October 27, 2016
Solar News
Commerce earns two DOE SunShot Initiative grants to boost state's solar capacity
The Minnesota Department of Commerce has been awarded two U.S.
Department of Energy SunShot Initiative grants—one focused on helping the state
reach its goal of 10 percent solar by 2030 and the other to make solar more
accessible for low-and moderate-income people in Minnesota. The grants, announced by DOE on
Oct. 20, are part of $21.4 million allocated for 17 projects nationwide
intended to spread solar adoption. The competitive grant projects support the
SunShot Initiative’s ongoing work to enable the widespread deployment of safe,
reliable and cost-effective solar energy. Read
more (pdf).
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SEIA Report: Target ranks No. 1 in solar among American businesses
Minneapolis-based
Target Corporation has grabbed the top spot among American businesses that are
going solar, according to the 2016 Solar Means Business report by the Solar Energy Industries
Association (SEIA). Adding more solar
this year than any other U.S. retailer, Target now has 147.5 megawatts (MW) of
installed solar capacity. This is the first time Target has ranked No.1 in the
report’s five-year history. Read more.
Made in Minnesota Solar Thermal Rebate helps pay for solar air heat
system
Sara Hayden Shaw had always
wanted a special work space for her central Minnesota home. When she installed
a solar air heat (SAH) system to heat space in her detached garage, her wish
was granted. The cost of the single 8’ x 4’ panel SAH
system was about the same cost as running a natural gas line and installing a
small gas heater, $4,000. But thanks to the 30 percent federal tax credit and the Made in Minnesota Solar Thermal Rebate, she reduced the cost of her system to $1,987, with
the tax credit paying for $1,325 and the solar thermal rebate accounting for
$1,104. Read the CERTs story by Shaw.
Rebate
opportunities for solar thermal systems remain available to all
Minnesota residents, businesses, nonprofits, and government entities as part of
the 2016 Made in Minnesota (MiM)
Solar Energy Incentive Program.
NREL: Price of solar
decreases again in first quarter of 2016
The modeled costs to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems continued to
decline in the first quarter of 2016 in the U.S. residential, commercial, and
utility-scale sectors, according to updated benchmarks from the Energy Department's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The modeled costs for the first
quarter of 2016 were down from the fourth quarter of 2015 by 6 percent, 4
percent, and 20 percent in the residential, commercial, and utility-scale
sectors, respectively. Read
more.
MnSEIA Midwest Gateway to Solar Conference is Nov. 15-16
The third Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA)
Midwest Gateway to Solar Conference will be held Nov. 15-16 at the Hilton
Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. The industry’s
challenges and how to make the solar market more successful in the years to
come will be the focus. Register
today.
DOE State Energy Program Grants Received
SEP grants to improve EUI efficiency, advance Utility Energy Registry
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division
of Energy Resources will address supply side efficiency opportunities in the
electric generation sector and will partner with three states to work on the
Utility Energy Registry, thanks to two State Energy Program (SEP) competitive
grants it recently received from U.S. Department of Energy. Read more (pdf).
2016 Wind and Solar Project Updates
Several Minnesota wind energy projects complete or near completion
Several Minnesota wind energy projects, including
the 200 megawatt (MW) Odell Wind Project, are either completed or nearing
completion:
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Odell
Wind Project. The Odell 200 MW
project is located in Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, and Watonwan counties and achieved
commercial operation on Aug. 9. Developed and owned by Algonquin Power Co. for
Xcel Energy, Odell consists of 100 Vestas V110-2.0 MW wind turbines that tap
into an excellent wind resource. The project is expected to produce an average
of 832 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year, with all energy sold under
a 20-year power purchase agreement.
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Black
Oak & Getty Project,
This 78 MW project in Stearns County is developed by Geronimo Energy and owned
by Sempra Energy, with the power purchased by Minnesota Municipal Power
Agency. The project is in the final stage of construction and is expected
to achieve commercial operation in November.
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Bergey
Wind Project.
This 500 kilowatt project is developed by Gone2Green for Xcel Energy and distributed
between 50 sites in Xcel’s service territory. The first few projects are
complete, including one
near Ruthton.
The grant project, supported by the Xcel Renewable Development Fund, calls for
the installation of 50-60 turbines in Xcel territory clustered in two project
areas across seven counties: Stearns, Benton and Meeker counties in central
Minnesota, and Lincoln, Lyon, Pipestone, and Murray counties in southwest
Minnesota.
 State's solar performance booms with several new large solar pojects
More
than 200 megawatts (MW) of new solar energy projects in Minnesota are either
completed or nearing completion, greatly expanding the state’s solar capacity,
which was at 35 MW at the end of 2015. The projects include:
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North
Star Solar Project. This 100
MW single-axis tracking photovoltaic project in North Branch is developed by
Community Energy Resources LLC for Xcel Energy.
The project, Minnesota’s largest solar farm, is set for completion
before the year’s end. (Photo above is a mid-Sepember shot of the North Star Solar Project)
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Aurora Solar Project. The 100 MW Aurora
Project is being developed by Geronimo Energy and Enel Green Power for Xcel
Energy and is distributed between 16 sites ranging in size from 2 MW to 10 MW
across 16 counties in Xcel’s service territory. Construction started in January
2016; several sites are near completion.
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Dickinson Solar Project.
This 2.25 MW project was dedicated on Sept. 16 and is the largest solar array
in Minnesota owned by electric cooperatives. It is now generating electricity
for members of Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association (WH). The project
is a collaborative effort between WH and Great River Energy and
consists of 8,352 panels on a 13-acre site in Buffalo.
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Minnesota plans to power State Capitol with solar, wind energy
One-third of the electricity used at Minnesota’s Capitol
Complex will soon be powered by wind and solar farms in other parts of the
state, if regulators approve a new proposal from the state and Xcel Energy. Minnesota plans to
power the Capitol with energy from the Odell Wind Project and the North Star
Solar Project (see project updates above), according to a Star Tribune report
WINDExchange
offers new installed wind capacity maps
WINDExchange recently announced the availability of
new interactive wind energy installed capacity maps for the United States. Three capacity maps are
available: installed capacity, potential wind capacity, and potential wind
generation, which highlights the future of wind energy. To learn more about
installed capacity from 1999 to 2016, users can scroll to any year using the
slider below the maps.
Clean Energy
 Minnesota communities earn 2016 Clean Energy Community Awards
Several communities in Minnesota have earned 2016 Clean Energy
Community Awards, it was announced on Oct. 14 by the Minnesota Department of
Commerce. The Clean Energy Community Awards
recognize communities that contribute to the state’s clean energy goals by
planning and implementing programs, policies, and technologies that encourage
energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy generation.
Five
winners are recognized for clean energy achievements:
- City of Hutchinson
- City of Minneapolis
- Minneapolis
Air National Guard, 133rd Air Wing
- City
of Morris
- City
of St. Cloud
Three communities are recognized for planning:
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
- Cities
of Pelican Rapids and Fergus Falls
- Chisago County
The communities will
receive their awards on Nov. 10 at the Clean Energy Community Awards Conference
at the Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul. Read more.
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Minnesotans well represented in 40 Under 40 clean energy awards
Ten Minnesotans are recipients of the
2016 40 Under 40 awards, according to awards’ sponsor Midwest Energy News. The awards recognize emerging leaders
throughout the region and their work in America’s transition to a clean energy
economy. The Minnesota
winners are highlighted in a post by the Clean Energy
Resource Teams (CERTs). For more on the awards and the Nov. 10 ceremony in
Chicago, read
more.
Minnesota remains 10th in annual ACEEE State
Energy Efficiency Scorecard
Minnesota ranked 10th in the 2016 State Energy Efficiency
Scorecard and scored 31 points out of a possible 50, the same
position and score it earned last year. Minnesota has ranked among the top 10
in nine of the 10 years the scorecard has been compiled by the American Council
for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). California and Massachusetts tied for
first. Read more (pdf).
Energy Design Conference 2017 presentation proposals due Oct. 31
The Energy
Design Conference & Expo Session Team is accepting presentation proposals
for the 27th annual Energy Design Conference & Expo being held Feb. 20-22,
2017, in Duluth, Minn. Conference organizers seek innovative, quality sessions
focused on energy technologies, efficient building concepts, sustainable
development, and current energy and environmental topics related to the
building industry. Deadline to submit is Oct. 31. Read
more.
Xcel Energy launches online application for non-Solar*Rewards® DG requests
Xcel Energy recently announced the launch of the
online application portal for non-Solar*Rewards® Distributed Generation (DG) requests. The online
portal and submission process is replacing the manual process. Applicants now
have the ability to log in to
the applications portal and submit interconnection requests electronically for
solar and various other forms of generation, such as wind and hydro. Xcel will
no longer accept applications for interconnections through the paper-based
process.
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Webinar recording available on 2015 Distributed Wind Industry Update
The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2015 Distributed
Wind Industry Update WINDExchange Webinar recording, slides, and transcripts
are available on the WINDExchange
website. Minnesota ranked among nation’s leaders in
several categories, including third for small wind capacity deployment in 2015.
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DOE offers webinars on distributed energy, tribal renewable energy
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) offers the following webinars:
Minnesota
wind turbine manufacturer Ventera Wind receives NREL grant
Ventera
Wind, a Minnesota wind turbine manufacturer, has received a National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) grant for certification testing. The Wind Competitiveness
Improvement Project aims to help manufacturers of small and mid-size wind
turbines improve their turbine design and manufacturing processes while
reducing costs and improving efficiency as they work toward
certification. Read more.
Round 3 of Small Business
Vouchers Pilot program open until Nov. 10
Round 3 of
the U.S. Department of Energy’s Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot is open for
applications until Nov. 10. The SBV provides U.S. small businesses with access
to the expertise and facilities of its national laboratories. DOE will provide
up to $20 million over three rounds to support 100 small businesses by issuing
national lab vouchers valued between $50,000 and $300,000 per company.
Businesses with fewer than 500 employees working on advanced energy products
and services in specific technology areas are eligible. Read more.
Recording: ‘Understanding
Corporate Renewable Procurement in the Midwest’
In early October, in partnership with the University of
Minnesota's Institute on the Environment, the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking
System (MRETS) hosted a regional discussion on corporate clean energy
procurement. As corporate renewable procurement continues to experience explosive growth, this
event helped attendees navigate the different options available to them in the
Midwest region. A recording
of the event is available online.
Sustainable Building 2030 training series continues Nov. 11
The second-annual
professional education training series, “Understanding and Implementing the Integrated
Design Process for Energy Efficiency,” continues with the third part of the
three-part workshop series. The training examines how the Integrated Design
Process can be used to meet the Sustainable Building 2030 (SB 2030) Energy Standard.
Session 3 is called “Workshop on incorporating Integrated Design on a SB 2030
Project” and will be held Nov. 11 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. The session will be held
at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Cost is $100. Register online.
Consumer Alert
Minnesotans: Beware of radiant barrier sales pitches
The Minnesota
Department of Commerce is warning Minnesotans to beware of salespeople who
pitch radiant barrier products as an energy-saving feature in home attics.
Sales people have been reported pitching the radiant barrier product and a
solar-powered attic fan in Cold Spring and Minnesota Lake. Radiant barriers
consist of a reflective film, usually aluminum, laid over the top of attic
insulation in existing homes. They are sold as an energy-saving product, with
claims of significant reductions in both heating and cooling costs. However, radiant
barriers are not a cost-effective way to reduce heating or cooling loads in
Minnesota. Radiant barriers in attics may be valid for homes in southern
states, but they save very little energy in Minnesota homes. Read more.
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