Opening ceremony of Intersolar North America dominated by politics

Bernadette del Chiaro, Executive Director of California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) was one of the speakers of the opening ceremony of Intersolar 2016 North America yesterday evening in San Francisco.

By Hans-Christoph Neidlein, Sun & Wind Energy Magazine

Despite a predicted record growth of 16 GW photovoltaics in the U.S. in 2016 the opening ceremony of Intersolar North America(link is external) yesterday evening in San Francisco was pretty much shaped by politics. The focus was the democratization of the energy transition, job creation through decarbonization and a policy design for smart markets.

“Solar is for everybody”, Bernadette del Chiaro, Executive Director of California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA(link is external)) said. Already now over 50 percent of new residential solar capacity in California would be installed in middle class and lower income homes, she stressed. Utilities should cooperate and not block the further expansion of residential solar del Chiaro underlined, referring to problems with the disruption of several net-metering programs. This would also undermine further job creation of the solar sector.

“Climate protection, cleantech and solar secure our economy”, Kevin de León, president pro tempore of the California Senate and winner of the 2016 Intersolar Champion of Change AWARD, underlined. Already now jobs in the cleantech sector in California would grow six times faster than other industries. It would be historic step to further implement decarbonization and the decoupling of economic growth and energy consumption of fossil fuels. As the number six of GDP globally California could lead the way for the U.S. and other countries, León stressed. This would also enhance quality of life and health care of the middle class and lower income groups. “We have to provide as many people as possible access to clean renewable energies”, the democratic senator said.

Next step would be the coupling with electric mobility and clean transportation. As “a big step forward”, he described the engagement of Southern California Edison(link is external). The utility announced to install 30,000 electric charging stations within the next years. Presently in Los Angeles around 1,200 charging stations for electric vehicles are installed. “But there are still battles to be fought and we need more lobby work for solar and decarbonization”, León stressed. Although he is optimistic, that the 50-percent goal for the renewable power mix in California will be reached already before the year 2030.

“We need a better coordination of energy policies in the U.S. and a market design, that prevents the parallel creation of overcapacities in the conventional energy sector”, Gregory M. Wilson, Director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Laboratory (NREL)(link is external) told S&WE. Similar comments were made by Lynn Jurich, CEO of Sunrun(link is external) at her opening speech.

Floating PV Expert Exhibits California Based Project and Launches 72 Cell Solar Floats at Intersolar North America

SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- International floating PV pioneer Ciel et Terre exhibits patented technology Hydrelio®, as a part of the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) pavilion at Intersolar North America.

Hydrelio®, created in 2011, is a platform that allows standard solar PV panels to be installed on large man-made bodies of water such as industrial reservoirs, dams or irrigation ponds. This is proven to be a beneficial source for energy and water intensive industries such as water treatment plants and reclamation facilities, wineries and dairy farms.

More recently, Ciel et Terre created two pilot programs in the US. The organization developed partnership with The University of Central Florida and installed a 5KW floating PV system on the campus's retention pond. The second pilot program is located in Sonoma, CA at the Kunde Family Winery. Ciel et Terre's innovative floating system conserves the reservoirs' water by reducing evaporation and limiting algae growth. The solar panels operate more efficiently and produce more energy due to the natural cooling effect emitted through the water.

This installation is the first on site study that will compare real electricity generation from traditional ground mount racking and the floating PV power plant. This will provide empirical data to show the natural cooling effect to optimize solar output in Northern Californian weather conditions.

Currently, Hydrelio® is leading the industry with floating PV systems utilized by the most solar dependent countries including Japan, Korea, China, UK and Brazil. These existing systems combined have a total peak capacity of 44 MWP megawatts using approximately 170K floating solar panels.

Ciel et Terre is continuously making strides to position their patented technology as one of the most beneficial sources of renewable energy. The Hydrelio® system manufactured in Atlanta, GA can now accommodate installations up to 60 cell and 72 cell modules to better answer the US market demand.

For more information or to schedule an interview stop by Booth #7145 at the Moscone Center -West Hall, Level 1 California Pavilion.

About Ciel et Terre
Established in 2006 as a renewable Independent Power Producer (IPP), Ciel et Terre has been fully devoted to floating solar PV since 2011. The company pioneered the first specific and industrialized system –named Hydrelio to make solar panels float on water, with criteria such as cost-effectiveness, safety, longevity, resistance to winds and waves, simplicity, drinking water compliance and optimized electrical yield.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/floating-pv-expert-exhibits-california-160000492.html

SDG&E becomes first California utility to hit net metering cap

By Krysti Shallenberger, UtilityDIVE

Dive Brief:

• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) hit its net metering cap late yesterday afternoon, according to the utility's real-time net metering application tracking dashboard. 
• SDG&E is the first major utility in California to hit the cap, which limits distributed generation projects eligible for net metering to 5% of a utility's peak demand. 
• New applications will now be shifted to the new time-of-use rates and fees established in California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)'s decision earlier this year that outlined the successor tariff for net metering. 

Dive Insight:

It was only a matter of time before SDG&E hit the cap after sounding the alarm a year ago that net metering applications were piling up fast.

SDG&E is the first California utility to breach the cap. While such an event typically induces panic in solar advocates (as seen in states like Nevada and Massachusetts), California regulators acted swiftly enough to ensure a plan was in place for when the cap would be hit. 

Under CPUC's January decision, new net metering customers will be able to keep retail rate remuneration for energy exported to the grid after the cap is hit, but they will also pay a one-time interconnection fee between $75 and $150, a non-bypassable monthly charge ranging from $0.02/kWh to 0.03/kWh, and will be moved onto time-of-use rates.

The solar industry isn't particularly worried about the impacts of a California utility hitting its net metering cap. Bernedette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar Energy Industries Association (CalSEIA), doesn't anticipate any slowdowns in rooftop solar installations in SDG&E's service territory after the cap is hit, according to PV Tech.

"If anything, we anticipate a return to growth as more consumers realize that NEM 2.0 isn’t a threat to the economics of solar and that now is just as good to go solar as ever," she said.

The other two major California utilities, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric, aren't far behind SDG&E in reaching their own net metering caps. As of June 19, the last time PG&E's net metering tracker was updated, the utility was about 289 MW away from reaching its 2,409 MW cap. SCE, which hasn't updated its tracker since April, was about 621 MW away from its 2,240 MW cap.

Source: http://www.utilitydive.com/news/sdge-becomes-first-california-utility-to-hit-net-metering-cap/421819/

As SDG&E edges closer to net metering cap, solar installations not expected to slow

By Krysti Shallenberger, UtilityDIVE

Dive Brief:

• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) will likely be the first utility in California to surpass its net metering cap (5% of its peak demand) and enter into the new rates and fees designed by the NEM 2.0 proceeding, PV Tech reports. 
• According to SDG&E's real-time net metering dashboard, the utility is 4.7 MW from hitting its 617 MW cap, with 37.4 MW of net metering applications left in the queue. 
• Once the cap is breached, new net metering customers will shift to the new net metering fees and time-of-use rates set by the California Public Utilities Commission in their net metering decision earlier this year. 

Dive Insight:

SDG&E sounded the alarm last year that the aggregate caps on net metered systems in California were close to being hit.

Now looks likely to receive the distinction of being the first utility to hit its limit. But unlike in other states, it's not a panic-inducing circumstance since the CPUC already has a solution in place.

Under a January regulatory decision, new net metering customers be able to keep retail rate remuneration for energy exported to the grid after the cap is hit. But they will also pay a one-time connection fee between $75 and $150, a non-bypassable charge from $0.02/kWh to 0.03/kWh, and will be switched to time-of-use rates.

The solar industry welcomed the new regulatory scheme, saying the commissioners understood the importance of retail rate net metering to sustain rooftop solar. Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar Energy Industries Association (CalSEIA) doesn't anticipate any slowdowns in rooftop solar installations in SDG&E's service territory after the cap is hit, according to PV Tech.

“The California Public Utilities Commission did a good job of making the change to net metering small enough to not cause significant harm to the market while also addressing some of the utility’s concern," she told the outlet. "It was a balancing act but one in which the California solar industry is primed and ready to step up to the plate and do its part to lower costs so that consumers feel no difference between the two different programs. If anything, we anticipate a return to growth as more consumers realize that NEM 2.0 isn’t a threat to the economics of solar and that now is just as good to go solar as ever."

Source: http://www.utilitydive.com/news/as-sdge-edges-closer-to-net-metering-cap-solar-installations-not-expected/421312/