Solar Thermal Community Action

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics CanSIA Community Action Manual Content & Purpose  Available through CanSIA  Electronic Copies can be freely distributed; will be available at IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Uses of Solar Thermal Residential  DHW (Domestic Hot Water)  ISP (Indoor Swimming Pool)  OSP (Outdoor Swimming Pool)  VAH (Ventilation Air Heating) Commercial  CHW (Commercial Hot Water)  ISP  OSP  VAH  Water Purification  Crop Drying  Electricity Generation IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics A Typical Closed-Loop Glycol System Separate manufacturer’s systems will vary DHW is by far the best choice economically in Canada. IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Solar Thermal In Canada Installed Capacity  Canada has a large installed capacity of Unglazed Flat-Plate collectors, for OSP heating  2004: Canadian installed capacity was 75MW th of generation, compared to MW of PV IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Solar Thermal In Canada Best choices economically for ST Systems Residential DHW is the industry- accepted standard. Most common is the Glazed Flat-Plate collector  These can be used both with water (drain-back) or with glycol (pressurized closed-loop) IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Glazed Flat-Plate Collector

Solar Thermal In Canada Best choices economically for ST Systems Commercial There are two applications accepted as having the best economic returns: CHW, and VAH IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Unglazed Perforated Flat-Plate VAH System

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Solar Resource Assessment IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Solar Resource Assessment Site Assessment: General to ST & PV Number of Considerations consistent with assessing a potential PV site  Direction & Angle to Sun  Load Factor  Age of Roof  Potential Winter or Future Shadowing/Blocking  Geographic Solar Radiation Supply IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Solar Resource Assessment Site Assessment: Solar Thermal Specific  Structure’s plumbing and electrical state  Plumbing Installation may require a Plumbing Contractors Licence  Fairly relaxed regulations and requirements  Toronto: plumbing permits or certain structural permits are required for some commercial applications only IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Community Power & Ownership Structure Community Power Community Power:  A type of project ownership  residents of a community with a similar goal pool their investment into a single or multiple renewable energy generation projects. IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Community Power & Ownership Structure Ownership Structure: Two Models IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Community Bulk Purchase Organization Co-operative or Local Project Funding Mechanism Single, Remotely Sited Installation Neighbourhood residents pool investment and resources to achieve cost savings Result is either a number of individual installations, or a single project funded by pooled investment INDIVIDUALS PROJECTS

Community Power & Ownership Structure Ownership Structure: Co-operative Models Local residents fund a project for a community centre Used for heating water for showering, laundry and ISP Heat energy metered, payment made to co- operative (system owners) IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Solar Thermal System (installed on community center, owned by co-op) Community Center Co-operative (Community Residents) ENERGY PAYMENT Model 1

Community Power & Ownership Structure Ownership Structure: Co-operative Models Remotely sited field used for district heating Each home is metered and payment is made to the co-operative Profits are returned to residents IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Solar Thermal Field (Sited remotely, owned by residents) Community Residents (Co-operative Members) ENERGYPAYMENT Drake Landing, AB. District Heating Community Model 2

Community Power & Ownership Structure Ownership Structure: Co-operative Models Primary Purpose: operate under the Standard Offer Program Only one organization attempting to form under this model: SolarShare IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Solar Thermal Field (remotely sited, owned by co-op) Provincial Energy Grid Co-operative (Community Residents) ENERGY PAYMENT Other Energy Consumers ENERGY Provincial Government (through Standard Offer Program) PAYMENT Model 3

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Cost of Solar Thermal Systems The Cost of an Individual 4.2kW th System IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Cost of Solar Thermal Systems The Cost of 50 Identical Systems (210 kW th ) IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Cost of Solar Thermal Systems The Cost of a Remotely Sited 210kW th Field IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

Installers & the RFP/RFQ Process Installers List of CanSIA recognized installers and system manufacturers can be found on the CanSIA website: IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Installers & the RFP/RFQ Process RFP/RFQ Process Request for Proposal  Request for a bid on a specific system  Bids are legal offers  Decision committee must select one Better price achieved from quantity discount Request for Quote  Request for a bid for a specific application  Bids are not legal offers  Homeowners will select their own winning bid Greater flexibility to individual homeowners IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

Agenda Introduction & Solar Thermal Basics Solar Thermal in Canada Solar Resource Assessment Community Power & Ownership Structure Costs of Solar Thermal Systems Manufacturers / Installers & RFP Process Future of Solar Thermal Policy

The Future of Solar Thermal Policy Two Methods of Categorizing ST ConservationGeneration IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

The Future of Solar Thermal Policy Conservation v. Generation “Solar Thermal reduces the demand for energy”… “Solar Thermal generates energy that directly replaces electricity” IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada

The Future of Solar Thermal Policy The Policy of Energy Conservation Conservation-based policy is almost always a subsidy (percentage of capital cost)  New federal program ecoENERGY takes this approach  Still trying to determine whether this is the best strategy; how to administer; eligibility requirements Advantages  Subsidies reduce the capital cost obligation. Capital cost Intensity is commonly a barrier to acceptance IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Disadvantages  Subsidies provide no lasting incentive to maintain the system in order to produce at peak capacity

The Future of Solar Thermal Policy The Policy of Energy Generation IntroductionResourceOwnershipCostInstallers & RFPFutureIn Canada Generation-based policy is typically a Power Production Incentive (PPI)  Ontario Standard Offer Program takes this approach  Currently the SOP incorporates wind, bio-mass, small hydro and solar PV, but does not include Solar Thermal Advantages  There is an incentive to ensure peak energy production, and to extend project life as long as possible Disadvantages  There is no federally recognized metering  Continued cost of project operation, administration, etc.

Conclusion Solar Thermal industry is growing rapidly in Canada  Need for a centralized information sharing network for communities  CanSIA is developing a number of tools for Solar Thermal project organizers  Keep posted on the NRCan website for Federal and Provincial funding updates, and the OPA’s website for changes to the SOP

Conclusion Question & Comments