PG&E starts work on 50 MWs of new 250-MW solar project - Clean Energy Authority

Pacific Gas & Electric Corp.’s (NYSE: PCG) PG&E Co. is one step closer to owning 50 megawatts of solar power and well on its way to owning 250 MWs of solar. The company announced last week that it completed the purchase of three sites for photovoltaic farms and that it was breaking ground on the projects, which should be complete by the third quarter of 2011.

Many of the large-scale developments going on in California, Arizona and Nevada are being done under power-purchase agreements, removing the risk of unexpected development costs from the utilities. But under this project, the company will own the sites, the equipment and the electricity produced, said spokesperson Jonathan Marshall.

One site, a 15 MW farm, is being developed by Solon, the other two are being developed by Cupertino Electric, Marshall said.

This is the first phase of a multi-year program, according to Marshall.

“We’re looking at doing 50 megawatts a year, over five years, and this would be the first year,” he said. “The whole project will be within our service area. But we haven’t yet announced where other sites will be.”

The company is using this program to get more solar online quickly.

“Part of the goal of this program was to develop projects in a size range and with a technology that will allow them to come to market more quickly than some of the larger projects we’ve contracted for,” Marshall said.

This program compliments another 250 MWs of photovoltaics that will be added through long-term contracts with solar electric generators between 1 MW and 20 MWs in size.

And that’s in addition to the large-scale solar projects under power-purchase agreements planned for other locations.

“We have contracts with developers like BrightSource Energy for very large projects out in the desert,” Marshall said. “They will be great when they come online.” But that could take some time, he said.

Those projects are more likely to face legal challenges, siting challenges and more, according to Marshall.

“This program will help bring solar energy online more quickly albeit in smaller quantities,” he said.

Image courtesy of PG&E.

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State approves contract for 55 solar projects - Lahontan Valley News

The Board of Examiners Tuesday approved a master contract designed to fast track construction of 55 solar projects providing power to state agencies.

Stacey Crowley, head of the governor's energy office, said the contract with Sierra Nevada Construction sets up a process to move those projects forward before the end of this fiscal year when tax breaks for business and rebates from the federal government expire.

The idea is to have Sierra Nevada partner with various state agencies to build solar generating projects atop roofs and parking lots of state buildings as well as other sites and contract with those agencies to sell them the electric power produced under a power purchase contract. Those 55 different potential sites have already been identified.

She said the idea is to lock in the cost of electric power at or below what agencies are now paying, saving as much as $44 million over the next 20 years while providing up to 300 jobs and $240 million in private investment in Nevada. That could translate into a 20 percent reduction in state energy costs by 2015.

Signing the contract as a master service agreement, she said, enables the construction company to get better prices by buying the solar panels in bulk and better financing for the projects.

Each of the contracts, Crowley said, will have to bring in the cost of the energy for that agency “budget neutral or better than the rate they're currently paying.”

The project was originally proposed in the final days of the Jim Gibbons administration during December but put off until Gov. Brian Sandoval took over and had a chance to review it.

Crowley said a few minor changes in the proposed contract during that period will reduce the state's potential liability by enabling the parties to get out of a contract if it proves not financially beneficial to either side.

She said three agencies are ready to go with project contracts immediately: The Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Corrections and Veteran's Administration.

Contracts developed for those agencies, she said, will provide a template to get the other projects under contract before the end of the fiscal year.

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Solar power proposed - Pasadena Star-News

The district is poised to launch an $8 million solar power project that would power Temple City High School and save the district an estimated $800,000 a year after construction costs were paid off.

The Temple City Unified School Board is slated to discuss the project at 7 p.m. during its March 9 meeting in the District's Board Room at 9700 Las Tunas Drive.

The district and Chevron partnered to craft a plan to save the district money.

The plan proposes covering the high school's parking lot with a roof of solar panels, said David Jaynes, Temple City Unified School District's chief business official. It also calls for energy efficient lighting and other energy-saving changes.

Construction is expected to last 18 months.

The district will take out an $8 million loan to pay for the work, but it will receive a $600,000 energy rebate from Southern California Edison over the course of five years, Jaynes said.

And even with a monthly loan payment, the district will save $10,000 annually, he said.

When the loan is paid off in 15 years, the district will save $800,000 annually, according to Jaynes.

The construction of the project is scheduled to take place during after-school hours, and on holidays and weekends, Jaynes said.

Along with the solar project, the contract also calls for repairing Temply City High School's parking lot.

District officials began discussions with surrounding

districts in the San Gabriel Valley about power efficiency and alternative power sources after state education cuts began to strain district's budgets, Jaynes said.

Superintendent Dr. Hye Jung (Chelsea) Kang-Smith said the initiative sets a good example for students.

"I think it's a very positive direction that our district is undergoing," she said. "When we are talking about energy efficiency we are talking about the well-being of our planet, which means the well-being of our community, students and staff."

If the district can get money, administrators would consider more solar projects at Longden Elementary School, Oak Avenue Intermediate and the district offices. Other sites are too small, Jaynes said.

Brad Kemp, director of Regional Research Beacon Economics and cofounder of California of California Green Works Coalition, believes there should be more incentives for corporations and districts like Temple City Unified for adopting "green" methods, which he said would drive the market for alternative energy sources.

While state incentives exist, there is a long list of criteria a building must meet, Jaynes said. Unless a district plans to knock down old buildings and put up new ones, it's almost impossible to qualify for state incentive programs, Jaynes said.

Kemp believes less strident criteria for incentives could create more of a demand in the green market.

While going green is as much an ethical question as it is a economical one, Kemp believes leading the green industry could create a lucrative economy.

If people would make the short-term sacrifice, they would see long-term success, he said.

jessica.donnelly@sgvn.com

626-962-8811, ext. 2705

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• Greenwich Township property owner eyed for solar panel system sues township ... - The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com

GREENWICH TWP. | The owner of a township property that had been eyed for a controversial solar power project is accusing township officials of trying to devalue his land and hamstring his development opportunities.

Brian O'Dowd filed a lawsuit recently in state Superior Court against the Greenwich Township Committee and Greenwich Township Planning Board. It claims both bodies "severely and substantially" diminished the value of O'Dowd's 422 acres by zoning the area for farmland preservation.

Warren Solar, a subsidiary of Houston-based Elements Marketing, proposed developing a solar panel system on the property. The 80-acre, 15-megawatt project was whittled down to about 9 megawatts on 60 acres before being rejected by the township zoning board Jan. 13 amid resident opposition.

O'Dowd's attorney Philip Mylod said the township appears to be rezoning the land to guard against future development, particularly for renewable energy sources.

Two days before the zoning board's ruling, the planning board declared the parcels to be part of the township's Farmland Preservation Plan, which can be used to target properties for preservation through the state Green Acres program.

"It's our opinion that (the zoning change) is just one more nail in the coffin for the property in order to devalue it," Mylod said Wednesday. "What they're getting with the zoning is farmland and that's what they want. They just don't want to pay for it."

Township committee attorney Peter Jost and planning board lawyer Jon Drill both declined comment this week. They said they were unfamiliar with the lawsuit.

The state Legislature deemed solar projects inherently beneficial uses, making it easier for developers to get municipal approval. Mylod said by rezoning the land, the township created a loophole in the state law.

"From what I can gather from their zoning ordinance, it looks like they're creating a basis upon which they can hang their hats in the future to deny inherently beneficial uses that they don't want in their backyard," Mylod said.

Mylod said his client is seeking to nullify the Farmland Preservation Plan and collect any damages associated with the devaluing of the property.

Attorney Michael Selvaggi, representing Warren Solar, said his client has not appealed the township's ruling on the solar farm.

Selvaggi said the township zoning board did not adopt the formal resolution memorializing its decision during the February meeting. Once that resolution has been adopted, Selvaggi said his client will have 45 days to file an appeal.

The lawsuit suggests that O'Dowd could join an appeal of the zoning board's ruling on the solar field.

Reporter Sarah M. Wojcik can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3631, or swojcik@express-times.com. Talk about issues in your town at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

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Solar power energy system planned for 85000 LA homes - Xinhua

LOS ANGELES, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The largest U.S. producer of crystalline solar power energy Wednesday announced plans to build a massive system to provide solar energy to tens of thousands of Los Angeles homes.

SolarWorld said the facility will be built on a 17-hectare site in the Adelanto desert area some 104 kilometers north of Los Angeles, with the estimated capacity to supply electricity to more than 85,000 homes in Los Angeles over 25 years.

The system is expected to generate clean and renewable solar energy equivalent to the displacement of 290,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 25 years, according to the city's department of water and power (DWP) which will be a partnership in the project.

The system is expected to produce 22,400 megawatt-hours (MWH) during its first year and 515,700 MWH over a 25-year period.

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New Jersey Utility Completes Solar Panel Installation on Its Headquarters - GetSolar.com

New Jersey Utility Completes Solar Panel Installation on Its Headquarters Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 7:16 PMPublic Service Electric and Gas Company, a New Jersey-based utility, announced Wednesday it has completed the installation of a rooftop solar panel system at its Central Division Headquarters.

PSE&G said the nearly 1-megawatt photovoltaic system is the first of six solar panel systems the utility plans to build on buildings it owns in New Jersey. In total, PSE&G plans to invest $515 million on the construction of the photovoltaic arrays, a plan it has dubbed Solar 4 All. Al Matos, PSE&G's vice president, said that "by building these systems on PSE&G owned property, we have installed a large amount of solar capacity in a very short time and in a very cost effective way with little impact to customers."

Over the past year, PSE&G has installed nearly 35 megawatts of solar panel systems throughout the Garden State. "These projects have helped provide stability to the state's solar market and have made New Jersey a center for renewable energy in the United States." The newest solar panel system PSE&G installed comprises 648 crystalline solar panels and 4,180 thin film solar panels.

In total, the photovoltaic array will produce enough clean energy every year to power 155 average-sized homes. The company also announced it has begun the installation of a 0.7-megawatt solar panel system at its Edison Training and Development Center facility in Edison, New Jersey.

Feb 24, 2011 09:10:53 AM Jordache Enterprises will soon have a solar panel system on the rooftop of its main distribution center in New Jersey. Solar Rainbow Services and Carlisle Energy Services have esta ...

Feb 11, 2011 05:32:48 PM Monmouth University is the latest recipient of an environmental stewardship certificate from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.Monmouth was chosen for the disti ...

Feb 11, 2011 08:46:38 AM Utility company Con Edison released a report Wednesday that states solar panel installations in New York City and Westchester County more than doubled in 2010.Moreover, Con Edison& ...

Feb 04, 2011 05:04:59 PM Solar panel systems require cleaning and in a state like New Jersey that has experienced a boom in installations over the past few years, there are companies popping up that help o ...

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City doesn't relent in pursuit of solar power - Thousand Oaks Acorn

Just as the door slams on one solar energy opportunity, another two have opened up.

A month after deciding to halt plans for a solar power installation at the Newbury Park Library because of high costs, the city of Thousand Oaks is going forward with efforts to install the energy-producing panels at the Hillcrest Center—home to the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the National Park Service—and at the city’s Municipal Service Center on Rancho Conejo Boulevard.

On Feb. 22, the City Council voted 4-0 to award a $1.6-million construction contract to S.H.E. Engineering and Construction of Reseda to install solar panels on the roof of the former city hall on Hillcrest Drive, which the city leases to CRPD and the park service. The roof is currently used for parking.

Councilmember Dennis Gillette was absent.

The proposal makes good fiscal sense, said Facilities Manager Liz Perez, because the roofs at the two Hillcrest Center buildings are currently leaking and it would cost nearly as much to repair the roofs for continued use as parking lots than it would be to install a regular roof with energy-producing solar panels.

“The costs came up to be extraordinarily high, $2.5 million-plus, to maintain it as a roof deck; that’s when we switched and thought, what if we put the solar up there,” Perez told the council.

Also at the Feb. 22 meeting, the council agreed to begin advertising for construction bids to purchase and install solar canopies at the Municipal Service Center, which houses city buses and all city employees dedicated to infastructure. The cost for that project is estimated at $943,000.

The cost for both ventures will be offset by $800,000 in federal stimulus funds—$400,000 of which was transferred over from the failed project at the Newbury Park Library—and more than $743,000 from a state energy rebate program operated by Southern California Edison. The city’s total general fund contribution for the two solar fields is estimated at $837,000, according to a staff report.

That means the city will contribute only 33 percent of the total $2.5-million price tag for the two environmentally friendly installations, said Finance Director John Adams.

“If we don’t take advantage of the solar incentives, that money just goes to another . . . agency,” Adams told the Acorn. “It’s pretty critical we try to keep the funding here in this community.”

The city expects the panels at the municipal center to save $25,000 a year in utility expenses and for the payback period—the time it takes to recoup the investment—to be 13 years, the report said.

The actual total combined cost to redo the roof and add solar panels at the two buildings on Hillcrest is estimated to be $2.8 million.

When considering only the cost of the solar panels—$1.6 million—after a $500,000 contribution of stimulus funds and $426,248 from Edison’s Solar Initiative, the payback period is approximately 11.2 years, accounting for an annual energy savings of $60,000.

During last Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Jacqui Irwin said she’s happy the city’s going forward with the two solar projects at Hillcrest and at the Municipal Services Center since efforts at the Newbury Park Library were determined cost prohibitive after the loss of grant funding. As a member of the city’s capital facilities committee, it was Irwin and Gillette who were responsible for halting the Newbury Park project.

“As the capital facilities committee we thought the payoff period (at the N.P. Library) was too long, and so this project, putting the money toward this project . . . we thought that it was a more fiscally responsible move, so I’m certainly very excited about (it) going forward,” Irwin said.

Irwin did ask Perez why the Hillcrest solar project didn’t go before the planning commission like the library solar panels did.

“The Hillcrest project, from a planning standpoint, the solar panels are down below a parapet, so they’re not seen by any public road, they’re not even seen onsite until you’re up against them, so there’s no planning reason aesthetically to take the project (before the planning commission),” Perez said.

Asked by the Acorn if the city’s share of funding from Edison’s rebate project had already been approved, Perez confirmed that the money is reserved, but the city still must meet the deadline of having solar panels operational by at least April 2012.

If completed, Hillcrest and the service center will be the second and third solar installations owned by the city, joining the Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant, which had solar panels mounted on its roof in 2007.

In a Nutshell

At the Feb. 22 City Council meeting, the council moved forward on two separate solar energy projects: the first at the Hillcrest Center—home to the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the National Park Service—and the second at the Municipal Services Center on Rancho Conejo Boulevard. After stimulus funds and money from the California Solar Intiative are counted in, the cost to the city for both projects is $837,000, or 33 percent of the total actual cost, according to a staff report.

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