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Solarize Northwest Indiana
Solarize NWI is a community solar initiative aimed at making solar energy more accessible and affordable in Northwestern Indiana, providing significant cost savings and incentives for participants. The program offers group purchasing, educational workshops, and various financial options to simplify the solar installation process. Key benefits include a 30% federal tax credit, reduced energy costs, and environmental impacts equivalent to significant carbon reductions.
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Solarize Northwest Indiana
- 1. SOLARIZE NWI Solar. Simple.Together Kathy Luther Director of Environmental Programs Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission
- 2. SOLARIZE NWI Solar. Simple.Together Solarize NWI is being coordinated by The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission South Shore Clean Cities. Funding to support the Solarize campaign is provided by: U.S Department Of Energy SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge
- 3. Solar: Myths &Barriers Solarize Dollars and Sense Simplify Timing How it works Technical Matters SOLARIZE NWI Solar. Simple. Together
- 4. Common Myths It’s notsunny enough Winter weather is bad for fragile glass Too Expensive/Too subsidized Costs jobs/Hurts the Economy New -Untested Technology Unattractive/Hurts property values Dangerous Glare
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- 6. Not Enough Sunin NWI? Indiana
- 7. What About AllThat Snow? Will they be storm damaged? Go Solar Today! 7 Yes, snow shuts down your solar array (temporarily) when it blocks the light. BUT. . . • There is very little sun in the winter to miss out on. • December, January and February is only about 5% of yearly sun • If snow covers your panels for a few weeks, you are losing very little energy production. • At typical installations, panels can withstand 2 inch hail.
- 8. Solar is tooexpensive
- 9. “New Technology” Solar PVPerformance Some systems have been in place since the 70s Panel Warranty - 80 percent of original output after 25 years
- 10. Why Go SolarNow? There has never been a better time to go Solar. 30% Federal Tax Credit on installation cost expires in 2016. Solar Hardware costs have dropped Solarize NWI makes it easier and less expensive than ever! Net Metering reduces long term energy bills. NIPSCO’s Feed-in-Tariff provide an additional incentive opportunity for customers in NWI.
- 11. So why isn’teverybody doing it? 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 High Upfront Cost & Low ROI Lack of Information & Education Unfriendly Policy Environment & Lack of Incentives Local Zoning & Permitting Utility Support Aesthetics & Historic Preservation Lack of Support from HOAs Reliability Concerns Environmental Impact Other Survey Results: Barriers
- 12. Barriers High upfront cost Complexity Customerinertia Solutions Group purchase, volume discount Installer selection, community outreach Limited-time offer Solarize Solutions!
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- 14. Solarize is away to make Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems more affordable and less complicated for regular people. It’s like a GROUPON for Solar! Solarize campaigns have been conducted all over the country, from New England, to Upstate New York, to Texas, to North Carolina Solarize Syracuse Results: 4 Towns 500 Initial Sign Ups 120 Eligible Homes 77 Installations 530 kW Capacity 30% Cost saving What is Solarize NWI?
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- 16. Solar Incentives Tax Incentives Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit – 30% of Cost Federal Business Energy Investment Tax Credit Indiana State Property Tax Deduction Indiana Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) Solar Renewable Energy Credits Currently $20/kW in Ohio Market
- 17. SOLARIZE NWI PricingTiers Total NWI kiloWatts Installed 1 kW-15 kW 15 kW-50 kW 50 kW-100kW 100 kW-200 kW 200 + kW Price per Watt $ 4.35 $ 3.95 $ 3.85 $ 3.50 $3.28 Number Typical Residential installs 1-3 3-10 10-20 20-40 >40 Factors affecting individual cost number of panels inverter and product selection rooftop, on ground or shaded parking roof material, height, slope and access location of site and travel time government rules
- 18. Let’s Do theMath 5 kilowatt Example Market Price SOLARIZE NWI Price (100-200kW tier) Solarize NWI Best Price Price * $21,150 $17,500 $ 16,400 Federal Tax Credit $ 6,345 $ 5,250 $ 4,920 Net Price $ 14,805 $ 12,250 $ 11,480 What does that buy you? ~ 7,000 kWh/year • (60-65% of typical residential electric use) Estimate $ 800-900/year savings at current electricity rates 30 year life span (25 year warranty) 9 year cash flow pay back
- 19. NIPSCO Incentives Net Metering Crediton your NIPSCO bill for energy you return to the grid NIPSCO is like your virtual battery You can sell your SRECs Feed-in Tariff – Phase II Enrolling now through June 1 Awarded by Lottery Micro Solar (5-10 kW) $0.17 /kW Int. Solar (10 – 200 kw) $0.15 /kW They keep your SRECs
- 20. More Math What doesthat buy the environment? 175 ton CO2 Equivalent = Planting 4,101 trees Driving 352,000 miles less, or reducing gas use by 17,952 gallons Recycling 556 tons of waste 85.7 tons of coal burned
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- 22. Simplify with Pre-Qualified Installer SelectionCriteria Quality and Value Experience Implementation and Capacity Price Structure Request for Proposals November 2014 Sent to over 30 installers in Indiana and the Great Lakes Region identified through • Indiana Renewable Energy Association • North American of Board Certified Energy Practitioners Received 4 Proposals Reviewed Proposals with 6 members of our Solar Advisory Group: NIRPC SSCC Municipality Bank Indiana OED IUN SPEA Interviewed Top 2 Scoring Installers
- 23. Simplify with Outreachand Technical Support Workshops in Solarize Communities Solarize Dyer Solarize Gary Solarize Hobart Solarize Valpo Regionwide Outreach Technical Workshops for Local Governments Solar Permitting Best Practices Solar Zoning Best Practices Solar PV and First Responders
- 24. Simplify with Accessto Financing If desired, our Installer can introduce you to a number of institutions with renewable energy financing options and products.
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- 28. How Solarize works: 1.Sign up online at www.solarizenwi.com, click on your community if applicable 2. Midwest Wind and Solar will contact you to provide a free no- obligation assessment over the phone. (or call them direct toll free at (866) 430-0158) 3. Midwest Wind and Solar can review your home’s solar potential with on- line tools, and if solar is a good option for you, will schedule a free home solar assessment.
- 29. How Solarize works: 4.Midwest Wind and Solar will conduct an on-site solar assessment at your home, walk you through a proposed system design, provide you with a detailed financial proposal, and answer any questions you may have. Installation Cost Additional costs needed for your home Current and Projected Energy Cost Savings Projected Increases in Assessed Property Value Incentives value Explanation of Financing Options (if requested)
- 30. How Solarize works: 5.If you decide to proceed, sign an installation contract and spread the word! Your cost will go down as more folks in the region commit to SOLARIZE. 6. After the July 10th closing date, everyone with a contract will get the lowest rate corresponding with our Solarize NWI sign up success! If Solarize communities meet certain targets, they can can win free solar ranging from a classroom kit, to a 3 kW array with a data monitor and display tablet.
- 31. Go to SolarizeNWI.comto www.nirpc.org/environment/solarize-nwi Next Event: Solarize NWI Webinar: April 22, 2015. www.southshorecleancities.org/events.php Stay Tuned for more on Solarizenwi.com https://www.facebook.com/solarizenwi
- 32. Questions? Kathy Luther kluther@nirpc.org 219.763.6060 Deb Backhus dbackhus@southshorecleancities.org 219.644.3695 KevinMoore Kevin@midwestwindandsolar.com 219.714.2488
Editor's Notes
- #3 Describe overall goals of Sunshot, (Make cost competitive with other energy sources), Rooftop (reduce soft cost), and SRII (Train local governments on Solar Best Management Practices successful in Kansas City)
- #4 Today, I’m going to talk a bit about Solar Myths and Barriers, s we have been out with a few presentations, the same questions often come up. How Solarize is and how it works Then perhaps some brief overview of technical stuff, and questions.
- #5 NREL: Solar homes sold 20% faster, and for 17% more than equivalent non-solar homes. Indiana has a property tax deduction that allows you NOT to pay
- #7 Chris: One common misconception about solar photovoltaic systems is that you need to be located in sunny Florida, Arizona or southern California to enjoy the benefits of solar electric panels. While solar irradiation levels vary across the United States, and Syracuse does rank low in the available solar resource, the truth is that you can produce a significant portion of your electric load from your roof space even in Syracuse (assuming un-shaded, proper tilt, orientation and installation). In fact, the actual radiation in our region may be 80% of what it is in Miami – according to the PVWatts online tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab, Syracuse has about 4 kWh/square meter/day whereas Miami has 5 kWh/square meter/day – but the lower temperatures allow for better production of electricity from the panels so the end results are not all that different. Germany, with a solar resource equivalent to Seattle and Alaska (illustrated above), has 6X the installed capacity of the United States and is the world’s leader in PV capacity (36 GW in Feb. 2014, representing 6% of national demand and about 30% of world total).
- #8 Justin: Solar modules do not like high heat. In fact, they love the cold – at low temperatures the voltage can be up to 10-25% higher than rated efficiency. The panels are dark and gather enough sun soon to melt the snow, which will slide off the slick glass surface. Swinging a rake or shovel up there could harm a panel or catch on a roof-mount. And of course the warranty doesn’t cover damage caused by the homeowner. Plus, getting up on a snowy roof would risk your getting hurt, which nobody wants. For all the effort and danger of clearing off your panels maybe a few days before Mother Nature would do the work for you, they’d generate the equivalent of only a partial day of summertime electricity production. Although sweeping is an option, it’s not the most widely recommended due to its risky nature. For some, roof rakes seem to do the trick, but make sure it’s attached to something like a squeegee to prevent damaging your system. Some things you might want to avoid doing are putting rock salt, car wax, or even RainX on the snow covered panels. This will probably damage your roof shingles and do more harm than good. Also, NEVER use hot water on your cold panels or you could risk fracturing them!
- #9 Globally solar energy has gone down more than a third since 2009 Current technology solar is cost competitive with NG peaking plants and will be competitive with coal in 5 years. Also, with regards to subsidies, it is important to remember that all energy sources are subsidized in one way or another. This program/project is not a subsidy, rather an effort to help local governments to reduce costs for handling solar in their community Solar also creates jobs….. For NWI it is estimated that 1 job is created for every 4 residential installations, and each residential creates $29.16 in economic value.
- #13 Jessica A. or Jessica M. Solarize goals: Increase education through community outreach. Simplify process. Reduce time to contract. Reduce installation costs. Solarize campaign achieves its goals through: Collaborative stakeholder process Consumer awareness campaign Demonstrating cost-effective solar solutions Cost-reductions through group discounts for participants