On the roof, unnoticed by the students who returned to Columbia Independent School on Thursday, were 285 solar panels.
The rooftop solar panels, which were installed over the summer and went online Wednesday, are capable of producing 99,750 kilowatts of electricity on the sunniest days.
CIS Head of School Adam Dube said it is the first school in the state to use Missouri’s Property Assessed Clean Energy program — PACE — to fund a project. It’s through the Division of Energy with the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
“It’s a program that Missouri started for businesses and non-profits like ourselves to invest in renewable energy,” Dube said. “About a year ago we started looking at the program.”
He said the program, plus donations from supporters, funded the $300,000 project. It also included replacing all the lighting in the school with light-emitting diode lighting. There are now 1,200 LED lights throughout the school. He said the school couldn’t have done the project without the state financing mechanism.
Trevor Fowler, CIS security and facilities coordinator, said other aspects of the project included replacing two inefficient rooftop air conditioning units with one highly-efficient unit. In the gym there are six destratification fans, designed to better circulate air in large spaces so that the temperature is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Fowler said on sunny days the solar panels can produce power for the electric grid.
“It’s really neat to be part of a project where you’re first,” Fowler said.
He said the solar power will reduce electric bills by one-third or more.
“We’re going to supplement up to 40 percent” with solar, Fowler said. “Some days will be up to 90 percent.”
He said to test the solar system the school operated on only solar power for a short time.
EnergyLink was the contractor for the project.
Fowler said a software package that came with the solar array will allow teachers and students to view on computers the amount of energy use in the school from coal-powered sources and from solar power in real time. He said teachers can develop lesson plans around it.
“We’ll be able to use this as an educational piece,” he said.
“A lot of our students are passionate about sustainability,” CIS spokeswoman Kari Dowell said. She said an upper school student is pursuing a fellowship in sustainability.
“Our families were key in funding the project,” Dowell said.
“That’s the great part,” Dube said. “In the long-term, we’re making an investment in the environment. We’re reducing our production of carbon emissions. We feel great about that. Our goal is to be increasingly sustainable.”
Josh Campbell, executive director of the Missouri Energy Initiative, said Columbia Independent School is right to be proud of being the first school in the state to use PACE to fund a solar power project.
“It’s ultimately a different way to provide financing using private capital from a variety of different sources,” Campbell said. He said CIS would pay a fixed interests rate over the 20-years of payments.
“It is a great project,” Campbell said. “It’s an area we would like to work with more.”
It’s the 20th anniversary of Columbia Independent School, a private, college preparatory school. An anniversary event is planned for later this year. The school has been in its current building at 1801 N. Stadium Blvd. since 2009.
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Tamil Nadu government is planning a massive solar energy programme through setting up of grid-connected rooftop solar panels in government buildings.
The plan is to tap 25,000 buildings, including educational institutions, which offer 2 crore square feet of rooftop space with a potential capacity of 110 MW at an outlay of ₹940 crore, according to a document available with The Hindu.
The move follows an announcement by Electricity Minister P. Thangamani in the Assembly.
Tamil Nadu Energy Development Authority (TEDA) will be the nodal agency for implementation. Its role will include selecting vendors for implementing the project, looking at various financing options for the project and ensuring co-ordination with various stakeholders.
“This is the first big scale attempt on solarisation not only in Tamil Nadu, but also in India. It shall lead to substantive savings to the government with zero upfront investment,” said a TEDA official.
According to a rough calculation, a government building in a district by implementing a 130.82 kW system can save over ₹5 lakh in self-consumption charges and earn income of over ₹2 lakh through sale of surplus power to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco). The agency will run pilot projects in a few selected districts. Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore and Salem have been shortlisted for the pilot project. TEDA has called for proposals from vendors for 50 MW of project worth ₹250 crore. The vendor shall run the project on a BOOT model (Build Own Operate,Transfer).
Performance based pay
For the first time, the agency has introduced the concept of “performance-based payment” system. The selected vendor will be paid based on the energy produced and not upfront for the solar system installed. “The pilot projects will be built as microcosm models for the overall rollout. It is expected to use them as the learning ground for creating awareness and eliciting interest and ownership towards scaling up,” said the TEDA official.
The capacity of the solar PV system for each government building shall be calculated on the basis of the shade-free rooftop area available and the annual energy consumption of the building, he said.
TEDA will look into the tariff aspects for the project, including procedures for net metering for supply of excess power to Tangedco and will soon file a detailed tariff petition with Tamil Nadu Electricity and Regulatory Commission (TNERC).
“The success of initial ₹250 core project will, to a large extent, depend on the net metering. Tangedco has assured timely supply of net meters for this project,” TEDA officials said.
The agency would rope in Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation (TNIFMC) as an advisor and funding partner for the project.
To ensure a good savings potential for the government through this initiative, a tariff of 80{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of the current Tangedco tariff of ₹8.05 per unit which comes to ₹6.44 per unit is proposed, the document said.
There will be an independent arrangement between the vendor and Tangedco, coordinated by TEDA, on exporting surplus power at a price of ₹3.11 a unit, it added. The project presents a return of 10{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} – 12{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} based on the ability to export surplus energy to the grid.
https://www.northernenergysolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/clean energycol384615Adminhttps://northernenergysolar.com/northernenergysolar/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/northern-energy-solar-solutions.pngAdmin2018-08-18 20:12:452018-08-18 20:12:45T.N. to harness rooftops for solar energy
Renewable energy advocates lost an attempt to strike down a program in Maine that reduces the amount of subsidies given to solar panel owners, the latest move in an ongoing battle between the solar lobby and state regulators.
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday handed the Conservation Law Foundation, the Natural Resources Council of Maine and other solar proponents a loss when it dismissed their attempt to throw out certain provisions in the state’s new net metering system.
Renewable energy advocates have fought against Maine’s new system that gradually reduces the credit panel owners are given for the power they produce at home, decreasing the incentive for homeowners to purchase solar panels.
Most state governments have established some form of net metering — a system where homeowners are credited for the power their solar panels produce and send back to the grid. Solar companies are very supportive of the policy, as it creates an incentive for people to purchase expensive panel installation, promising them savings on electricity bills in the long run.
However, net metering has also been controversial as it essentially shifts costs onto non-panel owners.
Outgoing Republican Gov. Pau LePage has argued that these subsidies have become less necessary as the costs for solar installation continues to drop. The Maine Public Utilities Commission established a new net metering policy earlier this year that gradually reduces the amount of credit panel owners are given.
However, homeowners who had already purchased panels were grandfathered in to the old system for another 15 years.
Renewable energy advocates have fought against the rule change in the state legislature, where LePage has already vetoed three different bills that would have reformed his new net metering policy.
Unable to regain their subsidies at the legislative level, the solar lobby has turned to the courts.
The Conservation Law Foundation complained to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court last year, challenging a provision that asses a transmission charge on panel owners for the electricity they generate and use at their house. This challenge, however, was ultimately thrown out after the court ruled that such an issue needs to be settled at a lower court.
“We obviously are disappointed,” Sean Mahoney, leader of the Conservation Law Foundation in Maine, said to the Portland Press Herald. “The decision doesn’t address the underlying problems with the [Public Utilities Commission] rule.”
The Conservation Law Foundation has vowed to continue fighting.
“[W]e could see ourselves back at the Law Court in a year with the same issue,” Mahoney explained. “And in that time, people will have both potentially paid significant dollars to install these second meters and/or begun to lose the benefits of the net energy billing process.”
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Minnesota is a leader in the Midwest for the growth of clean energy jobs, employing more than 59,000 workers from every county across the state.
That’s according to a report released Aug. 8 by Clean Energy Economy Minnesota. The report is the third annual analysis of clean energy employment in Midwest states conducted by Clean Energy Trust and the nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs.
The report, which analyzed changes in clean energy employment between 2016 and 2017, saw an increase in Minnesota of 1,521 jobs or 2.6 percent growth from last year. It’s more growth than any Midwestern state except Missouri (at 3.1 percent but only 54,000 jobs) saw last year.
“Jobs in clean energy grew two times faster than overall job growth in the state,” said CEEM Executive Director Gregg Mast. “That’s a strong point that clean energy is good for businesses but also good for our economy.”
The report considered jobs in different sectors of the clean energy industry, from renewable energy and clean fuels to energy storage and workers developing or installing energy efficient systems. The latter is the largest sector, employing more than 44,000 people. However, the sector that saw the most growth is renewable energy at 16.5 percent (1,026 new jobs).
Micah Johnson, operations manager at Solar Connections Inc. in Rochester, said those state trends are being reflected in the spreading popularity of solar energy in local communities.
“The demand for solar has never been higher,” he said. “Word has kind of spread that this isn’t a fringe technology; this isn’t for doomsday preppers out in the woods. This is an everyday mainstream technology that works.”
According to Clean Energy Technology’s website, Southeast Minnesota is home to 2,569 clean energy jobs, 333 of which are in renewable energy. And in The Solar Foundation’s 2017 solar job census, Minnesota was second in the nation for overall growth in solar jobs at 48.2 percent, just less than Delaware’s 51 percent.
At Solar Connections, that growth is tangible and felt. The business has hired seven people since the beginning of the year, including four people to fill newly added positions, bringing their current staff to 16 employees.
“We’ve grown every year,” Johnson said. “The fact that we’ve added four [jobs] and the year’s not over yet, that’s 25 percent growth.”
That kind of expansion of solar and other renewable energy companies and providers should have a significant impact on state and local economies, Johnson said, particularly since Minnesota doesn’t produce fossil fuels.
“Other than renewable energy like wind, solar and wood, we import 100 percent of our energy,” Johnson said. “Imagine if we could keep just five percent of that spending. … All of that money is going to circulate in the local economy because only local people can install solar panels. You can’t outsource that.”
The continuing growth of solar energy in Minnesota bucks regional trends, the report states, which notes most Midwestern states shed solar jobs after companies completed projects in 2016 to qualify for expiring tax credits. Johnson said bipartisan support for a continuing renewable energy push has helped Minnesota’s solar remain strong.
“We have state legislators that are starting to realize, ‘Hey, wait a minute, these fossil fuel companies aren’t spending any of their profits in Minnesota,’” Johnson said. “They’re realizing this solar industry is good for Minnesota and it’s good for jobs.”
Mast agreed, citing strong clean energy policies as a contributor to the continuing growth, which currently sees Minnesota’s solar energy jobs growing at 18 percent.
“There’s no question that we need to continue that policy leadership and prioritize the transition to a clean, affordable and reliable energy system,” Mast said.
With industry leaders predicting a clean energy job growth rate as high as 4.6 percent for 2018, Minnesotans should feel secure in the knowledge they’re one of the brightest, greenest and cleanest bulbs in the pack throughout the entire Midwest.
While Westminster attempts to deliver Brexit within months, the UK’s energy system is set to become dramatically more dependent on the EU just as Britain leaves.
Today, four cables – known as interconnectors – between the UK and Ireland, France and the Netherlands have a capacity of 4GW, providing around 6{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of Britain’s power supplies. However, with 11 new connections linking the UK and other European countries either under construction or mooted by developers, imports could provide more than a fifth of the country’s electricity needs by 2025, the government expects.
As the UK’s Brexit white paper said in understated fashion: “There has been a trend towards greater interconnectivity that has brought mutual benefits to trading partners.”
Leading the charge is National Grid, which is behind three of the 11 new proposed cables.
Jon Butterworth, who heads the group’s interconnectors business, said: “From our perspective, and from the perspective of the general public, there’s not a lot of downsides to interconnectors.”
The company argues the links are good for consumers because lower wholesale prices on the continent will translate to cheaper energy bills in the UK. Households will save £9.01 a year once the 13.9GW of new capacity has come online, it calculates.
National Grid says interconnectors are vital to make electricity networks more flexible, a priority as more wind and solar power comes online.
Butterworth said: “I don’t think you can do it [renewables] without them. As you get more and more intermittent renewable energy, to use it at the right time and get it into the right place, interconnection is vital.”
Interconnectors have obvious appeal as a source of growth for the company, which is mulling job cuts in response to regulator Ofgem proposing tougher price controls on its core business, the UK’s national electricity network.
“Some of the generators express their views,” said Butterworth. “[But] why would a generator in France be less reliable than a generator in the middle of England?”
Industry experts broadly agree that greater interconnection is a good thing in a world with more renewables, but there is no consensus on how much.
“The question is: what is the optimal level of interconnection? There is a hole in thinking,” said Peter Atherton, analyst at Cornwall Insight. He believes the links have played an important role in the UK’s energy system.
Cheaper power from Europe sounds like good news for households hit by tariff rises blamed on rising wholesale costs. But if wholesale prices went too low it could hurt the economics of UK-based power stations. “A low wholesale price is not necessarily a good thing,” said Atherton. “We don’t accept dumping of other things.”
National Grid’s dual role as builder of interconnectors and manager of balancing electricity supplies has also raised questions about its vested interests. “I wouldn’t say there is conflict of interest, but there is potential,” said Atherton.
Other companies are building cables through the Channel tunnel, and planning to connect to electricity supplies as far away as Germany.
National Grid’s link to Belgium is its first to come online, in early 2019. It will be followed by a second connection to France in 2020, and then the world’s longest subsea interconnector to Norway.
The company is not ruling out more radical ideas, including interconnectors for a Dutch-backed island in the North Sea surrounded by windfarms. Butterworth said: “It’s just something we need to take a good, hard look at. It’s not crazy. You’ve got to sometimes push the boundary.”
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Enphase Energy (ENPH) offers the most optimal energy solution on the planet. Their recent alliance with SunPower (SPWR) and acquisition of SolarBridge, along with already existing Tier-1 partners like LG, Solaria, Panasonic, Jinko Solar and others, is truly a trend which should not be ignored. With the latest $60M revelation, the last albatross left from the previous management — the Tennenbaum loan, could finally be laid to rest, boosting operational income quarterly by ~$0.02/share. Furthermore, one of the last disadvantages for Enphase appears to be no more — that is the cost advantage of a microinverter-based solar solution over an optimized-string solution. Read on to see why Enphase Energy is a serious stock to hold for the long-term investor.
What is the most optimal energy system you can have? In reality, you have to look at the power source and break it down to its smallest unit of power generation — the individual solar panel; at the single panel level, the microinverter is the most optimal choice. Sure, you can have 1) your venerable central string inverter sized to the number of solar panels in a given string, and you can even add optimizers to improve power generation; 2) you can have dual- or quad-inverters converting energy from 2- or 4-panels, respectively, or 3) you can have the most optimal configuration which pairs an inverter to each solar panel; the latter provides the best reliability and safety, as well as, lowest-common-denominator for DC-to-AC conversion in a solar system; the duplicity of multiple “micro” inverters guarantees reliability, and the low-voltage DC conversion optimizes longevity and safety above all other configurations. This is where DG is headed, and why Enphase’s 10-year evolution of product is the best in the industry. With the acquisition of #2 microinverter company, SolarBridge, from SunPower, this gives Enphase complete domination of the microinverter market which is the crux of an AC Module, and with an Enphase-SunPower dynamic duo, this would equate to ~36{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of the US residential solar market for Enphase.
In focusing upon the longevity aspect of a solar system, by adding storage, the entire warranty scenario is changed. Solar PV systems and their accompanying solar inverter tend to run for half of the day, so any given warranty assumes that sort of work regimen. With the advent of storage, a centralized energy topology which utilizes a single string inverter for both panels and storage will now work twice as hard, and should therefore have half the life expectancy. If a second string inverter is added to the system just for managing the storage and keeping the solar PV panels managed by the other inverter, then there will be 2 single points of failure with both devices having a ~10-year lifespan. With microinverters performing low-voltage DC-to-AC conversion, the warranty is estimated to be 25 years or longer.
As huge residential storage solutions come on the scene, along with hungry EV batteries, home energy solutions will demand reliability, safer and longevity, and Enphase Energy with its low-voltage DC-to-AC conversion and completely decentralized and optimized power topology, will become the standard MLPE for residential energy solutions. The recent SunPower deal is a testament to that. Customers will not want to buy a system that can fail, especially if one exists that is comparably priced that does not. MLPE will cease to exist as a consideration in residential energy solutions as AC Modules proliferate.
As the awareness of initial, BOM and O&M solar costs has become more apparent, and as IQ7, IQ8, IQ9 and future generations of the IQ microinverter debut, the optimized-string “cost advantage” has evaporated. Remember, the microinverter is newer technology than the central string inverter, so it still has more room to mature and optimize. The central string inverter is pretty much mature technology. For years now, SolarEdge’s (SEDG) chief advantage over Enphase has been it’s pricing, but that advantage does not exist any longer, for the new management at Enphase truly excels in operational excellence.
On Renvu.com, the so-called “cost-advantage” that optimized-strings have over microinverter-based solutions is no longer there. For the example below, a 9.2kW DC/7.6kW AC system configuration is given:
Given that Enphase’s microinverter solution has the best reliability, safety and longevity for a solar system, and has now reached cost-parity with the optimized-string solution, it only makes sense that installers are returning to Enphase. Their new IQ technology boasts a 2-wire configuration which reduces installation costs, and along with other perks, the productivity increase achieved by installing Enphase IQ solutions is worth the switch from any of the competing solutions which utilize a central point-of-failure device, 4-wire conduit, separate MLPE and panel components, et cetera.
And one last thing to consider as an advantage for Enphase, as well as the entire solar industry, is the residential ITC, and how it is now really helping negate the effects of the tariffs. According to the latest filings from SunRun (RUN) and Vivint Solar (VSLR), where residential solar business is booming, both skim off a lofty $0.70/Watt acquisition and have installation costs down to ~$1.89/Watt. With time running out on the residential ITC (30{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} thru 2019, 2020 26{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974}, 2021 22{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974}, after 2021 0{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974}) there should be a run on solar for the next 4 quarters at least, until it is wound down, and at 62/38 USA/RoW, Enphase will benefit.
Enphase’s Analyst Day is here, and with this latest $60M surprise giving Enphase the capability to deal with its “indebtedness” and fund growth, the future is looking very positive for the company. IQ8 microgrid will be a game-changer for Enphase because it is the first battery-less microgrid of its kind, and this new funding will help insure its success. In the coming quarters, IQ8 will be the cure to possibly millions of solar customers still suffering from “anti-islanding“, as well as bring LCOE microgrid power into regions of the world with weak or no power grids at all. The market is HUGE Caroline.
Disclosure:I am/we are long ENPH.
I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Editor’s Note: This article covers one or more stocks trading at less than $1 per share and/or with less than a $100 million market cap. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.
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PECO president and CEO Mike Innocenzo, commerce director Harold Epps, and city sustainability director Christine Knapp joined the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) and the Solar Training Network to honor clean energy trainee graduates and celebrate the success of solar energy expansion efforts in Philadelphia.
“Philadelphia is proud to encourage city businesses and residents to make the switch to solar energy,” Mayor Kenney said. “Solar technology helps us create jobs and lower the carbon footprint of the city. We are committed to a 100{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} renewable energy future and solar is a key piece of the puzzle to get us there.”
“The Solarize Philly program is advancing our clean energy and workforce development goals and making Philadelphia a national leader in sustainable energy—just as we envisioned when Council authorized the Philadelphia Energy Authority in 2010,” Council President Clarke said. “Philadelphia is well on track for continued growth in the sustainable energy sector, thanks in great part to these 30 young ‘Find Your Power’ students. They are the future of our workforce.”
“At PECO, we are committed to leading the charge toward an environmentally sustainable future and, most importantly, ensuring there is a diverse workforce ready for these emerging energy jobs as they become available,” PECO president and CEO Innocenzo said. “The Philadelphia Energy Authority’s ‘Find Your Power’ program is a shining example of a successful public-private partnership, as students are not only educated but also equipped with competitive skills to enter the workforce. We are proud to invest in such an innovative program, and will continue supporting youth education and enrichment across the Greater Philadelphia region.”
Representatives of the Solar Training Network were on hand to discuss the national solar jobs context, highlight career pathways, and record workforce development insights that could be applied in other growing solar markets. Philadelphia was the 4th fastest-growing solar energy markets in the United States last year.
In its second year, the PEA’s ‘Find Your Power’ program is taught by instructors from Solar States and the Energy Coordinating Agency, and administered as part of the Philadelphia Youth Network’s WorkReady program. The program received a $100,000 contribution from PECO this year. In addition to offering job training, “Find Your Power” also placed 10 students who had previously completed the program in relevant internships at local clean energy businesses and other organizations.
“The ‘Find Your Power’ program showed me that solar is a growing field,” said trainee Auntor Ferguson, also a YouthBuild Philly graduate. “I’m glad to be hopping on the wave now.”
The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census found that solar employment increased by 24{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} in the Philadelphia metro area from 2016 to 2017, for a total of 2,319 solar workers in greater Philadelphia. After just one year, the three solar companies serving customers through Solarize Philly created 42 new solar jobs.
The Solar Foundation also recognized Philadelphia’s Gold status designation from SolSmart, a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that recognizes municipalities and counties that successfully encourage residents and businesses to go solar. Local governments achieve SolSmart designation by evaluating programs and practices, such as permitting, planning, and zoning, in order to reduce obstacles to solar energy development and pass cost savings on to consumers.
“Philadelphia’s fast-growing solar industry is creating new job opportunities while offering residents a clean and affordable energy source,” said Andrea Luecke, president and executive director at The Solar Foundation. “We’re proud to send our huge congratulations to the ‘Find Your Power’ graduates today. We also congratulate the City of Philadelphia for earning SolSmart Gold status and achieving real industry growth.”
PEA administers the “Find Your Power” program as the training component of Solarize Philly, a citywide program to help Philadelphians go solar at home. Since 2017, more than 3,500 households have signed up to receive discounted group pricing on solar energy options, and 236 have signed contracts for solar. PEA recently extended the deadline to September 30th, giving homeowners another chance to sign up for a free solar assessment at www.solarizephilly.org.
Solarize Philly is part of the Philadelphia Energy Authority’s $1 billion Philadelphia Energy Campaign, a sustainable energy initiative announced by Council President Clarke in 2016 to reduce energy costs and create 10,000 energy sector jobs over 10 years.
“Solarize Philly lowers the cost of going solar at home, while supporting solar career training for Philadelphia high schoolers,” PEA Executive Director Emily Schapira said. “The Philadelphia Energy Campaign has already created hundreds of jobs. We are positioning young Philadelphians to join the city’s growing solar industry.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provided seed funding for Solarize Philly as part of the Solar in Your Community Challenge—a federal initiative to support innovative and replicable community-based programs to bring solar to underserved communities across the country.
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OneEnergy Renewables’ Steel Bridge solar power production project in Polk County, Ore.
SUNNYSIDE The City of Sunnyside and OneEnergy Renewables of Seattle are well set to sign an agreement for production of electrical power on the old Monson Feedlot property.
The city finalized the purchase of the property for $2.5 million in 2007 in a controversial move to close the operation, which had an aroma that too often didn’t sit well with downwind Sunnysiders.
The city acquired the 151-acre property, cleaned it up and started looking for a proper use and user.
According to City Manager Don Day, the City Council is certain power production and OneEnergy are a proper use and user.
According to Project Manager Blake Bjornson, the deal will be for as many as 80 acres. The company will not use all the land.
Some of the fine details, like a signing date, aren’t determined yet. But, other important details are.
Day said OneEnergy could get to production soon, or it could take as many as five years.
However, he is confident, stating companies don’t go as far as OneEnergy has without fully intending to do business.
The relationship between Sunnyside and OneEnergy will start with a 5-year option to lease the property. That will give OneEnergy the time to “do its due diligence,” Day said.
“They still have to work out a deal with Pacific Power or some other company to buy the power,” he said.
Bjornson said there are so many variables that it takes time to determine the size of the operation and the output needs.
And, OneEnergy needs to determine if the Monson property is the right place for energy production.
“We have to check out soil conditions,” Bjornson said.
Once the deal is signed, the city will not be able to entertain any other possibilities for the property until OneEnergy walks away.
The lease option will give the company five years to do that.
For that control, OneEnergy will pay the city $2,000 for the first year of the option. The next four years, it will pay $3,000, $4,000, $5,000 and $6,000, if the option goes its full term.
If OneEnergy exercises its option before the five years end, Day said, a 26-year lease will be signed. It will start at $750 per acre of land per year and as rise 3 percent in each succeeding year. In the 11th year, the payment will be $1,007.94 per acre per year.
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AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has dismissed a challenge to a new rule by the state Public Utilities Commission on home solar panel systems.
The Portland Press Herald reports the court ruled Thursday the case should go to superior court judges first, a move that disappointed environmental advocates.
The case centers around the PUC ruling that gradually reduces the credit homeowners with solar panels receive on their energy bills.
Utilities previously credited people with solar panels as part of an approach called “net metering.” Critics such as Gov. Paul LePage opposed the measure, saying it pushed costs on other customers and was unnecessary as the price of solar panels decreased.
PUC Administrative Director Harry Lanphear says he is happy with the court’s decision.
https://www.northernenergysolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1534564595_opengraph_default.jpg200200Adminhttps://northernenergysolar.com/northernenergysolar/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/northern-energy-solar-solutions.pngAdmin2018-08-18 03:56:352018-08-18 03:56:35Court dismisses challenge to solar panel credit ruling
