1. Community Solar
- An Opportunity for Troy, NY –
presented to:
FUUSA
presented by:
Transition Troy
Steve Andersen
transitionsteve@yahoo.com
December 8, 2013
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2. Today’s Objectives
1. Introduction to community solar, aka ‘solarize’
2. List of next steps
3. Discussion of other opportunities
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3. What Stops People From Going Solar?
• Perceived High Cost
• Technical Complexity
• Not Enough Time to Figure it All Out
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4. Community Solar Goals
• Reduce price of solar installations
• Screen vendor proposals to offer a few sets of well
designed solar configurations
• Increase the annual rate of solar installations
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5. How does Community Solar work?
• Overcomes COST: Competitive bidding and bulk
purchasing discounts
• Overcomes Complex Process: Community Education
and outreach
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6. Program Options
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Solar Photo-Voltaic (PV; electricity)
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Solar Thermal (domestic hot water)
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Ground Mounted and Roof Mounted
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Purchase and Lease; Low-interest Loans, Incentive Grants
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7. The Solarize Process
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Form a steering committee
Designate Project Manager
Organize volunteers
Send out a request for proposals (RFP)
Select winning proposal
Define tiered pricing structure
Public education outreach
Once an installer is chosen, begin enrollment,
conduct workshops
• Enrollees contacted by selected installer
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8. Sample Components of
Outreach and Education
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Solar education workshops & Q&A meetings
Neighborhood canvassing/block parties
Solar open houses/tours
Articles in the press
Radio interviews
Ads in the local papers
Posters, quarter-cards, etc.
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9. 2013 Timeline
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Request for Proposals (RFP)
released to Installers
Review of Installer Proposals
Preliminary Public Outreach
Campaign Sign-Up Open
Systems Under Installation
Celebration 
Program Review
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10. Sample numbers for a 5.2 kW
roof-mounted Solar PV system in Tompkins County
Base Price =
Base Price = $3.75/W $3.05/W
Initial Pricing of System
$19,500
$15,860
-$7,280
-7,280
$12,220
$8,580
Federal Tax Credit
30% Installation costs
-$3,666
-$2,574
State Tax Credit
25% capped at $5,000 lifetime credit – roll over 5 yrs
-$3,055
-$2,145
$5,499
$3,861
NYSERDA Rebate (paid to installer) $1.40/W
Incentive is reduced to $1.10/W
Out of Pocket Cost (basis for tax credits)
Final Cost to Customer at Base Price
Assuming all tax credits are realized
Not all participants will qualify for tax credits, please see your tax professional for specific
information related to your individual tax situation.
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11. Solar installations in Tompkins County
Data from NYSERDA Powerclerk
Solarize Tompkins SE (Caroline, Danby, Dryden) 2013 as of 21 August:
•50 Solar PV contracts, 292 kW (at least 100 projected!)
•26 Solar Hot Water contracts
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12. Solar PV Installations by Sector in
Madison County, NY 2003-2012
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Number Installation Completed
1
25
20
15
27
10
4
1
5
0
7
1
0
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
3
8
2
Installation Year
Residential
Commercial
Government
Figure 2. S
olar PV Installation for Madison County, New York by market sector . [ * 2012-Solarize data indicates contracts
signed, not completed installs.] (S
ource: NYS
ERDA Power Clerk; accessed March 5,2013)
According to NYSERDA, by the close of 2012, Madison County had a total of 46 residential, nine
From Myers, commercial and one government solar PV systems completed for a total of 421.5 kilowatts of
J., J. Hart, P. Hofmeyer. 2013. Solarize Madison Pilot (2012): Program
solar. In 2012, Learned.
Evaluation and Lessons Solarize Madison had 16 direct-own installations completed totaling 86.8
kilowatts and three leased systems completed totaling 19.6 kilowatts of new solar. Non-
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13. www.solarizetompkinsse.org
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14. www.solarizemadison.com
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15. Solarize Handbook
• Background on the
program as it was
developed in Portland
with support from the
DOE and others
• Brief case studies of
other Solarize
programs nationwide
Available at: www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/54738.pdf
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16. Next Steps
1. Transition Troy introducing community solar
2. Transition Albany introduced concept to Mayor
Elect Kathy Sheehan
3. Concept to be introduced to
1. Transition Schenectady
2. Sustainable Saratoga
3. Delmar (Bill Reinhardt)
4. Other?
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