Interconnection Newsletter - August 2000 [RE-wrenches]

Travis Thompson trav_t at yahoo.com
Sat Sep 2 16:49:54 PDT 2000 

I thought this may be of interest to the Wrench members. It is an electronic
newsletter regarding interconnection issues for the RE industry, authored by
Chris Larsen of the North Carolina Solar Center. There is a link to
subscribe if anyone is interested. Thanks.
Travis Thompson
Graduate Student
Building Science & Appropriate Technology
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Larsen" <SCCL at mckimmon.mck.ncsu.edu>
To: "Interconnection Newsletter" <chris_larsen at ncsu.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2000 12:12 AM
Subject: Interconnection Newsletter - August 2000


> =======================================
>
> IREC's Interconnection Newsletter
> August 2000
> Volume 3, Number 8
> Editor: Chris Larsen, North Carolina Solar Center
>
> =======================================
>
> CONTENTS
>
> News from the States
> (1) CALIFORNIA    Revised DG Rules Soon Ready
> (2) FLORIDA   TECO Interconnection Pilot
> (3) NEW HAMPSHIRE    Net Metering Rules Near Completion
> (4) NEW YORK    Capstone Approval & LIPA  Interconnection
> (5) OHIO    Continuing Work on Interconnection Rules
> (6) TEXAS   Pre-Certification Rules Almost There
>
> Publications
> (7) PV Connections Newsletter On-line
> (8) Forum 2001 Abstracts Due
>
> Events
> (9) IEEE PV Specialists Conference
> (10) NESEA/IREC Interconnection Workshop
> (11) Intertech DG Conference
> (12) MSRI Interconnection Workshop
> (13) Northwest Solar Summit
> (14) CADER/DPCA Symposium on Distributed Energy Resources
>
>
>
> ==================
>
> News from the States
>
> ==================
>
> (1) CALIFORNIA
> Revised DG Rules Soon Ready
> We reported last month that there were a number of proposed changes to
> California's distributed generation (DG) rules which are currently
> before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).  The
> collaborative group that has been developing the proposed changes will
> submit a full report to the California Energy Commission (CEC) by the
> end of this week.  After review by the CEC, the (revised) rules would
> move to the CPUC for approval which is expected by November of this
> year.  For more information contact Chuck Whitaker of Endecon
> Engineering at (925) 552-1330 or chuckw at endecon.com or Scott
> Tomashefsky of the CEC at stomashe at energy.state.ca.us or (916)
> 654-4896.  Or, you can follow California DG activity through the CEC
> website at http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen.
>
>
> (2) FLORIDA
> TECO Interconnection Pilot
> We mentioned last month that Tampa Electric Company (TECO) had filed
> with the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) a proposed pilot
> interconnection tariff for small PV systems.  No ruling on the pilot
> proposal has been made at this point.  And, the Legal Environmental
> Assistance Fund (LEAF) has approached TECO in an effort to revise the
> pilot rules to include net metering based on a cost-justified
> rationale that allows net metering for small PV without setting a
> precedent for other generation sources such as fuel cells.  Meanwhile,
> the net metering/interconnection docket (# 990538) for PV systems up
> to 10 kW is still open before the Commission.
>
>
> (3) NEW HAMPSHIRE
> Net Metering Rules Near Completion
> New Hampshire is moving toward the completion of its rulemaking
> process for the net metering of renewable systems up to 25 kW.  An
> Initial Proposal, which was developed by the staff in collaboration
> with the state's utilities and the renewables community, was approved
> by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NHPUC) on August 11.
>  These proposed rules are available on the web at
> http://www.puc.state.nh.us/draftrul.html.  On September 22, a public
> hearing on the docket will be held at the NHPUC, and the written
> comment deadline for the docket is September 28, 2000.  To receive
> notices or for information on this docket, contact Peter Kelley of the
> NHPUC at pkelley at puc.state.nh.us; for specific technical questions,
> contact Mark Stanko of the NHPUC at mstanko at puc.state.nh.us or by
> phone at (603) 271-2431.
>
>
> (4) NEW YORK
> Capstone Micro Turbine Approval
> Earlier in August, the New York State Department of Public Service
> (NYDPS) approved the Capstone Micro Turbine for interconnection in New
> York State.  The 30 kW Micro Turbine is the first three-phase device
> approved in New York.  In terms of the New York DG interconnection
> process, the NYDPS approval means that these units can now be
> installed in any of the state's investor owned utility territories
> without being submitted to additional tests.  DPS approval was based
> on Capstone's units having passed Underwriters Laboratories testing
> processes.  For more information, see the Capstone press release at
> http://www.capstoneturbine.com/whatsNew/pressrelease.asp?article=39.
>
> LIPA Working Out Kinks
> The Long Island Power Authority and their power service contractor,
> Keyspan Energy, are still working out the kinks while developing their
> interconnection rules for small scale PV systems.   Under LIPA's Solar
> Pioneer Program, consumers are encouraged to install photovoltaic
> systems, but there are still some important interconnection issues to
> be settled.  The most critical issue at this time is the
> interconnection of systems on homes that are served with an
> underground feeder.  These customers currently cannot interconnect.
> The reasons for this prohibition are not necessarily technical in
> nature but have to do with the resolution of some contractual and
> utility policy issues.  It is expected that the final LIPA
> interconnection rules will be similar to those that apply statewide.
> For more information about the LIPA Solar Pioneers Program, check out
> their website at http://www.lipower.org/pioneer.html.
>
>
> (5) OHIO
> Continuing Work on Interconnection Rules
> In Ohio, the hope is that as they approach the seventh in a series of
> Commission-sponsored renewables/DG interconnection workshops some
> consensus can be reached between the utility and non-utility
> representatives.  At the August 30 workshop, the utilities presented
> their technical recommendations.  To a large extent, efforts are
> focusing on the DG interconnection rules that came out of Texas and
> are being developed in California.  Consensus seems to be developing
> around the concept of an interconnection screening process similar to
> that proposed in California.  (A screening process provides a
> simplified means of determining which systems need individual
> interconnection studies and how extensive such studies would be.)
> Still, there are various points of contention in Ohio, including the
> appropriate threshold for requiring interconnection studies,  cost
> recovery (fees) for any such studies, and uniformity of
> interconnection contracts.  For more information, contact Kurt Waltzer
> of the Ohio Environmental Council at (614) 487-7506 or
> kurt at theoec.org, or Dave Rinebolt of Ohio Partners for Affordable
> Energy at (419) 425-8860 or DRinebolt at aol.com.
>
>
> (6) TEXAS
> Pre-Certification Rules Almost There
> The Pre-Certification Working Group (PWG) met on August 30 to complete
> the draft requirements for pre-certification of distributed generation
> for interconnection in Texas.  This document lays out the testing
> requirements for pre-certification based on Texas's December 1999 DG
> interconnection rules.  Comments on the draft document are due by
> September 8, and it is anticipated that a final draft document will be
> presented to the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) for a
> vote in early October.  Meanwhile, work is underway to develop the
> state's guide to distributed generation interconnection for
> customer-generators.  For more information, contact Ed Ethridge of the
> PUCT at (512) 936-7340 or ed.ethridge at puc.state.tx.us.  Or, you can
> follow this project through the PUCT website at
> http://www.puc.state.tx.us/electric/projects/22318/22318.cfm.
>
>
>
> ==================
>
> Publications and Other
>
> ==================
>
> (7) PV4You Connections Newsletter On-line
> The Spring Edition of the PV4You Connections Newsletter, with 20 pages
> of state, city, school, and national news, is now on-line at
> http://www.irecusa.org/pv4uNews.htm.
>
>
> (8) FORUM 2001 Abstracts Due
> The deadlines for abstracts for FORUM 2001 are coming up.  Abstracts
> for peer-reviewed papers are due to ASME by September 1, and abstracts
> for technical papers must be submitted by October 1.  FORUM 2001
> "Solar Energy: The Power to Choose" will be held in Washington, DC
> April 21-25, 2001.  For more information or to submit abstracts
> electronically, check the FORUM 2001 papers site at
> http://solarenergyforum.org/solar2001/papers.html.
>
>
>
> ==================
>
> Events
>
> ==================
>
> (9) IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
> September 15-22, 2000
> Anchorage, AK
> The 28th annual IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference will be held
> at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska on September 15-22.
>  To register, contact Wendy Larsen of NREL at (303) 384-6497 or fax
> (303) 384-6490.  For more information, visit the website at
> http://ieeepvsc.nrel.gov/.
>
>
> (10) Interconnection of Net Metering Systems with the Utility Grid
> NESEA/IREC September 16, 2000 Boston, MA The Northeast Sustainable
> Energy Association (NESEA) and Interstate Renewable Energy Council
> (IREC) will be holding an interconnection workshop on September 16,
> 2000.  The workshop will be held at the ASE Americas office in
> Billerica, Massachusetts.  Speakers will include John Bzura of
> National Grid, Bill Stillinger of Northeast Utilities, Chris Larsen of
> the North Carolina Solar Center, and representatives from inverter
> manufacturers.  For more information or to register visit the web at
> http://www.nesea.org/resources/calendar.html or contact Jonathan Tauer
> of NESEA at (413) 774-6051 or jtauer at nesea.org.
>
>
> (11) The Business and Technical Outlook for Distributed Power
> Intertech
> September 25-27, 2000
> Arlington, VA
> "The Business and Technical Outlook for Distributed Power Generation:
> Strategies and Business Opportunities for the Use, Cost and Quality of
> DP" will be held September 25-27 in Arlington, VA.  The conference,
> which is being organized by Intertech, will feature speakers from
> leading distributed generation manufacturers.  For more information,
> go to
> http://www.intertechusa.com/energy/distributedpower2000/introduction.h
> tml.
>
>
> (12) MSRI Interconnection Workshop
> UPVG and Endecon Engineering
> October 4, 2000
> Baltimore, MD
> The Utility PhotoVoltaic Group (UPVG) and Endecon Engineering are
> organizing this Million Solar Roofs-sponsored interconnection
> workshop, which is being held in conjunction with the Utility
> Photovoltaic Experience (UPEx) Annual Conference in Baltimore.  This
> one-day workshop, will target regional MSRI partners.  Presenters will
> include Steve Hester of UPVG, Tom Starrs of Kelso Starrs and
> Associates, and Bill Brooks and Chuck Whitaker of Endecon Engineering.
>  For more information, contact Julia Judd of UPVG at (202) 857-0898 or
> jjudd at ttcorp.com.
>
>
> (13) Northwest Solar Summit 3
> Western Solar Utility Network
> October 16-19, 2000
> Winthrop, WA
> Western Solar Utility Network will be hosting the Northwest Solar
> Summit 3 "Utilities Taking Action" at the Sun Mountain Resort in
> Winthrop, Washington on October 16-19.  This conference is intended to
> assist electric utilities in implementing solar energy programs for
> their customers. For agenda and registration information visit the web
> at http://www.westernsun.org/aaawsun/SunConfAgenda.htm.
>
>
> (14) International Symposium on Distributed Energy Resources
> November 9-10, 2000
> San Diego, CA
> The California Alliance for Distributed Energy Resources (CADER) and
> the Distributed Power Coalition of America (DPCA) are organizing the
> 2nd Annual International Symposium on Distributed Energy Resources,
> which will be held November 9-10 in San Diego.  For more information
> or to register, visit the CADER website at http://www.cader.org.  For
> more information, contact program chairs Shirley Rivera (619) 497-0120
> or Dorothy Rothrock (916) 498-3319.
>
>
> About this newsletter
> Have comments or news items?  Send them to Chris Larsen at
> chris_larsen at ncsu.edu or (919) 513-1896 or (919) 515-5778 (fax).  If
> you would like your name added to the distribution list, reply to the
> above address with "subscribe" in the subject line.  If you would like
> your name taken off the list, please respond to the above address with
> "unsubscribe" in the subject line.  Past newsletters are available
> on-line at http://www.irecusa.org/conNewsL.htm.


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