Community Solar Forum August 21, 2014

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1 Community Solar Forum August 21, 2014 Presented by Micah Johnson, ICLS Solar Connection Inc. (507)

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3 39 kw, Chatfield, MN 20.6 kw, Dodge County Recycling Center, MN 39.4 kw, Zumbro Falls, MN

4 Courtesy of the Science Museum of Minnesota Uni-Solar Laminate

5 Ikea, Bloomington, MN 1 MW solar array Courtesy of StarTribune.com

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7 Solar Parking Lots

8 (PhotoVoltaics for your Electric Vehicle)

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10 32.8 kw, Elgin MN The earth receives 170 million GW (gigawatts) of power from the sun at any given instant. The amount of sunlight the earth receives in one hour is enough to power the world for one year.

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12 Minnesota has a solar resource equivalent to Houston and Miami (multiple sources)

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14 One central area of land Subscribers lease a plot to use and gain the benefits of what is grown there

15 One central solar plant Subscribers buy a panel or two or three or more and have that amount of solar energy credited on their bills. Ah, the language of marketing people. No you don t own a panel, you own a contract to have solar kwh credited on your bill for a certain # of years (kwh is how you are billed by the utility). No you don t get the 30% tax credit, the financier gets that. One large central plant takes advantage of economies of scale of construction.

16 Wright-Hennepin Coop Electric Assn, Rockford 32.5 kw system built in 2013, 2 nd system being built now, 3 rd system planned $869 for the output of 180W panel, 50 year contract Courtesy of Wright-Hennepin Community Solar

17 Wright-Hennepin Coop Electric Assn, Rockford 32.5 kw system built in 2013, 2 nd system being built now, 3 rd system planned $869 for the output of 180W panel, 50 year contract Tri-County Electric Coop, Rushford 73.8 kw system $1400 for the output of 410W panel, 20 year contract Courtesy of Tri-County Electric Coop

18 Wright-Hennepin Coop Electric Assn, Rockford 32.5 kw system built in 2013, 2 nd system being built now, 3 rd system planned $869 for the output of 180W panel, 50 year contract Tri-County Electric Coop, Rushford 73.8 kw system $1400 for the output of 410W panel, 20 year contract Connexus Energy, Ramsey 245 kw system $950 for the output of 310W panel, 20 year contract Lake Region Electric Coop, Pelican Rapids 39 kw system $1500 for the output of 410W panel, 20 year contract

19 Great River Energy 19 systems planned around the state Great River Energy is a power supplier that supplies more than half of the coops in the state Xcel Regulators, solar installers, and Xcel have been battling over details for the program for over a year Have settled on 15 cents per kwh for solar gardens Systems will be owned by private companies rather than by Xcel Rules governed by 2013 Clean Energy and Jobs Bill: Subscribers must live in same county or contiguous county No one can subscribe more than 40% of system Subscribe for no more than 120% of last year s kwh on your bill 1 MW limit per system

20 Dairyland Power 500 kw solar power plant built in Oronoco Housed at Peoples Energy Coop Installed/financed by Peoples, Tri-County, and Freeborn- Mower Coops (they formed Minnesota Three LLC) Dairyland is a power supplier that supplies coops in WI/MN Xcel Hundreds of kw of solar power plants planned Investor-owned Utilities have to get 1.5% of energy sales from solar by 2020 Courtesy of Peoples Energy Coop

21 Lake Region WH Coop Connexus Great River Energy (all salmon color) Dairyland (all purple) Xcel (all teal) Tri-County

22 Size means construction economies of scale You don t do maintenance, it s built in to the contract No equipment on your roof Really good for people in apartments, condos, or in houses surrounded by trees less than 30% of U.S. homes can have solar according to a SEIA study

23 Buy vs Lease arguments Tax credit Land/roof lease costs are built in to the contract Maintenance is built into the contract Software to track kwh credits and administrative costs are built into the contract Customer care costs for the duration of the contract What are the rules if I move? (transferrable, but ) Courtesy of Connexus Energy Coop

24 Wright-Hennepin array, 32.5 kw Each panel expected to produce 250 kwh/year Average residential rate 9.3 cents/kwh $869 per panel subscription fee 18 year payback Assumes 4% electricity price inflation US Energy Information Administration tracks recent MN electricity inflation at more than 4% ( Courtesy of Wright Hennepin Electric Coop

25 Connexus array biggest current array, 245 kw Each panel expected to produce 400 kwh/year Average residential rate 11.4 cents/kwh $950 per panel subscription fee 11 year payback Assumes 4% electricity price inflation US Energy Information Administration tracks recent MN electricity inflation at more than 4% ( Courtesy of Connexus Energy Coop