation specific to each state that requires or encourages increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal. The carve-out for solar is the mandated allotment of energy that should come from solar sources. The RPS is a market based mandate, and relies on the market for its implementation. RPS supporters, therefore, argue that RPS mechanisms will result in competition, efficiency, and innovation to lower the cost of renewables and allow them to compete with fossil fuel energy sources. Resource: http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=4850
• #30: This slide highlights key details of the RPS. One of the main outcomes of having Renewable Portfolio Standards is that they allow for the creation of Solar Renewable Energy Credits or SRECs, which can be market traded.
• #31: This map shows a detailed breakdown of the RPS of each state. The yellow call-outs show the percentage of the total energy from renewable sources by a certain date. For Pennsylvania the RPS is 18% by 2021, meaning 18% of the total energy produced in the state will be from renewable sources by 2021. In New Jersey, the goal is to have 20.38% renewable by 2021, with 4.1% coming from solar. Targets are off and should be specified. Compare NJ and PA side by side. To the detailed area. SREC slide is more the important.
• #34: South facing design orientation has the highest production
• #35: Shading on part of the panel causes a marked decrease in production, but new technologies are aiming to remedy this issue.
• #36: There are many other property specific considerations in the preferred design specifications of solar installations. The training materials include a handout with basic information that customers can use to see if their homes are good candidates for solar installation. Not every home or business is a good candidate for solar PV.
• #37: First responder training is a vital step in establishing familiarity and comfort with solar fire safety. The training should include the steps in this slide, and should encourage fire fighters to understand solar basics.
• #38: The creation of these training materials were made possible from the Solar Ready II grant, which is part of the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative.
• #39: Please contact us for more information or to tailor a presentation to your needs.