Does your utility have an interest in a community solar project? Have you gotten many requests for interconnecting solar installations in your community? Do you not know where to begin? How do you take advantage of tax incentives? Should it be utility owned, or should it be operated by a third party? Or have you started planning a solar project but are unsure of a consultant to hire or how to put together a RFP? If one or more of these issues is currently impacting you, IAMU’s Community Solar Working Group can help!
As the solar industry has gained more traction in Iowa, IAMU has put together a solar working group. This group, currently composed of representatives of nine municipal utilities meets every other month by conference call to discuss and share experiences on various topics related to putting together a solar project. Participants are at different stages of planning a community solar project or handling solar installations in their community.
Previous calls have discussed specific utility projects, models of community solar gardens in the Midwest, available technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and potential grant ideas and sources from APPA to the Department of Energy.
Recently, the Department of Energy announced a new funding opportunity – the Race to 7 day Solar. This is not a grant but a contest over the next couple of years to reduce the soft costs of solar installations and to decrease the total time to permit, install, inspect, and grid-interconnect solar PV systems from the current time to seven days for small systems, and seven weeks for large systems. DOE is soliciting teams combining representatives of solar developers, local jurisdictions, communities, and utility companies, with categories of large and small installations. Cash prizes will be given to the top two teams with the best performance overall in 2017. The DOE will also award cash prizes over the performance period to up to 20 teams that meet certain performance benchmarks. The entrance applications are due on July 22. More information can be found at: http://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/sunshot-prize-race-7-day-solar
This contest and other solar issues will be addressed on the next phone meeting for the Solar Working Group during the week of May 18. If you would like to participate in this group, please contact Joel Logan at [email protected]. This group is open to all utility members of IAMU.
Previous calls have discussed specific utility projects, models of community solar gardens in the Midwest, available technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and potential grant ideas and sources from APPA to the Department of Energy.
Recently, the Department of Energy announced a new funding opportunity – the Race to 7 day Solar. This is not a grant but a contest over the next couple of years to reduce the soft costs of solar installations and to decrease the total time to permit, install, inspect, and grid-interconnect solar PV systems from the current time to seven days for small systems, and seven weeks for large systems. DOE is soliciting teams combining representatives of solar developers, local jurisdictions, communities, and utility companies, with categories of large and small installations. Cash prizes will be given to the top two teams with the best performance overall in 2017. The DOE will also award cash prizes over the performance period to up to 20 teams that meet certain performance benchmarks. The entrance applications are due on July 22. More information can be found at: http://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/sunshot-prize-race-7-day-solar
This contest and other solar issues will be addressed on the next phone meeting for the Solar Working Group during the week of May 18. If you would like to participate in this group, please contact Joel Logan at [email protected]. This group is open to all utility members of IAMU.
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