Transcript OnFEED IN TARIFF

Solar Photovoltaics and The
Feed In Tariff
• Company based in Brantford.
• Dan Cole - Owner and Manager.
• Mike Triska – Engineering and Energy
Audits.
• Installation crew of 4 headed up by our
master electrician with 6 yrs experience in
PV and small wind.
• A brief overview of solar energy is required
in order to make sure the over all concept
of today’s presentation is understood
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a renewable resource that is
free, readily available, environmentally
friendly and necessary for all life on earth.
Solar energy can be used in many ways to provide heat, lighting, mechanical power
and electricity, which is what we are
focusing on here today.
Photovoltaics (PV)
 dc electricity is generated from sunlight by
using photovoltaic (PV) solar cells.
 These cells are semiconductor devices,
usually made of silicon, which contain no
liquids, corrosive chemicals or moving
parts. The PV panels require little
maintenance, do not pollute, and operate
silently, making photovoltaic energy a very
clean and safe method of power
generation.
TYPES OF SOLAR CELLS
MONOCRYSTALINE CELLS:
 High quality starting
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material (same a
computer chips)
Highest cell efficiency
(14% to 17%)
Most expensive
Original type of PV cell
Depends on direct
sunlight (not so good on
cloudy days)
Most sensitive to heat
POLYCRYSTALINE CELLS:
 Most common type
 cell efficiency 13% to
15%
 Less expensive to
manufacture than
mono
 Less temperature
sensitive
THIN FILM CELLS:
 Thin layers vacuum
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evaporated onto glass
Cell efficiency currently
5% to 8%
New technology
Silicon and other
materials (e.g. first solar
CIGS)
Less sensitive to
temperature
Works better in indirect
light than crystalline cells
Potentially much cheaper
 Using an Inverter, the DC electricity from
the Solar PV is converted to AC, then its
fed through a meter, in the case of FIT, to
measure the amount produced, and then it
is all sold to the grid.
TYPICAL GRID CONNECTION
(FROM ESA-SPEC-004)
TYPICAL GRID-TIE INVERTER SPECIFICATIONS
(From SMA)
ANTI-ISLANDING PROTECTION
(UL 1741, IEEE 1547, CSA C22.2 No. 107.1 STANDARDS)
 Grid-tied inverters that meet the above
standards will shut off if they do not detect the
presence of the utility grid to prevent and ‘Island’
 An inverter designed for grid-tie operation will
have anti-islanding protection built in; it will inject
small pulses that are slightly out of phase with
the AC electrical system in order to cancel any
stray resonances that may be present when the
grid shuts down.
 Required by ESA-SPEC-004
 This brings us to the question…
What is a Feed in Tariff?
 Basic terms – you generate renewable
electricity, the Ontario Power Authority
buys it from you through your Local
Distribution Company.
 Ontario's feed-in tariff is North America's
first comprehensive guaranteed pricing
structure for renewable electricity
production. It offers stable prices under a
long-term 20 yr contract.
 The FIT Program was enabled by the Green
Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 which
was passed into law on May 14, 2009. The
Ontario Power Authority is responsible for
implementing the program.
 FIT came online the end of September 2009.
 There have been over 21,000 applications
submitted and 14,000 approvals and 1,800
contracts offered. 99% of these are for Solar PV.
Goals of FIT
 help Ontario phase out coal-fired electricity
 help replace generating capacity from
soon to be retired nuclear plants
 boost economic activity and the
development of renewable energy
technologies
 create green industries and jobs.
 The program is divided into two streams FIT and microFIT. The FIT Program is for
renewable energy projects over 10kW, any
projects under 10kW are classed as Micro
FIT.
 The made-in-Ontario FIT Program
combines lessons learned from FIT
programs in Germany, Spain, Denmark.
 Canada is far behind many other countries
in the deployment of renewable energy
FIT and MICRO-FIT PRICE SCHEDULE –
SOLAR PV
(From: http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=10543)
(AS OF 13 AUG 2010)
What is required to participate?
 Proper location is critical.
 Rule # 1- stick it where the sun shines!
 For every kW of PV we need 100 sq feet
(10’ X10’) of south facing sloped roof or
200 sq ft (10’ X 20’) of flat roof
 unobstructed by trees or any other
obstacles that cast a shadow
 Ground mounted on racks at a 30 to 50
degree angle, unobstructed by trees or
other obstacles that cast a shadow.
 Access to the grid is required to sell your
green electricity.
 That’s rule # 2- plug it in and get paid for it!
 So, let’s assume someone is interested in
getting paid to help save the planet with a
south facing roof of 1000sq ft.
What is the cost?
Micro-FIT
 Price range for 10kw system is between
$7.50-$10.00 per watt installed, and
connected to the grid.
 Includes site assessment, design,
applications, permits, inspections,
installation and connection – turnkey
solution.
 Assessment includes a RETScreen Analysis.
RETScreen
Renewable-energy and Energy-efficient
Technologies (RETs)
Overview
 The RETScreen Clean Energy Project
Analysis Software is the world’s leading
clean energy decision-making software. It
is provided by the Government of Canada
as part of Canada’s recognition of the
need to take an integrated approach in
addressing climate change and reducing
pollution. RETScreen is a proven enabler
of clean energy projects worldwide.
 RETScreen allows decision-makers and
professionals to determine whether or not
a proposed renewable energy project
makes financial sense. If a project is
viable—or if it is not—RETScreen will help
the decision-maker understand this:
quickly, unequivocally, in a user-friendly
format, and at relatively minimal cost.
RETScreen Partners
 National Aeronautics & Space
Administration's (NASA) Langley
Research Center
 Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency
Partnership (REEEP)
 United Nations Environment Programme's
(UNEP) Energy Unit of the Division of
Technology, Industry and Economics
(DTIE)
RETScreen Partners
EXAMPLE RETScreen ANALYSIS
We know the basics…
 what PV is and how it works,
 what a feed in tariff is and how it works,
 the legislation behind the program,
 what kind of site we need, rules 1 and 2,
 how much a system will cost,
 how much electricity we will produce…
What about the $GREEN ?
Price Schedules
 Micro FIT- <10kw = 80.2 cents per kWh
 Roof Mount (ground mount – 64.2 cents per
kWh)
 Average price to purchase electricity in
Ontario is 12-13 cents per kWh
 This is where the term sell high, buy low
fits in.
Example 9.72kW system
(Micro- FIT)
 Initial cost is around $75,000.00-85,000.00
 100% financed at 5%-6% mortgaged over 11 years
 System generates approximately 11.5-12 MWh of
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green electricity per year
$9,000.00-$10,000.00 per year in revenue dependant
on the site.
Payback is about 8-10 years, dependant on
financing, exact initial cost, etc.
Remaining 10-12 years of 20 year contract is profit.
ROI between 10-13%
Emission reduction of NEGATIVE 11 tonnes of CO2
per year
MicroFIT Project Timeline
1-2
WEEKS
7 - 28
DAYS
UP TO
3
MONTHS
4
1-2
WEEKS WEEKS
1-2
WEEKS
1 HR 1 DAY
Each 10 kW system equals
negative 11 tCO2
 -11 tonnes of CO2 is equivalent to :
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9 acres of carbon absorbing forest.
2.2 cars or light trucks taken off the road
4,310 litres of gasoline not consumed
22 barrels of crude oil not consumed
10.6 people reducing their energy
consumption by 20%.
Just Think….
 What if we had 10 of these systems…
 -110 tcO2
 115-120 MW of GREEN electricity equals
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90 acres of forest
22 cars or light trucks off the road
43,100 litres of gasoline not consumed
220 barrels of crude oil not consumed
106 people reducing their energy
consumption by 20%.
Summary
 By promoting the use of renewable energy
to produce clean electricity, we are able to
generate income, reduce harmful
emissions and create jobs. By coming
together as a community we will enable
individual non-profit organizations to
achieve these goals more easily and
sooner.
Solar PV for Residential and Commercial
Off Grid, Grid Tied and Emergency Backup
Let us show you how to put $GREEN
back into YOUR budget!
www.directcurrent.ca
Questions?