Will banks win best actor in a leading role for solar in 2012? From this point forward, every solar power project will go through a tax equity investor and, most likely, that investor will be a bank. Without the 1603 cash grant, the spotlight shifts to banks who can help drive solar financing.

Banks have an incredible opportunity to move the market in solar. If given a larger investor field, slightly lower yields, reduced fees and longer terms, the solar industry will see record growth. The solar developers and manufacturers are actively doing their part in cost reduction, and there is room for improvement, but now it is time for the banks to make their mark on the solar industry. Banks will win points with the public, who are their customers and depositors, through job creation, economic development and building a clean air infrastructure, which makes for a healthier environment. Banks will be the difference-maker while gaining handsome rewards in a fast-growing market.

Read more about the solar financing trend from our head of Structured Finance Michael Johnson, who has over 20 years of experience in both tax equity and construction management. 

Read Michael’s piece on Greentech Media

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“This project is a highly visible example of the college’s commitment to sustainability, and to procuring a significant portion of its electricity from renewable sources,” says Rob Lamppa, director of sustainability and energy management.

“We are pleased to offer such a venerable institution as Oberlin College a power purchase agreement to provide clean, economical, locally produced electricity,” says Sam Houston, CEO of Spear Point Energy. “The commitment shown by Oberlin College to meet it’s renewable energy goals is forward thinking and rewarding for all.”

The array will consist of 7,722 polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) panels bolted to a ground-mounted tracking system and will cover about 10 acres of agricultural land on the northwest 

corner of campus, near the athletic fields. It will generate approximately 3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, enough to power 400 to 450 homes and equal to 12 percent of the college’s annual consumption.

The purchase of electricity from this system will move the college significantly closer toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2025. The initiative also is in line with the goals of the Board of Trustees’ 2004 Environmental Policy Statement and the college’s 2005 Strategic Plan, which commit Oberlin to decrease depletion of natural resources and increase the use of renewable resources.

The new array will also provide additional research opportunities for students and faculty in multiple disciplines. PV arrays currently in operation on campus include a 59 kW system on the roof of the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies and the 101 kW parking pavilion array adjacent to the AJLC.

“Faculty and students will have the ability to compare the similarities and differences between the fixed PV system on the roof of the Adam Joseph Lewis Center and parking pavilion, and the new, ground-mounted, tracking PV system,” says Lamppa.

SPG Solar will build the array. The installation will include a tracking system that will result in 3.08 million kWh of electricity produced per year. The project will be completed in the end of August, with energy production to begin in September.

“Oberlin College has always been a leader in social change,” says Michael Johnson, VP Structured Finance at SPG Solar, “and once again they are ahead of the pack leading through an on-campus, ground mount solar power system that will provide the equivalent of up to12 percent of the campus electricity consumption. We designed the system with our single axis solar tracking system so that Oberlin College can capture even more solar power and savings. Once completed, it will be one of the largest solar tracking projects on a college campus in the United States.”

Oberlin was one of the nation’s first institutions of higher education to accept the goal of carbon neutrality as a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in 2006. In 2010, the Oberlin community—college and city—joined the Climate Positive Development Program, a joint initiative of the Clinton Climate Initiative, a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

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This project shows the City of Tucson’s commitment to sustainability by providing the community with up to 60 green jobs during time of construction, two student internships, and clean renewable energy. These latest projects build on Tucson’s first phase of solar, which was 1 MW of solar – including both rooftop and single axis tracking systems - developed by SPG Solar in 2009.

 “This largest City solar project was made possible with low-interest Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, Tucson Electric Power’s renewable energy credits and made easy by SPG Solar’s experience and range of solar services,” said Doug Crockett, City of Tucson Energy Manager. “We’ve basically initiated a municipal-owned solar utility which will generate net revenues to fund future energy efficiency and deferred maintenance projects on city facilities.”

SPG Solar capitalized on its solar design and engineering experience, providing the City with optimized rooftop and carport solar power systems at the Tucson Convention Center, Rincon Golf Links, Hardesty, Randolph, Crime Lab, and two locations at TOPSC. The power generated at each site will offset, on average, 55 percent of the electricity used at each location.

“The City of Tucson has become a committed, long-term solar partner,” said SPG Solar CEO Chris Robine.  “They presented us with a challenge to maximize the amount of solar electricity the City could generate; so we capitalized on our years of experience to design, engineer, build and maintain a set of solar power systems that will deliver the best return on investment.”

TEP will provide financial incentives to the City of Tucson through the company’s customer-funded large commercial solar program, which will reduce installation costs. The systems’ output will help TEP work toward the renewable energy goals established by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).

“We’re very pleased to be working with the City of Tucson and SPG Solar on these systems, which will produce clean, green energy for city facilities using one of Arizona’s greatest natural resources – sunshine,” said Carmine Tilghman, TEP’s Director of Renewable Resources. “We expect to dramatically expand our solar generating capacity to more than 200 MW by the end of 2014 through a combination of company-owned resources, privately developed projects and distributed generating systems like the ones installed by the City of Tucson.”

The latest 2.3 MW system will produce nearly 4 million kilowatt hours the first year, which is equivalent to powering 350 average American homes annually.

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The City of Tucson is a committed long-term solar partner; together we have installed 3.3 megawatts of solar power to date. The City continues to show its commitment to sustainability and solar power by bringing online seven new solar power installations – totaling 2.3 megawatts.  The net revenue from these most recent sites amount to $6.2 million over 25 years. This builds on the City’s first phase of solar, which was 1 MW of solar – including both rooftop and single axis tracking systems- developed by SPG Solar in 2009. 

Here are the quick facts of the latest solar power installations:

SPG Solar capitalized on its design and engineering experience, providing the City with optimized rooftop and carport solar power systems at the Tucson Convention Center, Rincon Golf Links, Hardesty, Randolph, Crime Lab, and two locations at Thomas O. Price Service Center. The power generated at each site will offset, on average, 55 percent of the electricity used at each location.

“The City of Tucson has become a committed, long-term solar partner,” said SPG Solar CEO Chris Robine.  “They presented us with a challenge to maximize the amount of solar electricity the City could generate; so we capitalized on our years of experience to design, engineer, build and maintain a set of solar power systems that will deliver the best return on investment.”

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As part of National University’s sustainability initiative, they host an annual EcoFair at the Spectrum Business Park Campus in San Diego, CA every year. Students, faculty, and businesses attend to learn about recent environmental achievements and services.

Troy Hinds and Heidi Callahan, from SPG Solar, were exhibiting at the EcoFair, highlighting SPG Solar’s recent design, finance and install of a 852 kW rooftop and carport solar power system. There were no upfront costs to National University or any risks around solar production and maintenance since the multi-site project was financed by SPG Solar through a solar power purchase agreement.

“Exhibiting at this event was a great opportunity to support our client, National University, and to shine a light on their commitment to sustainability through this solar power project. SPG Solar installed its proprietary monitoring software, eSunSpot®, and the real time kiosk was on display during the Fair, showing visitors the impact the solar power system was having right there and then on the building,” said Mr. Hinds. “Overall, it was a great way to celebrate the Earth Day weekend. There were all sorts of businesses engaged and participating from local wastewater agencies to sustainable agriculture businesses.”

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2,100 Megawatts. Enough power to provide electricity to 2 million homes. That is the amount of renewable energy that California enabled this week through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)’s proposed decision clarifying the definition of the net metering cap in California. Net metering, the fundamental rate policy that enables businesses, schools, homes, and government facilities to get credit for the full amount of electricity they produce on their facilities, is capped in the state of CA to 5% of peak load. The cap had been interpreted as a limit of 2,500 MW by the three California investor owned utilities – a limit that was feared to be hit toward the end of 2012. The CPUC’s decision clarifies that the actual interpretation of the limit should be 4,600 MW. This adds a tremendous potential for commercial solar power installations over the next several years and ensures that solar power will continue to prosper for California customers looking to save money on electricity and reduce their energy risk. 

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