June 25th, 2010

A Slight Miscalculation…No Solar in Abu Dhabi? Learnings from Being First Movers in Cleantech

BOSTON -

A funny thing was recently discovered in the middle east. The folks planning Masdar, the zero-carbon, zer0-waste and (supposedly) 100% renewable energy (proposed) city just outside Abu Dhabi did a little calculation on the solar resource they could expect in the area. All along they had figured to develop large solar arrays just outside the city to power everything. Wind was taken off the table earlier in the planning of the city as there really isn’t much of a wind resource in the area.

But solar. Now we KNOW there’s a great solar resource in the UAE, right? The country where nobody goes outside because it’s too hot, where people leave their AC and cold water running while they’re gone on vacation so the house is livable when they return, and the country that doesn’t really even HAVE sidewalks because, well, it’s too damn hot to walk anywhere.

Their calculations regarding the solar resource in the area apparently didn’t even happen because it was so obvious. They must have just estimated… Because, now, a few years into the plan? It appears  the initial ‘calculation’ was off by, oh, about double. That’s right. Apparently there are sandstorms (shocker) and a consistent haze from the UAE’s proximity to the Persian Gulf. These two factors dramatically cut the available solar resource in the UAE to about half of what could be expected in other similar latitudes.

Why does this matter. Well, for one it puts a damper on the solar dreams of Masdar. But, if we take a step back, it dramatically illustrates a common problem in the renewable energy industry. So many projects throw money around, make plans, and shoot for the stars without ever really doing their due diligence.

Here’s a comparison. Cape Wind was doing something no one had ever done in the USA. They had to forge ahead blind in some regards because the permitting structure and financing partners didn’t exist when they started the project back in 2001. Now they’ve spent 40+ million dollars and it’s still not done. While I don’t necessarily agree with the public outreach and incorporation methods of the Cape Wind project, its an example of a project that was in a position to fly blind and not feel dumb if something came out of left field (like Indian burial grounds 5 miles out to sea) because it was, for many intensive purposes, a first.

Now let’s take Masdar. There’s an iphone app for sun-eye for crying out loud!  Not to say that’s the technology to use in this case, but solar resource is NOT a hard thing to quantify. Had no one built a solar project (even on a house) in the UAE that could have spoken up and said, “Gee, this is producing a lot less energy than I thought it would…?”

Simple. That’s what a lot of this industry is. And yet we see time and time again people missing the trees for the forest.

Tagged first wind, haze solar, Masdar, Miscalculation, pv, Sandstorm solar, solar, Solar Power, UAE |

June 18th, 2010

The Unseen Torture of PV Integration in Mass: Waiting for Rebates, Permitting, & Inspections.

BOSTON -

If Kimbo Slice signs a contract with an installer/integrator for a 5kW PV system on his house in MA on Monday, and it takes 2 days to install 5kW, why should Kimbo not be able to turn on his system on Thursday?

A. Commonwealth Solar Rebate Approval: 4-12 week wait

Kimbo knows that he can get up to $5,000 in grant money from the Commonwealth Solar II (CSII) program, which makes his investment cost-effective. What he might not know is that the CSII program prohibits installation prior to the grant being awarded or rejected, per section 3.3 of the CSII program manual.

I’ve dealt with this first hand, having applied for hundreds of rebates through Alteris Renewables Inc. since February 2009. The uncertainty causes issues with (1) equipment purchasing & forecasting, (2) cash flow predictions, (3) project scheduling delays, and (4) risk of losing the building permit application fee.

B. Building Permit Approval: 1 – 4 week wait.

Building Permit applications are the most painful part of any project, mainly because:

1. Most inspectors have no idea what a PV system is or what constructing it entails. Therefore, before they grant their approval, they demand more and more backup documentation. More time dealing with building inspectors equals less profit for the project. >> Solution: The BBRS should mandate training for local inspectors on the new technology and the equipment used for installation.
2. Every MA Building Department has a different application and process, and many haven’t upgraded their basic internal technology. Somerville uses legal-sized carbon copy applications. Waltham won’t accept anything but handwritten card-stock applications.  Every town has a different application, and a different process. This means (1) installers must drive to simply obtain the applications, and (2) the town won’t accept digital versions of the applications. >> Solution: The BBRS should have a standard building permit application that is accepted by every municipality in MA, just like RI does. They should also

C. Commissioning (officially turning on the system): 1-4 week wait

In order to turn on a system, the electrical inspector signs a form, the installer submits it to the utility, and the utility authorizes system commissioning. You’d think that this part of the process would be a piece of cake – the system is finally built and able to be turned on, but paperwork can easily hold up project close-out for a couple weeks. Here’s why:

1. Most MA Inspectors often only work part-time. This adds more wait time to both reaching the inspector, and scheduling an inspection. Note the link above, showing Harwich, MA inspector’s hours: 8:30-9:30, three days a week. Good thing Kimbo doesn’t live in Harwich.
2. MA Inspectors are uncomfortable with PV technology, so they often request (1) the electrician, (2) the construction foreman, (3) and the homeowner to be present. This creates a huge headache for installers trying to coordinate all these people’s busy schedules, and accommodate for the inspector’s schedule. If the inspector blows off this meeting (probably one in ten jobs), the process starts all over again.
3. The MA Interconnection Tarriff allows utilities ten business days to authorize system commissioning. This is absurd. If NSTAR can send me an approval in 24 hours, why does it take National Grid or Unitil a week and a few reminders to do the same thing?

Sadly, a PV project sold today can only be turned on as fast as it can jump through all of these bureaucratic hoops. But, if you’re a salesman, how do you tell Kimbo that he has to wait not three days, not four, but 180? You don’t– it’s easier (and probably safer) to sell him on the best-case scenario, and pray that the project clears every hurdle.

The solar industry should place more priority on decreasing wait time due to paper processing. All the efforts to stimulate and grow the solar industry mean nothing until the system starts producing clean energy. The polar bear’s iceberg will have melted due to climate change (if that’s what motivates you) in the time it takes Massachusetts to mess around with all this paperwork baloney. Not to mention that delays create irritated customers like Kimbo Slice. Refuse to accept “bureaucracy is what it is” as an excuse for inaction. This is a real roadblock to the success of the solar industry.

Please comment if you have any thoughts, ideas, or reactions. Thanks,

Miles

Tagged alteris, incentives, inspection, interconnect, kimbo slice, massachusetts, paperwork, permits, pv, solar |