South Carolina Solar Council

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.

Please mark your calendars for our next South Carolina Solar Council meeting on Friday, April 17^th from 2pm – 4pm at the Center for Hydrogen Research at 301 Gateway Drive in Aiken, SC.

The primary theme of the meeting will be to discuss the future of renewable energy in South Carolina, the demonstration and use of solar energy to produce hydrogen, and various photovoltaic applications.

The meeting is free and you do not have to be a member to attend.

Please plan to attend the SC Solar Council Lobby Day with Conservation Voters on Tuesday, April 21st from 11am – 3pm at the Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia at 11:00 am. We invite you to join us at the State House to speak with legislators about important solar issues. Lobby Teams typically last until 3:00 pm.

You are NOT expected to be an expert on every issue. We will review the top legislative issues with you beforehand, and conservation lobbyists are available to answer any questions you may have. Our biggest issues relate to a renewable energy bill just introduced by Rep. Joan Brady:

1)    Solar Access Law – would stop neighborhood associations from implementing covenants that prohibit solar panels. This has been a MAJOR issue, especially among planned communities in coastal areas.

2)    Renewable Energy Plan – the Public Service Commission could allow investor-owned utilities to get full cost recovery for up to 100MW of green energy. This is modeled after Florida legislation intended to develop a 75MW concentrated solar thermal plant at Florida Power & Light. Similar projects could be developed in South Carolina.

3)    SC Renewable Energy Grant Program – the same bill would re-establish this popular grant program that was suspended last year due to a legal technicality. The grant program helped to pay for a concentrating solar thermal project at Furman University and a solar cooling project at Roche Carolina.

4)    Other issues include improving net metering and interconnection requirements based on the recommendations by the SC Office of Regulatory Staff and the SC Energy Office (see attached).

The Nickelodeon Theatre is located at 937 Main Street, on the corner of South Main and Pendleton Streets behind the State House. (Parking is available on the street at green two-hour meters, or in one of two parking garages located at Lady and Assembly Streets or Gervais and Sumter Streets.) Please wear business attire.

Please RSVP to emyers@energy.sc.gov if you plan to attend.

The SC General Assembly requested the Office of Regulatory Staff and the SC Energy Office through Act 404 of 2008 to recommend processes and procedures to investor-owned electric utilities and Santee Cooper for establishing net metering programs in South Carolina. The report provides information and status on net metering and interconnection and offers recommendations for action. Download the report.

Thanks to Sunstore Solar and Furman University for sending these pictures of the gingerbread version of the Cliff’s Cottage. The detail is fantastic and the best part (of course) are the solar arrays. I didn’t get a chance to taste this confection, but I’m sure it was mighty yummy!

Cliff's Cottage Gingerbread House with Solar Array

Cliff's Cottage solar array garden