LittleBoxSolar Initiative “Meet The Installer” Boxborough-Littleton Solar Initiative Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Multipurpose Room Littleton Town Offices 41 Shattuck Street, Littleton, MA 7:00 PM Thursday, June 25, 2015 Blanchard Elementary Gym 493 Mass. Avenue, Boxborough, MA 7:00 PM “Meet The Installer” Agenda • Welcome • Jo-Ann Dery – LittleBoxSolar Background • Jim Elkind – Solar 101 • Rob DeBevoise – Program Specifics •Q&A • Meet the LittleBoxSolar Initiative volunteers and New England Clean Energy LittleBoxSolar Initiative Background Solar Coaches: Francie Nolde, Boxborough Richard Garrison, Boxborough Sarah Rambacher, Littleton Jo-Ann Dery, Littleton http://www.littleboxsolar.com/ Like us on Facebook! Launch of Boxborough-Littleton Solar Initiative • Boxborough Energy Committee – 2014 to March 2015 • Wrote RFP (Request for Proposal) for solar installer partner • April 2015 Boxborough delayed RFP so Littleton could join • Support from Town Administrators and Selectmen, both towns • Solar Installer Selection Committee – 6 people; both towns • “LittleBoxSolar” moniker for website • Circulated Notice of RFP 23 April 2015 • Received 5 proposals Selection Process • Standard scoring template spreadsheet • Solar Design Associates • Selection committee • Criteria: Proposed equipment, Experience, Marketing program, Proposal quality, References • Three installers interviewed • Final joint evaluation and selection Selected Installer: New England Clean Energy • Superb reputation for quality and service • 4.8 out of 5.0 on SolarReviews.com • 2012 Highest Customer Satisfaction Award – Mass Solar Info • Backed by strongest most complete warranty • Extensive experience • Over 500 solar installations in central Mass • Experience with community solar programs • Solarize Mass installer for Harvard, Acton, Shirley, Stow • Local – based in Hudson • Familiar with Boxborough and Littleton • Best overall price to value LittleBoxSolar Approach • New England Clean Energy partnering with LittleBoxSolar volunteers • Information sessions, Cable TV, Open houses • Solar Initiative runs through 30 October 2015 • Goal: 50 or more homes and businesses installing solar • The more contracts signed with New England Clean Energy by the end of the Initiative, the greater the discount for all How Solar Works Jim Elkind, CEO New England Clean Energy Topics • How solar electric systems work • Site assessment and design considerations • Conservation then renewables How Solar Electric Works Inverter AC Disconnect Panels and Optimizers Production Meter and Portal Utility Meter Electricity Grid Electric Panel Your Home or business Roof Attachment Staggered for load distribution PV Panels Standard: • Canadian Solar 255/260 watt • 10/25/0 Year warranty • Standard Power Density: ~14.2 watts per ft2 • 17.75 kWh/ft2/year High efficiency: • SunPower 327/335/345 • US Company • 25/25/25 Year warranty • Highest Power Density: >18.6 watts per ft2 • 25.1 kWh/ft2/year Site Assessment • Roof • Angle, Azimuth, Area, Age • Structure, Shade • Ground • Soil conditions • Trench length • Shade • Electrical Service • 100/200 amp? • Open breaker slots? • Fuses/Breakers? • Internet access • Router/switch location? • Ports available? What we look for • Little to no shade from 9:00AM to 3:00 PM • Tilt angle 10° to 45° • When near ideal • 1.2 kilowatt-hours per 1 watt of solar per year. • 7% - 10% more with SunPower panels Roof “Quality” GREAT! • True south • Little to no shade • Probably one of the best solar roofs in Stow South Maybe • ~West facing • Potentially lots of shade • Need a pre-assessment to rule it in or out Azimuth 240° Azimuth 150° Roof “Quality” – What do you think? South Funky Roofs Harvard, MA 4,070 Watt Roof Mount 22 Schüco 210-watt modules 22 Enphase M190 Micro-inverters 2 Panel Solar Hot Water System Worcester, MA 5,040 Watt Roof Mount 24 Schüco 210-watt modules 24 Enphase M190 Micro-inverters System design Northborough 32 Panels 2 Solectria PVI-4000 inverters Completed Summer 2011 System Design - Mounting Options Roof Table Pole Snow On Panels? A Typical Home • Uses about 10,000 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy per year • About 800-900 kilowatt-hours per month • The big energy users? • • • • • • Pools Air conditioning Hot Tubs Electric dryers Electric heaters/heat Old refrigerators/freezers • On a good roof, an 8 kilowatt solar system would meet the demand Reduce Before Renewables • Rethink your energy usage • What do you really need? • Home Energy Audit* • Fix the building envelope • Air seal • Weatherize • Insulate • Change behavior • Turn off lights • Switch to compact fluorescents or LEDs • Use a clothes line * http://www.lelwd.com/images/uploads/HomEnergyBrochure1.pdf LittleBoxSolar Initiative How It Works Doug McCartney & Rob DeBevoise New England Clean Energy Meet The Team Roy Van Cleef Solar Consultant Rick Lamothe Solar Consultant Lacey Ayres Solar Advisor Rob DeBevoise Solar Consultant Elizabeth Michaud Solar Advisor Doug McCartney Director of Sales Kevin Gebo Solar Consultant Tracy Cournoyer Sales Administrator Incentives and Benefits • 30% federal tax credit • $1,000 state tax credit • Solar generation credits (excess power sent back to grid) • SREC income • No impact on property tax for 20 years • Increased property value • Producing your own clean energy • Doing the right thing for the planet! Excess Solar Generation • When your solar system is producing electricity greater than your household usage, that excess solar electricity will be delivered through your meter back to the grid. • You will be credited for that excess solar generation at 8.3 cents/kWh* * A Distribution Charge on Solar based on system size also applies Make Money with SRECs • Solar Renewable Energy Certificate • Electricity utilities in Massachusetts are required to secure a portion of their electricity from solar generators. • An SREC represents the “solar” aspect of the electricity that was produced NOT the electricity itself. • SRECs apply to all solar production, including electricity you use and electricity sent to the grid. • SREC’s are sold to utilities so they can meet their solar requirement SREC Value • SREC’s can be sold quarterly for a period of 10 years (40 quarters). • An SREC is 1,000kWh of solar generation. • A 5,000 Watt system = ~5-6 SRECs per year. • The value of the SREC is determined by the market. • The supply is determined by the number of solar installations producing SRECs in MA. • Utility SREC requirement increases each year (about 30%) following a formula that takes into account previous year’s supply. • We are currently using $230 per SREC in our estimates. How do SRECs work? • At contract signing we set you up with an SREC broker (aggregator). • Install production meter. • Receive a check in the mail every 3 months, for 10 years, for your solar generation. • First check is about 7 months after the system goes live. Great Pricing …. Getting better Dollar per Watt value of systems through tiers 1-5 Tier Kilowatts Contracted with New England Clean Energy Number of systems* Standard Option Cost per Watt 1 2 3 4 5 1 - 25 25.1 - 50 50.1 - 100 100.1 - 200 200.1+ >5 5-10 10-20 20-40 40+ $4.38 $4.33 $4.28 $4.19 $4.14 *Using 5,000 Watts as an average system size. A 5kW system at tier one has a starting price of $21,900 (5,000 x $4.38) Potential adders List of adders to the base price if necessary Site Specific Additions to Base Price Vent pipe move Rafter deficiency Multiple roof installation Cash Payment High efficiency SunPower 327 Watt panels High efficiency SunPower 335 Watt (all black) panels Flat Rate Size Dependent Increased Cost Increased Cost $ / system ($/W) 550 0.18 0.09 -0.08 1.06 1.31 High efficiency SunPower 345 Watt panels Pole mounted system (12 or 15 panels per pole) 1.21 2.00 Stadium mount (16 panels per unit) Generator transfer switch 1.00 ** Note that the table above lists only the most common adders 950 Let’s get to Tier 5! Total Watts Contracted with New England Clean Energy Tier 1 1 - 25 kW Tier 2 25.1 - 50 kW Tier 3 50.1 - 100 kW Tier 4 100.1 - 200 kW Tier 5 200+ kW Sample Loan Cost 5,000 W System* $21,900 $21,650 $21,400 $20,950 $20,700 Federal Tax credit $6,570 $6,495 $6,420 $6,285 $6,210 State tax credit $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 Net System Cost $14,331 $14,155 $13,980 $13,665 $13,490 Cash Break-Even After Discount (Years)** 8.3 8.2 8.1 7.9 7.8 * 20 x 255 W modules with string inverter ** Assumes SRECs at $0.23/kWh ***Assumes 95% TSRF Long Term Benefits for You Net system cost (5,000 W) at tier 3 $13,980 25 Year electricity savings $16,941 10 Year SREC income $13,225 Money In Your Pocket $30,166 Approx. Property Value Increase $15,000 Gross Financial Benefit $45,166 Assumptions: • SRECs at $0.23/kWh • 50% of solar fed back to the grid • No increase in electricity rates Long Term Benefits for the Planet Affordable Solar • Low $1,000 deposit to get started • Financing of your system available • 5, 10, 15, 20 year financing • Backed by DCU (Digital Federal Credit Union) • Can be "in the black" almost immediately • Electricity savings + SREC income cover monthly loan payments You Can Make A Difference • Sign up to schedule a free solar site evaluation • Volunteer to help • Spread the word • Social media • Yard signs • Tell your friends and neighbors • Get more information about the Initiative at www.littleboxsolar.com Get Started • Step 1: Request a free solar site evaluation • Go to NewEnglandCleanEnergy.com • OR call 978-56-SOLAR or toll free 844-567-9900 • Step 2: Site Review, Site Visit, System Design • Step 3: Sign documents • $1,000 non refundable deposit • Step 4: Installation • Permitting • Construction • Interconnection to the grid • Step 5: Make your own, clean, electricity!