PV buydown policy request [RE-wrenches]

[Brian Farhi]

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Hi all -

My two cents: Production-based incentives are the best way to drive the industry to the places we want to be. In fact, I'll be presenting a paper on this at the ASES conference. When it comes to site selection, installation quality, component reliability, system performance, and end-user visibility, there's no benefit to the front-end buydowns. If a site has a problem from Day 1, it's possible that nobody would ever know. If tax payers are looking to get the most for their money, this is the way to do it - money for energy, not the theoretical possibility of energy. 

Beyond that, it incentivizes installers and manufacturers to build systems that lasts as far into the future without servicing as possible. Under the current system, there's no immediate financial advantage to a home owner/installer for installing a product that lasts 20 years over one that lasts five. Installers can focus not just on initial install cost, but life cycle cost. Warranties alone don't cut it - who's to ever know the system is working if there's no feedback mechanism?

This financial system also eliminates any of the controversy and uncertainty from the myriad of different operating points inverters and modules work at - one no longer needs to deal with a single number that may or may not correspond to an oft-seen reality in the field. 

Overall, I think it's not a matter of whether it's a better system or not, becuase it so clearly is - it is just a matter of how you get everyone on board.


Brian


Brian Farhi
Fronius USA, LLC
Solar Electronics Division
 
5266 Hollister Ave
Suite #117
Santa Barbara, California 93111
Office: 805.683.2200
Fax: 805.683.2220
 



-----Original Message-----
From: Graham Owen [mailto:graham at solarexpert.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 11:43 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: PV buydown policy request [RE-wrenches]


 

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Allan,

I agree with Bob Maynard.

Performance based PV incentives will prove more beneficial, in the
long-term, than capacity based incentives.   PV incentives paid in
proportion to the energy produced will ensure that designers and
installers are more attentive to performance and will also mitigate
political concerns regarding funding of poorly designed and/or poorly
functioning systems.   Capacity based incentives served the purpose of
incentivizing PV in California as an emerging technology with undefined
performance and reliability.  Seems to me we have passed this emergent
stage and PV is now a reliable and relatively mature technology.   The
problem remains that PV power is still more expensive than central
station burning of carbon based fuels, and as such, incentives are still
needed to attract investors and customers.  Performance based incentives
will place the burden of risk with the end consumer, honest
knowledgeable installers will be required and utility-grade performance
meters will be necessary for accurate accounting and fraud prevention.
Consumers will need uncomplicated forthright facts regarding siting
issues, shading and overall system and component inefficiencies.  

I also believe incentives need to be structured to provide benefits for
traditional utilities as well.  Perhaps REC's can be aggregated to
contribute towards State RPS requirements in an effort to keep utilities
un-hostile towards greater use of DG within their grids.

Graham Owen
GO Solar

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