Local Power, Local Control

@ the Ins)tute for Local Self-‐Reliance

Who We Are

Energy Self-Reliant States

Overview

•  Why renewable energy? •  Why distributed genera7on?

•  What’s in the way?

•  What breaks the roadblocks?

Renewable Energy is Widespread

Energy Self-‐Reliant States





Renewable Energy is Cost-‐Effec7ve

What is distributed genera7on?

What is distributed genera7on?

Any Size

< 80 MW

Distribu7on or Subtransmission

Transmission

Myth 1

•  Distributed genera7on does not capture economies of scale

Economies of Scale: Solar PV

Economies of Scale are Bullshit| Energy Self-‐Reliant States-‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/68kaf96

Data from 70,000 California solar PV installa7ons

Economies of Scale: Wind

Economies of Scale are Bullshit| Energy Self-‐Reliant States-‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/68kaf96

Myth 2

•  Distributed genera7on can’t scale up quickly

Distributed Genera7on Scales Up


2010: 7,400 MW of Solar PV



Total Capacity: 27,000 MW

Myth 3

•  Variable distributed genera7on is expensive to integrate into the electric grid

Solving Solar Variability with More Solar

Solving Solar's Variability with More Solar | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/65b5nyh

Solving Solar Variability

High Penetra)on of PV No Issue for Kauian Grid | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/6a3nnwb

They are seeing very li<le difference in the voltage levels, harmonics, and overall power quality between the different scenarios.

These preliminary results suggest that u)li)es could go to very high levels of PV penetra3on in localized areas without causing problems for the grid.

Opportuni7es

•  Cost reduc7ons •  Added value •  Economic benefits

Opportuni7es for Cost Reduc7ons

German solar market 2006 -‐> 2010 grew from 2.7 GW -‐> 16 GW


$4.11 per Wa/!

German solar market 2006 -‐> 2010 grew from 2.7 GW -‐> 16 GW

Solar PV < 100 kW


$3.70 per Wa/!

h<p://www.solarwirtscha].de/preisindex

Solar PV < 100 kW



Solar PV Balance of System | Rocky Mountain Ins)tute -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/3dazuo8

The Value of Distributed Solar

Distributed Solar Power Worth Far More Than Electrons | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/3tqmerh

$5 per Wa[





Value of DG Solar PV – Palo Alto

CLEAN Coali)on Calcula)on

Jobs from Renewable Energy

Pudng Renewables to Work: How Many Jobs Can the Clean Energy Industry Create? (UC Berkeley)

Absentee = lost opportunity

•  Out of two coun;es in Minnesota we export about $80 million dollars a year to France, Florida, Italy, Portugal, Spain.

-‐Dan Juhl, community wind developer

Value of Local Ownership

NREL: Economic Development Impacts of Community Wind Projects: A Review and Empirical Evaluation


NREL: Economic Development Impacts of Community Wind Projects: A Review and Empirical Evaluation



Economic Impact data taken from Shining Bright: Growing Solar Jobs in Iowa

Distributed Genera7on is Democra7c

Roadblocks

FERC’s High-‐Voltage Gravy Train

FERC’s High-‐Voltage Gravy Train

FERC’s High-‐Voltage Tunnel Vision

FERC's High Voltage Gravy Train | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/647brlu

Policy Ma[ers

Policy Ma[ers

Policy Ma[ers

Monthly cost of German renewable energy program

Policy Ma[ers

Monthly cost of U.S. renewable energy program

Policy Ma[ers

From page 19 of the brilliant report, Tracking the Sun III: The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the U.S. from 1998-‐2009 (large pdf).

Germany 2009

Germany 2011

Policy Ma[ers

Ontario's Buy Local Renewable Energy Policy: An Update | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/3o4th8d

RPS Policies with Solar/DG Provisions

Renewable portfolio standard with solar / distributed generation (DG) provision

Renewable portfolio goal with solar / distributed generation provision

www.dsireusa.org / April 2011

Solar water heating counts toward solar provision

WA: double credit for DG

NV: 1.5% solar x 2025; 2.4 - 2.45 multiplier for PV

UT: 2.4 multiplier for solar-electric

AZ: 4.5% DG x 2025

NM: 4% solar-electric x 2020 0.6% DG x 2020

TX: double credit for non-wind (non-wind goal: 500 MW)

CO: 3.0% DG x 2020 1.5% customer-sited x 2020

MO: 0.3% solar- electric x 2021

MI: triple credit for solar- electric

OH: 0.5% solar-electric x 2025

NC: 0.2% solar x 2018

MD: 2% PV x 2022

DC: 0.4% solar x 2020

NY: 0.4788% customer- sited x 2015

DE: 3.5% PV x 2026; triple credit for PV

NH: 0.3% solar- electric x 2014

NJ: 5,316 GWh solar- electric x 2026

PA: 0.5% PV x 2021

MA: 400 MW PV x 2020 OR: 20 MW solar PV x 2020; double credit for PV

IL: 1.5% PV x 2025 WV: various

multipliers

16 states + DC have an RPS with solar/DG

provisions

DC

Policy Ma[ers: State Laws

Policy Ma[ers: State Laws

A Small but Growing Market

Photo credit: CERTs

Policy Ma[ers: Local Rules

Poor Solar Permidng Rules Increase Residen)al Solar Prices by Up To 20 Percent | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/5ts5b2k

Policy Ma[ers: Local Rules

Poor Solar Permidng Rules Increase Residen)al Solar Prices by Up To 20 Percent | Energy Self-‐Reliant States -‐ h<p://)nyurl.com/5ts5b2k

It’s Happening Here

•  80 kilowa[s PV •  20 owners •  Shares: $3.15 / Wa[ •  13-‐year payback •  Carbondale, CO

Thank you!

John Farrell •  energyselfreliantstates.org •  [email protected] •  h[p://twi[er.com/johnffarrell

Technology

Local Power, Local Control