Increasing Access to Solar

Colorado Low-Income Solar Programs

Joseph Pereira

Director of Low-Income Energy Services

@pereira1_j

August 25, 2016

The CEO’s vision is to help Coloradans live more prosperous and healthy lives by

promoting innovative energy production and efficient energy consumption

practices that are beneficial to the economic and environmental health of the

state.

DEPARTMENT VISION

MISSION STATEMENT

The CEO’s mission is to improve the effective use of all of Colorado's energy resources

and the efficient consumption of energy in all economic sectors, through providing

technical guidance, financial support, policy advocacy and public communications.

Colorado Energy Office

Energy Burden in Colorado

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Normal Stressed Burdened Impoverished

Ener

gy E

xpen

dit

ure

as

% o

f In

com

e

Energy Expenditure % of Income

11%

7%

12%

70%

Energy Burdened Households in CO

Poverty

Burdened

Stressed

Not Burdened

Source: Census.gov American Community Survey

$0

$250

$500

$750

$1,000

$1,250

$1,500

$1,750

$2,000

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

Annual Energ

y E

xpendit

ure

Annual Energ

y U

sage (

MM

Btu

)Energy Usage and Expenditure by Region

Gas Usage Electric Usage Gas Bill Electric Bill

Energy Usage• Denver Metro, N. Front Range,

and Plains have similar energy

usage

• Mountain has higher energy

usage

• Western Slope has lower energy

usage

• Gas makes up more than 70% of

usage, but accounts for less than

40% of expenditure

• Gas is relatively inexpensive

compared to electricity (and

vice-versa)

• Colorado passed HB10-1432 Community Solar Gardens Act (CSGA) in 2010:

• First legislation passed in the nation that supports community solar for investor owned utilities

• Requires that 5% of all CSG projects reserved for low-income subscribers

• CSGA – Low-Income Requirement:

• CEO commissioned a report* in 2015 to evaluate CSGA 5% low-income requirement

• Key findings show:

• Community solar has been very active in CO and continues to expand at rapid pace

• Growing market suggests there is significant potential to expand community solar market

with low income stakeholders

• The low-income 5% carve out requirement is being met, but there is room for improvement

*Report: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Low-Income%20Community%20Solar%20Report-CEO.pdf

Colorado Community Solar

Low-Income Community Solar Demonstration Project

• Launched by the Colorado Energy Office in 2015

• GRID Alternatives awarded $1.2 million grant to

implement project

• Two overarching goals:

• Reduce household electric costs by

enhancing low-income access to solar

• Demonstrate the scalability and viability of

low-income community solar arrays

• Two project phases:

• Phase 1: Partner with Rural Electric

Cooperatives and Municipal Utilities

• Phase 2: Partner with Investor Owned

Utilities

LI Community Solar Demonstration Project - Outcomes

• Portfolio of community solar projects solely for low-income households that includes:

• A variety of utility-owned community solar arrays, ranging from 20 kW to 500 kW

• The application of unique customer billing structures

• Innovative client delivery approaches

• A minimum of 1 MW of installed community solar and 300 low-income subscribers tied to

the portfolio of projects

• A model that can be replicated by other utility providers

• Insight into whether shared solar combined with energy efficiency (i.e. weatherization)

services is a viable approach for comprehensively reducing household energy costs

LI Community Solar Demonstration Project – Round 1 Projects

Yampa Valley EA165 kW, 50 subscribers

Install: September 2016

Holy Cross EA

150 kW, 43 subscribers

Install: August 2016

Delta Montrose EA

150 kW, 43

subscribers

Install: June 3, 2016

San Miguel PA

125 kW, 35 subscribers

Install: October 2016

Empire EA

21 kW, 9 subscribers

Install: April 15, 2016

LI Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

Rooftop Solar Integration

The CEO’s Weatherization Assistance Program is the first state in the nation to be

granted DOE permission to use rooftop solar as an approved measure to reduce

household energy burden

CEO is integrating rooftop solar into its operations based on the following criteria:

• Cost effective (SIR 1.0) and does not exceed a DOE contribution of $3,545

• Homes with high solar capacity factors

• Customers with high electricity use

• Customers with limited access to community solar offerings

Xcel Energy Global Settlement- LI Elements

IOU 5% PUC Rule Requirement Aggregation (4 MW) – Approx. 1,300 customers

Low-Income Solar Rooftop Program (1.5MW) – Approx. 300 customers

Integrated with WAP offering an upfront incentive and a production based incentive

100% LI Community Solar Garden RFP (4 MW Annually) – Approx. 3,900 customers

Upfront incentive or a performance based incentive

LI Standard Offer (.5 MW Annually/ 100 kW max) – Approx. 100 customers

Competitive upfront REC incentive plus $0.01/ kWh

The Colorado Energy Office

@coenergyoffice