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Sun-Sourced, Crowd-Sourced: Community Solar Solutions for Multifamily Housing Wednesday 2:00-3:15pm

Panelists

Speakers Melanie Santiago-Moser, Vote Solar Ellen Sargent, Chicago Housing Authority Paul Reeves, Upepo Energy Group

Moderators Crystal Bergemann, U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development

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Melanie Santiago-Moser Vote Solar

Solar for All: Harnessing Community Solar for Multifamily Housing Melanie Santiago-Mosier Better Buildings Summit Washington, DC May 17, 2017

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Vote Solar is a non-profit organization a mainstream energy resource aworking to make solar cross the U.S. We target state-level opportunities for change through a combination of:

Decreased Costs + Increased Access = Solar Scale

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Low-Income Solar Access as a Policy Priority

» Economic Opportunity » Improved Health » More MW of Solar » A Winning Climate

Movement

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Low-Income Solar Policy Guide:

LowIncomeSolar.org

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Physical & Locational Barriers

Financial Barriers

Education & Outreach

Market Forces

Barriers & Policy Solutions

• Community solar • Virtual net metering

• Direct incentives (e.g. rebates, renewable energy credits) • On-bill recovery, net metering • Green Banks, CDFIs • Integration with job training, energy assistance, etc.

• Partnerships with trusted community organizations • Funding for community outreach and education • Education for social services providers • Consumer protections

• Financing assistance • Technical assistance • Streamlined methodologies and processes

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Trends in Solar for Multifamily Buildings » Increasing interest in solar for

multifamily dwellings

» Targeted incentives ˃ California: MASH, MAHSRP

˃ D.C.: Solar for All

» Growing interest in Community Shared Solar ˃ Shared Solar Projects are in 26 states

˃ 15 States and DC offer true Community Solar programs

Community Solar: Addressing Locational Barriers

Image Source: 2017 K&L Gates LLP, http://www.klgates.com//files//Upload/Solar_Garden.jpg

Community Solar for Multifamily

» The right policies must be in place. » Low-income (can include Multifamily)

carve-out, target, or priority ˃ CA, OR, RI, MD, DC, CO, NY, MA

˃ Additional incentives may be required, even for multifamily

˃ Define Housing Authorities and other housing entities as eligible low-income customers

» Master-metered buildings may need special consideration ˃ Eg, NY – Community Distributed

Generation Program; Value of Distributed Energy Resources

» Support for customer enrollment in individual-metered units

Thank you! Melanie Santiago-Mosier Program Director, Low-Income Solar Access 410-499-4565 melanie@votesolar.org www.votesolar.org www.lowincomesolar.org

Ellen Sargent Chicago Housing Authority

Solar Generation at Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens

A Case Study

ELLEN SARGENT DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS

CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY

Solar installation catalysts for CHA

• $1.2 million USDOE Sunshot grant awarded to Cook County to identify opportunities for advancing solar power

• HUD’s Renew300 Program

• State of Illinois Energy Bill 2016, energy jobs and solar carve out

• Chicago municipal building commitment for 100% renewable energy by 2025

Solar Resources for CHA

Technical assistance

•HUD Renew300 (www.hudexchange.info) ICF

• Clean Energy Group grant (www.cleanegroup.org) TEAM NU Microgrid

• DOE SunShot Initiative (energy.gov) Cook County, IL Elevate Energy

Altgeld Gardens – property overview

• Located at the far south border in City of Chicago

• Largest CHA property with 1,500 apartments

• Campus with other municipal services, parks, schools, library, daycare and health services

• Property is master-metered CHA account except for a few park and school buildings

• Current master planning effort

Known

• AG annual electrical use 12,266,521 kWh /

cost of $1,040,195

• Ground mounted solar

Unknown

• Generation size, capacity

• Solar or solar plus battery

• Ownership structure

• Financing needs

• Procurement method

Electricity output (kWh)

% of AG electrical use

Option 1 3,225,265 25.1

Option 2 5,131,388 39.9

Option 3 7,916,105 61.5

Altgeld Gardens – basis of design / conceptual review

3,078,897

4,894,342

7,543,911

$196,125.73 $311,769.58

$480,547.10

- 1,000,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 4,000,000 5,000,000 6,000,000 7,000,000 8,000,000

Option 1 - Smallest(2,577 kW)

Option 2 - Medium(4,100 kW)

Option 3 - Largest(6,325 kW)

USAGE AND COST SAVINGS Usage Savings (kWh) Cost Savings ($)

Solar – decisions, decisions

Phase 1 What are the project goals, what are you resolving with a solar

installation?

Phase 2 Identify Partners: responsible and

accountable team members, internal

champions

Phase 3 Workshop with your team to

decide: Who will own the solar panels? Who will operate and maintain

the solar panels? Will they generate revenue or

decrease operating costs? both? Will you finance the project cost

or use capital funds or both?

Phase 4 Utilize available resources:

apply for technical assistance, grants, rebates to confirm scope, budget

and schedule

Phase 5 Return to the initial project goals, is the resolution need the

same?

Questions? www.thecha.org

ESargent@thecha.org

Paul Reeves Upepo Energy Group

COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS AND DIVERSITY

INCLUSION OF LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FOLKS IN THE Maryland

Community Solar Programs

UPEPO ENERGY GROUP Supporting Renewable Energy Production and Utilization by low and moderate income

communities of color May , 2017

PAUL REEVES, UPEPO GROUP

• Paul Reeves is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Boston and attended the W. Averell Harriman School of Public Policy at Stony Brook University as a Ford Foundation scholar and APPAM Scholar. Currently, in his role as Director at the Upepo Group, he is responsible for the U project site acquisition, regulatory affairs and community outreach. Paul has worked for a variety of renewable energy companies and rural community organizations, serving in project development, community outreach/education, and technical analysis roles. He is currently a member of the Maryland Working Group on Community Solar Program which has been charged by the Maryland Public Service Commission to design the regulatory universe for community solar in Maryland. He also provides technical assistance for renewable energy projects for Green for All's Greening the Black Church movement.

• He provides a nexus between rigorous technical analysis, community education, and business decision-making. Paul has worked on offshore wind, onshore wind, solar projects both here in the US and abroad and is recognized as expert in using public funding to allow low and moderate income people of color to participate in the roll out of the renewable energy production market. His goal to increase the number of low and moderate income folks in the rural and urban communities of color who receive the health and financial benefits of renewable energy generation and utilization.

Black Farmers

WHAT IS COMMUNITY SOLAR?

A group of subscribers purchase “shares,” or a portion of the solar electricity produced, from a large solar array that can be sited remotely or on a property owned by the subscriber organization.

A utility purchases the solar electricity produced by the array (the array must be located in one utility territory and all subscribers must be in that territory).

The utility credits the subscribers for the

solar electricity produced by their

portion of the array via “virtual net

metering.”

Maryland Community Solar Low Income Pilot Program Best in Nation for LMI • Enacted by Legislature, 2015, HB 1087 • Rules set by MD Public Service Commission: RM56 • 3 years, beginning spring of 2017 • Sets aside 60 Megawatts for projects serving low income

communities (50% or more of participants) • Renters are eligible • Remote locations for solar arrays common • Up to 2 MW in project size 350 subscribers or participants • Housing Authority can do multiple projects

Key Elements of MD Community Solar

• Can be remote from site • Solar electricity credited to low income renter accounts: “virtual net

metering” • Can be 100% Financed; no out of pocket expenses necessary • Remote or ground-mounted installations cheaper than Rooftop • Rooftop also eligible • PHA can aggregate properties • Parking lots, abandoned property, brownfields excellent sites • Key Elements of MD. Community Solar

HBCU-CEC

Creating a Clean Energy Compact between the Department of Energy and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Forge a Workforce and Community Investment Program: As the energy industry continues to transform, the U.S. Department of Energy is working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to establish the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Clean Energy Coalition (HBCU-CEC). The goal is to strategically engage the nation's HBCUs in the adoption of energy efficiency, solar and other renewable energies on campus and within the communities where HBCUs are located, primarily populated by low and moderate income individuals and families.

WHAT DO THESE ICONS OF THE INNER CITY HAVE IN COMMON?

• BLACK FARMERS • HBCU’S - CEC • GREENING THE BLACK CHURCH MOVEMENT • PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES AND HUD ASSISTED HOUSING • ANSWER • VIEWING THE CSP AS A TOOL TO EMPOWER LMI RESIDENTS TO REAP

THE BENEFITS OF SOLAR ENERGY HEALTH AND FINANCIAL

Barriers to LMI Inclusion in Community Solar Programs • Distrust of the Solar sales people and the contract process • Lack of culturally sensitive community solar education/marketing

materials designed for LMI segment of residents • Credit worthiness(or lack there of) of the LMI client. • Weak to nonexistent attempt to relate Health of children and old

people of the PHA low and moderate income community to toxins from fossil fuel power plant derived electricity

Why PHAs, BC and HBCUs are Good Candidates to Work With • Aggregator of Low Income Participants • Good relationships with Local Governments to Gain Access to Land

for Community Solar • Rooftops, Land, Parking Lots to host arrays • Good Credit for Financing • Master Meters can Benefit • HUD Incentives Fit Well

What is the Range of Utility Cost Reduction Benefits? • 3-6 cents per Kwh on Resident Bill • 2-4 cents on MM Bill • Each year dividend gets larger as utility costs rise, solar cost flat: 15

years of benefits • Typical Resident would save about $150-200 per year, subject to HUD

approval

PHA and Farmers of Color Candidate Projects

• a good candidate project for PHA’s and Black Farmers will have: • People of color land owners in the utility service area • Black Churches that can get free land from the City or County • Aggregated resident total of 250-350 households • Strong management/resident/Church relationships • Project champion on PHA staff

Quick Energy Usage Facts for LMI/ COMMUNITIES OF COLOR • Households of color spend at least 30% more for energy than white households

do. Additional analysis reveals that African Americans spent $1,439 annually ($120 per month) on their electric bills, and that electricity accounted for nearly 40% of the total utility bill in 2008. This was equivalent to the highest dollar amount and share in a decade. Hispanic or Latino consumers experience the second highest cost burden. They spent $1,305 ($109 per month), and electricity accounted for nearly 37% of the total utility bill. Asian consumers spent $1,229 ($97 per month), and electricity accounted for 34% of the total utility bill, up four percentage points from 2003, the first year data became available .

• Households of color demanded as much as 385 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2009. Based on the most recent retail price data available, this translates to $47 billion in electricity buying power by households of color. This buying power should climb for the foreseeable future.

UPEPO Development Team

• Paul Reeves (405) 818-6014 • Stephanie Sienkowski – Sol Systems (202) 748-8196

Thank You

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