Solar for All : Including Renters and Condo Owners

1. Solar for All: Including Renters and Condo Owners Bruce Karney July 8, 2009 bkarney@comcast.net

2. Agenda • What’s the problem? • What’s the solution? • Why adopting Solar for All is urgent • Why solar leasing is critical • How homeowners benefit too

3. What’s the problem? • All residential electricity customers pay into the solar rebate fund • For all practical purposes, only single family homeowners can receive a residential solar rebate

4. Not a homeowner? Ride back here Solar Bus

5. Single family homeownersare a minority in California

6. … but a privileged one • Households earning less than $50,000 • 41% home ownership rate • Households earning $150,000 or more • 87% home ownership rate

7. Biggest residential CSI rebates • $375,215 for 210 kW in Atherton • $319,188 for 200 kW in Newcastle • $238,358 for 156 kW in Napa • $137,895 for 69 kW in Woodside • $137,216 for 62 kW in Bishop

8. What’s the solution?

9. Solar for All • Allow ALL residential customers to offset their bill – just like homeowners already can – with power generated by equipment they own at “solar farms” • Allow solar farm customers the option to lease their equipment – just like homeowners already can • Authorize Remote Net Metering for solar farm customers

10. Solar farms can be urban or rural

11. Low-cost “commercial solar” technologies are welcome • Divisible into < 6 kW sub-systems • CSI-eligible Solyndra Cool Earth Lumeta Skyline Solar

12. What is Remote Net Metering? • Energy consumption measured by one meter • Energy generation measured by another meter • Meters separated by miles, not feet • Generation subtracted from consumption to determine the bill

13. Example: January The Gomez family used $88 of electricity in their apartment Their portion of the solar farm generated $30 of electricity Their net bill is $58

14. Example: July They used $65 of electricity Their portion of the solar farm generated $115 of electricity This gives them a credit of $50 for the month

15. Everything balances over the year Bill Credit

16. Economies of scale: 4 kW of PV

17. Better siting improves output

18. Precedents • Sacramento: SolarShares • City of Alameda: separate meters measure generation and production • SoCal Edison: putting 150 giant PV systems on large commercial roofs • All utility-owned, none customer-owned • MA: Neighborhood Net Metering

19. Why adopting Solar for Allis urgent

20. Million solar roofs: 3 programs • CPUC: CSI program $2,167 Million, 1,940 mW, PG&E, SCE & SDG&E territory, existing homes, new & existing commercial, government, agriculture • Publicly Owned Utilities, $784 Million, 700 mW, all systems in POU areas • CEC: NSHP program, $400 Million, 360 mW, IOU territory, new homes • Total: $3,351 Million, 3,000 mW

21. CSI program • 1/1/2007 – 12/31/2016 7 ½ years left • General Market Program (1,750 mW) • 1,173 mW non-residential (67%) • 578 mW residential (33%) • Low Income Programs (190 mW) • 95 mW Single Family (50%) • 95 mW Multi-family (50%) RNM allowed! • Over half of PG&E residential “General Market” incentives are already paid or reserved

22. Rebates are going fast SCE SDG&E PG&E 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

23. 578 mW = 1 million roofs? • 144,500 at 4 kW per system • About 10 million housing units in CSI territory • 1.5% will benefit from solar rebates • 3% of single family homes • 0% of renters and condo owners

24. Why solar leasing is critical

25. Eligibility for 30% tax credit • ITC eligibility for customer-owned equipment at a Solar Farm is questionable • “Qualified solar electric property expenditure" means an expenditure for property which uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in a dwelling unit located in the United States andused as a residence by the taxpayer.

26. Do any residential systems qualify?Example: 77% of generation is exported! Exported

27. No uncertainty about leased systems • There are no federal tax issues with the leased version of Solar for All

28. Solar leasing value proposition $195 per month $30/mo. Savings Lease Payment Old Electric Bill New Electric Bill

29. Current price for leased solar 50¢ Tier 5 44.1¢ Tier 4 37.9¢ Cents per Kilowatt-hour 25¢ Tier 3 26.0¢ Leased PV today – 21-25 ¢ Tier 2 13.1¢ Tier 1 11.5¢ 100% 200% 300% 400% Percent of Baseline Electricity Usage

30. Solar for All: Lease PV for 15¢/kWh 50¢ Tier 5 44.1¢ Tier 4 37.9¢ Cents per Kilowatt-hour 25¢ Tier 3 26.0¢ Leased PV at Solar Farm: 15¢ Tier 2 13.1¢ Tier 1 11.5¢ 100% 200% 300% 400% Percent of Baseline Electricity Usage

31. How homeowners benefit too

32. Solar for All solves homeowners’ most common concerns • Aesthetics • Worries about roof warranty or leaks • Roof replacement needed soon • Outdated service panel or other “adders” • Too much shade • Roof poorly oriented or pitched • Concerns about roof strength • “What happens when we move?”

33. What fraction would sign up for Solar for All? 1/5 = 23,400 1/3 = 39,000 1/2 = 58,500 23,400 homeowners have bought PV under the CSI program ~ 117,000 homeowners have gotten a site visit but NOT purchased yet * Assume 1 win per 6 site visits Size of the homeowner market

34. The future of Solar for All • Assemblyman Paul Fong has agreed to introduce legislation! • Kudos to: Monica Smith and Andrea Graham of his staff • How you can help… • Provide your contact information to Assemblyman Fong’s office: Monica.Smith@asm.ca.gov

35. Everybody move to the front of the bus! Bruce Karney bkarney@comcast.net 650 450-0332