Southern Tier Solar Works Pilot: Solar Up! Broome and Tioga

Southerntiersolarworks.org

Southern Tier Solar Works Pilot:

Solar Up! Broome and TiogaBrought to you by:

The Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition

The Susquehanna Chapter of the Sierra Club

Catskill Mountainkeeper

Natural Resources Defense Council

ETM Solar Works


About the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition (BRSC)

• BRSC is a 501 c 3 not for profit grassroots community organization

Current programs include:1)Southern Tier Solar Works2)Many Hands Food Co-op3)Be Local Broome

Go Local, Grow Local!


STSW Program Goals

• rapidly expand solar deployment

• make energy efficiency and renewable energy key economic drivers and local job creators


The Solar Industry is doubling each year in the US. We want in on this economic boon!

Solar installing jobs are LOCAL jobs


1) The cost of solar

has dropped

dramatically. In just

the past 4 years, the

installed cost of

systems has gone

down by more than

2x

2) State and Federal

incentives are at

an all-time high!

State incentives

are falling. Act

now!

Why go solar NOW?


My Big Picture

PROTECT: Our air, water, and food supply.

REDUCE carbon emissions that lead to climate change.

LIVE my values.

Why go solar NOW?


Why go solar NOW?

Solar power

can replace

fossil fuel use

Now… And it’s

EASY!

X

✔


ReduceYour

Load

STEP 1

STEP 2

UseSolar

Power

So, Let’s Act and get off fossil fuel


A Friendly Reminder about Energy Efficiency

= Heat Loss = Dollars Lost


Energy Efficiency:the low hanging fruit

• Energy Efficiency improvements are the most cost effective.

• Improve your home’s comfort and safety, save energy dollars and create good local jobs.

• Free or reduced cost home energy assessments available to most New Yorkers through NYSERDA.

* No up front costs, low interest financing and income eligible grants available.


Green Jobs Green New York& NYSERDA’s Home Performance program

• Energy Efficiency improvements are the most cost effective measures you can take

1. Enroll for a free/reduced cost home energy assessment

2. Schedule the assessment with at BPI certified contractor.

3. Get your energy assessment

4. Review your energy report & choose your improvements.

5. Apply for financing & assisted home performance grants

6. Get the work done.


And She Said: Use Solar Power!


About the SOLAR Resource


It is Really BIG !!

YEARLY solar energy supply(5 billion years left!)

FOREVER supply of fossil fuel

Yearly World Energy Consumption


New York has sun?


30 Years of Solar Data

16

NREL.gov: 30 year average of kWh/m2 per year

San Diego, Ca……….. 2044 kWh/m2/year

Binghamton, NY …….1496

Seattle, Wa …………..1387

Sunniest place in Germany: 1250

The Southern Tier gets 73% of the amount of sun that San Diego gets

World leader in use of solar power

Southerntiersolarworks.org 17

Wide-Spread Use of Solar Power is Inevitable

0.07% of land area, covered with solar cells, can power the entire planet !


How Do I Collect and UseSOLAR energy?


Solar Hot Water Heater Solar Electric System

Two Ways to Use Solar Energy

Tech TalkSolar Electricity is made with “photovoltaic” (PV) panels.Solar hot water collectors are boxes with copper tubing, aluminum frame and glass cover


PV modules are made into “solar arrays” or solar electric systems.

20

photovoltaic modules

switchinverter

Inverter converts DC to AC


What if the utility paid YOU?


Is solar energy for me?Do you have roof space facing south? If not, do you have yard space for ground-mounted panels?

Is your sunny roof space unobstructed by trees or buildings most of the day?

Is your current electric bill higher than you’d like?

Tech TalkAn East or West facing roof will work if the slope is less than 30 degrees

Our primary concern is that shading is minimal


Send us your electric bill (all pages) showing yearly use graph


Pole-Top

Where Do I Put my Solar Panels?

Roof-mountGround-Mount

Roof-mount in Binghamton, NY(makes 4500 kWh per year)


What Is the Southern TierSOLAR Works program all about?


Southern Tier Solar Works:Making Solar Power Simple

1. Get Educated (attend a workshop, visit the website)

2. Sign up (at workshop, on web-site, call BRSC!)

3. Get Others to Join (talk to your friends and neighbors)

4. Get Evaluated (We check out your site)

5. Sign Contract (Easy financing or leasing available!)

6. Get System Installed


Pricing Tiers

PV System Equipment Information

Total Participant Capacity

(kW)

< 50kW

50 – 100kW

101 – 150kW

151 – 200kW

> 200kW

Modules Inverters

Trina or ConergySMA,

Fronius or PowerOne

Price ($/Watt)

$3.75 $3.65 $3.50 $3.40 $3.25

Options and AddersGround-mounts: +$0.60/WattMade in USA PV: + $0.15/WHigh efficiency PV (SunPower): +$1/W

Loans:5 to 20 year termsRates: 3.5 to 6.5%

Lease: 20 year. All maintenance covered, performance guarantee, transferable

Southern Tier Solar Works


4.5 kW on Gay’s south roof

PV on ETM Shop

Dr. Gay E. Canough,President and founder

ETM Solar Works300 North St.

Endicott, NY 13760607-785-6499

www.etmsolar.com 2014: 26th year in business

ABOUT


So, for example…

If you want a 7 kilowatt system (28 Trina 250 Modules)

You sign up first at 3.75/watt$26250 Cost at $3.75/W = $3.75 x 7000 W-$7000 NYSERDA incentive ($1/W)$19250 Amount to pay or finance

-$5775 Federal Tax Credit (30%)-$4812 State Tax Credit (25%$8663 Net Cost to you

Ask a tax professional or your accountant to make sure you qualify for the tax credits.


Financing Options

1. Loans up to 20 years

a) Banksb) NYSERDA

1. 20 year leasea) SunPower


Leasing• Even if you cannot take the federal tax credit, you still get its effective value

• We do all the system maintenance

• The system performance is guaranteed

• If you sell your house, the lease is transferable.


LEASE Example

6.87 kW (21) SunPower 327 W modules, (1)6000 W PowerOne inverter8484 kWh per yearSouth facing, no shade

$0 down, $0 escalator: $95/month(About the same as smartphone)

Be advised that SunPower PV produces 21% MORE kWhs than other types and takes up 37% LESS space!


The Process

Solar Power to the People

In the first 2 to 3 weeks:1.We check your Site2.We give you a Quote3.We do NYSERDA paperwork

Then we wait for NYSERDA grant approval (8 weeks)1.Meanwhile, we get building permit and interconnection paperwork done2.Installation (2-4 days)

If Financing or leasing:1.Credit check2.Lease or loan document3.Your first payment is not due until install is complete


Find out more about solar power at www.southerntiersolarworks.org

When there is a HUGE

solar energy spill, we just call it a “NICE DAY”!

Enjoy Growing Your Own Electricity!


The following slides are for showing if needed for Q&A


Yes, Snow shuts down your solar array (blocks light) BUT

There is very little sun in the winter to miss out on.

December = 5% of yearly sunJanuary = 5% of yearly sunFebruary = 6% of yearly sun

So if you have snow sitting for 3 weeks, you are missing very little production!

Stay off your roof in the winter.

SNOW


1. Local Banka) Citizen’s bank, Energy Loan, 607-766-

9120

2. Admirals Banka) Terms of 5,7,10,15 or 20 yearsb) Rates in 6% rangec) Option to refinance in 12, 18 or 24

months 3. Enerbank

a) 12 months same as cash for tax credits

b) 2.99% for 12 years for remainder4. NYSERDA On-bill and Smart Energy

loansa) Low rates, 3.5%b) Can use for energy efficiency and solar

Loans


Power Purchase Agreement

In a PPA, all you do is agree to buy the electricity for a certain length of time at a certain rate. This is ideal for commercial and municipal systems.

The third-party system owner (usually a team made of the solar company and the financing company) does the following:

1. Installs the system2. Obtains long-term financing3. Does all the maintenance4. Takes the tax credits5. Gets grant money if available to reduce kWh rate6. Sells you kWhs at a rate less than you are paying now

For a system less than 200 kW, we are partnering with RER. They offer a community-financed PPA, which leads to a smaller kWh cost to the end user and investment returns go back to the local economy because the investors or banks are HERE.


External heat exchanger

Closed-loop solar hot water heating


Flat-plate solar hot water collectors

4’ x 8’ 4’ x 8’


P-type:1) Boron dopant2) About 250 microns thick

N-type:• Phosphorous dopant• About 0.3 microns thick

Photovoltaics (PV): The Mighty Solar

cell

Photo ------- LightVoltaic ------Electricity


Solar cells are made into PV modules…

43


Solar Energy Systems are…

44

Pole-Top

Solar Deck


Commercial…

45

Guilderland School 50 kW

Westport Water Treatment 20 kW


CommercialResidential

$4 to $6/Watt$2 to $4/Watt

$7/Watt(OMG!)


BE ADVISED THAT:Ground-mounts are more expensive than roof-mounts

If NYSERDA incentives go down, the end cost to you goes up. Systems larger than 10 kW may be less than $3.25/W

Financing and leasing adds finance charges.

Tax credits depend upon after-NYSERDA and after STSW rebate cost AND your tax situation.

We do incentive paperwork, permit paperwork, utility paperwork and help you get financing that works best for you!

Southern Tier Solar Works Pilot: Solar Up! Broome and Tioga

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