PV buydown policy request [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

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Allan,

Wrenches helped write the original California buydown law and follow-up
legislation. I hope the other guys also share their thoughts. Americans need
more state buydowns since the federal government is functionally anti-solar.

1. $/W rebate was a simplistic way to get the California Energy Commission
(CEC) rebate program up an running with minimum effort. A rated-based kWh
incentive has a broader impact on utility policy, requires good PV systems
that can be monitored easily and a better chance of staying in effect.
On-again-off-again politicized $/W rebates do not help to build a
sustainable PV industry. The German model works well. Spain is following the
German model and soon France. Be prepared for strong utility opposition and
foot-dragging.

2. The CEC technical requirements are good and easy to adopt. Shade analysis
should be required and no rebate to projects with more than 10% shading
between 9am and 4pm standard time. The CEC solar modules, inverters and
meters list should suffice. Eligible wind and PV systems must be
grid-connected. (Sorry off-gridders. My roots are in off-grid but off-grid
has done a lousy job of mainstreaming PV.)

3. Installers should be state licensed electrical or general contractors or
licensed electrical engineers. Owner-installers should be required to hire a
licensed person to sign-off on their work. Random audits of <10% of
installations should be enough to identify any problem areas.

The latest version of the CEC rebate guidelines has evolved into a more
practical document. See
http://www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/02-REN-1038/notices/2004-04-22_COMTE_WRKSHOP.PDF
and
http://www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/02-REN-1038/documents/2004-04-22_3RD_ED_GUIDEBOOK.PDF

Best regards,
Joel Davidson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allan Sindelar" <allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
To: "New wrenches posting" <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 9:34 PM
Subject: PV buydown policy request [RE-wrenches]




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Fellow Wrenches,
New Mexico is exploring some PV buydown options. As I understand it, this is
not a state government-funded buydown, but a program to allow the regulated
utilities to purchase the right to claim distributed, customer-owned PV
toward the mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard.

I need help with a few questions, from others who have been through this:

1. Should a utility PV buydown be production-based or based on an upfront
rebate (such as a flat $4/watt rebate for systems meeting certain
requirements)? It seems to me that production-based will promote higher
quality installations (thus giving my business a competitive edge) over some
type of formula based on nameplate rating. How is this done in Europe, where
incentives are mostly production-based?

2. What type of technical system requirements should be imposed, and how,
when, how often, and by whom should systems be inspected?

3. What requirements should be placed on installers?

There are more questions, but these will help me offer well-reasoned
suggestions.  Thank you in advance.

Allan at Positive Energy

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