Solar Power World November 2019

November 2019 www.solarpowerworldonline.com

Technology • Development • Installation

2019 REGIONAL SOLAR

POLICY REPORT ALSO INSIDE: + TENNESSEE AIRPORT GOES 100% SOLAR + HOW TO RECYCLE BATTERIES + TRACKER O&M

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November 2019 www.solarpowerworldonline.com

Technology • Development • Installation

2019 REGIONAL SOLAR

POLICY REPORT ALSO INSIDE: + TENNESSEE AIRPORT GOES 100% SOLAR + HOW TO RECYCLE BATTERIES + TRACKER O&M

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C O M P L E T E S O LAR SY S T E M S & S O L U TI O N S DESIGN | ENGINEERING | MANUFACTURING | INSTALLATION

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The joy (and pain) of covering solar policy WHEN I STARTED working at Solar Power World in 2017, I told Kelly I was interested in solar policy. I’m a news junkie in my free time, so I figured this would be a great opportunity to tie that passion to my current field of work. (It’s ironic, because when keeping up with policy and news was a requirement in journalism school, I complained about having to read multiple newspapers to pass a tricky test every week. Now, I’d pass most of them handily.)

Working the solar policy beat has been one of the most interesting and fun parts of my job, especially when I started writing a monthly solar policy wrap-up to keep track of legislative happenings across the country.

Seeing the successes, like states reinstating net metering and expanding community solar and low-income solar programs, helped balance out the unfortunate news pieces — like the inevitable reports on states rolling back renewable portfolio standards (like in my home state of Ohio), utilities slashing customer net-metering incentives and national leaders feeding disinformation about solar and other renewables to the American people.

There is never a shortage of solar policy stories to report, which is why we’ve decided to devote the special section in this issue to regional solar policy. We know that what happens in statehouses affects the solar industry in crucial ways, so we want to keep you apprised as best we can.

Also in this issue, we take a look at an innovative airport solar installation, how one U.S. inverter manufacturer is staying strong in a tough market, the latest advances in heterojunction panel technology and more.

We hope you enjoy our first regional solar policy report — and remember to follow @SolarKelseyM to read my stories about solar policy and equity year-round. SPW

S en i o r E d i t o r Ke l s e y M is b r e n e r km i s bre n e r @ w t w h m e d i a .c o m

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@SolarKels eyM @S ola r Powe r Wor ld

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Follow the whole team on Twitter @SolarPowerWorld

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Technology • Development • Installation

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22 25 44 48 INSTALLATION

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22 INVERTERS

SPECIAL SECTION: REGIONAL POLICY 31

54 CONTRACTORS CORNER 56 AD INDEX

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15 TRAINING

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Why heterojunction technology is the industry’s best option to increase efficiency and power output How a U.S.-based inverter manufacturer has stayed successful in a tough market

25 MOUNTING

Metropolitan Airport

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18 PANELS

NABCEP is committed to including underserved communities in solar

Photo courtesy Chattanooga

2 FIRST WORD 8 NEWS BRIEFS 9 LEADERSHIP WINNERS

10 CASE STUDY

Flying through Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport just got much greener

A Tennessee airport becomes a leader in aviation sustainability with a large ground-mount solar installation that powers all of its operations.

TECHNOLOGY

States have taken the lead on solar policy in the absence of federal support. We explore key policy issues from coast to coast in our inaugural Regional Solar Policy Report.

Staying up-to-date on O&M is especially important for tracking systems

28 STORAGE

Keeping our industry as green as possible with recycling plans for batteries

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DOE funds CESA’s wide-ranging low-and-moderate-income solar initiative

Solar policy snapshots

A guide to recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Washington, D.C. The Department of Energy has committed a three-year funding award of $1.1 million to the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)’s initiative to expand solar projects benefitting low- and moderate-income (LMI) households and communities. The Scaling Up Solar for Under-Resourced Communities Project will focus on three LMI market subsets: singlefamily homes, manufactured homes and multifamily affordable housing.

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Missouri utility seeks neighborhood solar project applications St. Louis, Missouri Ameren Missouri is seeking solar project applications from nonprofit organizations, schools and other nonresidential public locations as part of its new Neighborhood Solar program.

Applications will be scored based on amount of solar generation possible, total installation cost, energy grid support, neighborhood benefits and more. The utility has allotted at least $14 million for this program.

3

5 Ameren Missouri is accepting solar project applications for its innovative Neighborhood Solar program that aims to bring clean kilowatts to public spaces.

Oregon utility resource plan includes storage for first time

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Portland, Oregon Western utility PacifiCorp’s new 2019 resource plan includes significant solar-plus-storage resources to help in its transition away from coal. The utility has a goal of 3,000 MW of new solar resources and 600 MW of battery storage capacity co-located with new solar resources by the end of 2023 and plans to “remove existing transmission constraints and improve grid resilience so the lowestcost renewable resources can flow freely to customers.”

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First Illinois ‘Solar for All’ projects approved

Springfield, Illinois The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved contracts for its first projects involved in the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program. The program awards incentives to developers and contractors to help offset solar project costs and pass those savings along to low-income communities. This round of over $13 million in incentives will help build over 5.3 MW of solar capacity.

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FP&L’s community solar program now includes low-income customers

Jacksonville, Florida Florida Power & Light’s SolarTogether program is the largest voluntary community solar program in the country, offering a total capacity of 1,490 MW at 20 solar projects across its service territory. Now, FP&L is expanding the program’s accessibility by dedicating 35 MW of community solar to low-income families. The SolarTogether program is still awaiting approval from the Florida Public Service Commission.

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

10/31/19 2:51 PM

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CONGRATULATIONS!

ACORE says there should be a federal renewable energy standard

Washington, D.C. The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati released a white paper making the case for a federal renewable energy standard of at least 50% renewable energy on a timeline consistent with climate commitments and expert recommendations. It includes technologies such as wind, solar and hydropower.

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Energy Secretary Rick Perry to resign at end of year

Washington, D.C. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry told President Trump on Oct. 17 that he will resign from his position by the end of 2019. The resignation comes as Perry was subpoenaed in the ongoing presidential impeachment inquiry for information on his role in the Trump administration’s recent dealings with Ukraine. Trump has tapped the current deputy secretary of energy, Dan Brouillette, to become the next secretary. Brouillette previously worked in Former President George W. Bush’s Department of Energy, and then in the automobile industry, according to The New York Times.

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Mayors across the country call for ITC extension

Washington, D.C. More than 200 mayors from 39 states sent a letter to Congress asking for a five-year extension of the solar Investment Tax Credit. The bipartisan group writes in the letter that solar adoption rose in their communities thanks to the ITC, and they want to see that growth continue. “The communities we serve, including residents and local businesses, have seen the rewards of investing in technology like solar,” the mayors write.

Solar Power World announces the winners of our eighth annual Leadership in Solar program. Nominees were released in our January issue, and our user community voted on which companies they felt best exemplify solar leadership. Congratulations to the winners!

batteries

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components

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consulting

ProSight Specialty Insurance

distributors

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enclosures

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installation

M Bar C Construction

inverters

SolarEdge

measurement

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modules

Panasonic

mounting

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software

Aurora Solar

thank you for your innovation.

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Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

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BILLY LUDT

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Tennessee airport

fulfills long commitment

to cutting carbon

through solar The

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is an anomaly in American aviation.

The airport has taken environmentally conscious steps to all new major developments — from recycling windowpanes and repurposing them into countertops to “rubble-izing” concrete facilities and using the material as the groundwork for a 2.74-MW ground-mount solar array, which powers all its operations.

“We figure, we’re going to produce everything we could possibly use,” said John Naylor, former VP of planning and development for the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA). “That’s how we got to today. Solar was just part of our sustainability program, part of the airport’s business model.”

Naylor joined CHA’s staff in 2007 and was tasked with cutting the airport’s utilities bill, its largest expense. Before any panels were installed at CHA, he decreased energy usage through updated, high-efficiency HVAC systems and lighting.

After getting the go-ahead from the airport president and securing grant funding,

solar panels were first installed at CHA in 2011.

Eight years later, the final phase of the array came online.

Construction Inman Solar of Atlanta, Georgia, won a bidding process not once, not twice, but three times to engineer and construct the three-phase solar array at CHA. The company beat both international and domestic installers to make the Tennessee airport the first fully powered

by PV solar in the United States.

The three phases of the solar project took place in 2011, 2012 and 2018, with full completion in April 2019. The solar system is comprised of three individual arrays installed in succession at the western end of the airport, each using different solar components in what was previously undeveloped land running parallel to the runways.

Inman Solar had a laundry list of stipulations to follow during construction since the entire solar system is on airport property.

The site of the solar system was previously used as a flood plain and for backfill from other airport construction projects, and was unfit for anything related to aviation.

“There was just land available inside security fences and you really couldn’t build a building there,” said Mark Jones, principal and co-founder of Inman Solar. “You can’t do

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anything there, but you can build solar because it’s low enough to the ground. It was not an obstruction.”

The Federal Aviation Administration requires that anything built near a runway must be 400 ft away from the centerline of the landing strip and remain under a certain height requirement. Luckily, ground-mounted solar panels fit the bill.

“The way the solar panels sit — just under 10 ft off the ground — they were just about the only thing that could fit in this area,” said Jack McAfee, current VP of planning and development at CHA.

www.iai-usa.com

Inman Solar was working in new territory and had to conduct studies during Phase 1 to determine if reflected light from the solar panels could be distracting for airplane pilots. Jones said the glare from the panels is approximately equal to that from light reflected on a lake or pond — not enough to be a concern for pilots. The greater concern would be solar panels reflecting light onto the control tower.

“We were sort of the guinea pig to figure all that out and did some elaborate reports where we showed that it wouldn’t bother them,” Jones said. “Everything in the Chattanooga Airport is installed south of the control tower, so it’s never possible for it to cause a problem for the control tower.”

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Being in a high-security area like an airport meant Inman installers were getting daily clearance into the fenced-in worksite.

Installers had to keep debris contained to ensure flights weren't obstructed.

Phase 1 of the solar system, totaling 1 MW, uses Suniva panels, Solar FlexRack fixed-tilt racking and two Advanced Energy central inverters. Phase 2 at 1.1 MW also uses Suniva panels and Advanced Energy inverters but instead has RBI Solar fixed-tilt racking. Phase 3 uses 72-cell Heliene panels, RBI fixed-tilt racking and eight Solectria string inverters, totaling 641 kW of output.

Local utility EPB also installed a NEC Energy Solutions battery system during Phase 3 construction that will provide some emergency backup power. The DSS Distributed Energy Storage platform consists of two 280-kW/255-kWh lithium-ion batteries. While the array is grid-tied, the storage system will act as a backup microgrid, powering the airport and parts of the surrounding community during power outages.

“I think it shows, assuming you have enough landmass available, you can produce as much power as you consume or more, utilizing areas in it,” Jones said. “I think it’s quite a statement for the city of Chattanooga, having leapfrogged into being a clean energy leader.”

America’s most polluted The Chattanooga Valley has a checkered past with sustainability. It was ranked the most polluted city in the United States in 1969. The region was home to many industries, railroads and coal furnaces, and the pollutants from unregulated emissions that settled into the Chattanooga Valley were so significant that residents experienced higher rates of pollution-related illness than the rest of the country. Naylor said the smog was so dense that you couldn’t see across the street.

However, following the ranking, Chattanooga passed legislation that worked to reverse the effects unregulated emissions had on the region.

“We actually passed a local pollution ordinance before the EPA came into existence the next year,” said Jed Marston, VP of marketing for EPB, the city’s electrical distributor. “Within the next four years, we were being recognized as a national model for cleaning up air pollution.”

Inman Solar

Since then, the region has kept a check on local businesses and made regular ecological improvements. CHA is just another example of corporations committing to renewables in the area.

The approximately $10 million solar portfolio at CHA was funded through grants, the first phase through the Voluntary Airport Low Emissions Program Grant, and the next two through the FAA Section 512 Energy Efficiency Grant.

“CHA was the first airport to create as much energy as it consumed, so that’s a large statement,” McAfee said. “We are confined to our space, between a major roadway and a stream, so we don’t have any room to expand — yet we managed to find the space to build a solar farm. There are many other airports out there who have much more space than we do, so we hope to have set a positive example for all airports that they too can overstep obstacles to be more sustainable.”

CHA is a Class C airport with five gates and a single concourse. More than 500,000 people flew out of the airport in

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2018, making it fourth in Tennessee for flights, and almost doubling its numbers prior to implementing its sustainability plan. A kiosk at the airport entrance displays the solar system’s current and lifetime production values by kilowatts and gigawatt hours, and also shows equivalencies for trees planted and water and natural gas saved.

McAfee said the reduced utility costs from the solar system have allowed for lower parking fees and airfares for travelers.

“You keep it growing. You keep doing it,” Naylor said. “The biggest thing I tell everybody is you start small and do what you can do, and when you save money, you reinvest it in bigger and bigger projects until you’re where you want to be.” SPW

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DAN PICKEL

DIRECTOR OF CERTIFICATION, NABCEP

The solar industry needs more diversity NABCEP was founded almost 20 years ago with a vision for creating a path for workers in the renewable energy industry to distinguish themselves from their competition, particularly in the field of solar PV. Since then, numerous customers, utility companies and jurisdictions have recognized the quality and professionalism they experience when working with NABCEP board-certified professionals.

NABCEP Board Certifications and Associate credentials are developed by solar professionals for solar professionals, and they

are available to anyone around the globe looking to excel in the rapidly expanding solar industry.

Although our goal is to create Board Certifications available to anyone, the ugly truth is that not everyone truly has access to them. In a perfect world, people of all ages, races, genders and backgrounds would be able to receive solar training and join the industry in helping transition the world to a future run on renewable energy. However, that is not what we have seen from our perspective in the certification world, nor is it reflected in the overall solar workforce.

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The solar industry needs more diversity, and it needs it now. Within the United States, the current solar workforce is disproportionately white and male. Although women constitute approximately 49% of the population, they account for less than 27% of the solar workforce nationally. Latinos, Asians and African Americans all have disproportionately low workforce ratios, too. In NABCEP's home state of New York, African

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Americans constitute almost 18% of the total population but account for less than 7% of solar jobs. Since African Americans make up 12.1% of the national workforce, not only is the solar industry not recruiting a representative number of African Americans, it appears to be doing worse than other sectors.

As the sole personnel certification body in the renewable energy industry, NABCEP recognizes that in the solar industry, there can be no sustainability without diversity.

For solar to thrive and impact members of all communities equally, we need people of all different ages, genders, races and backgrounds to get involved and lend their talents. In NABCEP’s view, underrepresented populations include veterans, low-income individuals, individuals with apparent and non-apparent disabilities, Native Americans, unemployed powerplant workers, single mothers, members of geographically isolated communities and members of the LGBTQIA community. It is for that reason NABCEP is advocating for a fair and equitable energy transition that focuses on social justice and encourages underrepresented communities to become involved in the solar revolution.

Linking social justice with the solar industry is vital for the survival of the industry and the energy transition, and it will take a lot of effort from numerous people for it to become reality. Here are some things that need to take place for members of underrepresented populations to get involved and MCE Solar One, a CCA installation. MCE prosper in the solar industry: • Lawmakers must write and enact legislation that funds workforce development programs that recruit, train 16

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•

•

•

•

•

and provide job assistance to individuals from underrepresented populations; Industry associations must develop apprenticeship programs with industry partners that allow underrepresented populations to develop skills while they earn and learn; Employers must invest in recruiting, hiring and providing on-the-job training for candidates from underrepresented populations; Training organizations must identify, recruit and deliver low-cost training to prepare individuals from underrepresented populations for jobs in the solar industry; Certification bodies such as NABCEP must provide clear, low-cost (or free, if funding is available) methods for underrepresented populations to earn credentials; Charities must develop scholarship programs for underrepresented populations to receive free training and workforce development in the solar industry.

There is a lot to be done to make the solar industry more diverse. You may have noticed we included ourselves on the list above.

In fact, NABCEP launched numerous initiatives to increase access to and decrease the costs of training individuals from underrepresented communities to encourage a fair and just energy transition. For instance, NABCEP transitioned its exams from a biannual paper-and-pencil format to computer-based exams available year-round and offered at hundreds of testing sites in the United States and around the world. The purpose was to reduce the geographic and

economic barriers that historically prevented some qualified individuals from applying for and taking one of NABCEP’s exams.

NABCEP also worked with its registered training-providers to develop a free training page on its website. Free webinars created by training-providers that count toward continuing education or certification requirements are now posted on nabcep.org. This new resource decreases the cost of earning and maintaining NABCEP’s Board Certifications and Associate credentials.

To increase the number of minorities working in the solar industry, NABCEP partnered with the WISE Foundation, Solar Energy International (SEI) and leading private industry stakeholders such as Folsom Labs to launch The Jane Weissman Daybreak Scholarship Fund to support the empowerment of underserved populations including women, veterans and minorities working toward degrees or certifications in the solar energy industry. At launch, The Jane Weissman Daybreak Scholarship Fund imbues WISE with the ability to offer up to $4,000 scholarships to as many as 15 individuals over the next three years (20192021). Scholarship recipients will receive direct funding for training, certification and participation in the NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, the industry’s premier technical solar event. If you would like to apply for this scholarship or donate to the cause, please visit solwomen.org/daybreakscholarship.

If you have any ideas or interest in working with NABCEP to encourage more diversity in the industry, please email NABCEP’s Director of Certification, Dan Pickel, at dpickel@nabcep.org. SPW

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

10/31/19 8:54 AM

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11/4/19 9:05 AM

KELLY PICKEREL EDITOR IN CHIEF

what are

heterojunction technology (hjt) Adobe Stock

solar panels?

REC

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Heterojunction

technology (HJT) is a notso-new solar panel production method that has really picked up steam in the last decade. The technology is currently the solar industry's best option to increase efficiency and power output to their highest levels. HJT combines the best qualities of crystalline silicon with those from amorphous silicon thin-film to produce a high-power hybrid cell that surpasses the performance of the industry's go-to technology, PERC. HJT's latest headline grab came in May when REC Group announced the industry's most powerful 60-cell solar panel at 380 W, a feat made possible by HJT processes perfected by equipment manufacturer Meyer Burger, an HJT market leader since 2010. As the only equipment supplier offering a turnkey HJT manufacturing process, Meyer Burger is setting up a movement — the company supplied equipment to EkoRE's underconstruction 1-GW HJT line in Turkey as well as SolarTech Universal’s line of HJT panels produced in Florida, and an unnamed North American solar cell startup plans to use Meyer Burger's HJT technology as it ramps up.

Other large Asian names are going all-in on HJT on their own. Jinergy was one of the first companies to commercialize HJT modules in China and announced in March 2019 that it has reached 23.79% efficiency on its HJT cells, and its 72-cell JNHM72 module reached 452.5 W. Risen Energy broke ground on a 2.5-GW HJT cell and module manufacturing plant in China in August 2019 that should be completed in 2021.

The 2019 "International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic" report expects HJT cells to gain a market share of 12% in 2026 and 15% by 2029 — a steady rise for a technology that just a decade ago was only used by Panasonic.

The HJT production concept was developed by SANYO Electric in the 1980s (SANYO was acquired by Panasonic in 2009).

SANYO was the first company to commercially produce solar cells made of amorphous

silicon (a-Si). This thin-film technology, most commonly found in pocket calculators, absorbs a wide range of the light spectrum but has a low conversion efficiency (the highest efficiency on record for a-Si is 13.6%).

So, SANYO played with a-Si cells, eventually laminating them with crystalline silicon wafers and a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer. The c-Si component brought increased efficiency stability while the a-Si side included the increased light absorption. Heterojunction technology was born.

SANYO marketed its HJT modules under the brand name HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer technology), which Panasonic still uses today. The first HIT modules, released in 1997, were 14.4% efficient and produced 170 W. Panasonic's latest 60-cell HIT models average around 20% efficient and produce over 330 W. Meyer Burger and other solar equipment vendors jumped on the HJT bandwagon after SANYO/Panasonic's patents on the HIT technology expired in 2010. Dan Glaser, an engineer at Panasonic Life Solutions of America, said Panasonic embraces the industry's support of its original technology.

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Worldwide market shares for different cell technologies.

HJT is recognized as SHJ on this chart in gray. ITRPV

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Headquarters of Meyer Burger, a leader in HJT. Meyer Burger

"Increasing the manufacturing capacity and R&D resources for heterojunction technology will be excellent for all downstream customers. It will only help to lower costs, increase efficiency and improve reliability," Glaser said. "We welcome and encourage others to embrace heterojunction technology because of its potential to create a better life for individual customers as well as a better world."

Meyer Burger has emerged as a leader in HJT because of its continuously tested manufacturing process. Its HJT fabrication equipment uses lower temperatures and less energy than traditional manufacturing lines — an important qualification for perfect HJT end-products. The delicacy lies with the TCO layer that essentially bonds the a-Si and c-Si wafers together. The TCO deposition must not be too hot to affect the sensitive a-Si layer.

Expect more companies to jump on the HJT bandwagon as they weigh the decision to update existing PERC lines or go in a completely different direction. The HJT manufacturing process uses four fewer steps than traditional PERC, so there is room for significant cost savings after initial startup. And the potential power and efficiency gains are even greater.

Panasonic's Glaser said the company is sticking with heterojunction technology because it often leads to a lower levelized cost of electricity — meaning higher customer satisfaction.

"One of the advantages of HIT is its low temperature coefficient. By having a lower temperature coefficient than other modules, we find that HIT can produce more energy over the life of the system than a module of similar nameplate wattage," he said. "This ultimately can save a consumer thousands of dollars over the life of the system." SPW

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Panasonic

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

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11/4/19 9:06 AM

KELSEY MISBRENER

SENIOR EDITOR

How one U.S.-based solar inverter manufacturer stays strong in a tough market In the cutthroat solar inverter market, manufacturers need to stand out from competitors to survive. A Wood Mackenzie report found total revenue for the Top 5 global inverter vendors declined 10% last year due to price pressure and fierce competition. In 2019 alone there have been numerous acquisitions and exits: ABB has paid Fimer to take over its inverter business, Schneider Electric exited the utilityscale inverter business and KACO sold its string and central inverter businesses to Siemens and OCI Power, respectively. U.S.-headquartered inverter manufacturer Yaskawa Solectria Solar thinks it has the local customer service and forward-thinking leadership it takes to stay in the market.

Solectria is one of only three major solar power electronic companies that solely manufactures in the United States. The others include microinverter manufacturer Chilicon Power, power optimizer maker Alencon Systems and hybrid inverter vendor Pika Energy (which was recently acquired by another U.S. company, Generac).

Solectria uses some global parts in its inverters but assembles its products in the United States. Its new inverters are made at Yaskawa America facilities in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, while combiners and older inverter models are made in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

The company was the brainchild of MIT graduate James Worden, who decided to enter the rapidly growing solar industry in 2005.

“Things grew out of a small shop into a slightly larger shop and he never gave consideration to doing anything other than building it with his own hands and under his own watchful eye,” said Miles Russell, director of product management at Solectria.

In 2014, that slightly larger shop was not big enough to keep up with the pace of technological advancements

Solectria inverters have been used on a wide array of projects, including groundmounts and carports. Solectria

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the industry was experiencing. So a deal was made for Yaskawa America (which is wholly owned by Yaskawa Electric of Japan) to acquire Solectria and form the new brand.

“Really what they’ve brought to this homegrown entity here in Massachusetts was world-class manufacturing and absolute focus on high-quality engineering talent that they have infused in the engineering teams here,” Russell said.

Solectria’s engineering team works with solar site designers early in the process to ensure projects built using the company’s inverters are optimized.

Maryland-based EDF Renewables Distributed Solutions develops many 5-MWAC or smaller projects throughout New England generally sited on land that’s broken up by wetlands instead of traditional, flat rectangle parcels. Jamie Resor, CEO of Distributed Solutions, said string inverters like Solectria’s make a lot of sense for these types of projects. Resor said EDF has worked with Solectria for about a decade and consults with the company during the conceptual design process to ensure the inverters are compatible with utility cybersecurity and data requirements.

“With all the turmoil in our industry, it’s nice to be able to work with partners that are pretty stable,” he said.

Resor is comforted by the fact that Solectria has the backing of a global company like Yaskawa.

“They’ve got the big balance sheet behind them and it appears that they’re committed to the inverter market that they’re serving,” Resor said.

EDF looks to partner with inverter vendors that will have stability for at least five to 10 years. Resor said Solectria checks that box.

“We want reliable product quality, continuity that they’re going to be there, because we’re building these plants for 35-year useful lives and we want equipment that’s going to last,” Resor

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said. “Ideally, we want the vendor to be there if a problem arises.”

Although Solectria stands by the engineering of its inverters, problems are bound to arise for the most hardworking components of solar arrays. The company feels it’s a step above the competition when it comes time to service inverters, partly because it is based in the United States.

“We are able to serve customers and projects more promptly, more efficiently, I think, than others who are distributed in their resources around the globe,” Russell said.

Large-scale solar developer Ameresco can attest to this. The company is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, and tries to use Solectria inverters on solar projects designed for string inverters, said Luis Alegria, director of solar PV development engineering for Ameresco.

“We prefer to buy from [Solectria] even if we have to pay a little more because they are here and the service is right here,” Alegria said. “You have a problem with an inverter, we call them right away and they usually respond either the same day or the next day. That’s why being so close and local is a big advantage.”

EDF’s Resor appreciates that Solectria is based stateside, but said that’s not the most important factor in choosing a manufacturer.

“If they’re making part of the products in the U.S., that can have some advantages — your lead times can be shorter, it’s easier to see the plant. But at the end of day, we’re really looking for quality, reliability and competitive price,” he said.

Solectria’s U.S. roots may also assuage some fears that are building around inverter cybersecurity. Rather than focusing on niche markets to maintain an edge on the market, Solectria has sought to position itself as a leader on cybersecurity efforts.

Russell, representing Solectria, is part of a team working with NREL and Sandia Labs on optimizing communication encryption for distributed energy resources.

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String inverters are assembled at Yaskawa America facilities in Buffalo. Solectria

“We’re on top of what’s important about this technology and how best we can go forward to ensure that we can continue to deploy solar on the grid safely and have a stable and resilient grid, and be confident that these resources can be called upon when needed and not taken down easily by those who would want to harm it,” Russell said.

Solectria aims to be on the leading edge of inverter security as well as inverter design. The company’s latest product release, the utility-scale XGI 1500, puts flexibility first.

The inverter comes with two options for combiner boxes — one remote version where developers can distribute combiners around the array and route the power back to a central cluster of string inverters, and the other version that attaches to the inverter itself if developers want to distribute both the string inverters and combiners throughout the project instead of centrally locating them. Additionally, Solectria is putting together a 1-MWAC rack solution that uses six of its XGI inverters.

By staying on the leading edge of technological and cybersecurity advancements, Solectria hopes to remain strong as a Made-in-USA option for installers near New England and beyond. SPW

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

11/5/19 2:18 PM

BILLY LUDT

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Keep trackers following the sun with proper O&M Mounting solar panels on tracking systems instead of fixed-tilt racking increases the energy yield of a project.

But more moving parts means different O&M considerations must be made for these advanced arrays. Here’s how to keep tracking systems running smoothly.

Monitoring single-axis trackers Distributed and centralized trackers come with different requirements for O&M operators. Distributed trackers (also known as decentralized or independent) use one driving mechanism per row of panels.

Centralized trackers move many rows of panels with a single, centralized motor. More moving parts may lend to more required maintenance.

Solar mounting solutions manufacturer RBI Solar entered the tracking market in 2017 with its distributed-row, single-axis tracker Sunflower. The tracker can use either AC or DC power controls and is built

to also function in northern climates, a territory that’s been a difficult proposition for solar tracker projects in the past, said Eric Oetjen, senior project manager at RBI Solar.

The company assists its tracker customers and system operators with remote and on-site training, provides O&M guidelines and offers to send in-house technicians to replace failing components.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with our customers by providing our expertise throughout our projects’ cycles — design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, maintenance services — the last of which is often underrated,” Oetjen said.

“Trackers do require maintenance and service to sustain production output that, in our opinion, can be overlooked.”

Control units on each tracker can give operators an idea of what maintenance is required immediately, like which rows are tracking or not, and in some cases, what upkeep will be needed shortly, remotely via system controls.

A major cause of tracker downtime in single-axis systems is the driveline.

The tracker is put in motion by a driveline powered by a motor, which are the components of the tracker that do the most work, Oetjen said.

“So, just like your car, if your engine or brakes were to go out, your car wouldn’t serve its purpose,” he said.

“That’s a more serious example, but these issues often show signs prior to occurring and can be prevented. That’s where a prevention plan and periodic check-in to the site can justify its own cost — in preventing these more critical issues.”

An important step in preventing tracker downtime is performing general maintenance where operators perform physical assessments to check for things like loose bolts and dangling wires.

“Most of your issues seem to occur near startup and end of life of the system,” Oetjen said. “You probably need some oversight within the first few months of the job and then periodic checkups from there. There’s always startup troubleshooting and it’s critical.”

LightWave Solar’s O&M crew oversees 2.5 MW of tracking solar systems. Many of the problems they’ve encountered with tracker downtime is due to moisture intrusion from broken gaskets. Silas McRae/LightWave Solar Merlin Solar

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He recommends carrying spare parts on or near a project site to limit downtime.

NEXTracker produces independent-row single-axis trackers that are commonly deployed on utilityscale projects that require a different approach to O&M practices than smaller solar systems. Projects can potentially be tens of megawatts in size in utility applications, with rows of solar panels installed across acres of land.

“They’re vast, so trying to [inspect] them by visual cues is just gone,” said Marty Rogers, VP of asset management and global support for NEXTracker.

“You can’t see across 8,000 trackers and try to figure out what’s going on.”

NEXTracker has an in-house team monitoring minute-by-minute system analytics across its portfolio of solar projects. Those analysts correspond with technicians, providing recommendations for predictive maintenance on their solar systems.

The motors powering trackers are also used in more demanding applications outside of solar — sometimes requiring hundreds of rotations every second, compared to the slow tick of movement that’s NEXTracker has a team analyzing data from its fleet of trackers, notifying technicians of current and future maintenance requirements.

NEXTracker

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Dual-axis trackers require many of the same O&M considerations as single-axis systems, but one of the main differences to acknowledge is panel height.

Mechatron Solar

needed for a single day of sun tracking — so the motors themselves are rarely the cause for downtime, Rogers said.

He and Rue Phillips, CEO of solar technician dispatcher 365 Pronto, authored a white paper titled, “Tracking Your Solar Investment: Best Practices for Solar Tracker O&M.” Working at a utility scale on tracking solar projects means O&M takes on different financials as well. NEXTracker’s focus is on predictive analytics to save project owners money and keep truck rolls minimal.

“Keeping everything productive and on target is critical, but also knowing that if a certain piece of the plant is not producing today, it’s not the end of the world and the cost variation needs to be balanced into the equation of the analytics,” he said.

Solar contractor LightWave Solar’s O&M

The manufacturers probably told you that those pieces would last two years, but they won’t when they’re baking in the sun. technicians handle upkeep for about 2.5 MW of tracking solar arrays, composed of both single- and dualaxis trackers. LightWave’s techs have found that malfunctioning trackers are often fixed through system resets, but downtime can also be caused by loose drive shafts, dead sensors and rusted motors from moisture intrusion through broken gaskets.

“Keeping water out of them is the most important thing and it’s worth the money replacing those gaskets and those plastic pieces,” said Silas McRae, O&M technician with LightWave. “The manufacturers probably told you that those pieces would last two years, but they won’t when they’re baking in the sun.”

Too much exposure to the sun can make gaskets crack and break, letting water into vital driving components

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

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RBI Solar introduced its single-axis tracker, Sunflower, to the market in 2019. The company assists its tracker customers and system operators with remote and on-site training, provides O&M guidelines and offers to send in-house technicians to replace failing components. RBI Solar

on trackers. Periodically replacing a gasket is marginally cheaper than ripping a rusted motor off a tracker, he said. If a tracker isn’t working, check the sensors and power supply; see if a breaker tripped or if the motor burned out.

Monitoring dual-axis trackers Dual-axis trackers promise even more energy yield per-panel than their single-axis counterparts, by tracking the sun more accurately by moving on two axes. The systems are built atop posts or elevated supports to allow this movement while bearing the load of up to 100 modules.

“In a case where you’ve got 10 or 20 motors and systems to move a hundred panels, the likelihood of failure by one unit is much higher,” said Michael Fakukakis, CEO of Mechatron Solar.

Mechatron manufactures both single- and dual-axis trackers and trains solar EPCs to install these systems. Its new M18kD Gearless Dual-Axis Tracker is mounted on an extended post, leaving enough space for vehicles to pass underneath.

“I have seen other dual-axis trackers where a cleaning vehicle or truck has actually hit a panel,” Fakukakis said. “In terms of maintenance, that has to be observed.”

A less dramatic issue that affects tracker production is dust buildup on the optics that determine a tracker’s path throughout the day. If operators notice a discrepancy in projected and actual yield, there could be a problem mechanically but could also just be dust on the optics affecting the computer system.

Dual-axis trackers are elevated sometimes quite high, so reaching the panels requires a ladder or a longer pole for a cleaning tool.

Before starting any type of O&M on a tracking solar array, LightWave’s McRae recommended contacting the system’s manufacturer.

“Talk to the manufacturer about the problems they see a lot,” he said. “They can tell you what’s going to fail, what to look for and what to get ahead on. Whenever you let them know you’re interested in getting ahead of things, they know what to do.” SPW

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10/31/19 2:43 PM

JOHN KINCAIDE

PRESIDENT, 2NDLIFEBATTERIES.COM AND WERECYCLEBATTERIES.COM

The importance of recycling batteries on solar projects The explosive growth of solar over the last decade has led to uncomfortable realities that will affect the industry for decades to come — what will we do with systems once they reach the end of their lifespans? Just as plans are being implemented for solar panel recycling, so too comes the need for battery recycling and repurposing programs.

Lead-acid batteries already have established recycling programs, but lithium-ion batteries, which have dominated modern solar-plus-storage projects, currently do not and will soon need retirement plans of their own.

How can solar battery owners do the right thing? Responsible system owners should follow the "recycling mantra" as best they can: 28

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•

• •

Reduce: Avoid over-scaling a system in an effort to accommodate future use and expansion. This will produce more waste to dispose of years later.

Reuse: Repurpose what you can by selling used batteries to interested parties for second-life functions.

Recycle: When nothing else can be done, recycle what is no longer needed, wanted or reusable.

This mantra is well-intentioned, but a mantra does not necessarily translate into meaningful action. Many energy storage managers do not formalize endof-life recycling plans for their products since it's not a personal concern.

Recycling is "another person's problem."

This attitude is discouraging. www.solarpowerworldonline.com

The time for concern is now. Let's explore how battery recycling works today, and how we can encourage more responsible solar-plus-storage end-of-life disposal practices.

Why is lead-acid battery recycling so common?

When consumers buy cars, they have paid for the lead in the car battery including, in effect, a future deposit when the battery is recycled. When they go to any lead-acid battery dealer to return a dead battery, the dealer will pay them up to $10. This consequently establishes a virtuous cycle, motivating battery owners to recycle their batteries. In Canada and the United States, lead-acid batteries have a 98 to 99% recycling rate because

10/31/19 9:33 AM

lead is infinitely recyclable without any degradation. It is the most recursively recycled material worldwide with 70% of all lead-acid batteries being made from recycled lead. Nearly every lead-acid battery component is recycled or made into useful products, including the plastics, sulfuric acid and copper.

How does lithium-ion battery recycling compare?

There isn't just one type of lithium-ion battery, so it's important to understand which battery chemistry is being used.

There are five major chemical formulations in the cathode or positive terminal of lithium batteries, and each formulation is designed for specific types of battery performance in different applications.

Unlike lead-acid, there are no large metal plates in lithium-ion batteries that are easily recovered and smelted. The cathode is where most of the recoverable metallic compound value resides, along with trace amounts of lithium in the electrolyte. The valuable recoverable elements in these formulations are cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese.

There are three lithium-ion types (LCO, NMC, NCA) that use different combinations of cobalt, nickel and manganese, and their lithium compounds have some residual value. Two lithium-ion battery types (LFP, LTO) have a negative value.

Unlike small lithium-ion consumer electronics batteries, large format lithiumion batteries incur additional labor, hazmat packaging, transport and processing costs. If the battery module makes it difficult to extract the cells inside, the processing itself can exceed the value of the recovered components in the battery.

Starkly put, all lithium-ion batteries at current market commodity, labor, logistics and end-of-life processing prices will require an out-of-pocket recycling payment. Recycling lithium-iron phosphate  

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(LFP) batteries is more expensive because the metalcompound-recovery value is negative. For example, 1-MWh of LFP batteries transported from Los Angeles to upstate New York for recycling would cost the battery owners $36.76/kWh. The same truck of NMC batteries would cost $13/kWh. In comparison, a full truckload of lead-acid batteries shipped from Los Angeles to upstate New York would actually profit $8.81/kWh. Lithium-ion recycling costs look expensive compared to recycling lead-acid, which has been around for a long time. There are also multiple secondary lead-acid battery processing plants near major regional population centers across the United States, thus reducing transport costs. With an increased demand for recycling, it is hoped that more regional end-of-life processing plants will be built to handle lithium-ion batteries.

What does the recycling process look like for lithiumion batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are first frozen to -321°F with liquid nitrogen to prohibit combustion or explosion when the batteries are shredded. The flammable electrolyte is cleaned off and processed, and the cathode material is recovered.

There are two main types of recovery technologies used in lithium-ion battery recycling: • Furnace processing: This method recovers the metals and requires removal of impurities through a slag-like process, and, unfortunately, the lithium compounds are captured in the “slag.” Recovering the lithium from the slag is cost prohibitive.

• Chemical processing (hydro-metallurgical): The cathode material is sent through a chemical process that separates the compounds, allowing them to then be purified, followed by refinement or chemical alteration into new compounds. Lithium compounds can be recovered and treated to be sold as lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, primary inputs for new lithium-ion batteries.

How can we get better at recycling batteries used in solar-plus-storage applications?

We don’t want powerful, flammable lithium-ion batteries stockpiled into forgotten warehouses. It is better to have the recycling cost included in the purchase price and saved and reinvested in a trust fund to pay for future recycling. When negative value batteries such as LFP become waste, it is much more difficult to ask customers to pay for dead batteries they bought many years ago.

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Through California’s e-waste recycling program, the state has recycled 2.5 billion pounds of e-waste at a cost of $1 billion since 2005. This has all been financed by consumers and businesses through their original electronics purchases, where prescribed amounts were remitted to a state trust to pay collectors, transporters and recyclers to manage future e-waste. Hundreds of millions of pounds of negative-value old CRT televisions have been collected under this program.

Twenty-four other states have e-waste laws but don’t have a pre-paid program. This should change.

With no plan in place to pay ahead for end-of-life recycling and no plan obligating manufacturers or installers to pay for it, the environment will soon receive a massive wave of toxic, highly flammable battery waste.

A handful of companies are working hard to scale up recycling as fast as possible to meet the recycling demand.

What should today's customers consider when purchasing batteries for solar projects?

As a consumer or business buying solar-plusstorage, be aware and knowledgeable of recycling requirements and plan ahead for them. It should be part of the business’ annual budget process.

The trash can is not a viable option nor is it legal.

Find a company like 2ndLifeBatteries.com or WeRecycleBatteries.com that can handle waste properly and take the responsibility to properly budget for it. There is a lack of understanding about how much it's going to cost. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) needs to include recycling. LCOE is not a true measure of the cost anymore because it does not include endof-life processes.

Another important issue is that manufacturers of these products are not designing for recyclability.

Some electric vehicle companies design new battery packs to meet UL standards for second-life. This is a great benefit, allowing second-life battery sellers to move the product more quickly into second-life solar systems. Too few companies are building this into their designs, and there will soon be a realization that this needs to happen on a wider scale.

Moreover, it’s our responsibility as an e-waste industry and for buyers of solar-plus-storage systems not to ship waste batteries to other countries under the guise of “reuse” or untested, uncertified second-life batteries. This type of irresponsible e-waste dumping activity has produced the toxic wastelands in China, Africa and South America. SPW

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REGIONAL SOLAR S

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Federal solar policy has been nothing short of chaotic lately: Tariffs on panels, inverters and other solar products are making components more expensive for installers, national leadership continually disparages solar and renewables in favor of fossil fuels, and a former coal lobbyist was appointed to run the Environmental Protection Agency.

SOUTHEAST

During these tumultuous past few years, the political progress made on solar happened at the regional, state and local levels. And there was plenty of it.

Solar Power World set out to highlight some of the major accomplishments on solar policy by devoted governors, state lawmakers, activists and passionate citizens. We chose one story in each of the five geographic regions (according to National Geographic) to show how solar has advanced despite its lack of national support.

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT

RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDS

AND VOLUNTARY TARGETS S OUR CE: NATI O NAL CO NFER ENCE O F STATE LEGISL ATUR ES ( NCSL )

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STATES & TERRITORIES WITH NO STANDARD OR TARGET

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S OUR CE: NATI O NAL CO NFER ENCE O F STATE LEGISL ATUR ES ( NCSL )

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SEIA

STATE AFFILIATE GROUPS

NYSEIA NEW YORK

Renewable Energy Vermont

TenneSEIA

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TENNESSEE

HAWAII

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GeorgiaSEIA

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Solar & Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico

TREIA TEXAS

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FLASEIA

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AriSEIA ARIZONA

KYSEIA KENTUCKY

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ENERGY STORAGE

MANDATES California: 1.8 GW by 2025 Oregon: 10 MWh by 2020 Nevada: PUC formulating mandate currently Arizona: PUC formulating mandate currently New York: 3 GW by 2030 New Jersey: 2 GW by 2030 Massachusetts: 1 GWh by 2025

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SOUR CE : N R E L

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IREC 2019

MOST IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY TRANSPARENCY:

MOST GROWTH POTENTIAL:

CLEAN ENERGY STATES

HONOR ROLL

NEW JERSEY EMERGING CLEAN ENERGY LEADER:

SOUTH CAROLINA

MOST CHARGED FOR STORAGE:

MICHIGAN

NEVADA

REGIONAL SOLAR DEPLOYMENT NORTHEAST

WEST

SOUTHWEST

MEGAWATTS DEPLOYED BY REGION

% OF TOTAL MEGAWATTS NATIONWIDE (67 GW)

MIDWEST

SOLAR JOBS BY REGION % OF TOTAL JOBS NATIONWIDE (242,000)

8,664.47 MW 12.9%

14,186.1 MW 21.2%

2,420.25 MW 3.6%

36,522 • 15.1%

33,766.35 MW 50.4%

107,316 • 44.3%

44,865 • 18.5%

33,524 • 13.9%

7,579.79 MW 11.3%

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SOUTHEAST

20,142 8.3%

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT

KELSEY MISBRENER SENIOR EDITOR

Northeast states see solar policy turn around with new governors Even when the federal government wages war against clean energy, states can build their own robust solar industries with the right governor in charge. Or they can fall behind with an obstructive, anti-solar leader.

Two Northeast states have seen it both ways.

Maine's former Governor Paul LePage (R) was about as hostile to solar as possible during his eight-year tenure. LePage vetoed multiple bills that would have assisted the solar industry in the last three years of his term, so it's no surprise the state only had about 35 to 40 MW of solar to its name, according to Jeremy Payne, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association (MREA). That number even included multiple solar arrays at small liberal arts colleges, like Bowdoin College and Colby College.

"Meanwhile, we were all sitting up here watching most of the rest of New England — and, frankly, a fairly big chunk of the rest of the country — moving forward on this, and that was pretty frustrating I think for a lot of us," Payne said.

Maine doesn't have a ton of natural resources, but it does have what it takes to make solar work: lots of open space, plentiful skilled workers and supportive residents, he said.

So when then-candidate Janet Mills (D) campaigned on solving climate change and prioritizing renewables, it was a welcome shift to say the least.

"She really helped change the tone of the conversation, and that's been critical," Payne said.

Mills just took office at the beginning of 2019, but Payne already sees signs that the solar

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signs the Clean Energy Act. OIT/

Governor’s Office

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industry is reinvigorated. Ten new members have joined MREA since December 2018, which is unusual.

Payne said it's too early to tell the effect the new administration will have on the market, but it’s looking promising.

In June, Mills signed three pieces of bipartisan legislation into law to help renewable energy. The bills created a goal to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, double the RPS and form new solar incentive programs. During the bill signing, Mills tweeted, "Maine is once again leading on clean energy."

Mills' support was very helpful in turning solar policy around in Maine, but the fact that the Democrats secured control of the House, Senate and governorship in the 2018 election is also a big factor. Still, Payne thinks even without that trifecta control, pro-solar bills would've had a good chance of being passed — after all, the sponsor of the solar incentive bill was a Republican.

"I think part of that is an outgrowth, frankly, of people's frustration and, at least in my case, boredom with the previous governor's irrational opposition to all things clean energy," Payne said.

While having Gov. Mills on the solar industry’s side now is helpful, he doesn't think it's the only way to pass clean energy legislation. It really depends on who else is advocating for solar in the state.

"If you've got your Senate President, your Speaker of the House, members of the minority party's leadership team and others [in favor of solar], you can overcome a governor that opposes it. We nearly did," Payne said.

Now that the state has support from nearly all angles though, more time can be spent determining the best ways to make solar grow in Maine instead of working on convincing leaders of its usefulness.

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT "We're looking forward to seeing the shackles being taken off solar and watching it grow for everybody's benefit across the state," Payne said.

Solar advocates joined Maine Gov. Janet Mills as she signed three bills advancing renewable energy in the state. MREA

New Jersey’s new solar outlook New Jersey dealt with similar solar stalling from former Governor Chris Christie (R). Christie was not as much of a solar obstructionist as Maine's LePage, but he wavered back and forth on solar policy during his eight years in office.

Pari Kasotia, Mid-Atlantic director for Vote Solar, said Christie appeared to support solar in some decisions, like in 2012 when he signed a bill stabilizing solar incentives, because it was a major aspect of the state's economy. That year, Greentech Media even called him "the rare solar-friendly Republican."

But favorable legislation was bookended by slaps in the face to the solar industry. When Christie first took office, he cut the state's RPS from 30% to 22.4%, and when he was leaving office in 2018, he pocket vetoed a bill that would have raised the RPS and the solar carve-out.

Kasotia said it’s possible Gov. Christie made the outgoing veto decision to align himself with the Trump administration’s energy priorities in the hope of securing a cabinet position. It was confusing to the industry to see the governor support bills that helped solar one moment and then strike down legislation the next.

"It almost seemed like he would be in conflict with his own personal beliefs vs. what his supporters or his party expected from him," she said. "In comparison, he’s still better than other Republican governors, but New Jersey is also a very progressive state, so did he fully reflect the values of New Jersey? I don't think he did."

So when then-candidate Phil Murphy (D) entered the race with a clear vision for New Jersey's solar future, it was a welcome change for advocates.

"He was just very visionary. He recognized that clean energy is an important part of New Jersey's economy, but

He was just very visionary. He recognized that clean energy is an important part of New Jersey’s economy, but it’s also important to address climate change.

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it's also important to address climate change," Kasotia said.

"So he took the environmental view as well as the economic value the clean energy industry created."

Nicole Sitaraman, senior manager of public policy at Sunrun, entered the solar industry near the end of Christie's time as governor but said she noticed his administration wasn't interested in going deeper on solar and looking at issues of access, inclusion and environmental justice. But candidate Murphy was.

"I had never heard of that before, of a candidate making environmental justice a part of their campaign," Sitaraman said. "But he did, and it really reflected that he had been listening to community leaders and champions for environmental justice (EJ) in the state and really took their input and advice to elevate that as a key component of moving the state forward on climate issues and clean energy expansion."

Sunrun employees at the statehouse Kasotia said Vote in Trenton asking legislators to support Solar’s only issue with the Clean Energy Act of 2018. Sunrun

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT the current Murphy administration is it wants to see more concrete policy steps it will take to address EJ issues — including Vote Solar and the EJ coalition’s goals of solarizing 250,000 low-income solar households by 2030 and installing 400 MW of storage for low-income communities and those historically adversely affected by fossil fuel development. To that end, Vote Solar has started a coalition of solar and EJ groups to strategize about next steps for expanding access to solar and battery storage to more communities throughout the state. Those advocates, including Sunrun, then plan to reach out to the governor's office to incorporate these goals into future legislation.

Aside from more explicit EJ action, it appears Gov. Murphy is doing right by solar advocates in New Jersey.

In May 2018, he signed a multi-faceted bill intended to stabilize and expand the state's renewable energy sector and extend the benefits to more communities by establishing a community solar program.

"You definitely want strong leadership at the top who is clear on what they want to see in the state," Kasotia said. "I think governors do have an integral role to play in shaping the clean energy policy of a state, and Gov. Murphy has shown how it can impact how quickly work gets done."

Electing a pro-solar governor can make it easier and faster to pass legislation that helps grow the solar industry without leaving any residents behind. SPW

Solar advocates celebrate the anniversary of the Clean Energy Act in 2019.

Vote Solar

Vote Solar, Sunrun and other advocates convene a workshop on clean energy access and equity and community solar.

Vote Solar

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signs the Clean Energy Act in 2018.

Vote Solar

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KELLY PICKEREL EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kansas State Capitol building.

Kansas Historical Society

From green-minded business owners to political activists: An industry shift in the Midwest 40

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Renewable energy policy starts on the coasts before slowly filtering to the middle of the country. While markets like California, Massachusetts and New Jersey are thriving, the Midwest is just now getting started.

And with a booming market comes the reemergence of restrictive solar policies that more progressive states haven't seen in years.

Many Midwest states are currently involved in battles between solar advocates and utility companies, with utilities citing the overused claim that residential solar customers aren't helping to pay for the electric grid's upkeep. So they're passing demand charges and other damaging legislation that threaten to halt these emerging middle-ofthe-country solar markets. "[Solar is] literally seven-tenths of 1% of all electricity that [the utility in Iowa] produces. We don’t even exist to them, but their crystal ball does say that solar is going to grow by 30%," said Todd Miller, president of 1 Source Solar, who spent most of 2019 in the Iowa State Capitol fighting proposed infrastructure fees for solar customers.

What does help overturn these restrictive policies is that presence in state legislative chambers, presenting stories and concerns to senators and representatives who are often just uninformed on how

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT much the solar industry contributes to local economies. For many Midwest solar companies, taking on advocacy roles in an industry just getting off the ground has been a necessary responsibility.

"I never thought I'd be in a legislative chamber, but I do what I have to do," said Kevin Good, president and owner of Good Energy Solutions of Kansas, a state embroiled in an ongoing battle against hefty demand charges.

Here is a look at solar policy in three Midwest states and how local solar installers have taken matters into their own hands.

Kansas: Still fighting Two Kansas utilities, Westar Energy and KCP&L (both now owned by

Evergy), were granted permission by the Kansas Corporation Commission in late 2018 to impose demand fees on solar customers. In Westar's jurisdiction, any customer with solar panels installed after Oct. 2015 received a significant demand charge. KCP&L imposed the same demand fee, but only to customers who installed solar panels after the Sept. 2018 ruling.

The demand fee for the entire month was determined by the highest usage during peak hours of 2 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Customers were charged $9/kW in the summer and $3/kW in cooler months. For example, if a customer's peak demand was 10 kW on a Friday afternoon, they'd be charged $90 in the summer and $30 in off-months.

The demand charges went into effect immediately and with essentially no warning. Good Energy Solutions

customers, some of whom had solar already for three years, started calling the company with questions.

"Depending on the home or the situation, that [demand charge] could take away half the value of a solar system to maybe the entire amount," Good said.

"The KCC just rubber stamped it. Not only did they pass it for anyone that installed after that date, but they went all the way back to 2015. That was the point we were mobilized. We had to make something happen."

Good Energy Solutions quickly got involved with the Clean Energy Business Council to present a new bill to the Senate Utilities committee. The "Energy Fairness Act" aimed to revoke the demand charges and prohibit KCC from authorizing future damaging charges.

Good felt it was important to talk with

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT n esence know r making its pr lar So 1 Source Sola ce ur ate Capitol. 1 So at the Iowa St

legislators because his livelihood was on the line. Once the demand charges went into effect, he said the residential solar market in Kansas came to a screeching halt.

"There is a lot of interest, but making a sale to someone who was going to get little value out of that system…it stopped the sale," he said. "We had to look at the possibility to add batteries to even make it viable. It dried up the residential market in Kansas."

Good Energy Solutions shifted focus to residential projects in Missouri and commercial deals in Kansas just to keep jobs rolling in, all while visiting the state capital and encouraging customers to call their legislators to bring an end to the extreme demand charges. Some of their concerns were met in March 2019 when Evergy agreed to grandfather Westar customers into old rates, but the high demand charges still stand for

Kansas solar customers who installed after Sept. 2018.

Good said solar advocates have continued to meet with Evergy and the KCC to negotiate a better price for energy.

"It's a chess game," he said. Through it all, Good thinks it was important for Good Energy Solutions to be at the front lines of the fight.

"We took an active role once our old customers were getting damaged by what happened," he said. "Our industry is just starting to hit its stride here. There aren’t many players and we have the opportunity to grow. We're now one of the companies to help guide the industry."

Ohio: Down but not out This past summer, Ohio passed HB 6, lovingly called the "FirstEnergy bailout bill." The legislation basically bails out two failing nuclear plants and two coal plants in the utility's coverage area.

From 2021 until 2027, every Ohio electricity customer will pay a monthly surcharge to subsidize the failing plants.

In addition to the bailout, the bill stops energy-efficiency and renewable-energy mandates for all utilities. The current renewable mandates cost customers $4.75/month while the bailout fees will cost close to $1/month, so legislators passed the bill based on "saving ratepayers money."

Todd Miller of 1 Source Solar speaking to Iowans in the rotunda of the State Capitol building.

1 Source Solar

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In a state fueled by cheap natural gas, a repeal on Ohio's already fractured RPS makes solar less attractive than it once was, forcing many Ohio residential solar installers to look to states with more robust solar policies.

"The Ohio RPS has been weakened and diluted by fossil fuel interests for years, so the impact [of HB 6] is that this will continue," said Geoff Greenfield, founder of Athens, Ohio-based Third Sun Solar. "This is a missed opportunity just to possibly improve customer economics."

When Greenfield first learned of FirstEnergy's bailout plan, he put out a request to Third Sun Solar customers to call and write their legislators. And although their concerns ultimately didn’t change the outcome, he doesn't think the industry's efforts were wasted.

"As frustrating as our current situation is, it is still our duty as citizens to participate in democracy with voting as well as advocacy," Greenfield said.

"Though I am cynical about the current state of politics, I believe in the old saying, 'You can’t complain if you didn’t vote.' I think this applies to advocacy as well. For me personally, it is a mission to accelerate the shift to clean energy, [and] this is part of that mission. As business owners creating jobs and improving the local economy, we have a great story to tell and our voices matter."

Opponents of HB 6 are currently in a court battle over gathering signatures in an attempt to get a referendum on the November 2020 ballot. In the meantime, Third Sun Solar started an education campaign to express that residential solar in Ohio is not dead. Since the state has been weakening RPS requirements for years, future incentives for residential solar won't be that far off what was previously offered. Third Sun Solar also states that with equipment pricing naturally declining, the price for solar in Ohio will continue to get lower.

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT Iowa: No news is good news Investor-owned utilities in Iowa introduced a "sunshine tax" in early 2019, proposing a grid infrastructure fee to solar customers.

Initially the proposed charge was $30/ month, based on an average system size of 6 kW. The ambiguity around whether the charge would be $30 per customer or $30 per every 6 kW is what most concerned Miller of 1 Source Solar.

"We do a lot of work in the ag industry, putting solar on hog buildings," he said. "If they were to put in a 60-kW system, does that mean their fee's going to be $300?"

After the bill was first introduced, 1 Source Solar customers began calling the company daily, asking how to help fight it, so the company asked them to contact their legislators and travel to the capital to voice their concerns.

"It was a personal fight, taking those choices away from anybody to be able to add solar to their home, their business, their farm," Miller said. "Our farmers are struggling, but solar gives them one option to be able to take control of a fixed expense. This bill really goes against our clients and their choice."

While Iowa solar companies couldn’t compete with the utility's advertisement and lobbying dollars, Miller said they tried their best to make some noise. Miller was a featured guest on local news programs and was interviewed by national news outlets.

Iowa State Capitol building.

"We spoke our passion about our clients and how it's going to affect them. And we did this without calling out the names of the utilities," he said. "I think our legislators appreciate that, and they appreciate speaking from the Todd Miller of 1 Source Solar (left) on a local political news show, heart more than discussing Iowa’s proposed “sunshine tax.” 1 Source Solar attacking. We're the furthest thing from "We worked really hard to get politicians, but we learned a lot this last solar in Iowa to where it is today. session."

It seems like any teeny negative The bill passed the Senate but was information is 10-times more harmful not brought up for a vote in the House. than one little positive piece. If Out of session, solar advocates have something even gets brought up been meeting with the utilities to work about extra fees for solar, everybody something out. The Iowa Solar Energy believes that there's extra fees for Trade Association has been assisting solar. Then we have to spend six along the way. months educating people again Throughout this process, 1 Source saying it didn't happen," he said.

Solar has seen its contracts decrease. At 1 Source Solar is in it for the long one point, the company put 13 jobs on hold haul. Headquartered so close to because customers were too concerned Des Moines, Miller said many of his about future charges. Miller said this is all employees quickly zip down to the unfortunate timing, since the Iowa solar statehouse when anything comes up. market was just hitting its stride. After The company is now one of the most starting in 2015 with just two employees, active pro-solar voices in the state, 1 Source Solar has grown to 23 workers and that exposure will help business today, and Miller was expecting to double even in this slowdown. his workforce "I didn't think I'd be involved next year. But with politics, but it has helped our restrictive business tremendously just because solar bills can we have been in the public eye," halt growth.

Miller said. "I was in the Washington Legislators like to Post and had people calling from hear stories about around the country to say, 'Thank employment and you. Fight the good fight.' I was not economic growth, thinking about that when we were and Miller is fighting and our palms were sweaty hoping continued and we were shaking, but now I feel advocacy moves like our programs are loaded and the needle on any we're ready to educate." SPW future decisions.

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT

BILLY LUDT ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sibling Carolina states are ‘solar opposites’ on policy North Carolina has established itself as the outright solar leader in the Southeast and ranks second in the nation for installed solar capacity. A succession of complementary state policies dating back to the early 2000s led to the coastal state’s prominence in solar.

But neighboring South Carolina hasn’t seen the same success in PV solar. North Carolina’s solar capacity accounts for about 38% of the 15 GW installed in the Southeast, coming in at 5,601.29 MW. While most states in the region haven’t broken the 1-GW mark, South Carolina’s 802.75-MW output is even more glaring when sharing a border with overachieving North Carolina.

North Carolina solar policy history North Carolina, D.C. and Delaware are the three territories in the Southeast with an active renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS), which requires utilities to purchase or develop a specified renewable energy capacity as part of their total energy output. North Carolina’s RPS, which passed in 2007, requires 12.5% from renewable energy by 2021.

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voluntary renewable portfolio standards. But North Carolina’s state policies, when paired with federal mandates, laid a groundwork for solar growth in the state.

“It would not be accurate to say that the RPS was the single factor that led to the great solar success in North Carolina, but it was a great contributing factor that created the atmosphere,” said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “The greater solar growth was due to PURPA.”

A solar array on the Carolina coast.

Southern Current

PURPA, or the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, is federal legislation that requires utilities to purchase renewable energy from power producers that are considered qualified facilities. It is interpreted differently

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A 1.2-MW project in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Southern Current

by each state, but in North Carolina PURPA was combined with the state’s RPS, its (now inactive) solar tax credit and the federal solar investment tax credit.

Large-scale solar developers in North Carolina have seen a lot of success due to PURPA, and utilityscale projects account for the majority of the state’s installed capacity.

“It was a more aggressive administration and legislature [then] than what we have now in North Carolina, and they were more willing to be innovative and willing to get people into the room and browbeat them into compromise,” Smith said. “At that time, North Carolina was one of the last states that passed an RPS and was looking around at other states to see what was working. They weren’t the first in the country, but they were the first and only in our region.”

These pro-solar policies are predated by the Clean Smokestacks Act, landmark legislation passed in 2002 that required investor-owned utilities operating in North Carolina to reduce pollution emissions from their 45 coal-fired plants in the state.

This mandate led to plant closures in some cases, and convinced legislators to consider an RPS and subsidize renewables in North Carolina.

“I believe because of the RPS and the political strength and involvement, North Carolina set a pretty high standard for renewables in the Southeast, and the states adjacent have seen the success of the industry in North Carolina and really grown tremendously because of that,” said Stew Miller, co-founder and president of North Carolina-based installer Yes Solar Solutions.

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Recent policy action The latest policy meant to support the North Carolina solar industry is HB 589, which was passed in 2017. It mandates that utility Duke Energy fulfill a 2,660-MW request for proposals; it also requires Duke to issue rebates for 20 MW of rooftop solar every year, for five years.

HB 589 reinterprets PURPA, making utilities offer up to 10-year terms for qualified facilities with systems up to 1 MW. The bill also includes a clause that allows in-development projects to be eligible for interconnection.

This important policy introduced a competitive bidding process for renewable projects, and created the Distributed Resources Access Act that lets energy providers and utilities create community solar programs and offer solar system leasing.

“It was building on the success that the RPS in North Carolina and the tax credit, which had expired a few years ago, had driven,” said Chris Carmody, executive director of the North Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance, at a policy session at Solar Power International 2019. “Where I think 589 is leading us is to really think about…where the best system is for North Carolina.

Colorado has done amazing things in modernizing their grid, which allows them to take on renewables in a big way. That’s going to be a big concern for us. We certainly think the utilities have the expertise in transmission, but, clearly, we need to have head-to-head competition on fuel sources among independent power producers.”

Establishing net metering in S.C. While North Carolina has a comfortable lead for Southeastern solar output, South Carolina has enacted policies within the last five years to boost the state’s PV presence.

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT We certainly think the utilities have the expertise in transmission, but, clearly, we need to have head-to-head competition on fuel sources among independent power producers.

The 2014 Act 236, or Distributed Energy Resource Program Act, established net metering in the state and created incentives for utilities to purchase energy from utility-scale solar systems. It also made it possible to lease rooftop solar systems to homeowners in the state.

“The overarching point of this is customers want renewable energy,” said George Brown, general manager of distributed energy at Duke Energy during a session at SPI. “They want access to renewable energy. Some of them want it on their premises if they can. Others can’t do that, practically speaking, but they want to support it.”

Brown said South Carolina had no net metering in Duke territories prior to Act 236.

“Subsequently, we’ve now got a greater percentage of our people net metering in South Carolina than we do in North Carolina,” he said.

“That forced lawmakers like myself to figure out what went wrong here. What led to this situation?” said Senator Tom Davis (RSC) during a session at Solar Power International 2019.

“What I’ve learned is that [with] energy policy in South Carolina, we essentially divide the state into territories, and in each territory, the legislature gives the utility a monopoly. That caused us to ask, ‘What’s a better way [to go] about producing, distributing and transmitting energy?’”

Legislators answered by enacting the South Carolina Energy Freedom Act in June 2019.

The Energy Freedom Act gives independent power producers the right to sell their energy to utilities operating in South Carolina if they can generate power at lower than the avoided cost. It extended net metering to June 1, 2021, for rooftop solar customers, eliminated the 2% cap on power generation from rooftop solar and established

Energy Freedom Act South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) applied to expand the single-reactor Virgil C. Summer nuclear powerplant located in Fairfield County, South Carolina, in 2008. Construction began in 2013, with a second reactor scheduled for operation in 2017 and a third in 2018.

Six years and several billion dollars later, the V.C. Summer plant remains unfinished, and the construction costs have been passed down to utility ratepayers. SCE&G’s decision as a utility to attempt this nuclear construction project, the first in 30 years on U.S. soil, inspired state legislative action.

Residential installers work in North Carolina. Southern Current

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developer rules for the South Carolina Public Service Commission to follow when selecting eligible solar projects. The PSC determines the net-metered rates for rooftop solar customers and large-scale developers alike.

The Energy Freedom Act gives ratepayers the chance to generate their own energy and sell it back to the utility charging them for a failed nuclear plant. Davis said it’s supposed to pass savings on to the consumer, shifting away from a structure where territorial utilities establish rates and giving consumers agency in the energy production market.

“The Energy Freedom Act does some very specific things, but it’s also very aspirational in nature,” Davis said. “We want to have power purchase agreements that are fair. We want to have avoided cost technologies that are fair. We want to do things to facilitate the growth of renewables.

It’s not an ending that’s happening, it’s really a beginning.”

South Carolina may be playing catch-up compared to its northern neighbor, but it has learned from policy changes happening in North Carolina to become a dominant player in the U.S. solar market. SPW

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West Coast legislators are at a solar crossroad

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BILLY LUDT ASSISTANT EDITOR

The West Coast is in a transitional period for solar policy. Washington, Oregon and California statehouses are either fresh from altering or voting down solar policies or are approaching a pivotal date for mandates to take effect.

California’s Solar Bill of Rights is an entirely different piece of legislation than when it was proposed; Oregon’s Clean Energy Jobs Bill, or HB 2020, died on the senate floor this summer; and Washington will soon enforce the nation’s first panel stewardship program. Pieces of HB 2020 and the Solar Bill of Rights are still floating around state forums, and the effectiveness of Washington’s SB 5939 will soon become apparent.

Solar Bill of Rights The California Solar Bill of Rights (SB 288) was proposed in Feb. 2019 as a shield for solar and storage customers against discriminatory utility fees. It gave independent power producers, businesses and governments using distributed energy resources the chance to interconnect and sell excess or stored energy back to the grid.

“What’s behind the meter is the customer’s own business,” said Brad Heavner, policy director at California Solar & Storage Association. “If I want to generate and store my own power, you can’t force me to buy power from the utility.”

Upon proposal, the Solar Bill of Rights required the California Public Utilities Commission and Energy Commission to review both public- and investor-owned utilities’ interconnection performance annually and submit that data to state legislature.

During the first four months of its time in State Assembly, SB 288 proposed changes to interconnection rules for solar and/or storage projects. It would have required utilities to facilitate a streamlined process for reviewing interconnection requests for solar or solar-plusstorage customers, especially those outside the residential market.

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CALSSA

Those fees are one key aspect of SB 288 still being discussed in state legislature, he said.

“The bill didn’t pass last year,” Heavner said. “The pieces of it floated around in various policy forums, so it will continue to be a live issue. The bill itself is not in play anymore, but the concepts are still out there.”

Clean Energy Jobs Bill Oregon was positioned to pass a statewide cap-and-trade bill similar to California’s, which puts a price on carbon emissions and other pollutants.

HB 2020 was intended to have state industries purchase allowances to determine how much pollution they’re afforded annually and reinvest that capital into the state.

“On California climate investments it’s the same idea for Oregon,” said Andy Wunder, western states advocate for Environmental Entrepreneurs.

“Essentially, as companies buy allowances from the state to comply with the carbon cap and their compliance obligations, the state will then take that money and invest it in communities across the state, and a significant chunk of that investment will go into rebates and incentives for people to put solar on their rooftops.”

The bill mandated greenhouse gas emissions be cut 80% below the state’s 1990 levels by 2050. It would have established

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“[The bill] was something we put forward last year just making sure that the tariffs and rules don’t get so bad that they effectively prevent customers from installing solar,” Heavner said.

However, SB 288 no longer resembles the utility-focused legislation that it was initially meant to be.

In its current state, SB 288 makes no mention of solar, storage, utilities or energy. It underwent major amendments in June 2019, appearing as an entirely new bill concerning who can and cannot serve on a Democratic county central committee in the state of California, according to California Legislative Information.

The originally proposed solar bill had documented support from more than 70 organizations, but utilities argued that eliminating fees for ratepayers with solar systems wasn’t fair to the rest of their customer base.

“Should there be a solar-only fee?

That’s going to be the biggest battle,” Heavner said. “Utilities want that more than anything, and we don’t want that more than anything.”

the climate-related committees and offices meant to track and curb emissions for Oregon’s citizens, industries and landscape, with a focus on those already affected by climate change.

“I think that lawmakers over the last few years have really started to see their constituents impacted by climate change,” Wunder said. “There’s a lot of tangible impacts that folks are starting to feel, and lawmakers want to take action and they understand that carbon pricing is a really critical tool in our longerterm strategy to bring emissions down to what the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and scientific community deem necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.”

HB 2020 made Oregon history as the first economy-wide carbon pricing program to ever pass through the House. But on the Senate floor, the bill was a point of controversy. It spurred republican senators to stage a nineday walkout, keeping the Senate from meeting quorum. State police were even ordered to bring the senators back to session.

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The Oregon Senate voted the bill down June 29, 2019.

“In the 2020 session, Oregon lawmakers have a critical opportunity to seize America’s clean energy leadership and become a national destination for millions of dollars in clean technology investment and thousands of new jobs,” Wunder said. “Cap-and-invest will create the right market structures and inject millions of dollars of investment from program revenue to drive solar forward in Oregon.”

Panel stewardship Washington was the first state to pass legislation requiring module manufacturers or importers to have plans to recycle their modules if they are deployed in the state. Governor Jay Inslee signed SB 5939 on July 7, 2017, which also extended a renewables investment tax credit in the state.

The bill offers an investment credit for participating solar system owners to receive a return on every kilowatt-hour generated by their system through 2021.

The panel stewardship portion of the bill goes into effect Jan. 1, 2021. SB 5939 requires that modules at the end of their operating lifetime be delivered to “takeback” (recycling) centers in or close to the state.

“My first work with a module manufacturer was 12 years ago, and one of my thoughts was, ‘How are we going to recycle this?’” said Dean Van Vleet, president of advocacy organization Solar Washington. “We were just making our first samples [of panels]. I felt guilty throwing those first samples in the garbage can. That’s not the right thing to do. We don’t want to keep continuously filling up landfills.”

However, Van Vleet was apprehensive with SB 5939. The task of establishing a statewide stewardship program should have been a single piece of legislation, separate from the tax credit, he said.

“That was a concern — that there wasn’t a solid stakeholder industry process for recycling, because we had an incentive program,” Van Vleet said. “But the scope of this recycling program is far beyond the scope of the incentive program.”

Cap-and-invest will create the right market structures and inject millions of dollars of investment from program revenue to drive solar forward in Oregon.

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The bill mandates that manufacturers submit a plan to the state’s Department of Ecology to describe their stewardship programs before they can sell in the state.

Those plans are due by Jan. 1, 2020, or within 30 days of a manufacturer’s first panel sale in Washington after the bill’s enactment the following year.

Van Vleet said a simpler, more panel-inclusive method would have been taking a note from European module recycler PV Cycle, which requires an upfront fee or sales tax based on the panel’s makeup. Since panels are created using different materials, manufacturers are required to describe plans to recycle each type of module they carry if they plan to sell in Washington.

Panel stewardship is still over a year away in Washington, and installers working in the state are primarily focused currently on the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA). Passed in May, the CETA set a goal of an emissionsfree electrical grid in Washington by 2045.

“People are soaking in the realities of how solar will fit into this,” Van Vleet said. “How can we capture that energy and gather to meet these requirements? I think that’s eating everyone’s bandwidth right now — setting the roadmap for compliance.”

California, Oregon and Washington stand at a crossroads for state solar policies. Whether enacting current or establishing new pro-solar policies, legislators have a lot of work ahead of them in upcoming sessions. SPW

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KELSEY MISBRENER SENIOR EDITOR

REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT

Navajo Preparatory School students participate in a GRID Alternatives Solar Futures installation for the Lopez Family at the Ojo Encino chapter of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. GRID

Multi-level solar policies can transform Native American energy mix in the Southwest and beyond American Indian land comprises approximately 2% of the United States but contains an estimated 5% of the country's renewable energy resources, according to a 2012 DOE Department of Indian Energy report, "Developing Clean Energy Projects on Tribal Lands." Tribes can capture that potential in solar PV with the right combination of federal, state and tribal solar policy and funding opportunities.

The Southwest United States specifically has some of the best solar resource in the country, and the Navajo Nation

is right in the middle of it. According to NREL's July 2018 report, "Techno-Economic Renewable Energy Potential on Tribal Lands,” the Navajo tribal area has the highest technical potential for PV generation out of all tribes with 902,154 MW of capacity. The tribe is taking advantage of this resource — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez signed a proclamation in early 2019 to provide off-grid solar to the approximately 15,000 Navajo households still without electricity, according to Arizona Public Media.

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT In addition to deploying more PV on residences, the Navajo Nation is interested in developing more utility-scale solar like its 27.3-MW Kayenta Solar Facility that came online in 2017. The tribe is closing the Navajo Generating Station, a major coal plant, and going through a big energy shift.

"I think folks want to transition to renewables and get away from the fossil fuel industries because they've seen firsthand a lot of the after-effects with air and water quality standards going down," said Tim Willink, member of the Navajo Nation and director of tribal programs at nonprofit solar installation and workforce development organization GRID Alternatives.

GRID Alternatives is dedicated to advancing solar in the Navajo Nation and throughout Indian Country through its National Tribal Program, established in 2010. The goal of the program is to inform tribes on the possibility of solar and then assist with implementation, from educating on net metering and how to work with utilities to construction safety and installation practices.

GRID recruits community members to volunteer to build grid-tied solar projects on homes and community buildings on tribal lands. In many cases, a tribe's solar installation with GRID is its first.

"We really talk to them about their workforce development goals and we try and develop long-term partnerships so we can build upon and scale up these projects," Willink said.

GRID trains construction workers within the existing tribal governments as well as interested community members, and also works with tribal colleges and

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Volunteers from Fort Lewis College work on a GRID Alternatives solar installation for Solar Spring Break 2019. GRID

high schools via its Solar Futures program. In the Navajo Nation specifically, GRID works at the grassroots level to recruit students from Fort Lewis College and Navajo Technical University to participate in Solar Spring Break and other training programs.

Policy is key for tribal solar Solar installations on reservations are driven primarily by policy. There are some exceptions, like on the Spokane Reservation in Washington, where a few families have had the resources to install solar on their own. But in most cases, GRID partners with tribes on multiple levels to help make the policy changes necessary to grow solar on their reservations — engaging with the local government, central tribal government or tribal housing authorities.

GRID also works at the state level to make sure tribal interests are included in new solar legislation in progressive states like Washington, California and Oregon.

"Tribes are really trying to make sure that they have a seat at the table and that we're not left out on this transition from fossil fuels to renewables," Willink said. "If a state has a goal of 100% renewables, there should be a portion of that mandated for tribes to be www.solarpowerworldonline.com

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REGIONAL SOLAR POLICY REPORT involved in that conversation, in that movement, in that policy."

In states that lack robust solar policies in general, tribes must find the resources and money to spearhead solar development themselves. That's where GRID's Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) comes in.

The fund came about after a few tribes asked GRID to go after some federal solar funding on their behalf, thinking it would be easier than the tribes applying individually. GRID agreed and succeeded, winning a $5 million, three-year grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation in 2018.

In the TSAF’s first year, GRID received 45 applications for $7.3 million worth of solar projects, according to Tanksi Clairmount, member of the Sicangu Lakota and Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota tribes and director of the fund.

She said out of the 45 applications, 40 were very strong and could have received funding. But the organization only had $1.7 million to award for the year, which funded 14 different projects.

Tribes were excited for the federal grant opportunity because funding opportunities vary widely depending on what state they're in. Even in states with solar programs, competition can be fierce.

Fort Lewis College volunteers work on an installation during Solar Spring Break 2019. GRID

"Tribes have to compete with state agencies and other large organizations for the same pot of funding," Clairmount said.

The Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs matches money from funds like TSAF to help increase funding for tribal solar projects. Tribes must come up with a 50% non-federal cost share to apply for matching funds through the DOE. If their projects are approved by the DOE, the tribes will be reimbursed by the federal government for the share they're entitled to.

"We call our office a 'do-with office,' meaning we'll do the work with you, we'll partner with you to develop your capacity," said Office of Indian Energy Director Kevin Frost.

"The one thing we

don't do is we will not do the work for you, because that's not what helps tribes overall when they're self-determining their energy development and their future."

Securing government funding for tribal solar projects has much to do with a tribe's capacity — both politically and technically. The tribal council must spearhead the process and have resources in place to perform O&M and ensure the longevity of the system.

"Being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, we want to make sure that they can operate and maintain the equipment for the life of it, then that way it best benefits their tribal community," Frost said.

GRID is there to help train tribes to make sure they are equipped to install, maintain and keep procuring solar on reservations.

"Indian Country wants to do this, tribes want to do this, the desire is there to increase our portfolio of renewables and develop our economies and to work toward energy sovereignty. And I think that if there's more funding available on multi-levels, we could see a lot of progress in that realm," Willink said. SPW

Navajo Technical University students wire an array during Solar Spring Break 2019. GRID

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KELLY PICKEREL

[CONTRACTORS CORNER]

EDITOR IN CHIEF

O3 Energy knows every aspect of C&I solar O3 Energy Dallas, Texas When O3 Energy started in 2011, company founders identified a need in the market — commercial building owners didn’t know where to start when going solar. From development to financing to construction, O3 promotes itself as well-versed in all aspects of C&I solar and seeks out corporations with little experience in the finer details of solar power.

“The goal is to get as much solar deployed as possible, and our channel partner program allows us to assist in doing that,” said Brad Stutzman, co-founder and CEO of O3 Energy. The company often works with building electricians and other stakeholders wanting to install solar on their properties.

“If I’m a building owner thinking about converting to solar, the first thing I’m going to do is call my electrician. That electrician who’s been keeping up with the maintenance of a building doesn’t necessarily understand the ins and outs of solar,” Stutzman said. “We started partnering with individuals that had these clients. We started showing them how to put together the financing, how to carry projects through development to construction.”

The Dallas-based company has since taken on the role of developing its own projects across the continental United States, Mexico and into the Pacific islands. O3 has a large presence in Guam and was the top performing contractor on the island, according to the 2019 Top Solar Contractors list.

“Whenever you look at the islands in general — Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico — solar just makes sense,” Stutzman said. “Their traditional power production on the island has been diesel or something that requires some sort of feedstock to drive it. Because it is an island,

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the goal is to get as much solar deployed as possible, and our channel partner program allows us to assist in doing that. most of the resources have to be brought in. That creates a huge carbon footprint, so by providing solar to clients on islands, we help to drive down the overall cost of operating those buildings.”

O3 has an office in Guam, and Stutzman said the island regularly has rolling blackouts four years after an explosion at a diesel power plant brought down a significant portion of Guam’s power generation. The business case for solar is strong right now on the island.

“Whenever you come in with little pockets of solar here and there, it strengthens that grid and attacks a need they have,” Stutzman said. “That’s why we focused on Guam, to help the people of the island attack their electric grid.”

There are some complexities when it comes to working in a booming market in the middle of the Pacific though. Guam is no 54

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stranger to typhoons and earthquakes, so all solar projects must be structurally solid and built to withstand 180 mph wind loads. One benefit of the island’s location is solar materials are much easier, quicker and cheaper to source directly from Asia than ship from California warehouses.

O3 takes its experiences from Guam and translates them into its projects closer to home. The company has gradually taken on more aspects of solar project development, now getting involved with asset management and O&M. Stutzman said it’s important to O3 to vertically integrate to provide the best service possible.

“You see a lot of development groups out there that focus on 100% development, and they may not be looking at the best way to build a project.

They develop it for the highest ROI, but they’re not really thinking about the longterm operations of the project. Same thing on the EPC side. We see some groups out there that just don’t understand what a developer is looking for in a project,” he said. “Our EPC division understands what our clients and their developers want. It helps us provide a better solution. It helps our clients achieve the ultimate goal of getting the project done in the most efficient way possible.”

Into the next decade, O3 Energy hopes to continue expanding into more service areas of solar.

“We want to continue to expand the company and really become a global solar player,” Stutzman said. “There are a lot of synergies that we can bring throughout the industry. We want to be that group that everyone strives to be.” SPW

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0

Average No. Copies Each No. Copies of Single Issue Published Issue During Preceding Nearest to Filing Date 12 Months

Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation of 15b (2), (3),telemarketing and (4)) (Include direct written (Sum request from(1), recipient, and Internet re(1) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include b. Legitimate Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Paid and/or (1) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.

Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Requested (Include direct written recipient,Lists, telemarketing Internet reNames obtained from request Businessfrom Directories, and otherand sources) Distribution (2) quests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, (By Mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) and d. NonreIn-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Outside quested copies, Dealers Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Sales Through and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter (2) Sample the Mail) Distribution (3) Premium, Sales Requests including Association Requests, Sales, andBulk Other Paidand or Requested Distribution Outside USPS® (By Mail Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) and (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS Outside (e.g. First-Class Mail®) the Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of (3) Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates) Nonrequested Distributed Outside the on MailPS (Include Pickup Stands, Outside CountyCopies Nonrequested Copies Stated Form 3541 (include (4) Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a (1) Trade Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4))

d. Nonref.

In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e) quested (2) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Distribution Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, g. (By Copies (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3))and other sources) Mail not Distributed Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and Outside h. the Total (Sum of 15f and g) Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of (3) Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Requested Limit mailed atCirculation Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates) i. Percent Paid and/or (15c divided by f times 100) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, (4) Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources) Electronic Copy Circulation 16. Publication 16. of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the issue of this publication. e. a.

Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)) Requested and Paid Electronic Copies 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner f.

11,061

8,887

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®)

e.

10,641

Total Distribution (Sum 15cPrint and e) b.

Total Requested andofPaid Copies (15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a)

0

0

0

0

8,887

8,990

1,101

998

0

0

0

0

502

899

1,603

1,897

10,490

10,887

151

174

10,641

11,061

84.7%

82.6%

0

0

8,887

Date

8,990

10,490

10,887

84.7%

82.6%

Total Requested Copy distribution (15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a) g. c.

Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3)) I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form d. or Percent who omits material information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil Paid and/ororRequested Circulation h. Total (Sum of & 15f and g) copies (16b divided By 16c x 100) sanctions (including civil penalties).

(Both print electronic PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 2 of 3) i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by foftimes 100) X I certify that 50% all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are legitimate requests or paid copies.

17.

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the issue of this publication.

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner 18.

Pat Curran, Senior Digital Media Manager

Jim Powers 312.925.7793 jpowers@wtwhmedia.com @jpowers_media David Geltman 516.510.6514 dgeltman@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_david

Ashley N. Burk 737.615.8452 aburk@wtwhmedia.com Jami Brownlee 224.760.1055 jbrownlee@wtwhmedia.com

Neel Gleason 312.882.9867 ngleason@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_ngleason

LEA D ERS HIP T EA M VP of Sales Mike Emich 508.446.1823 memich@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_memich

EVP Marshall Matheson 805.895.3609 mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com @mmatheson

Managing Director Scott McCafferty 310.279.3844 smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com @SMMcCafferty

Publisher Courtney Nagle 440.523.1685 cseel@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_CSeel

Follow the whole team on Twitter @SolarPowerWorld

1. Publication Title

November 2019 Date

10/2/19

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

PS Form Form3526-R, 3526-R, September July 2014 2007 (page(Page 2 of 2 4)of 3)

56

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