I’ve been away for a while and was really tickled pink when finally got around to read this email and report. Truly, this is the kind of report that brings hope and optimism to the future of solar energy, for now there is the chance that consumers, utility companies, and regulators will be able to come to the table with the common frame work and understanding to begin working together rather than against one another. Be sure to click on the primer and report below. My fellow Solar Enthusiasts, we are finally progressing beyond the simplistic net metering and moving toward a more complex but fitting pricing structure necessary to become a mainstream player. I am particularly excited to read about the consideration of Value-of-Solar Tariff or SmartFIT (page 20 of the primer below). We are finally unveiling the curtain for a new era! Yes, the Solar Energy Era!
The Upcoming Solar Energy Era (photographed by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
Way To Go Julia Hamm & Eran Mahrer! Way To Go SEPA!
NEM Primer Focuses on Defining Key Terms and Concepts to Provide Common Understanding
SEPA has released a new report: “Ratemaking, Solar Value and Solar Net Energy Metering – A Primer .” In a rapidly changing solar environment and as the penetration of distributed solar generation (DG) is increasing, the primer is designed to offer a balanced viewpoint on net energy metering (NEM) by providing a basic understanding of state utility regulation, with a focus on rate-setting and distributed solar-value research.
“The report highlights the different approaches taken by state regulators for ratemaking, and underscores that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for all situations,” said SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm.
The primer integrates a variety of expert opinions from a full range of solar stakeholders, including regulators and utility staff, who together seek to set the foundation for constructive and sustainable distributed solar transactions. Utilities that previously could not envision significant amounts of grid-tied solar on their systems are now more interested in potential distributed-solar impacts, and are examining immediate and long-term policy and rate design options. Conversely, solar stakeholders are evaluating mechanisms to support solar market growth and recognizing the need to work with utilities to maximize the value of this renewable resource.
“SEPA worked with multiple stakeholders representing all facets of the NEM discussion to balance perspectives from across the growing solar distributed generation and net metering markets,” said Eran Mahrer, Vice President of Utility Strategy at SEPA. “The goal of the primer is to give readers a common understanding of key industry terms that can benefit discussions aimed at creating a sustainable future for distributed generation.”
Download the Report for this comprehensive and insightful look at net energy metering.
Today I want to share an interview with you, of Julia Hamm, President and CEO of SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association), at Pennsylvania Convention Center of Phildadelphia, PA, on Thursday, February 7, 2013, below:
During the interview, President Hamm re-emphasized the importance of collaboration between utility companies and consumers during this time of transition. She’s been with SEPA since 1992 when the organization was Utility Photovoltaic Group (renamed as SEPA in 2000), left and rejoined the organization in 2004. The focus of SEPA has been to help the traditional utility sector to integrate more solar into their energy portfolio through education, research, programs and projects that enable better understanding and learning of mutual experience from various utility companies. The emphasis is in creating a bridge between the utility companies and solar industry. SEPA has been instrumental in bringing various US utility companies abroad, since 2008, to learn how utility companies have been able to adapt to greater solar penetration in other countries such as Germany, Spain, Japan, and Italy. SEPA and SEIA co-own SPI (Solar Power International, ) and recently SPI formed an alliance with Solar Expo show (SES, May 8-10, 2013 in Milan, Italy) and Shanghai New Energy Conference (SNEC PV Power Expo, May 14-16, 2013, Shanghai, China). These three largest solar trade shows (SPI, SES, SNEC) in the world come together to form the Global Solar Alliance and will be hosting the Global Solar Summit in the coming Spring in Milan, Italy, to provide better exchange of information and communications among utility companies internationally.
Julia Hamm foresees continued growth of solar industry and greater use/adoption of solar by consumers;this will translate into need for future change in regulatory structures in order to fulfill the need of consumers and utility companies. Such change in regulatory structure will be occurring on state by state basis. With distributed PV (and other sources) quickly being adopted by consumers, utility companies now realize the need for changing the nature of the grid. Time and collaboration are the keys. It would appear that better chance of success in bringing about any regulatory improvement/changes that will benefit both consumers and utility companies is through collaboration. So, it’s time for all parties involved to sit down at the round table and work out the details collaboratively, for our mutual benefit.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, interviewed, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments/suggestions/questions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net
I’ve reserved this piece for a special and later spot than other SPI videos because it deserves some special attentions. The two speakers below spoke with clarity and gusto, summarizing the path of past and present solar energy industry, then call for action for the future direction in a unified voice for solar industry.
This is a video recording of the introduction speeches by Julia Hamm (President and CEO of SEPA, Solar Electric Power Association) and Rhone Resch, President and CEO of SEIA, Solar Energy Industry Association) on the first day of Solar Power International SPI2012 on September 10, 2012, at Orange County Convention Center of Orlando, FL. As the President of SEIA, Rhone Resch, indicated the solar industry has more than doubled during 2011 and is the fastest growing industry in USA, installing more than 1.8 gigawatt last year. Julia Hamm, President of SEPA, also announced that our utility has interconnected more than 62,000 PV systems in 2011 and quite possibly even more in 2012.
One of three possible future scenarios (<2%, 5-10%, 30%) presented by President of SEPA Julia Hamm, where the solar energy would reach its true potential, providing 30% of nation’s electricity needs, involves four main driving forces: social dynamics, political issues, technological issues, and economic issues. President Hamm clearly presented and summarized why we need a widespread comprehensive support and partnership culture for solar energy, therefore we need future policy direction to be supportive of solar energy. Julia Hamm ended her portion of the speech reminding us of former President Clinton’s quote, “The future is not an inheritance. It is an opportunity and an obligation.”
President of SEIA, Rhone Resch, opened his speech with the classic quote in A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times;it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity;it was the season of Light,it was the season of Darkness;it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us“. This truly reflects the position of our current solar industry. There has been tremendous growth both in residential and utility solar installations in the past year and expectation of 3.2 gigawatts of solar installations in USA during 2012. But at the same time, solar energy/CLEAN energy is under attacks by SuperPacthere;there is also attacks on CLEAN energy tax credits (bills introduced to eliminate investment tax credits for renewable energy); CO RPS is under threat; Net Metering is also under challenge in CA. A unified voice is needed, especially in key swing states. Rhone Resch is calling for : Let’s not let solar industry go down the path of the dark days of solar industry of the late 1980’s. Let’s make sure that all members in the industry are legitimate and not there just for a quick buck. Working together with the utility companies, there will be a greater certainty that the solar industry will complete its journey toward its true potential of providing nation’s 30% power needs. Then we should lead our nation down the path toward the best of times (rather than the worst of times).
I’d like to share with you some of the highlights during the General Session of Monday, September 10, 2012, at Solar Power International (SPI) 2012, of the CEO Panel discussion: Growth In An Uncertain Market. Moderators & Panelists are:Julia Hamm, President & CEO of Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA); Rhone Resch, President & CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA); Tom Boyle, P.E., EVP, NRG Energy CEO of NRG Solar and President of West Region;Jurgen W. Krehnke, President and General Manager of SMA America, LLC and President of SMA Canada, Inc.;Peter H. Marte, President & CEO of Hannah Solar, LLC;Nancy E. Pfund, Found and Managing Partner of DBL Investors;Eric Silagy, President of Florida Power & Light;Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower Corporation.
Solar Power International 2012 began its four-day run in Orlando with a dynamic panel of industry thought leaders stressing that now is the time for collaboration and cooperation to establish a level playing field to create a marketplace where all energy can compete including solar. The wide ranging discussion explored renewable portfolio standards, net metering, regulation, storage, grassroots support for solar and the future of the investment tax credit. The executives agreed that it is imperative to create a partnership between the industry and utilities to create the necessary stability to make solar a larger share of our energy mix. Julia Hamm urged the “solar industry and the utility industry to invest in the development of a regulatory structure that allows for a new long-term, sustainable utility business model that encourages customers capable of installing solar to do so and rewards utilities that innovate and create a platform on which solar is fully leveraged for its strengths and which ensures the costs and benefits are fairly distributed.” Rhone Resch reported that the U.S. solar market had achieved its second best quarter in history having installed 742 megawatts of solar power, while the utility segment registered it best-ever quarter with 477 megawatts. Through Q22012, the U.S. now has 5,700 MWs of installed solar electric capacity, enough electricity to power nearly a million homes with a total projected 3.2 gigawatts of new installed solar for 2012.(Source:SPI2012 news release)
In the video clip below, you might hear a whispered comment about Feed-In-Tariff (FIT). Effective FIT is the perfect incentive policy for renewables/solar that would provide the certainty and weaning away from subsidies. If you would like to learn more about FIT, please check out sunisthefuture Youtube Channelor item F at right. Without further ado, this discussion is below:
