Solar Power for Residential and Commercial Properties

Ian DiamondVice President of Sales

©Copyright 2010, Ian Diamond (914) 419-3134. Please contact author for permission to reproduce in part or full.

August 14th, 2003

• Northeast Blackout of 2003• 8 States + Southeastern Canada• 50 Million people lost power• Grid Faults and Overload

Meeting Future Electricity Load

• Load Growth expected of 1.05% annually to 2030

• Increase electricity generation– Power Plants

• Clean Coal• Nuclear

– Renewable Energy• Wind• Solar

Why Solar Power?

• Increasing Energy/Electricity Demands• Unlimited Resource. cf: fossil fuels• Distributed Generation. cf: Transmission costs and

infrastructure• Maximum production during peak demand• Helps Utility Energy Management• Clean. cf: Oil, Clean Coal, Nuclear• NIMBY or YOYR (Yes, On Your Roof)• Eventual Unsubsidized Grid Parity

What is Solar Energy?

• Solar Power – Photo-Voltaic (PV)

• Producing electricity from light

• Solar Thermal (Solar Hot Water)– Utilizing energy from heat

Mounting Options

• Rooftop– Flush Mounted, Affixed (typical residential) – Tilt-mounted, affixed (flat roof)– Tilt-mounted, ballasted (typical flat roof)

• Ground– Ground or pole-mount– Ballasted (paved areas)

• Car Port Structure– Parking lots

Rooftop Preferences

• Facing true south (+/- 60°)• Pitch: 0°- 45° (Ideal: 30°)• No obstructions

– Off roof:• no trees, taller buildings, higher walls

– On-roof:• Parapet walls, bulkheads, HVAC equipment, vents

• Roof Life: 15+ years• No structural load issues

Typical System

• Crystalline Panels• Roof mounted / Ground mount• Grid-tied (no batteries)• Fixed mounting (no rotation)• Net Metered• Distributed Generation (On-site)

System Sizing

• Flush Roof Mount– Example: residential pitched roof

south facing, unobstructed, 500sf – 10W / square foot – = 5kW Solar PV system

• Tilt Roof Mount– Example: commercial flat roof

unobstructed, 6000sf– 8W / square foot– = 48kW Solar PV system

Production Value

• 1kW Solar PV produces approximately1200 kWh per year– 5kW = 6,000 kWh/year– 25kW = 30,000 kWh/year

• System Life: 30+ years

• Avoided Electricity Cost– Con Ed Westchester @ $0.18/kWh – NYSEG @ $0.14/kWh– Escalating electricity costs > 5% annually

System Cost

• Variables– System Size– Location – Building Height– Flush/Tilt;– Ballasted/Affixed

• Residential: $7.00/Watt• Commercial: $5.00-$6.00/Watt

Incentives

• Federal– 30% of Gross System Cost

• Commercial: Investment Tax Credit– 2010 available as a Grant.

• Residential: Personal Tax Credit

• State – New York– NYSERDA Rebate

• $1.75/Watt up to 5kW Residential• $1.75/Watt up to 50kW Commercial

– LIPA Rebate• $2.50/Watt up to 5kW Residential• $2.50/Watt up to 50kW Commercial, &• $1.00/Watt 50kW to 100kW

Incentives (cont’d)

• State – New York– Personal Tax Credit

• 25% of Net System Cost (after Rebate) up to $5,000

• New York City– Property Tax Abatement

• 35% of Net System Cost (after Rebate & Grant) – 2010• 20% of Net System Cost (after Rebate & Grant) – 2011-2012

• Municipal– Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing

Example: 5kW Residential System - NYC

Gross System Cost ($7/W) $35,000

NYSERDA Rebate ($1.75/W) -$8,750

Federal Tax Credit (30%) -$7,875

State Tax Credit (25%, $5,000 cap) -$5,000

NYC Property Tax Abatement (35%) -$9,187

Total Net Cost after incentives $4,188

Annual avoided electrical costs (@ $0.24/kWh)

$1,440

Example: 5kW Residential System Westchester

Gross System Cost ($7/W) $35,000

NYSERDA Rebate ($1.75/W) -$8,750

Federal Tax Credit (30%) -$7,875

State Tax Credit (25%, $5,000 cap) -$5,000

Total Net Cost after incentives $13,375

Annual avoided electrical costs (@ $0.20/kWh)

$1,200

Example: 25kW Commercial System - NYC

Gross System Cost ($6/W) $150,000

NYSERDA Rebate ($1.75/W) -$43,750

Federal Tax Credit (30%) -$31,875

NYC Property Tax Abatement (35%) -$37,187

Total Net Cost after incentives $37,188

Annual avoided electrical costs (@ $0.22/kWh)

$6,600

+ 5 yr MACRS Depreciation

Example: 25kW Commercial System - Westchester

Gross System Cost ($6/W) $150,000

NYSERDA Rebate ($1.75/W) -$43,750

Federal Tax Credit (30%) -$31,875

Total Net Cost after incentives $74,375

Annual avoided electrical costs (@ $0.18/kWh)

$5,400

+ 5 yr MACRS Depreciation

Technology & Future Improvements

• Mature technology of 30+ years development and production• Small incremental improvements

– Smaller Tolerances– Inverter efficiency improved

• Improvements & Applications– Wider applications

• Thin-film– Part of roof membrane– Solar walls

• Building Integrated PV (BIPV) – solar shingles• Transparent panels• Car port structures

Maintenance

• Occasional cleaning (bi-annual)• Remote Performance Monitoring• No moving parts• Annual system check

– Electrical wiring– Inverter– Panels

• 30+ year system life• Inverter replacement (15 years ?)• Roof membrane accessible

Solar PV - Conclusion

• Solar PV is extremely important component to help us meet increasing global electricity needs

• Solar Distributed Generation (On-site, Behind the meter) provides localized electricity – no extra burden on transmission infrastructure

• Solar utilizes underused property (rooftops, parking lots, etc) to provide on-site electricity

• Increasing importance in new construction and existing properties

Questions?

Ian Diamond(914) 419 3134

ian@OnForceSolar.com©Copyright 2010, Ian Diamond (914) 419-3134. Please contact author for permission to reproduce in part or full.