In mid-March, we attended the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Forum to talk with local and state Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) about the value of the IREC Training Program Accreditation as a mark of quality for their renewable energy and energy efficiency training programs. Recognizing this credential can help WIBs as they decide whether to fund student training, or if a training program should be listed on the ETPL (Eligible Training Provider List) for a state or county. The NAWB Forum marked the beginning of a relationship with WIB representatives, which IREC continues to cultivate.

In April, we headed to San Francisco for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) National Conference. As our list of accredited training programs expands, we continue to see more and more community college programs improving their courses and adding value with the IREC credential.

Rounding out April was the Affordable Comfort Inc.’s (ACI) National Conference in Denver. The week began with a leadership summit during which IREC President and CEO Jane Weissman engaged with a panel discussing the importance  of closing the divide between energy efficiency and renewable energy. The IREC booth had a steady stream of individuals and organizations interested in more information about IREC’s credentials

In an effort to broaden the recognition of IREC and the credentialing program, we also hosted a small reception for utilities, training programs, DOE, and several non-profits involved in developing the workforce for energy efficiency. Recognition of the value of the IREC credentials is expanding every day. To learn more about our program, visit our newly redesigned website.

And speaking of recognition, IREC is seeking nominations for the nation’s Best of 2013 for its new i-Awards, celebrating Innovation, Ingenuity and Inspiration in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Help us recognize the best people, projects and programs, including the first annual awards for Clean Energy Trainer of the Year and Clean Energy Training Program of the Year. Nominate those whose work  has inspired you, and forward information about the i-Awards to others doing extraordinary work.

Students and instructors install solar on construction trailer

Solar Energy International (SEI), in conjunction with Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and Utah Solar Energy Association, teamed up with the Oglala Lakota College’s construction program for three days of training and installation of a mobile, off-grid solar system.  Seventeen students and three of the college’s instructors participated in the course.

At the end of the training, the students had installed a fully functional solar powered mobile power system on their construction trailer.  The system will be used to provide power at community events, take solar education to the tribal schools, and provide power for the construction class during their work building houses on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

The goal of working with the Oglala Lakota College is to bring renewable energy education and awareness to the members living on the reservation. The students receive training in how renewable solar systems work and how to install them in a way that will provide clean power for many years.  Building this portable power system as a learning lab for the local college and community was an idea that came about during the first training project back in October 2012. Oglala Lakota College instructor, Lyle Wilson, and several students thought demonstrating an off-grid system would be a great next step in developing a solar electric program for their school and community.

Funding for the project was provided through SEI’s participation as a Regional Training Provider (RTP) in the Department of Energy’s Solar Instructor Training Network. This Network is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Instructor Training Network was created through the SunShot Initiative to improve the quality and accessibility of solar installation training and expand the nation’s trained solar workforce. DOE funds a National Administrator and nine Regional Training Providers to train instructors, develop curricula, and standardize local training efforts. Oglala Lakota College instructor Lyle Wilson, and SEI instructor Brad Burkhartzmeyer, teamed up to carry out the training and oversee the installation on the trailer.  Lenny Whitehorse, part the instructor team, and Art, the electrical instructor, provided invaluable help and insight during the training. Special thanks go to Andy Thompson, director of vocational education at OLC, for his welcoming attitude and providing the lunches.

The system included and Outback Power FP1 preconfigured system (FX inverter/charger with FM80 charge controller) with two REC 250 watt modules and four sealed Trojan batteries for a fully operational mobile power system.

Dawn Moody and Paul Ricker were awarded Affiliated Master Trainer Certification and David Dennis was awarded Affiliated Instructor Certification, making them the first in the country to be awarded these prestigious designations in the energy efficiency field.

“IREC is pleased to see the home performance and weatherization sector embrace the value of instructor certification,” says Jane Weissman, IREC president and CEO. “We applaud ECA and these newly certified instructors for their commitment to quality training and a safe, competent workforce.”

“We are thrilled to see the residential energy efficiency field finally becoming a profession with national standards and excellence in training,” says Liz Robinson, executive director for ECA. “This is critically important to build consumers’ confidence that energy savings are real. ECA is pleased to have the opportunity to build excellence in energy efficiency and to help workers from a broad cross section of our society to succeed in this dynamic field.”

The IREC Credentialing Program has been accrediting training programs and certifying instructors in the renewable energy sector since 2005, and has recently expanded to serve the energy efficiency and weatherization fields. Focused on quality training that meets employer needs, the IREC Credentials offer workers, employers and consumers the reassurance that trainers and training programs are teaching skills to industry-validated standards, to create a highly qualified clean energy workforce.

“My IREC credential proves the distinguishing factors of a qualified trainer – subject matter expert and field experience – applying my knowledge and using curriculum that aligns with industry standards,” says David Dennis, instructor for ECA. “This is what sets me apart from other trainers.”

For more than 30 years, IREC has been raising the bar for the clean energy industry. Today, IREC leads the nation in the development of quality and competency standards, and accreditation and certification programs for clean energy educators and training programs in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Together, they form a strong foundation for a quality workforce. More about IREC at www.irecusa.org.

ECA is a leader in the development of energy efficient, affordable and market rate housing, stormwater management, and industry-driven green jobs training in the Mid-Atlantic region. Since its inception, ECA’s Knight Green Jobs Training Center has trained over 3,600 people to the highest national standards for emerging careers in clean energy and stormwater management. ECA is registered to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Standard. More about ECA at www.ecasavesenergy.org.

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) has released a concept paper that considers states’ ability to expand options for distributed generation (DG) technologies. Due to the rapidly growing appetite for solar and other forms of renewable and alternative energy in the U.S., developers, utilities and policymakers are seeking new approaches that could appropriately value the locational benefits of DG. The 1978 federal Public Utilities Policy Regulatory Act (PURPA) may provide a solution that supports greater DG development close to load, where DG value is highest.

This paper, Unlocking DG Value: A PURPA-based approach to promoting DG growth, explores benefits that can be quantified and incorporated into the development of PURPA-based avoided cost rates. “This approach may allow states the flexibility to accurately reflect many of the positive contributions of distributed generation,” said Jane Weissman, president and CEO of IREC. “IREC has been a thought leader on clean energy and policy development for more than 30 years.”

A comprehensive PURPA-based approach to DG policy design would incorporate many as-yet-unquantified benefits of exports to the distribution system, including line-loss avoidance; the ability to make smaller capacity additions that more closely follow incremental load changes; the deferral or avoidance of utility capital expenditures; and the environmental benefits of displacing fossil-based resources.

This paper describes several recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decisions that have provided the needed justification to value the benefits of DG facilities and it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach. The paper concludes that several considerations may need to be addressed before PURPA could become a viable option for promoting DG growth in many states.

“This paper essentially explores the possibility for state policymakers to re-evaluate and revitalize PURPA as another option for the policy toolkit,” said Kevin Fox, lead author of the paper.  “While there may still be hurdles to deploying this policy option in a manner that would support widespread DG growth, recent movement in this direction is promising.”

Note from the Editor

Interconnection: A Foundational Policy for Solar Market Expansion

Here at IREC, we work on the foundational issues that facilitate solar market growth.  These issues, such as interconnection procedures, net metering and permitting guidelines, may not be the latest “hot topics” but they are nonetheless crucial to a thriving solar market. It’s akin to renovating an old house – you can install granite countertops and new appliances but if you don’t maintain the foundation, people probably won’t want to move in.

To increase our impact on these foundational policies, IREC spends a lot of time researching best practices and forming them into model language that can be widely used and adopted. Policymakers can’t be experts in every subject, so models provide a much-needed roadmap to help them navigate and understand the complexities of solar policy, especially in such a technically dense subject as distributed generation (DG) interconnection.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States        

Maine Commission seeks comments on interconnection

Massachusetts seeks to reconcile net metering and interconnection conflict; Reaches solar milestone

Mid-Atlantic States    

Delaware and Maryland co-ops increase their solar footprint

Southern States         

San Antonio’s CPS energy delays changes to net metering program

Western States         

Arizona Commission considers expanding net metering discussion to state’s other utilities

Idaho Power seeks an end to annual cash payments for net excess generation

Other States                

Hawaii set to surpass 2015 solar goal

Federal government provides renewable energy support for Native communities in Alaska

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

FERC Chairman Calls for New Valuation Method for DG

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  May 2013 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Passera

IREC: You’ve been involved with Small Wind for a while now.  Tell us how you first got involved and what drew you into the field.

Summerville repairing the Whisper 500 on Beech Mountain

BS: The day I graduated from the Mechanical Engineering program at North Carolina State, I picked up a copy of Home Power magazine at a friend’s house and I was immediately hooked on renewable energy. Soon after, I had a ‘take your bedroom off the grid’ system that travelled with me. After working as a Manufacturing Engineer for nearly a decade, I finally decided to pursue this interest by going through the Appropriate Technology graduate program at Appalachian State University. I was open to all RE technologies and the program allowed me to design and install solar water heating, PV, microhydro and small wind systems. ASU had a DOE grant at the time to set up their Small Wind Research & Demonstration facility on Beech Mountain. I ran the Beech Mountain site as a graduate student and employee, where I spent several years installing, repairing and testing small wind turbines. We also led many successful hands-on workshops at the site. This experience at ASU eventually led to my current position at SWCC.

IREC: In your work as the Technical Director of SWCC, you have a unique opportunity to see the changes in the field.  What, in your opinion, are the most important developments in small wind right now?

BS: After working at an energetic, demanding small wind test site, I realized early on that designing a durable, reliable turbine is very challenging. Some folks might guess that the big developments would be related to efficiency. I just finished plotting all of the rotor efficiency curves for the turbines currently certified by SWCC and they are in a fairly tight grouping, all peaking in the 30-40% range. The most important developments, in my opinion, have to do with designing a system that efficiently converts wind energy into electricity AND offers reliable power and speed control in high winds. A small wind turbine is an immense engineering challenge. It’s easy to design something that spins in the wind but it is quite a challenge to design a turbine that will survive the extremes and fatigue loading that it will see during its useful life.

IREC: What have you learned about testing and certifying of new turbines since SWCC started its program?

BS: A turbine design with a long track record that is installed at a test site for field testing for the purpose of certification will likely experience some issues during testing but these issues will probably be relatively minor and correctable. The manufacturer may discover a weak component in the electronics or a defect in the manufacturing process. For a new design, certification is a way to prove that it meets the requirements of industry standards in terms of performance, durability, safety and function. What is surprising is how often a new design is just not ready for certification. This proves to me that certification works. The manufacturer designs the turbine, they perform some shakedown testing on a prototype and make some design improvements. But when the turbine is installed at an independent test site in a strong wind regime and is instrumented for data collection, the manufacturer will often discover that the turbine does not perform as anticipated or does not hold up in strong winds. Sometimes it is ‘back to the drawing board’.  When a turbine design makes it through the certification process, that is a respectable achievement.

IREC: Why do you think there aren’t more turbines certified?

BS: As I mentioned previously, many have started the process only to discover that they haven’t actually completed the development of the turbine design. Also, the process of documenting the design calculations and completing the field testing takes a considerable amount of time. The process of testing and reporting can be completed in 9 months, but it typically takes over a year. The length of this process is mainly due to the mandatory Duration Test. After reports are submitted to the SWCC, the certification process involves a lot of back-and-forth between the certification body, the turbine manufacturer and the testing organization, all of which adds another few months to the process. So, we have four turbines that are currently fully certified, four that have been granted a conditional certification and one with a Power Performance certification. Ten others are moving through the process, and new turbines continue to sign up.

IREC: You travel quite a bit internationally for your work.  Is Small Wind a local or global business?

BS: If you are a farmer in the Midwest and you are interested in a wind turbine, you will typically be dealing with a local dealer/installer who will assess your resource and energy requirements, and design and install a wind turbine system that meets your needs. In this case, small wind is a local business.

For the manufacturer of the wind turbine, it is certainly a global business. The standards to which we certify are developed by groups of international small wind experts. There is a new international group of small wind test sites, the Small Wind Association of Testers that meets annually to share lessons learned and technical presentations. There is also a new small wind turbine subcommittee of the IEC Certification Advisory Committee that meets globally to discuss and make decisions regarding the certification of small wind turbines. Part of my work is to collaborate with these groups to maintain global harmonization. For example, a small wind manufacturer sells their turbine to customers in the US, the UK, Canada, Japan and elsewhere. Each country or region has its own certification requirements, but fortunately they are all based on international standards and are therefore harmonized, or similar. The overall goal is to enable the manufacturer to test once and certify anywhere.

IREC: What opportunities or lessons does the U.S. Small Wind industry have to gain from other countries’ experience?

BS: The incentives for small wind in the US are typically state-level, forming a patchwork market with ever-changing requirements. This landscape makes one envious of the national feed in tariff offered in the UK which is tied to their Microgeneration Certification Scheme. We can learn from the folks in the UK that setting a deadline requiring certification is tricky matter; setting it too soon may result in a list with zero turbines. Being unclear about certification requirements doesn’t create the incentive for manufacturers to pursue certification.

IREC: Finally, what advice do you give to people who are interested in or just starting out in the renewable energy field?

Carving blades at ASU for a Hugh Piggott turbine

BS: I say get out there, go to some workshops, classes and conferences, get educated and trained and network with others in the field. I had a great time at a PV workshop at The Farm in Tennessee with Ed Eaton – one of those great workshops with camping out and homework. I went to the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair when it was in Amherst and met folks like Mick Sagrillo. While I was at ASU, we set up a booth at Windpower in Denver. Grad school at ASU was a really great time, since I had my hands on some real technology and I was teaching workshops alongside folks like Don Harris, Robert Preus and Steve Wilke. These educational events always turned out to be inspiring and bonding. So, don’t stay at home and just read magazines. Get out there with real people and get your hands dirty.

Customers report sending in large payments for orders just one week before the closure, and employees at the Flagstaff manufacturing facility reportedly were told to leave quickly, without notice, immediately prior to the closing.

Dealers selling and installing the Skystream 3.7 were also left hanging.  Carlos Fernandez, co-founder of Potomac Wind Energy in Dickerson, Maryland describes what other dealers have experienced: no notice, no information, and no access to turbines or replacement parts. He expressed bewilderment over how a top-notch turbine with significant investment from GE could close without even forwarding phone calls to a bankruptcy lawyer.

Without more information, it is impossible to be sure of the reason for the closure.  Certainly, the U.S. small wind market has weakened in the last few years.  It is a fact that government policies and incentives have been inconsistent, undermining the value of the programs designated to help grow the renewables market.  At the same time, many customers for small wind turbines are overseas and these markets are enjoying some solid growth.  Some have speculated that, with more customers overseas and manufacturing costs lower in those same countries, manufacturers have difficulty justifying the costs of staying in the U.S.

Phone calls to Mike Sobolik, the chief financial officer, and Michael French, media relations contact, were not returned and email messages bounced back, undelivered.

Southwest Windpower began designing and distributing small wind turbines in 1987 and was recognized as a leader in the small wind industry. They built and shipped more than 170,000 wind turbines to over 120 countries worldwide and, at one point, were sold in more than 88 countries. Besides the manufacturing center in Flagstaff, Arizona, Southwest Windpower has offices in Colorado and Germany. Southwest Windpower systems have been installed in homes, commercial properties, micro grids, remote cabins, telecom transmitters, offshore platforms, water pumping and sailboats.

Southwest Windpower is the manufacturer of the Skystream 3.7, designed specifically for businesses and homes. More than 8000 Skystreams have been installed around the world since its introduction in 2006.

The Small Wind Certification Council certified the Skysteam 3.7 in January 2012. According to Larry Sherwood, executive director of SWCC, “turbine certification is valid so long as the certification renewal conditions listed in the SWCC Small Wind Turbine Certification Policy are met. Certification must be renewed annually. If ownership of the turbine design changes, a new Certification Agreement must be signed by the new owner to maintain the validity of the certification.”

Southwest Windpower had previously discontinued production of their Whisper turbines and sold the AIR lines of wind energy systems to Primus Wind Power of Lakewood, Colorado, as of January, 2013

After attending an open house hosted by Cazenovia Equipment Company (CEC) in 2010, John Richmond decided to investigate renewable energy alternatives for his farm. He wanted a solution that would not only protect him from escalating electricity prices, but one that would allow him to ensure the long term sustainability of his farm, especially for the next generation of Richmonds who would one day operate it.

From Mark Ferrara, Project Manager at CEC, John learned that his farm sat on one of the best wind sites Mark had ever encountered in New York. With a wind regime of 6.2 m/s, there was obvious potential, so John decided to further investigate the purchase of a wind turbine. He wanted to start utilizing and harvesting the natural wind at his farm, instead of regarding it as a nuisance. John states, “I like knowing that I am making my own electricity.” He also states, “The Endurance E-3120 is a great fit for us because it will offset 85% of my electricity consumption on the farm.”

The Richmond Farm’s energy consumption level varies by season, but it typically uses the highest amount of energy in August, when the Richmonds can expect to use about 26,000 kWh and John’s average monthly electricity bill is $1,800. This reflects energy used by machines that milk and feed the cattle. In summer months, the farm also runs 50 fans to keep the cows cool. With this energy consumption level, a 50kW wind turbine was exactly what John needed.

John’s E-3120 was commissioned on August 15th 2012. John states, “The project turned out just as I thought. I’ve locked in my energy costs for the next 20 years with the E-3120 and I feel good about not putting anything bad into the environment, like with the use of coal or nuclear power.” The cost of the project was subsidized with a 39% grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. John also received a 30% US Federal 1603 tax grant, recently converted into a credit.

When asked about the local response to the turbine, Mary Richmond, John’s mother, replied, “Friends and neighbors are witnessing history in the making. Electric power did not reach this part of North Collins, New York, until 1929!” Now, 83 years later, the Richmond farm has become the first farm in the area to install a wind turbine.

Not only has the Richmond Farm demonstrated a proactive approach to creating a more sustainable future for the next generation of Richmonds by installing a wind turbine, they have become pioneers in their town, being the first to do so while offsetting their energy costs by 85%. Now that’s “green energy that works!”

Source: Endurance Wind Power

Strong national competition will set apart the Best of 2013 in several categories, and acknowledgment of winners will be widespread. IREC has annually recognized outstanding innovation for 20 years. The new i-Awards raise the prestige and national recognition of the awards and broaden categories for nominations.

“IREC has created the new i-Awards to honor the nation’s most innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency people, projects and programs,” says Ken Jurman, who chairs the Awards Committee for IREC. “We look forward to precedent setting competition, and to a national celebration of the winners’ innovation, ingenuity and inspiration.”

IREC recognizes that there are more innovative projects and inspirational people than ever doing remarkable work in the renewable energy and energy efficiency space. The i-Awards will set apart the Best of 2013. The innovative work of all of the nominated individuals and programs will have made a difference in our lives, increasing the understanding and use of clean energy in our neighborhoods and communities.

“We recognize that in addition to renewable energy, energy efficiency plays a crucial role in achieving a sustainable future,” adds IREC President and CEO Jane Weissman. “So for the first time, IREC will recognize programs and initiatives that seek to ‘close the divide’ between energy efficiency and renewable energy.”

Applications are available online.  Deadline to submit is July 1, 2013.

2013 National i-Awards Categories

IREC Certified Clean Energy Instructor/Trainer of the Year
Honoring excellence in clean energy education and training for individuals holding the IREC Credential for Instructor Certification

IREC Accredited Clean Energy Training Program of the Year
Honoring excellence in clean energy training programs holding the IREC Credential for Accredited Training Programs

Community Renewable Project of the Year
Honoring innovative community projects enabling many individuals to enjoy the benefits of renewable energy from a single or aggregated project

State & Local Government Initiative of the Year
Recognizing innovative state or local government policies, programs, regulations, legislation, that advance the sustainable growth of the clean energy infrastructure

Closing the Divide Project of the Year
Celebrating innovative projects that recognize the fundamental link between energy efficiency and renewable energy that can lead us down the path to our clean, sustainable energy future

IREC’s National Innovation Awards will be presented in conjunction with IREC’s Annual Meeting at Solar Power International, October 21-23, 2013 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. Winners will be notified prior to the event.

For more information contact Ken Jurman at: ken.jurman@dmme.virginia.gov