Fresh Energy's 2013 Power Breakfast | Betsy Engelking: Case Study

Fresh Energy's 2013 Power Breakfast | Betsy Engelking: Case Study

• 1.
  Geronimo’s Solar Development Process BetsyEngelking September 24, 2013 1
• 2.
  Solar Price Trends 9/24/132GERONIMO ENERGY
• 3.
  Overview of SolarDevelopment • Identify Target Site • Determine Site Suitability – Site Orientation – Potential Shading – Location relative to load/distribution system • Site Owner Outreach – Self Generation/Lease/Own? • Determine Interconnection Requirements • Market Project – Net Meter – PPA to Utility (or “Buy all/Sell all”) – Community Solar 9/24/13 3GERONIMO ENERGY
• 4.
  Engineering & Environmental •Field Work – Phase I – Fatal Flaw Analysis – Wetland delineation – ALTA survey • Engineering – Preliminary Site Plan – Grading Analysis – Geotech • Borings or Pull-Test 9/24/13 4GERONIMO ENERGY
• 5.
  Resource Assessments Data Sources •Very different from wind projects! • Smaller sites, production driven mostly by clouds and latitude. • Public solar maps, datasets produced by NREL are sufficient. – Some large projects use met towers, but they are smaller (~8 feet tall) and cheaper. • Banks may begin to require on-site data as size of investment (and associated level of risk increases. 9/24/13 5GERONIMO ENERGY
• 6.
  Minnesota Solar EnergyStandard Utility Xcel Energy Minnesota Power Otter Tail Power Alliant/ Interstate* 2020 Retail Sales Forecast (kWh) 30,872,518,000 10,386,689,633 2,746,000,000 901,264,000 Estimated Exclusions (kWh) 477,943,000 6,664,068,038 91,642,461 12,272,000 Sales subject to Standard (kWh) 30,394,575,000 3,722,621,595 2,654,357,539 888,992,000 1.5% of Sales (kWh/MW**) 455,919,000/346 55,839,324/42.5 39,815,363/30.3 13,334,880/10.2 10% of 1.5% (small solar kWh/MW**) 45,592,000/34.7 5,583,932/4.25 3,981,536/3.0 1,333,488/1.0 9/24/13 6GERONIMO ENERGY * Alliant/Interstate recently announced the sale of its Minnesota electric systems and customers to a consortium of Southern Minnesota cooperatives. If the sale is approved, these customers may become exempt from the solar energy standard ** Assuming a 15% solar capacity factor From Docket E-999/CI-13-542
• 7.
  Aurora Solar Project •100 MW Distributed Solar Project – 22 separate sites – Each site between 2-10 MW – Interconnected to Xcel Energy distribution substations • Proposed in Xcel Energy’s Capacity Acquisition Process – Only renewable project in the process – Competing with several natural gas generators – PUC decision expected Feb-Mar 2014 • Will provide capacity resource and help meet Xcel Energy’s Solar Energy Standard 9/24/13 7GERONIMO ENERGY
• 8.
  9/24/13 8GERONIMO ENERGY
• 9.
  Questions? Betsy Engelking [email protected] (952) 988-9000 1