Tag Archives: Q&A

Q&A With PJ Wilson of the Solar and Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Yesterday, the Solar and Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico (SESA-PR) joined the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) as an affiliate member. We wanted to find out what role solar electricity is playing in rebuilding the island’s electrical infrastructure after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria more than a year ago, and what inspired them to join SEIA as an affiliate. We talked with spokesman PJ Wilson to find out.

SolarWakeu0 (SW): What role has solar played in restoring electricity on the island since Maria?

PJ Wilson, SESA-PR (Wilson): Solar has played a role in Puerto Rico in a few important ways. Solar-powered water pumps and large-scale batteries provided water to many communities across the island. Solar and battery systems were able to restore power to many fire stations, clinics and hospitals. Municipalities installed solar-powered street lights. And during the blackout, more than 10,000 homes added solar and storage.

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SW: What do you think the future potential for solar is for Puerto Rico?

Wilson: If we’re able to get effective policies, incentives, and financing mechanisms in place, then we’ll see billions of dollars in residential, commercial, utility-scale and microgrid solar projects over the next few years.

The CEO of PREPA has announced a goal of getting to 40% renewable energy within five years, and last month the Senate passed a sweeping energy reform bill that would require Puerto Rico to get 100% of its power from renewables by 2050.

SW: What led you to become a SEIA affiliate at this particular point in time?

Wilson: Right now we’re on the cusp of a lot of different factors that could accelerate the solar + storage industry in 2019, and many of them have a lot to do with federal funding and federal agencies. While SESA focuses mostly on policy advocacy, local incentive program design, and facilitating actual solar projects moving forward quickly in Puerto Rico, our friends at SEIA are able to provide important insight to federal issues, which is their forte.

SW: What do you think SESA-PR brings to SEIA?

Wilson: Puerto Rico is an exciting Petri dish of what’s possible in the realm of utilizing solar and storage technology that’s more advanced and costs less than it ever has before. As the industry tries new approaches in Puerto Rico, lessons learned will be shared more broadly because of our affiliation with SEIA.

SW: What can SEIA bring to you?

Wilson: SEIA has a long track record of success nationally in fostering the solar industry, and they’ve also supported the development of many local affiliates around the nation. Their breadth of experience in both areas helps SESA develop more quickly and effectively.

Also, Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. Territory means that their relationship with the federal government is unique, so locally the affiliation adds a valuable badge of credibility to SESA.

SW: What role will energy storage play in restoring power to the devastated Puerto Rican grid?

Wilson: After Hurricane Maria, it because obvious that storage has become an essential component of any solar project on the island. While it will take years for the modernization of the overall electric grid, storage adds the element of converting solar power into a clean, reliable source of energy 24/7. Especially after experiencing the impacts of the longest blackout in the history of the nation, Puerto Rico homes, businesses, neighborhoods and entire towns are hungry to install solar systems with onsite storage that will keep the lights on during the next inevitable power outages.

SW: What would you like the outside world to know about solar development in Puerto Rico?

Wilson: The outside world should know that Puerto Rico is ready for the solar and storage companies on the island to keep blossoming, and that there’s plenty of room for new companies to enter the market. They should also know that SESA is here to help companies get established in the market.

Q&A With David Murray Of MDV-SEIA On DC’s 100% RPS

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Earlier this week, Washington D.C. announced it had passed a law saying that it would produce all of its electricity from renewable energy by 2032. Though the bill still has to be passed on a second reading, signed by the mayor, approved by Congress and pro-coal President Trump – so who knows if it will actually get approved – it is the most aggressive 100% renewable energy mandate in the country.

SolarWakeup decided to discuss the plan’s chances with someone whose offices are right in D.C.’s backyard – David Murray, executive director of MDV-SEIA. Here are his responses.

SolarWakeup: (SWup): What precipitated the decision to pass the 100% RPS mandate?

David Murray: Starting in 2017, the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) developed the Clean Energy DC plan, which outlines recommended steps for the District to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2032. The 100% RPS is one aspect of the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, which is largely based off of DOEE’s plan. After Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced the legislation, a coalition of business, social, and environmental advocates came together to support the bill.

For the solar industry, a strong RPS is the main driver for strong investment and job growth. The 2016 50% RPS increase precipitated the District’s recent solar industry growth. Last year, we hit a milestone of over 1,500 solar workers here in DC, which marks a 33% increase in the last two years. A strong solar carve-out within the RPS is crucial to continue this job growth in coming years.

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SWup: Where is the city now, and how realistic is it to get it to 100%?

David Murray: The DC Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) issued a study last year which estimated the technical feasibility of solar potential in the District at 2.4 GW, which does not include parking lots. The bill seeks to increase D.C.’s solar target from 5% by 2032 to 10% by 2041. Expanding solar capacity in the District to reach the OPC’s higher estimate of solar potential would result in 26 million tons of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission reductions. The current target in the RPS of 10% by 2014 is certainly achievable, being on the conservative end of the OPC study estimate.

SWup: What are the steps they will need to take to get there?

David Murray: The comprehensive nature of the Omnibus bill is the right approach because a full transition to a low-carbon economy is going to need to come from emission reductions in several areas. Specifically, the transition to 100% renewable energy must include District ratepayers from all economic backgrounds. Solar energy is the only true form of local renewable generation in the RPS and it produces local benefits. The solar carve-out maximizes equity through programs like Solar For All, which benefit low-income residents by offering solar at no cost to homeowners who quality for the program.

Reducing soft costs is another key priority: working in a heavily-trafficked city of just 68 square miles has a unique set of challenges. Thus, MDV-SEIA is engaging DOEE to streamline the permitting process, increase market transparency, and creditworthiness of solar installers.

SWup: What role do you think solar will play in DC’s transformation?

David Murray: Solar has been a constant area of growth for the District’s energy portfolio. In addition to exceeding the goal of creating over 1,200 local jobs by 2020 three years early, D.C. based solar generation helped the District become the first city in the world to be certified as LEED platinum. Community solar, Solar For All installations, and public-private solar partnerships will only increase with the 10% standard.

SWup: Are there any downsides to the potential transformation?

David Murray: There aren’t many downsides to a cleaner energy economy but there are certainly opportunities. Our transmission and distribution infrastructure needs to be upgraded to the 21st century including increased distributed generation, battery storage, advanced metering, and electric vehicle infrastructure. These infrastructure upgrades yield long term payoffs in the form of a stronger, more resilient system and solar will play a huge role in a modern grid.

SWup: Do you think Congress will allow this mandate to go forward?

David Murray: The Congressional review process did not affect the 2016 RPS increase. It is unlikely federal lawmakers will challenge the merits of this legislation, either.

SWup: How do the national politics affect the local politics?

David Murray: No doubt the abdication of climate leadership from the federal government spurred local lawmakers to act. We are seeing it in the three other states MDV-SEIA represents: Virginia is poised to join RGGI, our 50% RPS bills in Maryland and Delaware are likely to pass next year as well. DC has always been progressive: it is no coincidence the City Council put forth a 100% RPS while the White House is looking to bailout coal and nuclear.

Q&A With Dave Rosenfeld Of The Solar Rights Alliance

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

SolarWakeup sat down with Dave Rosenfeld of the Solar Rights Alliance to discuss how the group came to be, what their goals are this year and where they expect to be in the year ahead.

SolarWakeup (SWup): Tell us why you decided to found the Solar Rights Alliance.

Dave Rosenfeld: Our Board of Directors and the leadership of the CA Solar & Storage Association should get the credit for founding the organization and seeding it with the resources to get started. I was brought in after they did that initial lift.

Solar Rights Alliance was started because California’s one million solar users are being left out of important decisions that affect everyone’s right to make and store their own solar energy.

California rooftop solar is under a sustained attack by utilities trying to make solar harder and more expensive, instead of easier and cheaper. That’s because when people and businesses go solar, it threatens the utility monopoly. Also, local red tape too often also stifles people’s ability to choose solar.

Solar users are an army of activists waiting to be mobilized to protect their investment, and ensure others have the chance to go solar. But no one was reaching out to solar users en masse, providing them with information about what the politicians, regulators and utilities are up to, and giving them avenues to make their voice heard.

There are plenty of experts doing policy and “inside game” work. But someone needs to talk to the people and get them involved, too. That’s what we do.

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SWup: You’ve been compared to the National Rifle Association. Are you comfortable with this analogy?

Dave Rosenfeld: In terms of the abstract idea of a people-powered organization focused on defending the rights and interests of its members and effective at doing so, yes. In terms of certain elements of the NRA’s organizational model that has made them successful, yes. But we are a solar group, not a gun group, and have no position about the substance of NRA’s positions – so I hope the analogy doesn’t get misunderstood.

SWup: What does the NRA do right in terms of activating its members?

Dave Rosenfeld: First, they are unflinchingly focused on their members and mission. You don’t have to agree with their mission, but you can admire how member-focused they are. Second, they talk to their members. A lot. They provide information and education, every day, through many channels. Some of it is politics, a lot of it is just about safety, hunting, sport shooting, and other aspects of gun ownership. That’s key because they’re building a long-term relationship with their members that leads to trust and a greater willingness to get politically active. Three, they keep things simple. You could argue they keep things too simple, but the fact is that they break political decisions down to a level that most people can understand, which most people in politics don’t do. Finally, they give people numerous ways to get politically active from the simple email action all the way to canvassing for candidates.

SWup: How many members do you have currently? How many do you want to have?

Dave Rosenfeld: We are within striking distance of 7,000 members. Our goal is 100,000 members by 2020. It is free to join the Solar Rights Alliance – we want it to be as easy as possible for solar users to join their voices together with other solar users. You can join at www.solarrights.org.

SWup: What scale do you have to reach to become that politically powerful? What are your plans to get there?

Dave Rosenfeld: That’s why our goal is 100,000 members. That’s about 10% of all solar users, and the numbers we need in order to move the needle in Sacramento. We get there by borrowing a concept from NRA. When you buy a gun, you become an NRA member. Similarly, when you install solar, you become a Solar Rights Alliance Member. It’s a little more complex than that, but the concept is correct. To operationalize that concept, we’re working with solar companies of all sizes, including but not limited to: Sunrun, Vivint Solar, Mosaic, SunPower, ENGIE, Freedom Forever, Solar Technologies, Run on Sun, Aztec Solar, Corda Solar, Capital City Solar and more to encourage their customers to join the Solar Rights Alliance. Some companies are emailing their customers; others are including an optional Solar Rights Alliance membership in the installation. This is our core strategy. If we can get more resources, we also plan to try other ways to recruit solar users – door-to-door canvassing, huge social media campaigns, phone bank. This is a huge opportunity to civically engage solar users.

SWup: We’ve been told you were particularly successful with a project in California this summer. Can you tell us what the project was and why it was so successful?

Dave Rosenfeld: There were a few success points, but my favorite one is this:

It was late September. SB 700 had been sitting on the Governor’s desk for a month, and we were hearing reports that he was being lobbied to veto the bill. You’ll recall SB700 will help people avoid expensive evening electricity rate hikes by making it easier to store their extra solar energy at home through a battery – rather than pay the utility for that evening electricity. Our members had already done a lot to pass the bill through the legislature, and a few had even traveled up to Sacramento to personally lobby their lawmakers. When we heard that Governor was being asked to veto SB700, we alerted our membership. In 24 hours over 500 members had flooded the Governor’s office with emails asking him to sign the bill. We then did a second ask for people to call his office; about two dozen followed suit. The Governor signed the bill that week.

Now imagine what kind of voice solar users can have when we have 100,000 members!

SWup: Project into the future a year. What do you want people like me writing and saying about the SRA in a year’s time?

Dave Rosenfeld: I hope you can say that in 2019, the Solar Rights Alliance worked to effectively mobilize over 100,000 solar users to defend net metering from attack at the PUC, pass a Solar Bill of Rights through the legislature, and help reduce permitting red tape in several municipalities — and throughout emerged as a good source of unbiased information for every California solar user.