In This Issue

CPUC Releases Draft Resolution on Providing Incentives to Non-PV Technologies

Governor Signs Solar Water Heating Bill

CPUC Adopts the CSI Single Family Low Income Solar Incentive Program

CPUC Releases Draft Resolution to Implement Renewables Feed-In Tariff

Trigger Tracker Snapshot - November 2007

California Energy Commission Releases Committee Final Guidelines for California's Solar Programs Pursuant to SB1

Assembly Member Levine Convenes CSI Progress Forum in Beverly Hills 

San Diego Gas and Electric Settles General Rate Case Phase 2 with Solar Industry's Support

CCSE Solar Conference a Resounding Success

CSI Public Forum Highlights Statewide Efforts to Streamline Program

Call for Photos of CSI-Funded Solar Systems


Useful Links

California Center for Sustainable Energy

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Southern California Edison

California Public Utilities Commission 

California state solar incentive Web site

CSI Handbook

Greetings {FIRST_NAME},

CPUC Releases Draft Resolution Providing Incentives to Non-PV Technologies

The CPUC moved a step closer to integrating non-PV technologies into the CSI Program with the release of a draft resolution (E-4131) that adopts rules and eligibility requirements for non-PV technologies to receive solar incentives. The draft Resolution is based on an Advice Letter filed by PG&E in June 2007. Comments to the draft Resolution are due to the CPUC by December 7, 2007, and the Resolution is expected to be on the CPUC meeting agenda on December 7, 2007.
>> view copy of the Draft Resolution E-4131

Governor Signs Solar Water Heating Bill

California’s state-wide effort to utilize solar energy gained momentum on October 12, 2007 when Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1470 (AB) 1470 (Huffman, 2007), creating the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The act authorizes the CPUC to develop a $250 million statewide Solar Water Heating incentive program that could install 200,000 systems statewide, and it allows the CPUC to decide whether to create such a program pending the outcome of the current solar water heating pilot in the San Diego area. The current pilot program runs through mid-2009, and preliminary results of the pilot program will not be available until late 2008. The CPUC expects the data from the pilot program will be used to consider whether to create a future program under the authority granted in AB 1470.
>> view the CPUC's press release.
>> view information on the current solar water heating pilot in San Diego  

CPUC Adopts the CSI Single Family Low-Income Solar Incentive Program

On November 16, 2007 the CPUC adopted an unprecedented $108 million Low-Income Solar Incentive program that provides incentives to low-income single-family homeowners. The CPUC decision provided the framework for the program, and the CPUC will select a Program Manager to administer the program in 2008. Incentives will range from $4.75 to $7.00 per watt, depending on the applicants tax and income status.

Fully-subsidized 1 kW PV systems will be available to households with incomes of 50% of area median income or less. A single, statewide Program Manager will be selected through a competitive bidding process to administer the program.

>> view more details
>> view the press release

CPUC Releases Draft Resolution to Implement Renewables Feed-In Tariff 

On Friday November 16, 2007, the CPUC issued a draft Resolution (E-4137) authorizing standard tariffs and contracts for the purchase of up to 478 MW of renewable energy (including solar) from grid-connected facilities (up to 1.5 MW each) throughout the state. Assembly Bill 1969 (Yee, 2006) authorized the CPUC to create "feed-in" tariffs for up to 250 MW from public water and wastewater facilities to encourage development of renewable distributed generation resources. In Decision 07-07-027, the CPUC extended this by 228 MW of renewable energy from all facilities in PG&E's or SCE's territories. (The extension does not apply to SDG&E.) Customers under these tariffs would be paid a fixed, long-term price for renewable energy generation based on the price adopted by the Commission. Facilities up to 1.5 MW, including solar installations, will be eligible for the tariffs provided that they have not participated in other generation incentive programs like CSI or the Self Generation Incentive Program. Public comments are due on December 7, 2007.

>> view the CPUC Draft Resolution E-4137

Trigger Tracker Snapshot - November 2007

The California Solar Initiative Trigger Tracker notifies the public of when the CSI incentive levels are expected to drop. Installers can consult the Statewide Trigger Tracker to track the current incentive "step" for each customer class and territory, the megawatts available in each step, the megawatts under review, and the megawatts left in each step. If there are More Megawatts under review than "Left in the step" – then it is highly likely that any new applications will be at the next (i.e. LOWER) incentive step level.

Below is a snapshot of today's data from the Statewide Trigger Point Tracker.

California Energy Commission Releases Committee Final Guidelines for California's Solar Programs Pursuant to SB1

The California Energy Commission will vote on December 19th on its Guidelines for California's Solar Programs. The CEC Guidelines will govern the eligibility and criteria for all solar incentives statewide, including CPUC-funded, CEC-funded, and POU-funded solar installations.
>> view the Committee Final Guidelines

Assembly Member Levine Convenes CSI Progress Forum in Beverly Hills 

On October 30th, the State Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce held an informational hearing on implementation of the CSI at the City Council chambers in Beverly Hills. With Committee Chair Assembly Member Lloyd Levine presiding, the Committee heard from CPUC Energy Division Director Sean Gallagher as well as representatives from solar manufacturers and installers, the CSI program administrators, publicly-owned utilities and advocacy organizations. Major issues discussed included program results to date, streamlining efforts, incentive approaches including net metering and feed-in tariffs, and program outreach possibilities.
>> view presentation by CPUC Energy Division Director Sean Gallagher

San Diego Gas and Electric Settles General Rate Case Phase 2 with Solar Industry's Support

The ongoing SDG&E General Rate Case proceeding appears close to a resolution. Negotiations have centered around non-residential rates, particularly the impact of demand charges for customers with solar.  A new rate structure has been proposed that reallocates some demand charges to the energy side, which should improve the economics for non-residential SDG&E utility customers interested in going solar. The CPUC is considering the settlement, and solar fans should stay tuned for word of the final settlement.

CCSE Solar Conference a Resounding Success

CCSE's Solar Energy Conference was held on October 25th in San Diego, CA. As the San Diego wildfires ravaged the county, about 500 solar enthusiasts and vendors gathered to hear some of the industry's finest speak about the future of solar. Conference attendees increasingly felt the need for safe distributed generation to power homes and businesses as power outages were reported across parts of the County due to the fires.

CPUC Executive Director Paul Clanon advocated renewable energy as he discussed the energy issues and challenges that lie ahead for Californians. CPUC CSI staff member Melicia Charles discussed statewide goals for CSI including attaining 3,000 MW of new distributed solar generation by 2016, and a self-sustaining solar industry free from ratepayer subsidies after 2016.
>> view the Solar Conference 2007 agenda and presentations
 

CSI Public Forum Highlights Statewide Efforts to Streamline Program

The CSI Program Forum was held on October 12th at the California Center for Sustainable Energy offices. The Program Forum attracted approximately 90 attendees and 25 phone-in attendees interested in hearing about the CSI program progress, as well as recent and proposed changes to the CSI program.

Attendees learned about the September 2007 changes to the Program Handbook, that were the result of a June 2007 Advice Letter to streamline the program. Participants also discussed some changes that the Program Administrators will be proposing to the CPUC in the near future to further streamline the program.

The next Public Forum is scheduled for January 17, 2008, at the PG&E auditorium, 245 Market Street in San Francisco.
>> view presentations from the Program Forum

Call for Photos of CSI-Funded Solar Systems

Calling all shutterbugs! The CSI program is looking for photos of solar systems installed under the CSI program. The program may use the photos in the next newsletter or other CSI-related publicity.

When submitting solar PV system photos, please provide the following: name of photographer; name of installer, seller, or system owner; system size and location; and full permission to use photo in CSI related publicity.
>> submit your photos (or preferably a link to online photos) to the CPUC newsletter team

Mark Your Calendar

CSI Public Forum,
January 17, 2008
PG&E Auditorium
245 Market St.,
San Francisco, CA

Public stakeholders may discuss the administration and implementation of the CPUC's portion of the CSI program, and suggest consensus-based revisions to the CSI Program Handbook.

Solar 2008,
May 3-8, 2008
San Diego, CA

Catch the Clean Energy Wave! Come witness the growing movement towards renewable energy as a key component in climate recovery, a strong and healthy economy, and a secure energy future.

Noteworthy and Quoteworthy

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