IndianaDG

Will Oldenburg (IN) folks mobilize to solarize?

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 13, 2017 / Posted in solar / No Comments

Will Oldenburg folks mobilize to solarize?

Debbie Blank The Herald-Tribune

Sister Claire Whalen of the Sisters of St. Francis asked the Oldenburg Town Council July 10 to take a leadership role in promoting renewable energy in the town government, local homes and businesses.

She already has approached Batesville officials with the same request. Whalen observed, "It should be a regional effort, rather than just one town."

The environmentalist pointed out a solar array has been constructed along I-74 near Greensburg by Decatur County REMC, Southeastern Indiana REMC and Hoosier Energy. When at full capacity, those panels should generate enough electricity to power 150 homes. Whalen reported the Decatur County REMC leader is eager to educate area citizens about solar panels.

The Sister was hopeful residents interested in improving the environment could form Hoosier Solarize Initiative local teams, which would be overseen by Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light (www.hoosieripl.org), Indianapolis, which involves individuals, businesses and congregations to respond to climate change.

According to the website, Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light works with faith communities in three related ways:

Education: providing workshops, speakers, retreats and other tools, programs, and resources
Using energy prudently: offering practical programs, tools and measures to reduce fossil fuel consumption through both energy conservation and renewable energy.
Public policy: organizing to advocate with state and local governments, utilities and other powers for environmentally sustainable policies and actions.

"I'm very willing to take a (Batesville-Oldenburg) team" to a July 29 HIPL workshop in Indianapolis and Whalen invited OTC members to attend, too. Greg Struewing will read the material she distributed and decide if he is able to go.

He said, "I did a little research on solar panels ... for home use. It seems a little expensive." She agreed purchasing panels can be costly with energy savings coming later. "I think that's going to be a hard sell," Struewing said.

Whalen noted, "The homeowners have to pay for" panels if they want them, not the town. "Even if it's one or two," that could start a trend. According to Sister Maureen Irvin, Sisters of St. Francis congregational minister, "There are tax credits available. Duke Energy has been trying to get people interested."

Whalen added that the Indiana Chamber of Commerce has issued reports about the state of solar energy in Indiana. "It's emerging. There's a lot I need to learn and understand, too ... Even if the (local) team does nothing but educate folks ... I'd be satisfied."

Richard Cartwright, who lives off the grid north of Oldenburg, reported, "I've had a solar system for 15 years. It's very minimal, but it's sufficient. It's doable. It you want to run solar, the panels are getting cheaper all the time."

Member Dennis Moeller asked, "Is there a lot of maintenance involved?" Cartwright answered almost no maintenance. "We had to buy one inverter in nine years."

Area residents who are interested in helping to solarize their community can contact Whalen at 812-933-6514 or cwhalenosf@gmail.com.

Suniva (+ SolarWorld)’s Section 201 trade case

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 13, 2017 / Posted in solar / No Comments

The buzz of Intersolar North America has primarily focused on one thing: Where will the Suniva Section 201 trade case take the U.S. market in 2018 and beyond?

Dispatches from Intersolar North America: The “Suniva effect” is real – and it’s already started

ANALYSIS: Discussions with at least one growing solar developer reveal panel shortages, asterisks and other potential clouds on solar’s horizon because of the Section 201 trade case.

JULY 13, 2017 FRANK ANDORKA

I had long had Nov. 13 circled on my calendar. That’s the day when the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to deliver its recommendations on the Suniva (+ SolarWorld)’s Section 201 trade case to President Donald J. Trump (the potentially terrifying implications of which I wrote about yesterday).

Little did I know, however, that the effects of the case are already being felt, and at a meeting with some fellow Midwesterners, I as informed that developers around the country are already feeling the crunch.

“It’s hard to bid on projects right now because of the uncertainty of what module prices will be for next year,” said Jefferson Gerwig, purchasing manager for Indiana-based developer I novateus Solar. “We’ve seen a lot of people at [Intersolar North America] who have these projects they are ready to develop. Any deal signed here, though, has to come with a big asterisk, saying ‘these prices are subject to change depending on the Section 201 trade case.'”

At which point Adam Raifsnider, an account executive for the company, interjected.

“There’s already a shortage of modules,” Raifsnider said, as Gerwig nodded in agreement. “We don’t usually see an exhaustion of inventories until October or November. This year, those shortages are already happening – and it started last month.”

Developers are trying to snatch up as many modules as possible because of abject fear at what could happen if Suniva is granted relief under its petition, Gerwig said. Adding to the shortage is the fact that the Chinese and Indian markets are still growing fast. So manufacturers are selling any excess inventory into those markets – markets where they can have a reasonable expectation of continued growth moving forward.

“The uncertainty we’re seeing in the U.S. market is not good,” Gerwig said. “It’s putting a real damper on a lot of development, and the market will continue to worry until the case is finally decided – and even then, with no certain outcome, the effects could linger.”

On the other side of the case, Vietnamese-based module manufacturer Boviet Solar met a question about the trade case with little more than a shrug.

“It isn’t going to hurt module companies,” said John Bereckis, president of Boviet Solar USA’s Module Division. “All of us have contingency plans to deal with the fallout, no matter how the case comes out.”

Bereckis said module manufacturers have several options, including building factories in countries not affected by the tariffs to partnering with U.S. companies to build them in country.

“The only companies that will be hurt by harsh sanctions will be U.S. manufacturers themselves,” Bereckis said. “The market will shrink, and the downstream installers and other manufacturers will be hurt.”

“Meanwhile, the international companies will find ways to manufacture modules at prices that are affordable but will include the price of the new tariffs,” he added. “So we’ll have more money to invest in research-and-development, and we’ll be able to expand our lead in creating breakthrough technologies.”

Most of the conversations I’ve had at the show so far have revolved around the Suniva case, but they’ve largely been in the abstract – what might happen, what could happen. But today’s conversations with Inovateus and Boviet were immensely sobering. It’s clear the “Suniva effect” is real – and people are already feeling its effects and planning for the future.

New York Bucks National Trend to Curb Net Metering

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 13, 2017 / Posted in 2017 Indiana General Assembly, solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

New York Bucks National Trend to Curb Net Metering

Bill Morris in Bricks & Bucks on July 12, 2017

New York State

July 12, 2017 — Utilities are successfully lobbying other state legislatures to dim solar energy.

As New York City co-ops and condominiums – and commercial buildings – continue to embrace solar energy, there are heartening and disheartening trends on the renewable-energy front.

First the good news. In New York, state-supported solar power has boomed by 800 percent over the past five years, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In New York City, buoyed by incentives, tax credits and falling costs, the number of solar installations has soared from 1,037 to 9,700 since the beginning of 2013 – and there are more than 2,000 new projects in the pipeline. Nationwide, solar and wind energy accounted for a total of 10 percent of the electricity generated in March, the first time these renewable, non-polluting sources reached double digits, according to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Now the bad news. After increasing by 900 percent nationwide in the past six years, rooftop solar panel installation is expected to decline by 2 percent this year, according to projections from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That sudden nationwide reversal is caused by several factors, including market saturation in California and other locales. But a much bigger factor, according to a report in the New York Times, is a well funded lobbying campaign by traditional utilities, which have been working successfully to get state legislatures to do away with one of solar energy’s biggest selling points: net metering, which allows people with solar panels to sell their excess power back to the grid. The utilities claim that net metering is unfair to people who do not want or cannot afford to install solar panels. So far, legislatures in Hawaii, Arizona, Maine, and Indiana have agreed to phase out net metering. [Emphasis added.]

To guide this legislative push, utilities turned to a conservative nonprofit called the American Legislative Exchange Council, which receives funding from the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

In April, a month after wind and solar hit double digits for the first time, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry ordered his staff to examine how renewable energy is hurting such conventional energy sources as coal, oil, and natural gas. The staff’s report is due this summer, and environmentalists are fearful it could curtail the expansion of wind and solar power.

Now back to the good news. “What’s happening nationwide is scary, but we don’t have that problem here in New York City,” says Derek Nelson, a resilient-solar associate at the nonprofit Solar One, which is working to make solar energy accessible across the city. “For the next two years, any new residential solar project will be grandfathered into net metering for 20 years.”

Meanwhile, Nelson notes, the New York State Public Service Commission is holding hearings to develop a system called Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) to replace the current net metering, which awards flat-rate credits to people whose solar panels generate surplus electricity. Those credits will likely be a replaced by some sort of credit based on the location of the panels, the time when they’re generating surplus electricity, and other factors. “We think such variables could be favorable for solar installations,” Nelson says. “If they get VDER right, it’ll be a template for the rest of the country.”

So is solar energy in eclipse? In may be headed that way in much of America, but not in President Trump’s hometown. For New Yorkers, that’s the best news of all.

Solarize Bloomington (IN) Sees Nearly 100 New Solar Installations – Now Launching Phase 2

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 13, 2017 / Posted in 2017 Indiana General Assembly, solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

Solarize Bloomington Sees Nearly 100 New Solar Installations - Now Launching Phase 2

Updated July 13, 2017 7:02 AM

(BLOOMINGTON) - Residents, businesses and nonprofits in Bloomington and surrounding counties will have another opportunity to install solar at a discount this year with the launch of the Solarize Bloomington Initiative, Phase 2.

The new phase follows on the heels of the first phase, which resulted in 95 new residential solar installations and two large City of Bloomington installations. In total, the program added over one megawatt of new solar capacity within a few months.

A pending change in Indiana law means that going solar before the end of 2017 is much more beneficial for residents than waiting until 2018 or beyond. Installations completed by December 31 will be credited for energy produced at retail rather than wholesale rates until 2047. For systems completed after this date, the energy produced will only garner retail rates until 2032.

"I hope many additional Bloomington households will join mine in going solar," said Mayor John Hamilton. "Solarize Bloomington Phase 2 lowers the barriers and guides the way for Bloomington residents to do their part to reduce the negative impacts of fossil-fuel-based energy."

Solar system prices have dropped by more than half since the city first partnered on residential rooftop solar almost a decade ago. Participants in the Solarize Bloomington Phase 2 will be offered prices of approximately $7,000 after the 30 percent federal tax credit for a four-kilowatt system that can produce about half of the electricity for a typical home.

The City has worked closely in partnership with SIREN (Solar Indiana Renewable Energy Network) and solar installers to implement the program, which will continue through the end of 2017. Phase 2 will also expand the Solar For All component of the program that makes "Going Solar" accessible to even more homeowners.

"These group-buying arrangements put Going Solar within reach for almost every homeowner," said Woodie Bessler, an electrical engineer and volunteer with SIREN. "By financing the cost with a home equity loan, you can replace all or part of your monthly electric bill with a loan payment of about the same cost -- and after the loan is paid off, you get free electricity for the rest of the 30-plus-year life of your system, with net metering until 2047."

The campaign will kick off in July 2017 with public information sessions. Residents interested in attending a session or learning more about the program are asked to fill out an online form at tinyurl.com/solarizebloomington2 or call (812) 325-5968 to get started.

"We were so pleased with the response to the first round of Solarize," said City Sustainability Coordinator Jacqui Bauer. "With the expansion to surrounding counties, we're hoping to demonstrate how much southern Indiana loves solar."

Maine Gov. LePage vetoes solar ‘net metering’ bill, again

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 12, 2017 / Posted in solar / No Comments

Gov. LePage vetoes solar ‘net metering’ bill, again

A representative for the solar installation industry accuses the governor of lying in his veto letter to change House Republicans' votes.

BY KEVIN MILLER; STAFF WRITER

AUGUSTA — As expected, Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed a solar energy bill strongly supported by environmental groups and solar installation companies.

The bill, L.D. 1504, would direct the Maine Public Utilities Commission to adopt new rules that would keep so-called “net metering” solar energy incentives in place but would reduce them over time. Supporters proposed the bill after the PUC voted earlier this year to phase out net metering – also known as net energy billing – in which homeowners with solar energy panels receive credit for 100 percent of the full retail value of excess electricity they feed back into the power grid.

“It is a very cynical attempt to flip more Republican votes by lying to them,” said Steve Hinchman, legal counsel for ReVision Energy, the largest solar installation company in Maine.

Solar policy has been a major issue in Maine since last session, when LePage successfully vetoed a net metering bill that had divided the industry.

After multiple changes, the current version of the bill that passed the Legislature late last month would reduce that credit to 90 percent for new customers applying between Dec. 31, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2018, and then to 80 percent the next year. The bill also would allow the PUC to further reduce the credit amount for future net metering customers, but customers could keep receiving credits for up to 15 years. The legislation would also require the PUC to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the policy.

An outspoken critic of net metering, LePage contended in his veto letter that L.D. 1504 continues the “unsustainable practice” of net metering.

“Even the Natural Resources Council of Maine has acknowledged that net energy billing ‘is not a preferred long-term policy,’ ” LePage wrote. “However, rather than moving away from this practice to a more sustainable approach, L.D. 1504 sets net energy billing into statute in perpetuity.”

He also said that the bill contains “serious drafting errors that will result in irrational outcomes,” such as solar customers seeing their power bills drop even if they don’t generate any electricity.

Not so, according to ReVision Energy’s Hinchman. The language in the current bill, he said, mirrors the existing PUC language on net metering. The only change, he said, is that it would allow the “step-down” of compensation rates to apply to the excess electricity being sold back into the grid.

“That is the governor’s attempt to mislead legislators,” Hinchman said. “It is flat-out not true.”

LePage’s veto of the bill sets the stage for what could be another close vote on solar energy in the Maine House. The current bill passed the House on a 105-40 vote and the Senate by a vote of 29-6, which are both veto-proof margins. But LePage has successfully vetoed even bills that passed unanimously in both chambers, thanks, in large part, to his ability to flip enough Republican votes in the Democratic-controlled House. The Legislature has scheduled a veto session for July 20.

Last year, the House upheld a LePage veto of a much more sweeping solar bill by just a few votes, thereby setting in motion the controversial PUC decision to begin phasing out net metering.

Beth Ahearn, political director of the organization Maine Conservation Voters, said LePage was “wiping away bipartisan progress for the second year in a row” on solar energy issues.

“The governor’s actions could threaten good-paying solar jobs, our environment, and our climate future,” Ahearn said in a statement. “This veto is bad for Maine, and goes against the majority of Maine people who have made their support for solar power known for over two years. We are calling on our state legislators to stand with the Maine people who want to see our great state move forward and benefit from solar power by voting to override the governor’s veto of the solar bill.”

Kevin Miller can be contacted at 791-6312 or at:

kmiller@mainetoday.com

Twitter: KevinMillerPPH