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From Germany to Gainesville: Practical Guidelines for Implementing a Solar Feed-In Tariff
6/18/2009
| When: |
Thursday, June 18, 2009
10:00-11:00 AM PDT / 1:00-2:00 PM EDT
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Where: |
Web Conference
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Contact:
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Anneke Mueller
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| Registration Information |
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Online registration is closed.
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Overview
Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) is on the front lines of development and implementation of solar feed-in tariffs (FITs) in the United States.
In this web conference, GRU’s John Crider will answer questions such as:
• What is the Gainesville approach?
• How did they arrive at that approach?
• What’s worked well? What hasn’t worked well?
• What are they learning so far?
On February 5th, the Gainesville City Commission approved a feed-in tariff for solar PV that offers a 20 year fixed price contract of 32 cents per kWh (for the first two years of the program) for electricity generated by local solar PV systems. The feed-in tariff is capped at 4 MW per year. The municipal utility—Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)—has already signed up nearly 100 customers to fulfill the annual 4 MW cap for the next three years.
Despite being hailed by some as the first renewable energy feed-in tariff in the U.S., the program is not without detractors—even among those who generally support feed-in tariff policies. This web conference will address some of their concerns, including those recently voiced by Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), at last month’s PV Industry Forum in Munich. Resch commented that the Gainesville program “was poorly designed,” with the evaluation of applications lacking the necessary rigor to determine projects’ feasibility. He foresees projects not getting built “until the bigger companies really start to take a role in this particular program.”
John Crider will discuss GRU’s experience with the solar FIT to-date and how that experience can inform policy that is under consideration in other states, such as California.
This is the second web conference in AltaTerra’s Energy Policy and Markets Debate Series: A New Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff in California? Take advantage of the special reduced rate to attend both this event and the next event in the series: Accelerating Renewable Energy Penetration in the US: PPAs and FITs. You may also purchase the presentation and recording from the first event in the series, FITs and Starts? What You Need to Know Now About Feed-in Tariffs in North America, for a mere $50 (members) / $100 (non-members) when you register for one or both upcoming events in this series. See "Registration Fees" below for further details.
You will walk away with...
• Knowledge of the GRU program, including scope and restrictions
• Insight into financing considerations
• Understanding of how to participate in the GRU program as a vendor
• Advice to potential vendors and developers
• Information about how to learn more
Key topics to be addressed
• Renewable policy options
• Volatility of REC values
• Utility value of program
• Program restrictions
• Capacity queue pitfalls
• GRU’s approach
• GRU’s FIT primary attributes
• Traditional GRU solar PV incentive program
• Net metering value varies among rate classes
• The traditional program: What’s wrong?
• GRU’s solar feed in tariff schedule
• The FIT program steps
• Financing considerations
• How to find out more
Who Should Attend
• Renewable energy professionals and consultants
• Renewable energy project developers
• Regulatory and PR staffers
• Environmental organizations
• Financial and investment groups
• Legal staff and compliance officers
• Electric utility procurement, generation, and transmission personnel
Reference Materials
After the presentation, you will receive a full copy of the presentation slides in PDF format, along with access to an online recording of the web conference.
About the Presenter
John Crider, PE, CEM
John is a professional electrical engineer, with a background in telecommunications & SCADA systems, computer networking, control system design, and power systems engineering. He began his career designing and testing spread-spectrum communications systems, before moving into the utility industry in 1990. As an engineer for the Eugene Water & Electric Board (Oregon), John designed and implemented hydroelectric generation control and automated dam control systems, helped upgrade the SCADA network, and provided support for transmission and distribution planning.
In the mid-90’s John focused his career on networking and communications system, becoming a certified network administrator and managing an internet service provider. John returned to the utility industry upon moving to Florida in 2007, where he provides planning and program administration for the nationally recognized energy-efficiency program at Gainesville Regional Utilities. John’s focus through most of 2008 and up to the present has been the development, implementation and administration of the first European-style solar feed-in tariff offered in the United States.
John holds a Professional Engineering license in Florida and Oregon, and has earned the title of Certified Energy Manager from the Association of Energy Engineers.
Registration Fees
| This Event Only
| Both Events**
| Member*
| $62
| $124
| Non-member
| $98
| $206
|
*Becoming
a registered member of the AltaTerra Research Network is free, easy,
and obligation-free. Simply click on "Register" in the upper right menu
bar.
**Accelerating Renewable Energy Penetration in the US: PPAs and FITs will be held Thursday, June 25. To find out more, click here.
SPECIAL DEAL: Purchase the presentation and recording from the first event in the series, FITs and Starts? What You Need to Know Now About Feed-in Tariffs in North America,
for only $50 (members) / $100 (non-members) when you
register for one or both events in this series.
Time
Pacific 10:00-11:00 AM
Mountain 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Central 12:00-1:00 PM
Eastern 1:00-2:00 PM
Log in Instructions
You will receive an “Invitation to web conference” email with log in information 24 hours prior to the web conference.
If you register within 24 hours of the event, an invitation email will be sent to you no later than one hour before the start of the event.
Registration closes at 11:59 PM Eastern time the day before the event.
To ensure that you receive our invitation email, you may wish to add the domain names “altaterra.net” and “instantlyglobal.com” to your white list.
Technical Requirements
The
AltaTerra Research Network uses a Flash-based program that requires no
downloads. All you need is a PC or Mac with a web browser and an
Internet connection.
We will be using VoIP for audio, so you can stream sound directly through your computer.
If
this is your first time attending an online presentation of this kind,
you may wish to take the System Test at the following web address to
make sure that your computer is ready: http://www.instantlyglobal.com/system_test.
We will not be using video for this event.
In the rare case that you have any technical difficulties viewing the online presentation, please email support@instantlyglobal.com and they will be happy to assist you.
Q&A Submission
In advance of the teleconference, questions may be submitted to Web.Conference@AltaTerra.net.
About AltaTerra Research Web Conferences
AltaTerra
Research web conferences are live, interactive, web-based events of
varying duration that incorporate an online slide presentation by a
qualified expert, followed by an open forum for questions and
discussion. They provide a vehicle for communication between attendees,
speakers and analysts, cultivate discussion about published research,
and provide catalysts for further research. There is a reasonable fee,
which varies by event. Discounts are available for AltaTerra Research
Network registered members. |
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