TMEIC Corporation Americas announced it will relocate its headquarters to Houston, Texas in March 2025. The headquarters move will coincide with the establishment of a new 144,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Brookshire, Texas.

TMEIC will manufacture utility-scale solar inverters at the facility. The company said the site is large enough to scale up to an annual production capacity of 9 GW of inverters and will scale based on demand.

The company has over 50 GW of its product installed and operational worldwide, with 28 GW installed in North America alone.

TMEIC is moving its headquarters from Roanoke, Virginia to Texas for the site expansion. TMEIC will maintain its office in Roanoke, Virginia, remaining devoted to designing, developing, and engineering advanced automation systems, large AC motors, and variable frequency drive systems for various industrial sectors worldwide.

The new Texas facility expansion is expected to create up to 300 local full-time jobs.

The Brookshire, Texas facility is scheduled to commence operations in October 2024. The facility will be situated near TMEIC’s existing uninterruptible power supply and medium voltage drive manufacturing plant in Katy, Texas. 

“This strategic expansion underscores TMEIC’s dedication to the renewable energy industry, advancing clean energy technology, maintaining strong client relationships, and competing on a global basis while proudly manufacturing in the United States,” said Manmeet S. Bhatia, president and chief executive officer, TMEIC Corporation Americas.

TMEIC manufactures centralized PV inverters ranging from 600 V to 1500 V.

TMEIC joins a small but growing number of solar inverter makers who are manufacturing in the U.S., thus filling what has long been a void in the U.S. solar supply chain.

The Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 1062/Senate Bill 271, allowing third-party solar leasing while prohibiting the requirement for additional liability insurance for solar installation and prohibiting standby charges for energy storage. The law goes into effect July 1, 2024.

Virginia has set a goal of 30% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050. While much of the buildout thus far has been at the utility-scale, passage of these bills will further incentivize solar and energy storage at the residential and commercial levels. 

The bill was co-sponsored Alfonso Lopez (D) and Dan Helmer (D) with the prime sponsor Rodney Willett (D), a delegate for Virginia’s 58^th house district. It passed with a vote of 57 to 42, with just three Republicans voting for it and no Democrats voting against.

Full text of the bills can be found here.

“I’m so proud that we were able to earn bipartisan support on this bill and that we were able to bring all of the key stakeholders–climate advocates, solar installers, and our utilities–together to send the best bill possible to the Governor’s desk,” said Willett. “This bill will help the Commonwealth look forward in our clean energy transition, attract more businesses to Virginia, and allow more people to utilize solar energy in a more affordable and accessible way.”

With nearly 5 GW of capacity, Virginia currently ranks 11^th for solar installed, according to Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The state is meeting an impressive 6.56% of electrical needs with solar.

“SEIA commends Governor Youngkin and leaders in the General Assembly for supporting a strong, bipartisan solution to give Virginians the freedom to choose the energy that works for them,” said Caitlin Vincent, Southeast senior manager for SEIA. “As thousands of Virginia families consider their energy choices and install solar over the next decade, the solar and storage industry is taking steps to ensure every installation is safe, reliable, and meets customer expectations. SEIA will continue to advocate for policies that open the market for solar, put customers first, and strengthen Virginia’s energy economy.”

People on the move: Affordable Wire Management, Generac, Infinity Power and more  Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Virginia governor signs legislation establishing community solar  Virginia targets 30% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050. While much of the buildout thus far has been at the utility-scale, this legislation now opens a market for the buildout of shared solar for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power

Sister Margaret seeking solar, a GoFundMe opportunity Fundraising opportunity will support a 1.2 kWdc solar power project that will offset 100% of the electricity for home for retired nuns on El Salvador.

Governor Glenn Youngkin signed legislation that creates a community solar program in Virginia enabling up to 200 MW of shared power projects between the two major utilities that serve the state.

The bills SB 253/HB 106 and SB 255/HB 108, championed by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell and Delegate Rip Sullivan, to improve and expand shared solar access in Dominion Energy territories and create a shared solar program for customers in southwest Virginia.

Virginia targets 30% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050. While much of the buildout thus far has been at the utility-scale, this legislation now opens a market for the buildout of community solar.

“This legislation enables the continued advancement of shared solar in Virginia and proves that both sides of the aisle recognize the value local energy can bring to their constituents,” said Charlie Coggeshall, Mid-Atlantic regional director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access. “We look forward to implementing these bills at the State Corporation Commission .”

One of the major benefits of community solar is it opens access to customers that may not have a suitable roof or financial situation for rooftop solar. It allows residents, businesses, organizations, and municipalities to subscribe to a portion of a solar asset’s electricity generation to receive credit on their electricity bills for the power it generates.

The Virginia legislation will enable up to 150 MW to be added to Dominion Energy’s shared solar program, allowing certain projects located on rooftops, brownfields, landfills, or dual-use agricultural facilities to be eligible for incentives determined by the Virginia Department of Energy. It will also create a shared solar program of 50 MW for Appalachian Power Company.

The Coalition for Community Solar Access was hoping that the bills would allow 2 GW of community solar between the two  utilities, but instead it is just 200 MW. However, while these bills are not as ambitious as hoped by community solar proponents, they represent a bipartisan compromise and will help to launch shared solar in this southern state. Both bills require that utilities consider the benefits of shared solar to the electric grid and to the State when calculating the minimum bill for customers.

“A lot of effort went into these bills to balance the interests of legislators, advocates, and key stakeholders,” said Delegate Rip Sullivan. “I am pleased to have helped drive that process to the finish line. I look forward to seeing shared solar expanded to more customers in Virginia.”

Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) recently challenged the community solar industry to meet a target of 20 GW of community solar by 2025, enough energy to power 5 million households and create $1 billion in energy savings for subscribers. Virginia’s victory will help move the needle toward that goal.

Virginia currently ranks 11^th in the nation for solar installed, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, generating over 6.5% of its electricity from solar.

Blue Ridge Power, a North Carolina-based developer with 7 GW of solar complete and 1.5 GW under construction, is planning a 164 MW project in Virginia. The project is expected to generate the amount of electricity needed to power more than 17,000 homes while avoiding nearly 294,000 tons of CO2.

Soltec, a Spanish tracker specialist, will supply 164 MW of its SF7 tracker for the project. The SF7 was introduced to the U.S. market last month, and it is not only designed to adapt to terrain, but it can be locally manufactured, the company reports.

By reducing pile counts, the tracker is designed to be easy to install in the field. The tracker’s mounting tolerances range from 20 to 40 inches, and Soltec reports that the solar tracker can be installed on slopes of up to 17% and can be customized.

The SF7 tracker features wireless communication designed to withstand low temperatures. It uses Soltec’s TeamTrack system to ensure maximum production, delivering up to 6.8% more yield, Soltec reports. This works by minimizing shading losses between rows, especially on uneven terrain. Bifacial tracking also boosts efficiency, the company says, optimizing its position to make use of both sides of the module.

“It is a pleasure for us to continue contributing to the decarbonization of the American economy alongside Blue Ridge Power, who is a repeat customer for Soltec,” said Raúl Morales, CEO of Soltec.

Soltec sees the U.S. as a growing market. Europe currently accounts for about 27% of its turnover, with the U.S. accounting for 25% and Latin America 47%.

Geothermal heat pumps help decarbonize energy use and more  Mass adoption of geothermal heat pumps can decarbonize buildings, thus reducing grid transmission needs, according to a report conducted by researchers Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

November high pressure delivers high irradiance in the Northeast U.S., clouds in the Gulf In a weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that North America in November experienced a divide in irradiance patterns across the continent.

All solar cell efficiencies at a glance The research group led by Professor Martin Green has published Version 63 of the solar cell efficiency tables. There are six new results reported in the new version.

MIT researchers plan to use acenes to make singlet fission solar cells  Acenes are benzene molecules with unique optoelectronic properties. Singlet fission solar cells can produce two electrons from one photon, making the cell more efficient.

Aurora Solar leveraging AI to boost sales The rooftop solar design and proposal platform provider said artificial intelligence unlocks improved customer experience and value proposition.

Dominion activates Virgina’s largest grid-scale battery storage facility The 20 MW / 80 MWh energy storage will serve Dominion Energy customers.

Electric utility Dominion Energy announced that Dry Bridge Energy Storage, a battery project in Chesterfield County, Virginia, has been activated.  

The 20 MW / 80 MWh project is the largest active battery energy storage facility in Virginia, large enough to power the equivalent of 5,000 homes. 

The project was sold to Dominion Energy Virginia in September 2021 by East Point Energy, an energy storage business focused on origination construction, and operation. 

Virginia’s Clean Economy Act (VCEA) requires that 100% of Dominion’s electricity sales come from emissions-free sources by 2045. To meet the needs of a renewables-based grid, more energy storage like the Dry Bridge project will be needed. 

The project will support the firming of intermittent, renewable energy and provide energy supply during peak demand periods. The storage is also expected to improve energy distribution, lowering costs for consumers. 

“Dry Bridge, our first utility-scale, stand-alone energy storage facility, represents a significant milestone in our commitment to meeting our VCEA targets. Dispatchable resources such as this are critical to ensuring the reliability our customers expect,” said Brandon Martin, manager of business development at Dominion Energy. 

Solar push 

Much of the power stored by projects like Dry Bridge will come from renewable resources including solar and wind. Dominion Energy in October proposed a plan containing over a dozen new solar projects that would add 772 MW of capacity to the grid. This is enough to power 200,000 homes at peak output, said Dominion. 

Dominion’s proposal includes six solar projects that, if approved, would total 337 MW that will be owned or acquired by Dominion Energy Virginia. It also includes 13 power purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling 435 MW with independently owned solar projects. The PPAs were selected through a competitive solicitation process. 

If these projects are approved, Dominion will have more than 4.6 GW of solar in Virginia, or enough to power more than 1.1 million homes at peak output. 

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) passed a goal of installing solar panels on 250,000 rooftops in the metro D.C. area by 2030. The region includes D.C., Northern Viriginia, and parts of Maryland. Currently, there are about 72,000 rooftops that have solar panels installed, meaning that 178,000 more rooftops are targeted in the 2030 goal.

In 2020 MWCOG passed a climate and energy action plan to reduce emissions by 50% from 2005 levels. The climate plan also calls for about 2% of the region’s energy to come from local, distributed renewable energy sources like rooftop solar.

“It’s super ambitious, there’s no doubt about it,” said Robert W. Lazaro Jr., executive director for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. “When you look at contributors to greenhouse gases, buildings are going to be [among] the biggest drivers.”

One of the initiatives in the region that is expected to help achieve the 250,000 target is Solar For All. The Department of Energy funds the program, which partners with organizations across the District to install solar on multi-family buildings. Program managers of Solar For All said participants should receive roughly 50% savings on their electricity bill for 15 years under the program.

The program is funded through the District’s Renewable Energy Development Fund. At the state level, Maryland’s community solar program has a low-income “carve-out,” meaning that about 125 megawatts (MW) of the total 418 MW statewide cap is set aside for projects focused on low- and moderate-income customers.

The D.C. area’s ambitious goal would represent about 24% of single-family homes adding rooftop solar, a level of market penetration only approached by Hawaii today. MWCOG’s energy procurement target also calls for a 10% compound annual growth rate in clean power purchases through 2030.

MWCOG’s climate action plan also recognizes the need for pairing intermittent generation sources like solar with energy storage. The 2030 goal establishes that roughly 10% of on-site solar installations will need to be paired with energy storage systems.

“COG will continue to work with its regional partners to evaluate project-level feasibility and cost-effectiveness of measures to meet the 2030 goals of reducing GHG emissions 50 percent below the 2005 levels,” said the climate action plan. “The next ten years of action will set the stage for the 2050 vision for achieving 80% [greenhouse gas] emission reduction and a resilient metropolitan Washington.”

Dominion Energy proposes more than a dozen utility-scale solar projects  If approved, the projects are expected to generate 772 MW of electricity, or enough to power about 200,000 Virginia homes.

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]]> https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/10/06/sunrise-brief-the-race-for-100-solar/feed/ 0 97189 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/10/05/dominion-energy-proposes-more-than-a-dozen-utility-scale-solar-projects/ https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/10/05/dominion-energy-proposes-more-than-a-dozen-utility-scale-solar-projects/#respond Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:14:05 +0000 https://pv-magazine-usa.com/?p=97175 If approved, the projects are expected to generate 772 MW of electricity, or enough to power about 200,000 Virginia homes.

Dominion Energy proposed in its annual clean energy filing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) more than a dozen new solar projects for Virginia customers. If approved, the company estimates that the projects will generate 772 MW of electricity, or enough to power nearly 200,000 Virginia homes at peak output.

Dominion Energy is a power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity to residents in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The company also supplies natural gas to parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and other areas. The company has stated the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to moving the company toward its own clean energy goals, the projects will also help the company achieve the requirements of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which mandates that the state, via a renewable portfolio standard, must derive at least 1% of its generation mix from solar energy.

Further incentive comes from the federal funding offered in the Inflation Reduction Act that offers an extended investment tax credit (ITC) along with various adders, plus the production tax credit (PTC).

Dominion’s proposal includes six solar projects that, if approved, would total 337 MW that will be owned or acquired by Dominion Energy Virginia. It also includes 13 power purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling 435 MW with independently owned solar projects. The PPAs were selected through a competitive solicitation process.

“These projects support our ongoing efforts to deliver reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy to our customers,” said Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia. “They will also bring jobs and economic benefits to communities across the Commonwealth.”

If these projects are approved, Dominion will have more than 4.6 GW of solar in Virginia,  or enough to power more than 1.1 million homes at peak output.

In order for the projects to move forward, Dominion must secure SCC approval, and the utility-owned projects require local and state permits. If approved, construction is expected to be complete between 2024 and 2026. The company estimates that construction of the projects will support more than 1,600 jobs and generate more than $570 million in economic benefits across Virginia.

Dominion reports that the cost of the projects is estimated to add approximately $1.54 to the average residential customer’s monthly bill. According to EnergySage, electric rates in Virginia are 14 cents per kWh, which is 12% lower than the national average.

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Virginia utility’s resource plan needs more solar and storage, says trade group  The trade group Advanced Energy United called on Virginia regulators to reject Dominion Energy’s proposed resource plan because it lowballed renewables and storage. The Sierra Club said 15 GW more solar and 5 GW more storage by 2038 would be optimal.

Utility-scale project updates for booming Texas solar market pv magazine USA shares updates on three projects in the largest solar market in the United States.

A Virginia utility artificially limited the amount of solar, wind and storage that could be added each year in the resource plan it submitted to state regulators, said Maria Roumpani, technical director for Strategen Consulting, in testimony filed by the trade group Advanced Energy United.

Dominion Energy’s Virginia utility did not develop a least-cost resource plan compliant with the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), Roumpani said.

State regulators, she said, should require Dominion to revise its resource plan and include at least one resource mix that meets VCEA requirements regarding the amount of solar, wind and storage to be added over the coming years, and that allows for selection of renewable resources above the VCEA development targets “on a least-cost optimization basis.”

That resource mix should not include “forced-in fossil resources,” Roumpani said, and should meet five additional criteria as well.

Dominion limited solar capacity additions to 900 MW per year through 2038. But in its 2020 resource plan, Dominion’s resource modeling selected 1,440 MW of utility-scale solar for several years within the planning period, Roumpani said. “Although real-life limitations exist, Dominion could pursue additional solar projects at customer sites, brownfield locations, or consider easing interconnection considerations with different configurations of hybrid resources with larger-sized DC components.”

Dominion’s resource planning process limited storage capacity additions to 300 MW per year, while in comparison California already has 5,600 MW of storage capacity, Roumpani said.

When allowed to optimize, Dominion’s model selected only power purchase agreements, “as it found them to be more economic than company-owned resources,” Roumpani added.

More solar and storage

The Sierra Club also challenged Dominion’s resource plan, submitting testimony from Devi Glick, a senior principal at Synapse Energy Economics, who conducted independent modeling using the EnCompass resource planning model.

Glick testified that if Dominion retired three coal plants and added more solar and storage, it could reduce CO2 emissions and save ratepayers $7.7 billion over the 25-year study period, based on solar and storage cost projections from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Annual Technology Baseline.

Those CO2 reductions and customer savings would result from adding 17 GW more solar and 5 GW more storage over the next 15 years than in a resource mix in Dominion’s plan that was selected for comparison.

Glick recommended that state regulators require Dominion to revise its resource plan by lifting or easing the build limits it placed on solar PV and battery storage.

Virginia regulators rejected Dominion’s initial proposed resource plans in both 2018 and 2021.

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Vermont startup joins partnership to commercialize perovskite solar Verde Technologies is partnering with NREL and Northern Illinois University on developing new manufacturing techniques for producing stable, safe, low-cost and recyclable perovskite solar cells.

Solar project construction begins at Dulles International Airport A 100 MW solar and 50 MW energy storage project will be constructed on the southwest corner of the airport. Dominion will provide renewable energy services in exchange for the provided land area.

Electric utility Dominion Energy announced it has commenced construction on the Dulles Solar and Storage project at Dulles International Airport. The company was joined by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and federal, state and local officials to initiate the groundbreaking.

The project includes a 100 MW solar facility and 50 MW of battery energy storage that can power the equivalent of 37,000 Virginia homes at peak output. All energy produced by the project will serve Dominion Energy Virginia customers. 

“Thanks to our strong partnership with MWAA, millions of travelers flying in and out of Dulles every year will see this powerful symbol of the clean energy transition,” said Bob Blue, chair, president, and chief executive officer of Dominion Energy. “Just as air travelers can always count on Dulles to reach their destination, our customers can always count on us to deliver reliable and increasingly clean energy.”

The partnership is resulting in the largest renewable energy project developed at a U.S. airport.

“This groundbreaking marks the beginning of a historic achievement – a first-of-its-kind renewable energy project at a major U.S. airport,” said Virginia Senator Mark Warner.

The project includes a unique lease agreement that will advance electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure at Dulles. Instead of making annual lease payments to MWAA for the 100 MW site, Dominion Energy will develop two 1 MW solar carports that will partially power Dulles facilities, and provide 18 electric transit buses, 50 electric fleet vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations for Dulles operations.

With an expected completion date in 2026, the project will be developed across 835 acres located in the southwest corner of Dulles International Airport.

Over 300 construction jobs and $200 million in economic activity are expected to be developed as a result of the project.

High-voltage mini solar panel converts laser light into electricity  Scientists developed a monocrystalline solar panel relying on “minicells” based on polysilicon on silicon oxide passivating contacts. The module works with laser light and can reportedly achieve a photoconversion efficiency of over 40% and an open-circuit voltage of 7 V.

The benefits and challenges in expanding local clean energy Local clean energy ownership gives residents decision-making power over the construction, operation and distribution of benefits from clean energy projects, according to a report by Institute for Local Self Reliance.

Patent violation by standardization? Judge tosses Tigo lawsuit  A court ruled that the SunSpec Alliance, a trade organization setting industry standards, cannot be held liable for any patent infringement activities conducted by its members under their established standards, particularly those concerning patents previously ruled as controlled by Tigo Energy.

RWE signs 300 MW solar PPAs for Virginia utility Eight solar power purchase agreements will add more than 700,000 MWh of generation for Dominion Energy Virginia.

Fracking enables record power and flow rates for geothermal pilot project Fervo Energy employed drilling strategies from the oil and gas industry in a commercial pilot project that demonstrated round-the-clock baseload production of geothermal energy.

Solar power purchase agreement pricing is finally cooling After three years of consecutive quarterly increases to PPA prices, LevelTen Energy reports a 1% decline in prices from Q1 to Q2 in the U.S.

Renewable energy developer RWE announced it signed eight long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) with Dominion Energy Virginia, adding 300 MW of solar capacity. The projects are expected to add enough capacity to power the equivalent of 70,000 homes in the state.

Dominion is procuring more renewable energy resources as it moves towards its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The utility serves over 2.8 million customers in Virginia.

“We’re invigorated by our ability to help Dominion move forward with a slate of projects in its home state of Virginia that reduces its carbon footprint and helps get the industry closer to achieving net zero,” said Mark Noyes, chief executive officer of RWE Clean Energy, a subsidiary of RWE AG.

The portfolio is comprised of projects in development, construction, or commercial operations in Virginia:

• Pleasant Hill Solar: 20 MW project located in the City of Suffolk, which came online in April.

• Watlington Solar: 20 MW project located in Halifax County, which came online in June.

• Wythe County Solar: 75 MW project located in Wythe County, which is in construction and is expected to be online in 2024.

• Switchgrass Solar: 69 MW project located in Suffolk County, which is in development.

• 360 Solar: 52 MW project located in Chesterfield County, which is in development.

• Groves Solar: 15 MW project located in Westmoreland County, which is in development.

• Harrisonburg Solar: 15 MW project located in Rockingham County, which is in development.

In addition to the utility-scale projects, RWE Clean Energy signed an additional eight distributed energy resource power purchase agreements with Dominion, combining for 24 MW of capacity. 

RWE Clean Energy operates a renewable energy installed capacity of 8 GW, making it among the largest in the nation. The company’s significant presence in renewables is due in part to its acquisition of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses in March 2023. The transaction was valued at $6.8 billion.

Energix, a global renewable energy developer headquartered in Israel, announce the close of two major transactions to fund six large utility-scale solar projects in the United States.

Morgan Stanley Renewables and Santander Corporate Investment and Banking and combined for a $520 million investment in the project portfolio, with each contributing $260 million. Santander CIB is providing a construction and term loan facility, and Morgan Stanley acting as a tax equity investor.

Energix said the total tax equity contribution could be higher based on the project companies’ investment tax credit eligibility. The funds acquired through these transactions are expected to be used to support six large utility-scale solar projects in Virginia and Pennsylvania with a combined total capacity of 416 MWdc.

The funding brings Energix’s total investment in U.S. energy infrastructure to nearly $1 billion. The latest transaction also marks the third tax equity deal Energix has closed with Morgan Stanley. The prior two deals were closed in 2020 and 2021 and were associated with eight projects in Virginia totaling about 200 MWdc.

“Energix is thrilled to announce this new collaboration with Santander CIB. This partnership opens up exciting avenues for Energix to expand its footprint and harness Santander’s extensive network and resources,” said Itamar Sarussi, country manager, Energix US.

Energix Renewables entered the U.S. market in 2016 and has quickly scaled to a large player in utility-scale solar in the Mid-Atlantic region. The company has stated a commitment to identifying community partners, hiring local contractors, and investing in American-made equipment.

To date, Energix Renewables owns, operates, and maintains nine utility-scale solar facilities with a capacity of 224 MWdc across the Mid-Atlantic. With the additional investment from Morgan Stanley and Santander CIB, Energix is projected to have 640 MWdc of operational projects by the end of 2023.

Almost 200,000 job-years could be created by the 167 GW of large-scale solar, wind and storage projects awaiting interconnection studies by PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest grid operator, said the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) in its report Power Up PJM.

A lack of transmission capacity due to “insufficient” transmission planning is a “root cause of the unprecedented backlog” of interconnection requests across grid operators nationwide, the report says.

Virginia, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana have the greatest number of job-years awaiting PJM action, as shown in the nearby bar chart from the report, which also shows the states fully or partly served by PJM. ACORE counted only direct and indirect construction, operation and maintenance jobs, not induced jobs due to increased economic activity in the region.

The 167 GW of pending renewables and storage projects are “eligible for PJM’s transition cycle,” the report says, referring to PJM’s plan, approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), to expedite interconnection studies for pending requests through early 2026, while closing its interconnection queue to new requests in the meantime.

ACORE pointed to a sharp decline in renewables projects in the PJM region reaching commercial operation, falling from 20.3% of renewable capacity entering PJM’s queue between 2011 and 2016, to 2.7% of renewable capacity entering PJM’s queue in the fifteen months starting January 1, 2017, citing data from Berkeley Lab.

The recent low success rate for renewables projects in PJM is largely due to “low spending on large-scale, high-voltage transmission” within the PJM region, said Noah Strand, an ACORE policy associate and the report’s author, on an ACORE webinar, citing a study from the nonprofit group RMI.

“It’s good to see PJM going in the right direction” said Brendan Casey, deputy director for economic analysis at the American Clean Power Association, in an apparent reference to PJM’s announced transition to cluster studies, which are more efficient than first-come, first-served studies, speaking on the webinar.

Yet he added that as the industry is currently building about 30 GW of renewables and storage capacity per year, “if we want to have a net-zero grid by 2035, we need to be building more like 90 to 100 gigawatts. And this means speeding up the interconnection processes, not just in PJM but across the country.”

The ACORE report recommended that PJM speed interconnection through transmission planning, accelerating transmission upgrades, additional staffing and automation.

ACORE also recommended that FERC require grid operators to consider grid-enhancing technologies and advanced conductors in the interconnection study process, and set “a more just framework” for allocating transmission upgrade costs associated with interconnection.

A group of solar installers called the Distributed Solar Alliance have filed a petition with the Virginia State Corporation Commission against Dominion Energy for what the group deems unfair parameters for the grid interconnection of projects ranging from 250 kW to 1 MW in size.

The group said that new interconnection parameters imposed by investor-owned utility Dominion Energy have imposed “substantial and irreparable harm” to midsized nonresidential solar projects in the state of Virginia. The petition requests the courts suspend the parameters in an expedited fashion so that cost-sharing rules in-line with state law can be developed.

The parameters set by Dominion pose “unreasonable and unprecedented costs, delays, and barriers that are not necessary for behind-the-meter projects interconnecting with Dominion’s distribution system.”

Dominion’s interconnection policy requires that distributed solar developers conduct substation improvements like transformer upgrades. It also requires the developer to foot the bill for dedicated dark fiber transmission lines and a dedicated relay panel.

Dark fiber is excess optical fiber that was installed during the telecom boom and has gone unused. The group highlights that dark fiber upgrades cost $150,000 to $250,000 per mile to upgrade, and a relay panel can cost $250,000 plus as much as an additional $1.2 million for engineering, mobilization and construction management. The solar group argues that the costs, plus associated delays, have made many (if not most) projects of this mid-size infeasible in the state.

The group’s petition highlights the fact that Dominion is required under the Interconnection Law “to provide distribution within its service territory on a basis that is just, reasonable, and not unduly discriminatory to suppliers of electric energy, including distributed generation, as the Commission may determine.”

Projects in the 250 kW to 1 MW range are often serving public schools, municipalities and other public and private entities, and often come with many environmental and energy efficiency benefits over the largest-scale centralized utility solar projects.

“One solar developer member of [the Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance] was dismayed to learn, just before work was scheduled to start on a 710 kW solar array in April of 2023, that the project would have to bear $276,000 of upgrades on the Dominion side of the meter as well as up to $320,000 of estimated costs for 1.6 miles of dark fiber,” said the petition.

A similar problem befell the solar project planned for the James River Juvenile Detention Center, where a 686 kW solar array was stuck with $2.25 million in preliminary costs, the majority of which are for running nine miles of fiber optic cable and other to-be-determined costs. Henrico County is paying for the project, which is now sidelined due to the utility’s heavy cost assessment.

“The project cannot absorb these costs, so it is on hold indefinitely,” said Carrie Webster, energy manager for Henrico County.

Another facet the distributed solar developer alliance is trying to change is the utility requirement known as the Small Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA), which shifts project risk onto the customer, rather than the project developer. The SGA essentially overrides the traditional contract structure of a power purchase agreement (PPA) where the developer is the one shouldering the project’s risk.

“The unacceptable requirement to sign an SGIA that would contradict our solar PPA contract, would impede an already tight budget with our school division,” said Jennifer Rokasky, a Virginia school division energy manager. “It is punitive and dissuades public entities from pursuing a Solar PPA, which can help save money on utility costs and work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions to leave a more sustainable future for our students. Are these costs fair? Appropriate?”

Dominion Energy said it is willing to explore other options for the SGIA. As for the interconnection requirements, Dominion has not budged, arguing that the dark fiber and other upgrades are needed as safety measures during grid outages and emergency events.

The full petition filing to the Virginia Corporation Commission can be found here.

Virginia is not alone in its interconnection woes. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and Vote Solar have graded each state on its policy governing interconnection of distributed solar and storage, and only one state, New Mexico, earned an A. Many states received failing grades. The two organizations published a guide to interconnection improvements state-by-state.

Columbia Law School of New York has released its third annual round up of anti-renewable energy legislation filed across the U.S. The report, Opposition to Renewable Energy in the United States – May 2023 Edition, aims to document local and state restrictions on, and opposition to, the siting of renewable energy projects from 1995 to May 2023.

The authors contend that “local opposition to renewable energy facilities is widespread and growing, and represents a potentially significant impediment to achievement of climate goals.”

The report highlights several particularly challenging situations including:

• In Virginia, at least seven counties adopted restrictive solar ordinances or moratoria between June 2022 and May 2023 (Charlotte, Culpeper, Franklin, Halifax, Page, Pittsylvania, and Shenandoah). For example, Pittsylvania County now prohibits the construction of any solar farm within 5 miles of any other solar farm and limits utility-scale solar projects to 2% of the total acreage of any zoning district. Franklin County has imposed a countywide cap of 1,500 acres for all ground-mounted solar projects.
• Between April 2022 and March 2023, at least 11 counties in Ohio adopted binding resolutions to prohibit large renewable energy projects in all of their unincorporated territories or very large swathes of those territories.

In the most recent version of the report, the researchers at Columbia identified no fewer than 228 local restrictions across 35 states. They also highlighted nine state-level restrictions that are so stringent they could block a renewable energy project, the authors say. Moreover, the team listed 293 renewable projects that have faced substantial opposition in 45 states.

The only states without significant restrictions or controversies, according to the authors’ criteria, were Alaska, Arizona, and Mississippi. For example, Yuma, Arizona, considered one of the sunniest cities in the U.S., has a long history of its power companies stifling the development of solar projects.

Most of the state-level restrictions targeted wind power, with only a few directly affecting solar. Two of these restrictions involved state bodies in Connecticut and Maryland needing to approve relatively small solar projects. In New York, the state government controls the approval of larger solar projects.

Before March 2022, the group had identified 169 unique local renewable energy restrictions. Since then, an additional 59 restrictions have been enacted, marking a 35% increase. Furthermore, throughout the year, 82 projects encountered contentious paths during their respective zoning processes.

This period saw a 39% surge in the number of projects facing ‘serious organized opposition’.

Concurrent with the strong rise of laws limiting renewables, is the fact that solar deployed a record 6.1 GW of capacity in Q1 2023 is set to deploy a record 30 GW of capacity in 2023. And while it is true that tens of projects have been rejected, thousands have been turned on.

from pv magazine Global

A research team from the Chesapeake Conservatory studied patterns of solar buildouts in the six states surrounding the Chesapeake Bay Watershed ─ Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia ─ and identified drivers for siting and land use, as well as project impacts on biodiversity in the region.

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is home to more than 18 million people.

According to the report, solar development in the six states has, up to now, “largely avoided important wildlife habitat.” In addition, researchers “found strong evidence that solar arrays were built preferentially on previously cultivated lands, rarely replaced natural landcover, and were in areas of average habitat quality relative to available areas.”

While patterns in the Southwest region of the US show solar projects being built near or within protected areas and replacing natural landcover, the science team found that solar array construction in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed area avoided natural landcover, and arrays were built away from protected areas. The report noted the importance of policies and standards that require attention to how solar projects affect biodiversity and the potential to benefit land conservation.

The team used a convolutional neural network to map the footprints of ground-mounted solar arrays present in satellite imagery annually from 2017 to 2021 for the examined states. In addition, researchers quantified the relationship between geospatial covariates and the rate of solar development by fitting a binomial-Weibull model to solar time-series data in a hierarchical, Bayesian framework. In all, a total of 958 solar arrays were mapped in 2021, covering 52.32 km².

The study’s results identified places where solar buildout was most likely and provided data that could be used to “align current siting patterns with conservation priorities” in the region. The report also noted that “the transition of cultivated areas to solar energy facilities could represent a net benefit to conservation if wildlife-friendly solar practices are implemented.” Researchers identified beneficial practices such as supporting native plants and local wildlife, and “increases in pollinator abundance, diversity, and richness.”

The report ultimately concludes that the avoidance of natural landcover in favor of cultivated cropland presents “an opportunity to synergistically develop renewable energy and improve biodiversity,” and recognizes the great potential for solar energy facilities to be paired with agriculture for the benefit of native species diversity and carbon sequestration.

“From a conservation perspective, we were encouraged to see natural areas being avoided over the past six years. In places where solar is replacing previously degraded land cover, these facilities may also present a unique opportunity to restore biodiversity and ecosystem services in the watershed if native vegetation is maintained in areas under and around arrays,” said Michael Evans, a senior data scientist with Chesapeake Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center (CIC).

Their findings are available in the report “Predicting patterns of solar energy buildout to identify opportunities for biodiversity conservation,” published in Biological Conservation.

California proposes income-based fixed electricity charges  California is looking to implement fixed monthly charges on utility bills. How does this affect residential solar?

A new era for solar energy? Not without tackling these challenges first Supply chain, tariffs, workforce, permitting and interconnection, and energy equity issues surround the rapid buildout of solar energy in the U.S.

Robotic solar pile driver three times faster than humans  Built Robotics’ RPD 35 is an autonomous robotic pile driving system that the company claims is three to five times faster than manual pile driving.

Nevados all-terrain solar trackers chosen for three Virginia solar farms Energix Partners signs long-term supply agreement with Nevados, seeking to improve erosion controls and operations of solar assets.  

Shoals Technologies and Brookfield Renewable launch EV charging-as-a-service  The above-ground, turnkey solution for EV charging infrastructure eliminates large up-front payments and enables streamlined project deployment.

Nonprofit receives renewed commitment from Bank of America for solar fellowship  To date, Bank of America has provided $2.2 million in total funding to Grid Alternatives and has supported 200 fellows in their career advancement.

Sunnova doubles customer count in Q1 2023  The solar and energy-as-a-service company recorded more than 5,000 of new customers in Puerto Rico, representing its second highest market after California, where it added 5,512 new customers.

Nevados, a California-based all-terrain solar tracker company, announced a partnership with Energix Renewables, an Israeli renewable energy developer and independent power producer (IPP), to provide its tracker platform as part of a long-term supply agreement.

Energix plans to use the Nevados solar trackers to minimize grading on domestic projects with severe topographical challenges. The company expects that by using the all-terrain trackers it will be able to develop solar projects in sloped areas that otherwise would need extensive grading.

According to Yezin Taha, co-founder and CEO of Nevados Engineering, modeling has shown that trackers on a 17% slope can capture 6% more solar energy than trackers on flat ground, and up to 30% more energy than fixed tilt systems.

Nevados began its R&D process in 2014, winning a 2015-2016 SunShot award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Its All Terrain Tracker fits to undulating terrain due to its design that integrates the driveline and articulating capability into the same components. Incorporated into the Nevados design are bearings that allow for installation on slopes up to 37% with slope changes as great as 26% across a foundation.

Other unique design aspects include non-continuous torque tubes, shorter pilings, and large tolerances, all of which simplify and speed up the installation, according to Jenya Meydbray, chief commercial officer at Nevados. Top-clamp clips also reportedly help solar modules to align during installation and accommodate different module sizes. The torque tube and damper designs improve wind performance and Meydbray noted, have proven to withstand hurricane-force winds with zero structural damage.

Energix U.S. LLC, its Arlington, Virginia-based subsidiary, reports that it currently has over 6 GW in its U.S. solar project pipeline. With operations in the U.S., Israel and Poland, Energix reports it has approximately $500 million invested in the U.S. with nine operational projects, six projects in construction and others in its project pipeline.

“Our goal is to build high-performing solar projects that respect the natural landscape and benefit local communities,” commented Itamar Sarussi, country manager of Energix U.S. “The new partnership with Nevados means Energix can deploy best-in-class solar assets with minimal topographical impact and help ensure our projects on topographically diverse sites are successful.”

The partners will begin their collaboration with three solar farms in rural Virginia, two of which are located on rolling topography in the highly regulated Chesapeake Bay watershed. Apple Grove Solar is a 20 MW solar project in Louisa County with plans for a pollinator garden on site. The 37 MW Endless Caverns and 25 MW River Trail solar projects are reportedly among the first large-scale solar farms to be located in Rockingham County and Carroll County, respectively.

“As the renewable energy transition spreads to regions with more variable terrain, environmentally responsible construction that eliminates grading will drive the solar industry’s next phase of growth,” said Meydbray.

(Read more on all-terrain trackers: “Tracking the sun on uneven terrain“)

Maryland passes energy storage target of 3 GW in 10 years  It is now the 10th U.S. state to set a goal for energy storage procurement.

Robotic solution designed to address solar installer shortage  A robotic PV construction solution from Sarcos delivers, detects, lifts, and places PV modules in large-scale solar plants. It has recently field tested and validated the prototype solution in a pilot project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dominion Energy acquires utility-scale pollinator solar project in Virginia  The Longroad Energy’s 108 MW Foxhound Solar Project to be acquired by Dominion Energy was the first utility-scale solar project to receive Virginia Pollinator-Smart biodiversity certification.

50 states of solar incentives: Kansas  Kansas is expected to ramp up its solar buildout considerably over the next five years. The state sources much of its clean energy through the operation of wind turbines.

Flipping the switch on the Vanderbilt I Solar Farm  Developed and owned by Silicon Ranch, the solar facility is a significant step by Vanderbilt University toward its goal to power its campus entirely through renewable energy and become carbon neutral by 2050.

Longroad Energy, a U.S. based renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, announced the sale of its 108 MWdc (83 MWac) Foxhound Solar project to Dominion Energy.

Foxhound has been in development for six years and is expected to produce enough clean energy to power more than 17,000 homes and energy generated will represent approximately 45,000 metric tons of avoided CO2 emissions annually, the equivalent of taking more than 10,000 cars off the road each year.

The project, which is located in Halifax County, Virginia, has reached full notice to proceed and has begun construction. Financial close of the Foxhound acquisition is expected upon mechanical completion of the project which is anticipated for January 2024.

“Foxhound marks Longroad’s first solar project in Virginia and our first greenfield development project in PJM,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of Longroad Energy. “We are pleased that Dominion Energy will be acquiring Foxhound to help support the sustainability goals of its key customers and renewable energy objectives set out in the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The project will be an important resource for Halifax County, and we are proud of Foxhound’s certification as Virginia Pollinator-Smart for its biodiversity commitments.”

First Solar is supplying Foxhound with its U.S.-made Series 6+ solar modules. Nextracker is supplying trackers for the project and TMEIC is supplying the solar inverters. During construction the project is projected to employ 150 to 200 workers.

Foxhound is the first utility-scale project to be certified as Virginia Pollinator-Smart, a biodiversity program overseen by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). As part of its certification, the Foxhound project will use native plant species under the solar panels and a pollinator-friendly seed mix around the arrays. The project’s use of pollinator plant species will help support native insect, bird and other wildlife populations while improving soil stabilization and water retention among many other ecosystem services.

“Planting species native to Virginia – whether at our state parks, on a solar energy facility, or in your backyard – helps to preserve the Commonwealth’s special natural heritage and biodiversity,” said Matt Wells, Virginia DCR director. “The benefits of Foxhound’s pollinator habit – both around the array and under the panels – will have a positive impact both on the project and the surrounding area. We commend Longroad Energy’s commitment to supporting biodiversity by being the first utility-scale solar project to achieve Virginia Pollinator-Smart certification.”

In addition to generating property taxes for Halifax County and the State of Virginia, Foxhound has also made a contribution of $200,000 to Halifax County that will be used to support county services like Fire/EMS and other economic development efforts.

An offtaker, yet unnamed, has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement. KeyBank N.A. and HSBC served as lenders. Balch & Bingham served as Longroad’s counsel on the transaction.

Dominion Energy, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, has stated that it is committed to providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.  The utility recently announced that it is seeking both utility-scale projects located in Virginia that are greater than 3 MW as well as distributed projects that are 3 MW or less. The projects will also help the company achieve the requirements of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) and its own net zero goals. The VCEA mandates that the state, via a renewable portfolio standard, must derive at least 1% of its generation mix from solar energy.

This article was amended 4/12/23 to remove T-Mobile as the offtaker.

In an annual request for proposals (RFP), Dominion Energy Virginia (DEV) is seeking proposals for the acquisition of new solar, onshore wind and energy storage projects in Virginia.

The company is interested in proposals for five categories of new development assets:

• PV solar nameplate capacity
• PV solar generation co-located with energy storage nameplate capacity
• onshore wind nameplate capacity
• onshore wind co-located with energy storage nameplate capacity
• stand-alone energy storage nameplate capacity

For solar, the utility is seeking both utility-scale projects located in Virginia that are greater than 3 MW, as well as distributed projects that are 3 MW or less. For distributed projects, facilities must be located within Dominion’s Virginia service territory. The utility also encourages the submission of solar and onshore wind projects on previously developed brownfield sites, such as former landfills or industrial uses.

Dominion will host an informational webinar at 1 p.m. EST on May 4 to discuss the RFP process. Prospective bidders may sign up for the webinar on the company’s website. A separate RFP seeking proposals for power purchase agreements will be issued on September 1.

Dominion Energy, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is committed to providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The projects will also help the company achieve the requirements of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) and its own net zero goals. The VCEA mandates that the state, via a renewable portfolio standard, must derive at least 1% of its generation mix from solar energy.

RFP proposals will be accepted throughout the year. All bidders must register by submitting an Intent to Bid Form and an executed Confidentiality Agreement (CA). The Intent to Bid Form, CA and other additional information on this RFP can also be found on the company’s website.

DSD Renewables, the New York-based commercial and industrial solar developer, has completed installation of a 1.85 MW ground-mounted solar project at the Village at Orchard Ridge, a National Lutheran Community & Services (NLCS) retirement home in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

Located along the Blue Ridge Mountains, the scenic project marks the developer’s first project developed in Virginia, expanding DSD’s footprint into 23 states.

The Shenandoah Valley project is located adjacent to the NLCS’ retirement facility complex and is a part of the organization’s commitment of achieving 100% clean energy usage across its facilities. The project will meet 85% of the community’s energy needs and produce 2,396 MWh of clean energy each year, the equivalent of 330 homes.

NLCS is a faith-based, not-for-profit group of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that operates retirement homes and nursing care facilities in Maryland and Virginia.

Construction of the project lasted for about nine months and was also the first solar project for a local Virginia utility company, the developer said, overcoming interconnection limitations and designing a project site that complimented the aesthetics of the retirement community.

The Shenandoah Valley project uses SMA Solar inverters and Shoals Technologies’ BLA Disconnect 1500V load balancing systems.

“We believe that ‘Leadership by Doing’ is the best way to make a meaningful impact on our community,” said Richard Mazza, chief financial officer and executive vice president of business development at NLCS. “This project is a testament to that mindset. Not only does it reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs, but it also gives our residents an opportunity to be proactive in environmental initiatives. We’re happy to serve as a model to other Life Plan Communities of what’s possible when it comes to what many non-profits may consider beyond their reach or expertise.”

Over the last three years, Virginia pivoted its energy policy, centering squarely on solar and wind energy buildout. The Department of Environmental Quality set a target of 5.5 GW of renewable energy, at least 3 GW of which should be under development by 2022. In the last two years, the state has deployed gigawatt-scale capacity in solar, dwarfing years past.

Virginia targets 30% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050. While much of the buildout thus far has been at the utility-scale, the state also has significant incentives for solar and energy storage at the residential and commercial levels. 

Based in Schenectady, N.Y., DSD’s origins date back to 2012 as the former GE Solar business, which rebranded as Distributed Solar Development LLC in 2019.  In mid-2020, DSD was acquired by BlackRock Real Assets with a $250 million equity raise.  Now in 23 states, the company has developed C&I projects for Home Depot in eight states, as well as IKEA, Partners Healthcare, MGM and T-Mobile, among others.

The energy transition has caused an upswing in interconnection costs related to network upgrades across the PJM Interconnection market, according to a new study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. PJM is a regional transmission organization that serves 13 states and the District of Columbia.

At year-end 2021, PJM had 259 GW of new power generation and storage capacity actively seeking grid interconnection. Capacity in PJM’s queue is dominated by solar (116 GW), standalone energy storage (42 GW), solar-plus-storage systems (32 GW), and wind power (39 GW).

PJM’s queue has ballooned in recent years, with 2021’s active queue increasing by 240% compared to year-end 2019. The capacity associated with interconnection requests is nearly twice as large as PJM’s peak load in recent years (155 GW). This explosive growth of interconnection requests along with lengthy study timelines and high project withdrawal rates (423 GW) motivated the Mid-Atlantic grid operator to reform its interconnection process in 2022.

Going forward, PJM has adopted a “first-ready, first-served” approach and increased study deposits that are at risk when projects withdraw.

The PJM study culls data from more than 1,100 projects, covering 86% of new generators in the grid from 2000 to 2022. However, the Berkeley Lab notes the difficulty in finding project cost specific data, creating an information barrier for developers, regulators and policy makers.

For completed projects, average costs have doubled relative to pre-pandemic costs, from $42 per kW to $84 per kW, with a median of $18 per kW to $30 per kW).

For active projects, interconnection costs have ballooned higher, from $29/kW to $240/kW between pre-pandemic costs and costs starting in 2020.

Withdrawn projects face the highest costs, averaging at $599/kW, with a median of $156/kW, which is likely a key driver for those withdrawals, the report notes.

Full access to the study can be found here.

Network upgrade cost driver

The key driver to interconnection cost increases has been network upgrade costs, Berkeley Lab finds.  The average costs for upgrades beyond the substation have risen sharply since 2019, to $71/kW for complete projects, $227/kW for active projects, and $563/kW for withdrawn projects.

A small group of generators face lower network upgrade costs by choosing interconnection services as an energy source instead of a capacity resource. However, as a result project owners forfeit preferential treatment during daily high load times, cannot participate in PJM’s capacity market, and may face increased curtailment.

Among recently completed projects, interconnection costs have fallen for natural gas ($18/kW) facilities, while increasing for both solar ($99/kW) and onshore wind ($60/kW) relative to historical costs through 2016. Costs for both active and withdrawn storage and solar plus storage projects are surprisingly high ($337/kW), but complete projects are much cheaper (storage: $4/kW, solar hybrid: $20/kW).

The PJM study was funded in part under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X), and builds on Berkeley Lab’s previous work tracking interconnection requests and timelines.

After a recent study from October 2022 examining interconnection costs in the MISO market, the Berkeley Lab will publish future analyses on the NYISO, ISO-NE, and SPP markets in the coming months.

Near the end of 2022, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin told the Virginia Economic Development Partnership group to remove the state from the running to host a $3.5 billion battery factory that Ford Motor was considering in partnership with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest lithium-ion battery manufacturer.

The Republican governor first publicly commented on the decision during his State of the Commonwealth annual address on January 11th. Local reporting from the Richmond Times-Dispatch suggested the governor made the decision even after being told the two companies had decided on the Virginia site.

During the speech, he called on Virginia’s General Assembly to send him a bill that would “prohibit dangerous foreign entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing Virginia’s farmland.” In the Washington Post, Youngkin’s chief legal counsel Richard Cullen was quoted saying, “They (CATL) were looking for land and incentives to build something and I think that was the nucleus of the evolving concern about farmland.”

Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis recently made statements that China was attempting to purchase land in his own state, and that they should be wary of those actions.

After the speech, many news sources reported that the Virginia governor said, “We felt that the right thing to do was to not recruit Ford as a front for China to America.”

A spokesperson for the Governor told the Detroit News, “While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist Party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy.”

Ford was also considering building the facility in Michigan.

A U.S. Department of Energy map from November 2022 highlights 55 individual battery factory announcements in the United States. The capacity will take the nation from 55 GWh of manufacturing space in 2021 to more than 1,000 GWh by 2030. The estimated capacity will be able to support the manufacturing of 10 to 13 million vehicles per year.

Michigan is one of the states leading these battery manufacturing announcements. Of the 55 projects noted by the Department of Energy, 11 of the facilities were from Michigan. Facilities n Georgia and Kentucky also top the list of planned manufacturing volumes. All three of the states have already announced between 97 and 136 GWh of manufacturing capacity.

In December, Bloomberg reported on the facility and suggested that CATL may be uncertain about moving to the U.S. due to the political complexities of the relationship between the two countries, specifically considering Taiwan.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed six Biden Administration appointees to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors. Under TVA’s by-laws, the board consists of nine members.

While TVA board members have historically approved new energy projects, earlier this year board members delegated that authority to Jeff Lyash, TVA’s CEO & president, said the Clean Up TVA Coalition.

TVA, a federally owned utility, has announced its intention to replace its Cumberland coal plant with a 1,450 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) facility that requires a new gas pipeline interconnection. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to evaluate replacing the coal unit with solar, wind, energy efficiency and storage, rather than gas generation and its associated pipeline.

The utility is also deciding how to replace its Kingston coal plant. “We’d like to see any decision about building new gas plants at Cumberland, as well as at the Kingston plant, to be held until the new directors have a chance to review this decision,” said SACE Executive Director Stephen Smith.

TVA is planning its generation mix over the next 20 years, with an integrated resource planning (IRP) process starting next year. The IRP process “could be an opportunity for the federal utility to align its objectives with President Biden’s mandate of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035,” said the Clean Up TVA Coalition.

The Center for Biological Diversity has recommended eight steps for the new TVA board members to take, for TVA to reach 100% renewable generation by 2035.

The coalition provided biographical information for the six new TVA board members:

·      Beth Geer is former chief of staff to former Vice President Al Gore.

·      Michelle Moore is founder of Groundswell and led sustainability and infrastructure teams in the Obama Administration.

·      Robert Klein served as international vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

·      William Renick is former chair of the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi.

·      Adam Wade White served as Lyon County judge/executive in Kentucky.

·      Joe Ritch, an attorney, formerly served as TVA Board Chair from 2013-2017.

Separately in Memphis this week the board of the municipal utility voted against accepting TVA’s offered “never-ending contract,” which would have limited the utility from seeking lower-cost renewable power from other sources.

TVA serves 10 million customers in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

The Clean Up TVA Coalition says that it works to “to propel” TVA into a just, equitable, and fossil-fuel-free energy future by 2030.

50 states of solar incentives: Oklahoma  Oklahoma is a state with an abundance of sunlight, but limited solar incentives at the state level.

Virginia homeless shelter and recovery center adds 313 kW rooftop solar array  The Richmond, Virginia non-profit is estimated to save $224,358 per year in energy costs with the system from Secure Solar Futures.

PV windows cut energy use by 40% in glazed buildings, says NREL  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has shown that perovskite-based thin-film PV, transparent PV, and dynamic PV glazing technologies can reduce the energy use of glazed buildings by around 40% across eight regions in the United States.

Longroad Energy acquires 98 MW Titan Solar Project from Sunpin  With the acquisition of the Titan Solar Project, Longroad enters the CAISO market and expands its California holdings to 340 MW.

Wisconsin utility decision could spur more rooftop solar development  The Wisconsin PSC voted 2-1 in favor of a residential contract between a utility customer and a solar provider, a move that could usher in more residential solar.

Enphase to add 4.8 GW to 7.2 GW of U.S. solar microinverter manufacturing capacity  In a ROTH Capital Partners webinar, Enphase CEO Badri Kothandaraman announced the company will be adding four to six new manufacturing lines in the states.

PNNL team proposes how storage as transmission could earn market compensation Pacific Northwest National Lab researchers have developed a framework for compensating energy storage as a dual-use asset, earning revenue both as a regulated transmission asset and as a competitive market participant, while reducing both system and customer costs.

Inside the IRA: Updated Energy Community maps and questions from Charles River Associates  Charles River Associates sees challenges in datasets and definitions across all three areas of the Energy Community clause. Pending guidance from the Treasury Department has the potential to affect up to 20% of all eligible areas.

A Mid-Atlantic homeless shelter and addiction recovery center will now generate its electricity from renewable sources after installing a 313 kW rooftop solar system from Secure Solar Futures.

Non-profit CARITAS, or Congregations Around Richmond To Assure Shelter, powered up its CARITAS Center facility in central Virginia with 782 Heliene solar panels and Chint CPS SCA25 KTL-DO power inverters, making the system the largest array on the East Coast providing solar energy to a homeless shelter or recovery center.

Secure Solar Futures, a Staunton, Virginia-based solar installer, deployed solar equipment at no upfront cost to the non-profit organization and will operate the system under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement. Over that term, CARITAS will purchase all the electricity generated by the solar system from Secure Futures at a cost lower than available at the local grid.

To fund the project, CARITAS is using a $17,000 grant from the RVA Solar Fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation for greater Richmond. 

“Solar power will save money on energy that CARITAS can apply to their mission of helping people improve their lives,” said Ryan McAllister, chief executive officer of Secure Solar Futures. “The flat roof of the former warehouse building that they transformed into a beautiful energy efficient space was perfectly suited to hosting a solar power system large enough to make CARITAS a leader on clean energy.”

The CARITAS Center was built in 2020 in a 150,000 square foot renovated tobacco warehouse. The facility features additional energy efficiency solutions such as 45 solar tubes, which filter natural light throughout the center, as well as Energy Star appliances, and toilets with automatic shut-off functions.

The non-profit center features a women’s recovery program and sober-living apartment community in addition to its emergency shelter, workforce development program, and Furniture Bank programs.

With more than 100 employees, the CARITAS Center and a nearby facility in 2021 provided an aggregate of 36,000 nights of shelter at its recovery program and 15,653 nights of shelter at its emergency shelter location.

CARITAS was incorporated in 1987 in Richmond after starting out with an all-volunteer program effort called “Winter Cots” in response to a rise in homelessness in the early 1980’s. In September, the non-profit announced that long-time president and chief executive officer Karen Stanley will retire at the end of the year after serving for 22 years at the helm of the regional non-profit.

Effective January 1, 2023, non-profit organizations are eligible for the 30% solar ITC credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. After 2024, systems larger than 1 MW need to meet specific domestic manufacturing requirements to receive the full 30% credit. If they do not, they’ll only receive a portion of the credit, depending on the year. Systems smaller than 1 MW will receive the full 30% ITC credit regardless of domestic equipment.

Secure Futures Solar is a commercial-scale solar developer in central Virginia. In June, the company launched a solar apprenticeship program for high school students in the coalfield region of Southwest Virginia. After classroom training, Secure Futures Solar students moved on to install rooftop solar on their public school systems in Lee and Wise counties. At the conclusion of the program, qualifying graduates will be offered permanent local positions. For further details on the Virginia solar apprenticeship program visit here or the company’s website.

Despite supply challenges, solar panel shipments grew 32% last year  The Energy Information Administration module shipments report showed a steady   limb in shipments. Plus, the U.S. may pivot to a domestically sourced solar supply chain.

The IRA won’t solve all of our energy issues  Texas solar owners still have to give their energy away at discounted rates.

Toyota to invest $2.5 billion to expand battery manufacturing in North Carolina  The auto manufacturer eyes a fully electrified future, with a goal of carbon neutrality in its vehicles and operations by 2035.

50 states of solar incentives: Virginia  Virginia has ramped up its solar investment mightily in recent years, and it is expected to continue to be a leader on the east coast.

Naked Energy coming to America  ELM Solar will manufacture and distribute Naked Energy’s solar thermal heating products in the U.S.

It’s no longer ‘if’, but ‘how’ to get to 100% emissions free electricity  NREL explores the complexities of the various technology paths to 100% emission-free electricity in the United States, which include 540 GWac to 1 TWac of solar power being installed by 2035.

Over the last three years, Virginia pivoted its energy policy, centering it squarely on solar and wind energy buildout. The Department of Environmental Quality set a target of 5.5 GW of renewable energy, at least 3 GW of which should be under development by 2022. In the last two years, the state has deployed gigawatt-scale capacity in solar, dwarfing years past.  

Virginia targets 30% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050. While much of the buildout thus far has been at the utility-scale, the state also has significant incentives for solar and energy storage at the residential and commercial levels. 

Incentives 

Virginia employs a traditional net metering program, meaning a solar customer will receive credit on their bill for any excess electricity sent back to the grid. A full retail rate is paid to all residential customers with systems under 20 kW. Non-residential projects can receive retail net metering up to 1 MW, and agricultural customers up to 500 kW. 

Virginia, like many states, also has a property tax exemption for solar taxes. Although the price of a home will likely rise after going solar, Zillow estimates an average of 4%, property taxes will not be assessed on that value increase. Earlier this year, the residential property tax exemption lifted its system size to 25 kw. 

In 2020, the Virginia Clean Economy Act was passed, which mandates the state via a renewable portfolio standard to have at least 1% of its energy from solar resources. To encourage this, the state set up a solar renewable energy credit (SREC) program. For each megawatt-hour produced by a system, a credit is assigned to a solar customer. Virginia SRECs are currently valued at about $50 a month, and the price ceiling is $75. 

The Virginia Clean Economy Act was a big step for the state’s energy transition. It is expected to create up to 13,000 jobs per year, produce nearly $70 billion in net benefits for residents, and generate up to $3,500 in savings for each household over the next 30 years. It also placed a cap on electric bills, closed loopholes on energy monopolies, and added energy efficiency programs for marginalized communities. 

Federal incentives will further boost the value of solar for Virginians. The Investment Tax Credit was recently extended for the next decade at 30%. The credit also applies to battery energy storage. 

A full list of solar and clean energy incentives can be found here. 

Shared solar? 

Another policy development this year that solar advocates found issue with was the establishment of a “shared solar” minimum bill of $55 a month. Shared solar, similar to community solar, allows customers to sign on for a portion of off-site solar generation when rooftop solar is not a suitable option. The $55 minimum bill is the highest in the nation by a good measure. 

The approved legislation also set the rate for bill credits under the program. Customers are paid $0.11765/kWh; however, customers of Dominion Energy pay upwards of $0.124/kWh for traditional electricity, and rates are steadily on the rise. Generally, community or shared solar programs offer bill savings or at least price parity with the market, but under this program, the economics aren’t particularly attractive to residential customers. 

“We did not pass legislation to create a program that exists in name only,” wrote a group of solar-supportive state senators in a letter to the commission. “(The shared solar program) should be implemented with an underlying assumption that the program needs to work. A competitive shared solar program is a new and exciting frontier for Virginia, and we recommend taking serious consideration of the input provided by industry and advocates with regards to what has proven successful in other markets.” 

Dominion argued the high charge is designed to offset the “cost shift” that non-participants would receive as a result of the program. The company has not yet provided evidence of how much of a cost shift would be borne by non-participants. 

The “cost shift” argument is standard in the monopoly utility playbook for quashing distributed solar projects and third-party participation in their territories. Read about California’s struggle with the cost shift argument and a debunking of its false assumptions here. 

“It is correct that the record does not include evidence that specifies exactly what cost shift would occur under Dominion’s proposed minimum bill, or any of the other proposed minimum bills,” wrote SCC Hearing Examiner Mathias Roussy.

Notable project

Though not yet installed, the most notable project in the state stands to rank among the largest solar facilities in the world. The Randolph Solar project is an 800 MW renewable energy producing titan with an estimated value upwards of $800 million. This July, Officials in Charlotte County, Virginia have voted to grant a conditional use permit to SolUnesco’s planned project, which is set to be developed on a 21,000-acre footprint across the southern portion of the county.

Construction is planned for the second quarter of 2025 and may take a crew of 700 workers up to 2 years to complete. The project is expected to generate $311 million in revenues for the county over its 35 year planned lifespan. While the permit has been granted, SolUnesco still needs approval by the State Corporations Commission, which the company is expecting in 2024, after it has performed environmental impact studies, as well as other pre-construction site and viability assessments.

Deployment 

Solar is increasingly an important part of Virginia’s grid. As of Q1 2022, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reports the state has deployed about 3.8 GW of solar capacity. This would rank it 10th in the nation in terms of deployment. It ranked 4th in the nation in 2021, buoyed by utility-scale projects.

The state is home to 179 solar companies, nearly 5,000 jobs, and has invested over $4 billion in solar technology to date, said SEIA. There are 28,095 solar projects installed in the state, and SEIA projects another 4.1 GW will be installed over the next five years. 

There is currently enough solar energy to power over 427,000 homes in Virginia, making its way to the goal of all 3.6 million homes being powered by renewables by 2050. 

Our last stop in the pv magazine USA 50 states of solar tour took us to West Virginia, and next we’ll be headed to North Carolina another solar leader on the eastern seaboard. 

EVs that meet a new standard will be able to deliver AC power to the grid  The SunSpec Alliance has issued a “test” version of guidance for implementing the electric vehicle equipment standard.

US battery startup to produce solid-state batteries with bi-layer cell design  Ion Storage System’s $30 million capital raising will go toward scaling up its solid-state battery cell production facility in Maryland, with aims to produce 10 MWh per year by the end of 2023, for a range of applications.

There’s big money in recycling materials from solar panels  Recycling solar panels keeps them out of landfills, but also provides much-needed raw materials with Rystad Energy projecting a value approaching $80 billion by 2050.

Making the most of photovoltaics and Li-ion battery storage  The third in a series on virtual power plants, Jigar Shah discusses the range of possibilities for aggregated, behind-the-meter solar and storage in the United States today.

The stabilizing effect of vertical east-west oriented PV systems German researchers have looked at how vertical PV systems could provid e more electricity during periods of higher demand, while enabling a higher level of integration with agricultural activities.

Boviet Solar reaches 700 MW module supply deal with Origis Energy  The company will supply its 550 W bifacial solar modules for utility-scale projects.

Wärtsilä to supply Clearway with 500 MW/2 GWh of energy storage for projects in California and Hawaii  The storage units will be spread across five projects, including the recently-completed Rosamond Central solar facility in Kern County, California.

Virginia approves $55 minimum bill for community solar, the highest nationwide  A bipartisan group of Virginia senators said the shared solar program exists “in name only” as it is prohibitively expensive for most customers.

Section 201 lifted for Canada-made solar products  Canada, the United States, and Mexico have signed a MOU that lifts the Trump-era tariffs on those two countries, following an independent panel deeming the duties to be against the provisions of existing trade agreements.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission approved a minimum bill of $55.10 for the state’s new “shared solar” program. “Shared solar” allows customers to sign on for a portion of off-site solar generation when rooftop solar is not a suitable option.

This represents the highest charge of its kind in the United States, and it has come under fire from Virginia senators and solar advocates. The program is administered by utility company Dominion Energy, which originally sought an even higher minimum bill of $75.10.

State Senators Emmett Hanger, Scott Surovell, and delegate Rip Sullivan wrote in a letter to the commission that the high charge undermined the purpose of the bill, which was designed to create a market for third-party developers to construct community solar facilities. Under Dominion’s “Shared Solar” program, third-party community solar projects developers sign up interested customers and sell the power to the utility, and customers receive a bill credit for the power generated by the project.

The approved legislation also set the rate for bill credits under the program. Customers are paid $0.11765/kWh; however, customers of Dominion Energy pay upwards of $0.124/kWh for traditional electricity, and rates are steadily on the rise. Generally, community or shared solar programs offer bill savings or at least price parity with the market, but under this program, the economics aren’t particularly attractive to residential customers.

“We did not pass legislation to create a program that exists in name only,” said the senators in their letter to the commission. “(The shared solar program) should be implemented with an underlying assumption that the program needs to work. A competitive shared solar program is a new and exciting frontier for Virginia, and we recommend taking serious consideration of the input provided by industry and advocates with regards to what has proven successful in other markets.”

Dominion argued the high charge is designed to offset the “cost shift” that non-participants would receive as a result of the program. The company has not yet provided evidence of how much of a cost shift would be borne by non-participants.

The “cost shift” argument is standard in the monopoly utility playbook for quashing distributed solar projects and third-party participation in their territories. Read about California’s struggle with the cost shift argument and a debunking of its false assumptions here.

“It is correct that the record does not include evidence that specifies exactly what cost shift would occur under Dominion’s proposed minimum bill, or any of the other proposed minimum bills,” wrote SCC Hearing Examiner Mathias Roussy.

“If Dominion were so concerned about the costs shifted to non-participating customers, it should have endeavored to support its proposal with evidence quantifying this purported cost shift,” wrote Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Will Cleveland in a brief for Appalachian Voices. “The failure to meet this burden of proof should not result in program participants bearing completely speculative costs that have not been proven with evidence.”

The legislation is expected to discourage the buildout of clean energy in the state, going in direct contrast with Virginia’s climate change mitigation targets.

“It will certainly deter many Virginians from participating in it,” said Tim Marvich, vice president of Apex Clean Energy. “It’s been a challenge working in the commonwealth,” he said.

US nears 50% emission free electricity, wind & solar set records, solar up 23% The United States’ power grid crossed 45% of emission free electricity in April, which will probably be our peak clean generation number for the year, as hydro and nuclear fall in the month

50 States of Solar Incentives: Delaware The second smallest state in the nation is not known for large-scale solar installations, but the tide is slowly turning.

Canadian Solar sells two Australian solar farms to US interests  Chinese-Canadian PV heavyweight Canadian Solar has for an undisclosed sum offloaded two of its Australian utility scale solar power projects with a combined generation capacity of 260 MW to an offshoot of United States renewable energy giant Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Just one solar panel offsets the carbon emissions equivalent of ten trees  Using broad average values of 48.5 pounds of carbon sequestration per year for a mature tree, versus 0.85 pounds of emissions offset per kWh of solar electricity generated, we see clearly that some tree clearing is acceptable from an emissions standpoint.

California solar net metering comment period closed, here’s what leaders said California has finished collecting public comment on NEM 3.0, a policy that is considered anti-rooftop solar, and has provisions that are called “a tax on the sun.”

Virginia’s largest proposed solar project granted permit  The 800 MW project still needs approval from state regulators, but construction could begin as early as 2025.

Diversifying the solar supply chain necessary to meet climate goals  IEA report looks at how government policies boosted China’s solar manufacturing and can do the same in other parts of the world.

Solar tariffs are not the answer  As energy touches all aspects of our economy, tariffs compromise the ability of solar to provide inexpensive, clean energy. Michael Lamb, chief executive of New Power Partners tackles the problem of US tariffs imposed on Chinese solar goods.

Officials in Charlotte County, Virginia have voted to grant a conditional use permit to SolUnesco’s planned Randolph Solar project, which is set to be developed on a 21,000-acre footprint across the southern portion of the county.

The Randolph Solar project is planned to clock in at 800 MW, making it the largest solar installation in Virginia, assuming it is constructed, as well as one of the largest projects in the eastern United States. According to SolUnesco, construction of the facility will cost upwards of $800 million, and construction could start in the second quarter of 2025, at the earliest. SolUnesco expects construction of the project to take upwards of two years, and for the efforts to create more than 700 construction jobs.

The permit was granted as part of an agreement between county officials and utility Dominion Energy, which plans to purchase the installation from SolUnesco once it is completed. The agreement was centered around accelerating payments to the country for a previously approved solar project. It is estimated that the Randolph Solar project will generate $311 in revenue for Charlotte County over its 35-year anticipated lifespan.

While the permit has been granted, SolUnesco still needs approval by the State Corporations Commission, which the company is expecting in 2024, after it has performed environmental impact studies, as well as other pre-construction site and viability assessments.

The project, however, could be in for increased scrutiny in these viability assessments, as the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced in March a change to how it measures water runoff at solar farms, which will take effect in 2025. The change defines solar panels and the land underneath them as impervious areas, which can sometimes mean defining the dirt under a solar panel as having the same technical water absorption qualities as asphalt or a building.

This additional water would thus have to be managed via tools such as a retention pond or drainage infrastructure. Cost and space that would have been used for solar panels must instead be turned into the aforementioned ponds and infrastructure. The water runoff calculated by the state’s engineers could then be added to tax bills as stormwater fees, depending on each local jurisdiction’s regulations.

One way to mitigate the amount of land that is defined as impervious to water absorption is to store wires above ground in harness systems. This also limits the amount of trenching for said wires that occurs, which disturbs land and is accounted for in water runoff analysis. Some jurisdictions define the impervious area of a solar panel as when it is laid completely flat.

New Mexico community solar rules adopted by regulators  New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) formally adopted rules to implement a community solar program in the state that includes a 30% carve out for low-income customers and organizations.

Consortium commits to spending $6 billion on US-made solar modules  AES, Clearway Energy Group, Cypress Creek Renewables, and D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments buying consortium launches RFP to look for qualified American manufacturers.

Utility Dominion Energy Virginia enters rooftop solar space  The company’s residential and commercial solar arm, BrightSuite, is a full-service provider of solar and EV charging.

New “on demand” rooftop solar investing platform  Ranging from as little as one panel to a whole rooftop’s worth, Legends Rooftop is an online tool that enables investors to purchase off-site rooftop solar panels as a financial investment.

CS Energy awarded 270 MW solar portfolio in New York The award comes as a part of NYSERDA’s fifth annual Renewable Energy Standard request for proposals, which aims to add more than 2 GW of clean energy projects to the state’s grid.

Dominion Energy Virgina, which provides electricity to more than 2.5 million homes and businesses, announced the launch of BrightSuite, a full-service residential solar installation company.

This marks a significant pivot for the utility from a centralized model to a distributed one, bringing clean, local power closer to the point of energy demand. The BrightSuite team is made up of certified installers that have delivered solar arrays to over 2,000 residents and businesses across the state.

Dominion said that customers can save anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000+ over a 30-year period, depending on the size of their system and current home energy use. The company offers a 90% production guarantee, meaning customers are compensated if the system underperforms what the company promised.

BrightSuite installations feature tier one black-on-black mono-crystalline solar panels and Enphase microinverters. Both come with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty. Battery energy storage for backup power during outages is an available option.

The company said depending on the customer’s city, it can take about six to twelve weeks from inquiry to install, and about another four weeks to be approved for interconnection with the utility. It said the longest step is waiting to get approved permits from the city.

Unlike most home renovations, solar is an investment that generates returns almost immediately. Thanks to substantial electricity bill savings, the average American homeowner pays off their solar panel system in in seven to eight years and sees and ROI of 20% or more, said BrightSuite.

Solar panel and installation costs have fallen over 45% in the past five years, said BrightSuite. Installations are projected to grow with over 3,200 MW of power estimated to be installed in the next five years in Virginia alone.

The Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 aims to deliver the state’s utility-delivered power to 100% renewable energy by 2045, and directs the construction of 16,100 MW of solar power and onshore wind by 2035.

BrightSuite also offers Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The company said on average, EV owners spend 60% less on fuel than gas drivers. Charging at home each night offers convenience versus having to make a stop at a gas station to refuel.

“Many Virginia homeowners are interested in solar for their home, and there are many complexities,” said Joe Woomer, Dominion Energy vice vresident of New Business and Customer Solutions. “BrightSuite is the trusted partner to help you navigate those complexities and make the most informed decision. By combining Dominion Energy’s operational expertise with our Virginia-based partner network, BrightSuite is the trusted service provider to deliver the right solution for your home.”

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which serves 10 million people across an 80,000 square mile territory in the southeast US, released its fiscal year (FY) 2021 report on sustainability, revealing progress towards climate goals and high targets for carbon-free generation through the next decade.

“The vitality and growth of our region is underpinned by low-cost, reliable and clean energy. Over the past five years, TVA has worked with state and local partners to deliver about 350,000 jobs and $45.9 billion in capital investments,” wrote president and CEO Jeff Lyash in opening remarks on the report.

Lyash stated goals of targeting up to 10 GW of solar by 2035, and more than 200,000 EVs on TVA roadways by 2028. Operating and contracted solar capacity grew 77% in FY 2021, and the first TVA-built utility-scale solar and battery projects are underway and expected to be online by 2024-2025. The utility expects to have about 2.8 GW of solar in TVA operation by 2024.

However, the sustainability report disclosures reveal that TVA owns 1 MW of operable solar capacity and reports no ownership of wind energy assets, as of the FY 2021 report. This is largely due to the fact that TVA is unable to access the federal investment tax credit dedicated to solar projects. To secure the best rate for solar in its territory, TVA instead has developers play the role of owner-operator, so that the incentive can be utilized and customer rates can remain low. A company spokesperson told pv magazine as of February 1, TVA has 642 MW operating solar.

Renewable energy capacity owned and in operation by TVA has decreased slightly each year since 2019, according to the report. Currently, TVA has 5,386 MW of renewable energy capacity, nearly all of which is hydropower. In addition to the hydropower production, TVA reports it purchased 7,269 MW of renewable energy from outside sources in FY 2021.

“We have a plan to achieve a 70% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and a path to about 80% by 2035. We aspire to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” wrote Revecca Tolene, TVA’s chief sustainability officer.

TVA has already reduced emissions by 57% since 2005. Much of that has come from the retirement of coal plants and the activation of more nuclear power, which grew from a 26% share to 41%. Coal shrank from 57% of operations to 16% over that period. Solar and wind energy were not meaningfully represented in the 2005 figures, and now hold just 3% of the energy mix.

Solar investment programs

The utility said it has committed nearly $3 billion in solar investments through its Green Invest program since 2018. A large driver of growth in this program is through contracts with large corporations like Google, Meta (Facebook), and others.

The federally owned utility contracted for 1,178 MW of utility-scale solar generation by the end of FY 2020. It also implemented the Green Connect program in FY21, creating a qualified solar contractor network. The program has achieved 19 qualified installers, over 1000 customers registered, about 200 installations submitted, 65 installations verified, and over $7.5M of customer spending on systems within the Green Connect network.

TVA runs another program called Green Switch, which provides customers with 100% renewable energy at a small premium. The utility said contracts can be signed for as low as $2 per month, and customers can match some or all their current electricity use with a mix of solar, wind and biomass generation sources located in the Valley. In FY 2021, the mix was approximately 70% solar, 20% wind and 10% biomass sources.

The utility said it has invested over $2 billion in transmission system improvements through 2025, perhaps paving the way for the interconnection of 10 GW of solar by 2035.

In March, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced — effective immediately — a change to how it measures water runoff at solar farms. After some pushback, they shifted the start date to 2025.

The DEQ Stormwater page still carries the two memos (1 and 2) in their ‘Resources’ section. The specific language in the March 29th memo is:

Solar panels are to be considered unconnected impervious areas when performing post-development water quantity calculations using the hydrologic methods specified in the Virginia Stormwater Management Program Regulation.

The change in interpretation, to define solar panels and the land underneath them as impervious areas, can sometimes mean defining the dirt under a solar panel as having the same technical water absorption qualities as asphalt or a building. 

This additional water would thus have to be managed via tools such as a retention pond or drainage infrastructure. First, cost and space that would have been used for solar panels must instead be turned into the aforementioned ponds and infrastructure. The water runoff calculated by the state’s engineers could then be added to tax bills as stormwater fees, depending on each local jurisdiction’s regulations.

One way to mitigate the amount of land that is defined as impervious to water absorption is to store wires above ground in harness systems. This also limits the amount of trenching for said wires that occurs, which disturbs land and is accounted for in water runoff analysis. Some jurisdictions define the impervious area of a solar panel as when it is laid completely flat.

The utility scale solar industry in Virginia recently reached the top five states in terms of capacity installed, and has a nascent medium scale market. But shifting political leadership has recently downshifted the short and medium term trajectory of clean energy in the state.

Other regulatory changes are circulating as well.

For instance, the state legislature introduced House Bill 206, which says if the DEQ finds a potential “significant adverse impact on wildlife, historic resources, prime agricultural soils, or forest lands”, the solar facility would be required to submit a mitigation plan for public comment. The bill states that disturbing more than 10 acres of prime agricultural land, 50 acres of contiguous forest, and registered forest land automatically requires the mitigation plan.

The law does not define mitigation, but leaves it open to be interpreted by various stakeholders. This law only applies to projects smaller than 150 MW.

In a request for proposals (RFP), Dominion Energy Virginia seeks to procure 1.2 GW of solar PV and onshore wind projects. It also seeks 125 MW/500 MWh of energy storage capacity.

An informational webinar for bidders will be held on June 9, 2022. Different than past annual RFPs, Dominion will accept proposals on a continuous basis throughout the year. The company said this will increase transparency and boost the company’s ability to select the best resources available.

Solar PV and hybrid solar plus storage, wind and wind paired with storage, and stand-alone energy storage projects will all be considered.

Utility-scale solar projects 3 MW or greater will be accepted, as well as distributed projects smaller than 3 MW. The smaller, distributed projects must be sited in Dominion’s territory where the location supports local grid benefits.

Dominion said the projects will support the company’s projected customer load as outlined in its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Dominion has set a goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050, following goals set by the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

The intent to bid form can be found on the Dominion Energy Virginia website. The company announced it will issue a separate RFP for power purchase agreements on September 1.

Dominion Energy Virginia serves 2.6 million customers over a 30,000 square mile area of Virginia and North Carolina. In its IRP, Dominion noted it retired 770 MW of oil-fired generation in 2020 and placed 250 MW of solar in operation that same year.

Issuing a Request for Proposals? Email ryan.kennedy@pv-magazine.com and editors@pv-magazine.com.

Industry efforts prevented Florida rooftop solar bill from being potentially disastrous Though the recently passed House Bill 741 is viewed as a loss for consumer choice and the industry, policy advocates fought for and achieved significant improvements. Palmetto’s Ryan Barnett joined pv magazine to discuss the effort and share how his company will continue to serve solar-ready Floridians.

Duke’s proposed Net Metering 2.0 rule change in North Carolina meets stiff opposition Add North Carolina to the list of states considering changes to net metering rules, as Duke Energy proposes shifting costs to solar customers.

Without federal support, US would only reach 39% of carbon-free energy sector by 2035, said Wood Mackenzie Without important federal measures like the Build Back Better reconciliation bill, the investment tax credit long-term extension, and US manufacturing support, Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said the US will fall short of goals.

Indiana enables renewable-ready communities With the passage of SB 411, Indiana communities can opt to voluntarily adopt regulations that will qualify them as a wind- or solar-ready community. The standards are expected to significantly cut project development time, lower costs, and create thousands of jobs in the clean energy industries.

Charge EVs at work, not home, to put daytime solar power to work Workplace EV chargers, which number only 10,000 in the US, are needed for charging EVs in regions with abundant solar generation, says an RMI study. Home chargers are fine in regions with high wind generation, to enable nighttime charging with wind power.

Renewable advocates urge regulators to reject fixed charge for shared solar program The Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Hearing Examiner has proposed a requirement for residential shared solar customers to pay a $55 minimum bill each month, which opponents claim will dramatically limit program participation.

Solar+food in ethanol fields could fully power the United States Converting the nation’s 40 million acres of ethanol corn farms into solar-plus-food facilities would generate 1.5 times our nation’s electricity needs, while also powering a 100% electrified passenger vehicle fleet.

Just over six months ago, the state of Virginia began accepting applications for its new shared solar program, under which small-scale solar projects can be developed and constructed, with multiple customers subscribing to receive a credit on their utility bill for their share of the power that the solar array generates.

It’s a program structure that has taken off across the country. Most call it a community solar program, Virginia calls it shared solar, but it’s the same basic premise.

However, renewable energy advocates within the Commonwealth are concerned that the program could become compromised before it even begins, as the State Corporation Commission’s Hearing Examiner has proposed a requirement for residential customers to pay a $55 minimum bill each month to Dominion Energy as a condition for participating in the program.

If accepted, this minimum bill would be the highest in the nation, and the Coalition for Community Solar, a group of businesses and nonprofits working to expand customer choice and access to solar vial community solar, described the proposal as unraveling a program that was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

While solar advocates are always going to oppose minimum bills and immovable fixed charges, which place a burden on the same low-income customers these programs are created to help, the shared solar law already included the ability for regulators to set a minimum monthly bill, in the form of a fixed cost charged to subscribers, that would account for the costs of implementing the program and for use of the utility’s grid infrastructure. While perhaps not ideal, this structure would be founded on actual cost, rather than the $55 flat fee that advocates have claimed is an arbitrary fee that will limit program participation.

“This minimum bill proposal of $55 or higher will kill the economics of the program by unfairly raising costs to the consumer, harming those the General Assembly intended to help,” said Executive Director of Conservatives for Clean Energy, Ron Butler. “Additionally, this will hurt landowners looking to secure their financial stability through lease payments for shared solar project sites. Virginians need the Commission to course correct so that all Virginians have the opportunity to benefit from the clean energy economy.”

On March 25, state regulators will take public testimony at an evidentiary hearing to address this proposed minimum bill. While the comment period for testimony has closed, interested parties can still register to speak as a public witness here.

West Virginia utility Appalachian Power released an RFP requesting 150MW of solar capacity in the state. Eligible projects must be at least 50MW in capacity, with the option to include a battery-energy storage system.

The RFP was issued as part of provisions set by West Virginia Senate Bill 583, a 2020 law focused on boosting renewable energy in the state. Project bids that are located on eligible sites as defined by Bill 583 will be given preference, said Appalachian Power. The sites include previous electrical generation facilities, industrial, manufacturing, or mining sites, brownfields, closed landfills, or hazardous waste sites.

Proposals are due by March 31st, 2022. The projects must be interconnected with the PJM regional transmission organization and operational by no later than December 15, 2025, to qualify for the federal investment tax credit.

This is the second large-scale procurement of solar onset by Bill 583, with the first resulting in a 50MW solar project in Berkeley County. “We are ready and eager to build on that success,” said Chris Beam, Appalachian Power president and COO. 

Appalachian Power operates 5.9GW of renewable energy capacity. It has 1 million customers spanning Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

As part of its long-range plan to meet the renewable energy targets established by the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), the utility also intends to add approximately 3,300 MW of solar, 2,600 MW of energy storage and nearly 3,000 MW of onshore wind to its current portfolio by 2040. The VCEA requires all utilities operating within the commonwealth to file an annual plan with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) outlining how it will meet key mandates as it reaches 100% carbon-free status by 2050.

Earlier this year, Appalachian Power acquired the Firefly Energy solar project in Virginia, a 150MW project, and the utility’s largest to date. The project was developed by Recurrent Energy. Pending local and state permits and other regulatory approvals, construction of the project is expected to start in early 2023 and reach commercial operation in 2024.

Harrisonburg Electric Commission (HEC) will vote in March on a community solar plan, which–if approved–will go live in July, making HEC the first municipal utility in the state of Virginia offering its customers the community solar option.

The 1.4MW Acorn Solar installation is being developed by Dominion Energy on a 10-acre plot of land that Harrisonburg purchased for $550,000. According to HEC, the installation is projected to generate about 3 million kilowatt hours of electricity, or enough to power about 250 homes. The solar plant is being constructed by Charlottesville-based Sun Tribe Solar. HEC is contracted to purchase power through from Dominion until 2031.

If approved, HEC plans to launch its community solar program, dubbed “HEC’s Friendly City Solar Program,” in the summer of 2022. Residential customers will be able to purchase renewable energy in 50kWh blocks, up to 25% of their average monthly usage. The cost of each 50 kWh block will be $5.75, which is about $1.50 more than the current cost 50kWh of electricity through HEC, and pricing will be fixed for the customer for 25 years. Customers who subscribe at the maximum level will pay on average an additional $90/year to be 25% renewable (based on an average usage of 1,000 kWh/month).

Back in 2017 Virginia was lagging behind other states in solar energy adoption, then Virginia Senate Bill SB 1393 was signed into law and the tide turned. It was that bill, for example, that motivated Dominion Energy to launch its Community Solar Pilot Program in May of 2017. Today Virginia generates 3.25% of its electricity from solar and it’s ranked ninth in the nation for installed solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

With Build Back Better in the freezer, solar may struggle to heat up this year Brandon Conard, managing partner at SolRiver Capital, offered pv magazine some thoughts on the halting of Build Back Better, and what may be ahead for the solar industry.

U.S. policies continue to drive solar PV and wind power markets Renewable power held a 19% share of the total power capacity in the U.S. in 2020, according to GlobalData. This share is expected to increase significantly to nearly 50% by 2030.

Safety a top focus for major solar inverter provider SolarEdge met with pv magazine to discuss the safety features of its products, as well as codes, standards, and workforce training.

New Yorkers fund 4 GW of solar for less than a cup of coffee per month The New York’s Governor’s Office has submitted its financial proposal for 4 GW of distributed solar capacity by the year 2030, at an expected cost of $0.00082/kW.

Appalachian Power looks to add 300 MW of solar over the next three years The utility has released its short-term energy plan, as required by the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

New Mexico Community Solar Act receives public comment The New Mexico Community Solar Act is expected to be finalized in April.

Appalachian Power, the Charleston, West Virginia-based utility, which serves about one million customers in central and Southern West Virginia, the West Virginia Panhandle, Southwest Virginia and parts of Northeast Tennessee, is looking to acquire or contract for 294 MW of solar and 204 MW of wind over the next three years. This is all part of its long-range plan to meet the renewable energy targets established by the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA).

The VCEA requires all utilities operating within the commonwealth to file an annual plan with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) outlining how it will meet key mandates as it reaches 100% carbon-free status by 2050. While the 500 MW mentioned above comprises Appalachian Power’s short-term plan, the utility also intends to add approximately 3,300 MW of solar, 2,600 MW of energy storage and nearly 3,000 MW of onshore wind to its current portfolio by 2040.

The first arm of Appalachian Power’s short-term procurement plan came to fruition earlier this week, when Canadian Solar announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Recurrent Energy,  completed a purchase and sale agreement with Appalachian Power for Recurrent’s Firefly Energy solar project located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Expected to be operational in the 2nd quarter of 2024, Firefly Energy will have capacity of 150 MW, and is Appalachian Power’s largest solar energy acquisition to date. The project is being developed and constructed by Recurrent under a Build Transfer Agreement (BTA), and, pending local and state permits and other regulatory approvals, construction of the project is expected to start in early 2023.

In the short-term plan, Appalachian power has also asked for regulatory approval to recover the costs associated with purchase of two smaller solar installations: a 50 MW project in Berkeley County, West Virginia, right on the Maryland-West Virginia border, and a 4.9 MW solar facility in Amherst County, Virginia, just north of Lynchburg. The company is also seeking regulatory approval to enter into agreements to purchase capacity from three Virginia solar facilities via power purchase agreements (PPAs), with this portfolio adding approximatley 89 MW of power to the company’s energy supply, assuming approval is granted.

Independent of the 500 MWs marked for solicitation, the short-term plan includes 55 MW of separate solar projects that are or will be in service in the coming months. In this filing, the company is seeking to include in rates the costs associated with these projects and the Amherst project, as well as market REC purchases, also required under VCEA compliance.

All of these acquisitions and power contracts considered, residential customer bills are expected to increase approximately $2.37 monthly, for a home using 1,000 kWh a month, according to Appalachian Power.