A school in Thane district has managed to cut its electricity bill to zero from ₹40,000 per month after installing a 30 kilowatt-power (kWp) rooftop solar system.

Electricity consumption across the three-acre Shree Nakoda Karna Badhir Vidyalaya, near village Saravali in Bhiwandi is powered by solar panels, allowing the school to become a zero-energy consumer. Lights, fans, and computers at the school are all powered using renewable energy.

Managed by Shree Bhairav Seva Samiti, Bhiwandi, the school teaches 202 students across 20 classrooms (from nursery to class 10) with speech and hearing impairment free of charge. “The installation of the system was funded by two private companies that helped us and our students understand the importance of adopting green energy. Apart from being cost-effective, the system can also help mitigate carbon emissions,” said Surendra Jain Gogad, trustee of the school.

With 94 panels the system generates between 90 and 120 units depending upon the amount of sunlight it receives. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), a 30 kWp system helps mitigate 923 tons of carbon dioxide through its lifetime and is equivalent to planting 1,476 teak trees.

“There was a sudden drop in our electricity bill within a month, and within two months, it was zero. We were only paying the basic charges to electricity distributor. This surprised our students so much that they began convincing their parents to adopt different forms of renewable energy. A lot of parents have been enquiring about such measures since then,” said Pushpat Jain, school chairman.

Installed in April this year, the system was inaugurated on July 5. The cost of the solar plant was about ₹16.5 lakh, which the school expects to recover over the next three years.

HT had last month reported that of the 1,095 megawatt (MW) rooftop solar capacity in India, Maharashtra leads with the maximum number of installations and capacity at 145.09MW, according to data from the MNRE. The data also showed that 60{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of the installations are from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Nagpur, Nasik, Aurangabad, and the remaining from various rural areas across the state.

“This is probably the only school along the Thane-Kalyan route to have adopted solar energy. They have registered all details of the plant with us. They set an example for other schools to take one step towards a green future,” said a senior official from the Thane district administration.

First Published: Aug 19, 2018 23:55 IST

Modernization will require fewer regulatory, administrative and financial hurdles; Investment opportunity in off-grid and island-grid demand; Policy changes ‘can help break the logjam’

Aug. 20, 2018, MANILA (IEEFA) — A report published today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analytics details how rooftop solar in the Philippines has the potential to lower the cost of power and improve national energy security.

The report —  “Unlocking Rooftop Solar in the Philippines” —  notes that the Philippines has some of the highest-priced electricity in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations but concludes that wise policy choices going forward can drive the uptake of solar through programs that will ensure power supply and lower prices.

The report sees rooftop solar lowering electricity costs to PhP 2.50 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (excluding financing expenses) and triggering US$2.8 billion or PhP1.5 trillion in new investment by 2030.

“The government is in a position to change the longstanding status quo, which disproportionally puts fuel-price and foreign-exchange risk on consumers, while utilities and power generators remain insulated from market changes,” said Sara Jane Ahmed, an IEEFA energy finance analyst and the author of the report. “As a result, power suppliers have no incentive to transition away from coal and diesel or to hedge against price-change and currency risks.”

The report describes how the Philippines continues to lag global trends toward power-sector modernization, which are gaining momentum around rapidly-declining costs and technological advances in renewable energy, energy efficiency and distributed storage.

The report notes further that that the Philippine Board of Investments has already approved eight solar projects through Solar Philippines Commercial Rooftop Projects Inc. worth PhP 85.96 billion, or US$1.65 billion. A conservative estimate of 8 gigawatts (GW) of solar installations by 2030 includes 35{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of that coming from rooftop solar, an investment value of US$ 2.8 billion.

“These trends present an enormous opportunity to replace imported-coal and imported-diesel models with indigenous alternatives,” Ahmed said. “Solar, wind, run-of-river hydro, geothermal, biogas, and storage are competitive, viable domestic options that can be combined to create a cheaper, more diverse and secure energy system.”

Every kilowatt of installed rooftop solar means a reduction in the need for imported coal and diesel power, Ahmed added. This phenomenon alone could save the Philippines up to US$2.2 billion annually in its current account deficits as well as US$200 million per year in diesel subsidies.

To cite just two examples of recent renewable energy deflation in the Philippines, Manila Electric Company (Meralco) in March of this year received the country’s lowest wind electricity generation bid ever on a new 150-megawatt (MW) wind turbine project in the Rizal province, for PhP 3.50 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Solar is competing similarly, with Meralco having contracted for a PhP 2.99-per kWh, 50-MW capacity plant.

Coal-fired power generation, by comparison, costs upwards of PhP 3.8-5.5 per kWh, and the true cost of imported diesel-fired power ranges from PhP 15 to PhP 28 per kWh.

Rooftop solar costs PhP 2.50 per kWh (without financing expenses) to 5.3 per kWh (with financing expenses), utility scale solar power can cost as little as PhP 2.99 per kWh, wind is PhP 3.5 per kWh, geothermal is PhP 3.5-4.5 per kWh, and run-of-river hydro costs PhP 3-6.2 per kWh.

The report names three major hurdles to the broader adoption of solar power:

—Regulatory, including unwieldy requirements around “distribution impact studies” and distribution asset studies” alongside assorted other solar-permit rules as well as resistance to net billing, allows end-users to generate electricity from solar rooftop for their own use and either sell any excess energy to the distribution utility at current wholesale prices or be fairly credited.

—Administrative, which includes inadequate transparency around customer “load profiles,” which show consumption patterns that are crucial to understanding usage, and institutional resistance to net-metering.

—Financial, which restrict affordability of and accessibility to rooftop solar.

“Development of all more affordable options is still hampered by costly and unnecessary red tape,” Ahmed said. “The Philippine government can help break the logjam by adopting policies that inject more diversity—and more energy security—into the electricity system while helping lower consumer costs by enabling the uptake of cheaper, cleaner options such as rooftop solar,”

“More important, fossil fuel subsidies and electricity-sector losses are a growing drag on economic growth in the Philippines. Current plans for fossil fuel generation would instill a long-term dependence on fossil fuel imports, which would lead to more national debt, devaluation of the currency and an increase in inflation, all of which would destabilize the Philippine economy.”

Full report: “Unlocking Rooftop Solar in the Philippines”

Media contacts:

(Manila) Sara Jane Ahmed sahmed@ieefa.org +63 917 891 5464

(U.S.) Karl Cates kcates@ieefa.org

About IEEFA

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis conducts research and analyses on financial and economic issues related to energy and the environment. The Institute’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a diverse, sustainable and profitable energy.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A solar panel project created by a University of Notre Dame graduate is cutting costs for a local homeless center. 

Emily Clements, who graduated from Notre Dame in the spring, organized the project to satisfy her senior capstone. For nearly a year, Clements created a sustainability plan and asked businesses and organizations to donate money and solar panels. 

The panels will be installed on the rood of Our Lady of the Road on Sunday. It’s estimated to save Our Lady of the Road about $1,200 a month in energy costs. 

As an undergrad, Emily volunteered at Our Lady of the Road, which is a day time drop in center for homeless men and women. They can take a shower, wash their clothes, and eat a hot meal. Emily said she loved working with the people and wanted to give back to the center.

“I thought that doing something that would significantly reduce the operating costs of Our Lady of the Road, while also like being really good for the environment that’s like a technical solution, was a really good intersection of everything that I’m like interested in and everything that I’m doing,” said Clements. 

Clements also said it’s important for people from all classes to understand sustainability. 

“Because this place is so focused on helping the most vulnerable people, the includes people in future generations as well as people who are currently facing problems with climate change and other countries, even if we don’t interact with them, we’re no less responsible for caring for them than we are for people directly in our community,” said Clements. “This is a way for Our Lady of the Road to do that.” 

Mysuru: An awareness programme on energy saving for school children, organised by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), Mysore Regional Office, was held at Rotary West Schools in Kanakadasanagar and Saraswathipuram   here recently.

The awareness programme was held to create a sense of responsibility among students towards the current energy crisis and to inspire them to spread awareness on renewable  energy resources.

Rotary West Mysore President P.A. Nanaiah inaugurated the workshop by switching on a LED Solar Lantern. Speaking on the occasion, he said that renewable energy like solar power would never deplete and should be harnessed efficiently to deal with power crises.

More than 150 students got first hand understanding of how solar water heaters, solar cooking stoves, solar street lights and solar LED lamps work. The energy is not only renewable, but clean and hence “green” was the take home message

D.K. Dinesh Kumar, Project Engineer, KREDL, explained about the progress of renewable energy in India and Karnataka and also explained about renewable energy and Energy Conservation opportunities in college and domestic sectors. Later, a quiz competition was conducted and certificates and Solar Lanterns were given to winners.  

Rotary West Mysore Secretary Manjunath Srivasta, DG-Elect Joseph Mathew, Hanumanthu, A. Ramesh, Head Master Ningaraju and others were present.

Rooftop solar seems to have lost some of its shine in Utah, but industry and clean air advocates say the alternative energy source still has a bright future.

Electricity provider Rocky Mountain Power filed its most recent net metering report with the Public Service Commission in July, which indicates some of the changes facing the industry. To date, the utility counts more than 30,000 solar customers. New rooftop solar installations are down by about 23 percent compared to the year before.

Those in the industry say some of the volatility came from Rocky Mountain Power’s phase-out of net-metering, which went into effect last November.

“We have definitely seen some attrition in the industry,” said Ryan Evans with the Utah Solar Energy Association. “However, I think most Utah companies were able to handle the changes.”

• RELATED: RMP net-metering settlement creates assurances, uncertainty for Utah solar

With net metering, the power provider paid solar customers the market rate for their excess energy sent to the grid. Solar customers used those credits to offset their bill when the sun wasn’t shining.

Rocky Mountain Power argued net metering caused costs to pile on that were passed on to non-solar customers. After striking a deal with groups like Utah Clean Energy and the Utah Office of Consumer Services, the way the utility compensates its solar customers has changed.

New solar customers are now in a transition mode until 2020 while the utility and its watchdogs decide how to better manage Utah’s solar surge. Transition customers are being paid slightly less than market rates for their solar, rates that are grandfathered until 2033.

• RELATED: Utah Consumer Services director breaks down the RMP solar settlement

Those who had solar installed before November are also grandfathered at their net metering market rates until 2035.

Rocky Mountain Power reported 9,372 customers installed new solar arrays in 2017-2018, just before net metering ended.

Another 212 households and businesses installed solar between November and March, becoming the first round of solar transition customers.

By comparison, the utility counted 12,408 new rooftop solar installations the year before.

Evans said after a few years of massive growth, the solar industry is starting to level off.

“The low-hanging fruit is already taken. Those people interested in solar, if they’d been looking, they went for it in 2016” before net-metering phased out, Evans said.

That leveling off combined with the Trump administration’s tariffs on solar panels have hit some companies hard, he added, but most solar installers have been able to adjust.

• RELATED: Solar panel tariff adds volatility, but Utah companies stay optimistic

“We anticipated we’d see a decline in industry,” he said. “Our whole effort this year has been to minimize that decrease.”

Generating funds for low-income Utahns

Whether grandfathered into net metering or part of the new transitional rate program, Rocky Mountain Power customers only have a year to use solar credits to offset their electricity bills.

The solar generation “year” starts on April 1. Come March 31, if a customer generates more solar credits than what’s needed to power their home, they forfeit the credits.

“It’s in part to make sure net-metering customers aren’t over-designing their system,” said Kate Bowman with Utah Clean Energy. “If your system is designed correctly to meet 100 percent or less of your energy needs, you won’t have expired credits.”

Most rooftop solar customers end up using all their credits. Still, the value of those expired credits is rising rapidly.

In the 2016-2017 generation year, for example, Rocky Mountain Power solar costumers forfeited a total value of $56,494.

But this year, expired credits amounted to $159,840. It’s an unprecedented jump, but Bowman thinks there are a few explanations.

“Sometimes people want to put up more solar (panels) because they are anticipating buying an electric car,” she said. “Or they put solar on roof and became more energy efficient because they’re paying closer attention to their bills and use.”

Utah Clean Energy is taking a closer look at those expired credits as a possible way to help the underserved and further grow the solar industry.

By law, Rocky Mountain Power has to use the expired credits to help low-income electricity customers.

In the past the utility used the credit to offset their costs to run the Home Energy Lifeline Program, or HELP, which gives low-income customers around $13 off their monthly bills.

Instead, Utah Clean Energy has proposed investing expired solar credits in a pilot program that helps low-income households buy rooftop solar.

“Lower-income households have a harder time accessing the benefits of clean energy,” Bowman said.

But they’ve seen some pushback from the Office of Consumer Protection and the Utah Division of Public Utilities.

“We don’t think there’s a well-enough defined program to support, so I’m skeptical,” said Michele Beck with the Office of Consumer Services. “(The credit funds) can help more people by going to weatherization than some low-income solar pilot.”

Rocky Mountain Power is also opposed to directing funds to a pilot solar program for low-income households. Such a program would have a high cost, Hall said, and benefit only a few.

“How many people would even be eligible?” he said. “A lot of people rent (their homes) in those situations.”

As of late Thursday afternoon, the utility proposed sending the expired solar credits to the Salvation Army’s Lend A Hand program as an alternative, which gives donated funds to at-risk individuals and prevents disconnection of their electric service.

For now, Utah Clean Energy has thrown support behind sending the expired solar credits to the Utah Weatherization Assistance Program. But they’d still like to see some of the funds help financially strapped households invest in renewables.

“I think Utah solar customers like knowing when their credits expire, they’re not just disappearing. They’re going to help people lower their utility bills,” Bowman said. “It’s aligned with what solar customers want and what they think their credits should be used for.”