Bill to Lower Cost of Solar Passes Assembly

AB 2188 (Muratsuchi) Aims To Cut Byzantine Permitting Procedures For Homeowners Wins Bipartisan Support                                                                 

Update 4:11pm, May 27. Final vote count is 58-8.

SACRAMENTO - A bill establishing a streamlined permitting and inspection procedure for small, residential solar energy systems passed out of the State Assembly today. Assembly Bill 2188 takes aim at the patchwork quilt of costly ‘red tape’ permitting procedures in 500 cities and counties statewide promising to lower costs for homeowners and local governments alike. 

“Many jurisdictions in the state have adopted best practices that have significantly cut down on permitting wait times, while maintaining important public health and safety standards,” said Al Muratsuchi (D –Torrance), author of the bill. “It’s time that we expand these practices statewide, which will help make solar more affordable and increase access to more California homeowners who want to control their electricity bills and generate their own clean energy.”

In much the same way as cell phones a decade ago, the price of solar has fallen 50% since 2006 mainly due to economies of scale in manufacturing. However, the “soft costs” of solar, including the cost of getting a permit from a local building department, remains a stubborn thorn in the side of the solar industry desperate to keep lowering costs and achieve parity with fossil fuels.  

“Your typical home solar energy system has become practically cookie-cutter,” said Kelsea Jones, deputy director with the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA). “From Chico to Chula Vista, we’re talking about the exact same product, design, and installation, yet many building departments require byzantine permits as if they are installing a nuclear power plant up there.”

Research has shown that costs associated with attaining a building permit for a residential solar energy system can be significant. A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs concluded that streamlining the permitting process could potentially reduce the price of a typical residential solar system by $1,000 or more, on average, and cut development time by about a month.

Approximately 158,000 solar roofs were installed on California homes in 2013, double the number from 2012. The growth in homeowners going solar, fueled by financial incentives and a desire to cut energy bills, has led to a backlog of work at local permitting offices. Advocates of AB 2188 point out that streamlining the permitting process for solar not only helps homeowners but also cuts workloads for cash-strapped building departments.

“Streamlined permitting doesn’t mean weaker consumer protections,” said Tom Butts, city council member in Richmond, which has already adopted a streamlined permitting procedure akin to that envisioned in AB 2188. “Local governments run more smoothly by applying practical, tried and true efficiency measures to the permitting system.”

AB 2188 passed the Assembly with a vote of 52-5. It now moves to the Senate where it will be heard in Governance and Finance Committee in June.  The bill is supported by a coalition of business associations, solar companies, environmental groups, and local elected officials. 

New Report: San Jose Ranks 4th Among Major U.S. Cities for Installed Solar

San Jose – Today, Environment California Research & Policy Center was joined at the Tech Museum of Innovation by San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) and local renewable energy advocates to release a new report: “Shining Cities:  At the Forefront of America’s Solar Energy Revolution.”  The report ranks San Jose fourth in the nation for the amount of solar installed and second for per capita solar installations, and provides a first-of-its-kind comparative look at the growth of solar in major American cities (Top 20 list below).

“Solar power is booming across the country and cities are at the forefront,” said Mac Farrell, global warming organizer at Environment California.  “As one of the top ranking cities, San Jose is leading the way.” 

With the cost of solar coming down, there’s growing awareness of solar power as a mainstream energy solution with widespread benefits for our health, our economy and the environment.  

“Going solar isn’t just good for the planet, it’s also an excellent investment,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, who has solar panels installed on his own home. “San Jose is pleased to be recognized for its solar efforts. Since adopting our Green Vision in 2007, San Jose has become a national leader in solar installations, including putting solar on city buildings to save taxpayer dollars and energy.”

“I’m so proud of San Jose for being one of the national leaders in clean, renewable energy,” said Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-San Jose). “Solar power helps Californians meet its conservation goals. I’m looking forward to continue working with our community to reduce our carbon footprint.”

The report highlighted the benefits of solar energy, including: 

Solar energy avoids pollution—Pollution-free energy from the sun reduces air pollution that contributes to urban smog and global warming.  It also helps save the massive amount of water that’s normally consumed during the cooling of fossil-fuel-burning power plants.  

Solar energy protects consumers—Since solar has no fuel costs, it can protect us from the rising cost of fossil fuels.

Solar energy helps the economy—California has over 47,000 solar jobs, accounting for approximately one-third of all solar jobs in the country.

The top 20 solar cities in this report have more solar power within their city limits than was installed in the entire U.S. just six years ago. 

“Of course Silicon Valley has embraced solar power. High-tech embraces high-tech. California’s goal is to make rooftop solar power as commonplace as the PC, and forward-thinking cities like San Jose, along with strong public policies, are making that vision a reality,” says Kelsea Jones, Deputy Director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA).  

The report pointed to policies that encourage investment in solar PV installations, which have been adopted by local leaders in solar cities:

• City leaders can set ambitious and achievable goals and citizens and businesses can work with local governments to meet them.  Cities can lead by example by putting solar on public buildings.
• Cities can adopt policies to advance solar power in their communities, including tax incentives, low-interest loan programs and solar-friendly zoning and building codes.  Cities can also run “Solarize” programs that use bulk purchasing and educational campaigns to help neighbors “go solar” together.
• City leaders can work with state governments to ensure that they have strong programs to expand solar, including renewable energy standards, solar carve-outs or feed-in tariffs, net metering and community solar programs.
• City leaders can also demand a strong partnership with the federal government to ensure that federal incentives such as tax credits are continued.  And, that federal programs, such as the Solar America’s Cities and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant programs continue to provide support and technical assistance to cities seeking to expand solar.

“We are pleased that a significant number of San Jose home and business owners have adopted solar to generate clean energy, reduce their carbon footprint and lower their electricity bills,” said SunPower President and CEO Tom Werner.  “As a San Jose-based solar company, and founded almost 30 years ago, we continue to support the City’s environmental goals and congratulate its leaders on this achievement.”

In 2008, SunPower installed a 185-kilowatt solar system atop the roof of the San Jose Tech Museum, the first commercial solar system on a downtown San Jose building. 

"The partnership between The Tech, the city of San Jose, and SunPower is a great example of how communities can pave the way for clean, renewable energy," said The Tech President Tim Ritchie. "The Tech is proud to be part of San Jose’s recognition and exhibit the benefits of solar power.”

"Clean Solar is the second largest residential installer in San Jose, where it was born, nurtured, and is now thriving,” added Randy Zechman, CEO of Clean Solar. “San Jose’s leadership in green building and infrastructure has been a key part of our success and happiness in this market. We are not surprised to see San Jose thriving as one of America’s top solar cities." 

“The sky’s the limit on solar energy.  San Jose is a shining example of solar leadership,” said Farrell.  “But, we’ve barely scratched the surface of the potential to capture this pollution-free energy source.   By committing to bold goals and expanding on the good policies we’ve adopted, we can take solar to the next level.”     

Environment California Research & Policy Center is a statewide nonprofit environmental advocacy organization working to protect California’s air, water and open spaces. More information, including copies of today’s report, can be found at www.environmentcalifornia.org/center.

[1] This includes all solar PV capacity (rooftop and utility-scale solar installations) within the city limits of each city. 

KYOCERA Solar Modules Successfully Pass TÜV Rheinland’s Salt Mist Corrosion Test

IEC61701:2011 Edition 2, Severity Level 6 is highest testing level in the industry

Kyocera announced today that its entire product line of solar modules has passed the Salt Mist Corrosion Test, IEC61701:2011 Edition 2, Severity Level 6, administered by TÜV Rheinland in Tempe, Arizona, demonstrating that Kyocera’s modules maintain performance even under very severe environmental conditions. Successfully passing this independent, third-party test indicates that Kyocera’s solar modules, which are the product of more than 38 years of continuous research and development, are ideally suited for long-term deployment in marine and coastal areas.

Salt mist is a corrosive agent that can reduce the output of solar modules that are not proven salt-mist resistant. Salt-laden humidity and rain conditions can adversely affect key module components, including the frames, junction boxes and glass surfaces, thus potentially reducing a module’s performance and lifespan.

TÜV Rheinland performed the test to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61701 standards, Edition 2, Level 6 -- the most severe testing conditions, involving eight weeks of intensive cyclical, sequential days of corrosive salt spray and damp storage, to simulate a harsh marine environment.

In 2011, Kyocera solar modules passed the rigorous Edition 1 Salt Mist Test of the Japanese Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET). Kyocera modules are also certified PID (Potential Induced Degradation) resistant, exhibiting no performance degradation after high-voltage stress testing by the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics. Kyocera solar modules were the first in the world to be certified by TÜV Rheinland’s Long-Term Sequential Test in 2010. In addition, Kyocera solar modules have shown to be the best long-term-performing modules in the systems that were installed and began operation in October 2008 at Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre (DKA), a government-funded public showcase of solar installations, demonstrating a range of solar power technologies from many of the world's leading manufacturers.*

“This ongoing battery of tests provides world-class evidence of the quality and reliability of Kyocera solar modules,” said Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar Inc. “Kyocera has proven time and again, both through independent testing and through solar modules actually performing in the field uninterruptedly for decades, that our modules are able to produce clean, renewable energy reliably, in even the harshest conditions. 

To learn more about Kyocera Solar Solutions for both residential and commercial projects in the U.S. and Mexico, please contact infosolar@kyocera.com or 800-223-9580.

*Desert Knowledge Australia, the Australian Government, the Northern Territory Government and the project managers, CAT Projects, do not endorse, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the outcomes and conclusions associated with the use of data from the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre

About KYOCERA 
Kyocera is one of the world’s leading producers and suppliers of solar photovoltaic modules and systems. With a 38-year history of innovation in solar technology, the company is recognized as an industry pioneer and has set repeated world records in multicrystalline silicon cell efficiency. Kyocera serves thousands of residential and industrial customers in both developed and developing regions, with more than 4 gigawatts of solar collection equipment installed since 1975.

Kyocera Solar, Inc. is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona with regional sales affiliates in the Americas and Australia, and solar module manufacturing facilities operated in North America by Kyocera Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. of Tijuana, Mexico.

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO) (TOKYO:6971), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine (or “advanced”) ceramics. Kyocera specializes in combining these engineered materials with other technologies to create solar power generating systems, printers, copiers, mobile phones, electronic components, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial components. During the year ended March 31, 2013, the company’s net sales totaled 1.28 trillion yen (approx. USD13.6 billion).

Solar trackers help one of North Bay's largest recyclers reduce energy costs

Cotati, CA – February 26, 2014 … When the North Bay’s largest recycler of rubble materials saw their electric bills double overnight due to a rate redesign, they looked to solar to help. 

Through local solar installer North Coast Solar, the Soiland Company recently commissioned a 202 kW, 33 "dual axis" solar tracker installation in Cotati, California. 

The 52 year old company provides innovative approaches to construction and material supply needs. They produce rock, soil, and compost products at their three locations in Sonoma County, California and they are a leading recycler of rubble materials in the area.

“The decision to go solar not only made economic sense, but really aligned with Soiland’s environmental values. Since the Soiland Company’s inception, we have always strived to be as sustainable and environmentally responsible as possible,” said Mark Soiland, the second generation owner of Soiland.  The company first went solar in 2007 and has pursued other environmental measures, such as equipment upgrades to reduce smog even before it was required by state regulations.  

Working with their local utility, the newly installed system will help Soiland cut their energy bills by more than half and is projected to pay for itself in just seven years.

 Local installer North Coast Solar recently partnered with the Vermont-based AllSun Tracker manufacturer AllEarth Renewables to bring their innovative solar tracker to northern California.  

The solar trackers use GPS technology to accurately follow the sun from dawn to dusk, producing up to 40 percent more energy than fixed rooftop or ground mount systems.  The dual axis tracker was named a “Top-10 Green Product of the Year” by BuildingGreen magazine.  The ground-mounted solar systems are designed for homes, businesses, non-profits, and commercial-scale installations.   More than 1,750 units are operating throughout the United States.

“When the Soilands approached me about helping them reduce their sharply escalated electric bill I turned to AllEarth Renewables in Vermont. Their AllSun Tracker gives the best return on their investment with significantly higher electrical output during the day.  It will help with stabilizing their energy budget over the long term and reduce inflation risk.  It will provide decades of energy cost security for this local green business leader,” said Brian Hines of North Coast Solar.

President and CEO of AllEarth Renewables, David Blittersdorf added, “It is great to be partnering with North Coast Solar to bring our technology to northern California and particularly exciting to see it help such a great family business like Soiland go solar and save on their electric bills.”

Photo: A 202kW solar farm of AllSun Trackers provides energy and savings to the Soiland Company in Cotati, CA.