Southerntiersolarworks.org Southern Tier Solar Works Pilot: Solar Up! Broome and Tioga Brought to you by: The Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition The Susquehanna Chapter of the Sierra Club Catskill Mountainkeeper Natural Resources Defense Council ETM Solar Works

Southerntiersolarworks.org About the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition (BRSC) BRSC is a 501 c 3 not for profit grassroots community organization Current programs include: 1)Southern Tier Solar Works 2)Many Hands Food Co-op 3)Be Local Broome Go Local, Grow Local!

Southerntiersolarworks.org STSW Program Goals rapidly expand solar deployment make energy efficiency and renewable energy key economic drivers and local job creators

Southerntiersolarworks.org The Solar Industry is doubling each year in the US. We want in on this economic boon! Solar installing jobs are LOCAL jobs

Southerntiersolarworks.org 1) The cost of solar has dropped dramatically. In just the past 4 years, the installed cost of systems has gone down by more than 2x 2) State and Federal incentives are at an all-time high! State incentives are falling. Act now! Why go solar NOW?

Southerntiersolarworks.org My Big Picture PROTECT: Our air, water, and food supply. REDUCE carbon emissions that lead to climate change. LIVE my values. Why go solar NOW?

Southerntiersolarworks.org Why go solar NOW? Solar power can replace fossil fuel use Now… And it’s EASY! X ✔

Southerntiersolarworks.org Reduce Your Load STEP 1 STEP 2 Use Solar Power So, Let’s Act and get off fossil fuel

Southerntiersolarworks.org A Friendly Reminder about Energy Efficiency = Heat Loss = Dollars Lost

Southerntiersolarworks.org Energy Efficiency: the low hanging fruit Energy Efficiency improvements are the most cost effective. Improve your home’s comfort and safety, save energy dollars and create good local jobs. Free or reduced cost home energy assessments available to most New Yorkers through NYSERDA. * No up front costs, low interest financing and income eligible grants available.

Southerntiersolarworks.org Green Jobs Green New York & NYSERDA’s Home Performance program Energy Efficiency improvements are the most cost effective measures you can take 1.Enroll for a free/reduced cost home energy assessment 2.Schedule the assessment with at BPI certified contractor. 3.Get your energy assessment 4.Review your energy report & choose your improvements. 5.Apply for financing & assisted home performance grants 6.Get the work done.

Southerntiersolarworks.org And She Said: Use Solar Power!

Southerntiersolarworks.org About the SOLAR Resource

Southerntiersolarworks.org It is Really BIG !! YEARLY solar energy supply (5 billion years left!) FOREVER supply of fossil fuel Yearly World Energy Consumption

Southerntiersolarworks.org New York has sun?

Southerntiersolarworks.org 30 Years of Solar Data 16 NREL.gov: 30 year average of kWh/m 2 per year San Diego, Ca……… kWh/m 2 /year Binghamton, NY …….1496 Seattle, Wa ………… Sunniest place in Germany: 1250 The Southern Tier gets 73% of the amount of sun that San Diego gets World leader in use of solar power

Southerntiersolarworks.org 17 Wide-Spread Use of Solar Power is Inevitable 0.07% of land area, covered with solar cells, can power the entire planet !

Southerntiersolarworks.org How Do I Collect and Use SOLAR energy?

Southerntiersolarworks.org Solar Hot Water Heater Solar Electric System Two Ways to Use Solar Energy Tech Talk Solar Electricity is made with “photovoltaic” (PV) panels. Solar hot water collectors are boxes with copper tubing, aluminum frame and glass cover

Southerntiersolarworks.org PV modules are made into “solar arrays” or solar electric systems. 20 photovoltaic modules switch inverter Inverter converts DC to AC

Southerntiersolarworks.org 21 What if the utility paid YOU?

Southerntiersolarworks.org Is solar energy for me? Do you have roof space facing south? If not, do you have yard space for ground-mounted panels? Is your sunny roof space unobstructed by trees or buildings most of the day? Is your current electric bill higher than you’d like? Tech Talk An East or West facing roof will work if the slope is less than 30 degrees Our primary concern is that shading is minimal

Southerntiersolarworks.org Send us your electric bill (all pages) showing yearly use graph

Southerntiersolarworks.org Pole-Top Where Do I Put my Solar Panels? Roof-mount Ground-Mount Roof-mount in Binghamton, NY (makes 4500 kWh per year)

Southerntiersolarworks.org What Is the Southern Tier SOLAR Works program all about?

Southerntiersolarworks.org Southern Tier Solar Works: Making Solar Power Simple 1.Get Educated (attend a workshop, visit the website) 2.Sign up (at workshop, on web-site, call BRSC!) 3.Get Others to Join (talk to your friends and neighbors) 4.Get Evaluated (We check out your site) 5.Sign Contract (Easy financing or leasing available!) 6.Get System Installed

Southerntiersolarworks.org Pricing Tiers PV System Equipment Information Total Participant Capacity (kW) < 50kW 50 – 100kW 101 – 150kW 151 – 200kW > 200kW ModulesInverters Trina or Conergy SMA, Fronius or PowerOne Price ($/Watt) $3.75$3.65$3.50$3.40$3.25 Options and Adders Ground-mounts: +$0.60/Watt Made in USA PV: + $0.15/W High efficiency PV (SunPower): +$1/W Loans: 5 to 20 year terms Rates: 3.5 to 6.5% Lease: 20 year. All maintenance covered, performance guarantee, transferable Southern Tier Solar Works

Southerntiersolarworks.org 4.5 kW on Gay’s south roof PV on ETM Shop Dr. Gay E. Canough, President and founder ETM Solar Works 300 North St. Endicott, NY : 26 th year in business ABOUT

Southerntiersolarworks.org So, for example… If you want a 7 kilowatt system (28 Trina 250 Modules) You sign up first at 3.75/watt $26250 Cost at $3.75/W = $3.75 x 7000 W -$7000 NYSERDA incentive ($1/W) $19250 Amount to pay or finance -$5775 Federal Tax Credit (30%) -$4812 State Tax Credit (25% $8663 Net Cost to you Ask a tax professional or your accountant to make sure you qualify for the tax credits.

Southerntiersolarworks.org Financing Options 1.Loans up to 20 years a)Banks b)NYSERDA 1.20 year lease a)SunPower

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Leasing Even if you cannot take the federal tax credit, you still get its effective value We do all the system maintenance The system performance is guaranteed If you sell your house, the lease is transferable.

Southerntiersolarworks.org LEASE Example 6.87 kW (21) SunPower 327 W modules, (1)6000 W PowerOne inverter 8484 kWh per year South facing, no shade $0 down, $0 escalator: $95/month (About the same as smartphone) Be advised that SunPower PV produces 21% MORE kWhs than other types and takes up 37% LESS space!

Southerntiersolarworks.org The Process Solar Power to the People In the first 2 to 3 weeks: 1.We check your Site 2.We give you a Quote 3.We do NYSERDA paperwork Then we wait for NYSERDA grant approval (8 weeks) 1.Meanwhile, we get building permit and interconnection paperwork done 2.Installation (2-4 days) If Financing or leasing: 1.Credit check 2.Lease or loan document 3.Your first payment is not due until install is complete

Southerntiersolarworks.org Find out more about solar power at When there is a HUGE solar energy spill, we just call it a “NICE DAY”! Enjoy Growing Your Own Electricity!

Southerntiersolarworks.org The following slides are for showing if needed for Q&A

Southerntiersolarworks.org Yes, Snow shuts down your solar array (blocks light) BUT There is very little sun in the winter to miss out on. December = 5% of yearly sun January = 5% of yearly sun February = 6% of yearly sun So if you have snow sitting for 3 weeks, you are missing very little production! Stay off your roof in the winter. SNOW

Southerntiersolarworks.org 1.Local Bank a)Citizen’s bank, Energy Loan, Admirals Bank a)Terms of 5,7,10,15 or 20 years b)Rates in 6% range c)Option to refinance in 12, 18 or 24 months 3.Enerbank a)12 months same as cash for tax credits b)2.99% for 12 years for remainder 4.NYSERDA On-bill and Smart Energy loans a)Low rates, 3.5% b)Can use for energy efficiency and solar Loans

Southerntiersolarworks.org Power Purchase Agreement In a PPA, all you do is agree to buy the electricity for a certain length of time at a certain rate. This is ideal for commercial and municipal systems. The third-party system owner (usually a team made of the solar company and the financing company) does the following: 1.Installs the system 2.Obtains long-term financing 3.Does all the maintenance 4.Takes the tax credits 5.Gets grant money if available to reduce kWh rate 6.Sells you kWhs at a rate less than you are paying now For a system less than 200 kW, we are partnering with RER. They offer a community-financed PPA, which leads to a smaller kWh cost to the end user and investment returns go back to the local economy because the investors or banks are HERE.

Southerntiersolarworks.org External heat exchanger Closed-loop solar hot water heating

Southerntiersolarworks.org Flat-plate solar hot water collectors 4 ’ x 8 ’

Southerntiersolarworks.org 42 P-type: 1) Boron dopant 2) About 250 microns thick N-type: Phosphorous dopant About 0.3 microns thick Photovoltaics (PV): The Mighty Solar cell Photo Light Voltaic Electricity

Southerntiersolarworks.org Solar cells are made into PV modules… 43

Southerntiersolarworks.org Solar Energy Systems are… 44 Pole-Top Solar Deck

Southerntiersolarworks.org Commercial… 45 Guilderland School 50 kW Westport Water Treatment 20 kW

Southerntiersolarworks.org 46 Commercial Residential $4 to $6/Watt $2 to $4/Watt $7/Watt (OMG!)

Southerntiersolarworks.org BE ADVISED THAT: Ground-mounts are more expensive than roof-mounts If NYSERDA incentives go down, the end cost to you goes up. Systems larger than 10 kW may be less than $3.25/W Financing and leasing adds finance charges. Tax credits depend upon after-NYSERDA and after STSW rebate cost AND your tax situation. We do incentive paperwork, permit paperwork, utility paperwork and help you get financing that works best for you!