South Carolina Solar Council

Presentation 1:  National Legislation Renewable Electricity Standard and Climate Change by Mr. John Boyd of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

Presentation 2:  North Carolina’s Experience with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) by Commissioner Bill Culpepper of North Carolina Utilities Commission

Presentation 3:  Progress Energy Experience with RPS in North Carolina by Mr. Grant Blume of Progress Energy

Presentation 4:  Duke Energy Experience with RPS in North Carolina by Mr. Owen Smith of Duke Energy

Presentation 5:  South Carolina’s Renewable Energy Potential by Ms. Elizabeth Kress of Santee Cooper

Presentation 6:  Wind Potential and Opportunities by Dr. Paul Gayes of Coastal Carolina University

Presentation 7:  Solar: The Real Potential by Mr. Bruce Wood of Sunstore Solar, Chair of South Carolina Solar Council

Presentation 8:  Biomass from Agriculture by Mr. Tom French of Savannah River National Laboratory

Presentation 9:  Forests of the Future by Ms. Maud Hinchee of ArborGen, LLC

The next meeting of the SC Solar Council we be on Monday, January 25th from 1pm - 5pm in the Lexington Room at the Columbia Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia. The SCSC will combine efforts with the SC Biomass Council and the SC Coastal Clean Energy Stakeholder Group to discuss the future of renewable energy policy in South Carolina. The meeting is free and open to the public, but attendees must RSVP by January 18th to emyers@energy.sc.gov. Agenda

We want to welcome our new solar intern, Cameron Williams who will be working with the SC Solar Council through 2010. We also want to thank our former solar intern, Sarah Tholstrup for her hard work and dedication to the organization. She did a great job and we were lucky to have her in 2009.

Despite difficult times, the members and board of the South Carolina Solar Council persevered in their mission to educate and inform people about the benefits of solar energy. After many meetings and a lot of leg work we planned a series of workshops in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, which were followed up with the October 3rd Solar Tour in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society.  Turnout was high at most events with 72 attendees at the Greenville workshop alone.  Santee Cooper stepped up as our platinum sponsor, which allowed us to support the program with some media promotions.  Thank you to all of our sponsors, vendors and volunteers who gave their time and money to help the public learn more about solar!

This year, the South Carolina Solar Council will host a state-wide Solar Tour and Workshop Series. Our 2009 Solar Tour will be in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach on October 3rd from 1 - 5 p.m. 

Additionally there will be a series of workshops that will give the public an opportunity to learn more about solar energy applications for homes and businesses. These workshop dates and locations include:

Monday, September 21st, 6 - 8 p.m.—Myrtle Beach Solar Workshop at Coastal Carolina University’s Wall Auditorium

Test your computer for compatibility prior to the meeting.

For help in joining a conference:
1-800-715-7167
1-514-843-1343

Monday, September 28th, 6 - 8 p.m.—Greenville Solar Workshop at Furman University’s Townes Science Center

Wednesday, September 30th, 6 - 8 p.m.—Charleston Solar Workshop at Weight Watchers in West Ashley

Grant Opportunity
DOE is also offering $117.6 million in Recovery Act funds for solar energy technologies, including $51.5 million for the development of advanced photovoltaic (PV) technologies, such as solar cells and modules; $25.6 million for research and development to support concentrating solar power (CSP), which uses mirrored surfaces to capture the sun’s heat; and $40.5 million to address non-technical barriers to solar energy deployment, including market barriers, cumbersome grid connection requirements, and a lack of trained installers. About $17 million of the solar funding is available only to DOE national laboratories. See the solar energy solicitations on grants.gov, which are divided into high-penetration solar PV deployment, solar market transformation, and the funds for DOE national laboratories. These solicitations can also be found by searching Fed Connect for DE-FOA-0000085, DE-FOA-0000078, and DE-FOA-0000087, respectively. Applications are due by July 30 for the two main solicitations, while the due date for the national laboratory funding is July 15. As part of the funding, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is also soliciting letters of interest for PV Technology Incubators, with a due date of July 13.

Stimulus funding solicitations
Solicitation: DE-FOA-0000078 “Solar Market Transformation.” (DOE’s Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP))  Applications due July 30, 2009.
 Topic 1: Solar America Cities (SC has none that qualify).
 Topic 2: Solar Installer Instructor Training.

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0000085 “High Penetration Solar Deployment.” DOE’s Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP))  Applications due July 30, 2009.
 Topic 1: Improved Modeling Tools Development
 Topic 2: Field Verification of High-Penetration Levels of PV into the Distribution Grid
 Topic 3: Modular Power Architecture
 Topic 4: Demonstration of PV and Energy Storage for Smart Grids

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0000087 “National Laboratory Call for Foundational Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development” Applications due July 15, 2009.  This is restricted to DOE National Laboratories.

Tax Credit Increase
In the FY10 budget recently passed, the legislature was able to insert a proviso which increases the state’s solar tax credit from 25% to 30% during 2009.  That makes now the time to invest in solar power!

89.114.  (GP: Solar Power Income Tax Credit Increased)  The State income tax credit allowed pursuant to Section 12-6-3587 of the 1976 Code for the costs of purchase and installation of a qualifying solar energy system in a taxable year ending in 2009 is increased from twenty-five to thirty percent of such costs.

The Public Service Commission has scheduled a follow-up net metering hearing for Tuesday, June 30th from 10:30 – 11:30am at the PSC offices located at 101 Executive Center Dr., Suite 100, Columbia, SC.  The good news is that the Office of Regulatory Services has negotiated an agreement with SCE&G, Progress Energy and Duke Energy to implement the net metering tariff recommendations of the Legislative Study Commission. Now residential customer-generators within these service territories will now have 1:1 net metering with no stand-by charges and Renewable Energy Credits granted to generators until a fully developed REC market is in place.  The elements of the program include:

a.   Standardization of the net metering program structure for uniformity among the three Companies with the understanding that while the program structure will be standardized, differences may exist among the language and descriptions used in the tariffs and rate schedules of the Companies;
b.  Modification of the flat rate option for residential customers to reflect 1:1 standard retail rates for excess energy credits;
c.  Elimination of stand-by charges for residential customers;
d.  Renewable energy generators are to retain ownership of Renewable Energy Credits (“RECs”) until a market for RECs is fully developed.  After a market for RECs is fully developed, then, annually, any RECs associated with net excess generation shall be granted to the Companies when the net excess generation balance is set to zero;
e.  Annual reports to ORS and the SC Energy Office with the number of net metering customers by renewable energy generator type, in order to allow for continuing assessment of net metering programs;
According to Trish Jerman of the SC Energy Office, “The utilities were very helpful during the process of developing the net metering report, and have maintained that spirit of cooperation with their settlement agreement with the Office of Regulatory Staff. Many residential customers interested in renewable energy will be very pleased to see this.”

There are now two new ways to stay connected to SCSC.  You can find us on Facebook at the South Carolina Solar Council page and on Twitter as SCSolarCouncil.  You can follow our activities and post comments!

This year, our Solar Tour and Workshop Series is going to bigger and better than ever with the addition of Myrtle Beach! Our 2009 Solar Tour will be in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach on October 3 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.  We are looking for volunteers to show their homes and businesses with solar power to the public on that day. If you or someone you know is interested, see the 2009 Solar Tour Home and Business Application.

We are also looking for vendors and sponsors for our 2009 Solar Workshop Series, which will take place in the same four cities during the two weeks prior to the Solar Tour from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm each night.  The workshops will give the public an opportunity to learn more about solar power and businesses involved in solar power!  If you are interested see the 2009 Solar Tour and Workshop Series Sponsor and Vendor Form.

Monday, September 21st—Myrtle Beach Solar Workshop
Thursday, September 24th—Columbia Solar Workshop
Monday, September 28th—Greenville Solar Workshop
Wednesday, September 30th—Charleston Solar Workshop
Saturday, October 3rd—Solar Tour

Stay posted for workshop and tour locations and directions!  Contact Sarah Tholstrup at stholstrup@energy.sc.gov or (803) 737-4078 for questions and more ways to volunteer.  Also, check out our Facebook event through the South Carolina Solar Council page, and follow SCSolarCouncil on twitter.

The Green Power Solar Schools initiative, a project of Santee Cooper Green, is designed to encourage interest in the environment and demonstrate the feasibility and limitations of renewable power generation. Each Green Power Solar School receives a 2-kilowatt solar power system, which will provide a teaching, research and hands-on demonstration opportunity for students. The project uses a new renewable energy curriculum designed especially for the program that meets state science standards. Each school program is supplemented by an Internet-based monitoring system that provides real-time access to information on the system’s performance as well as other solar schools in South Carolina. The most recent addition to the project is Bennettsville Middle in Marlboro County. To learn more about the project, click here.