Posts Tagged ‘DC SRECs’

DC SREC Market Amendment – Update

Posted June 15th, 2011 by SRECTrade.

On June 7, 2011, the Council of the District of Columbia read and reviewed the latest draft of Bill 19-10, also known as the Distributed Generation Amendment Act of 2011.  For the details of the pending amendment please click here. The amendment received a substantial support from the local legislators as well as the DC solar community. The final vote after the first reading was 14-0, unanimously in favor of putting the amendment into effect.

As it currently stands, below are the key points of the amendment under consideration:

– Solar thermal system eligibility to participate in the SREC market. For more info see this post.

– Implementation of new solar capacity requirements and a new solar alternative compliance payment (SACP) schedule:

Year Current RPS Solar Requirement Proposed RPS Solar Requirement Jan-11 Proposed RPS Solar Requirement June-11 Current SACP Proposed SACP June-11
2011 0.04% 0.25% 0.40% $500 $500
2012 0.07% 0.50% 0.50% $500 $500
2013 0.10% 0.75% 0.50% $500 $500
2014 0.13% 1.00% 0.60% $500 $500
2015 0.17% 1.25% 0.70% $500 $500
2016 0.21% 1.50% 0.825% $500 $500
2017 0.25% 1.75% 0.98% $500 $350
2018 0.30% 2.00% 1.15% $500 $300
2019 0.35% 2.25% 1.35% $500 $200
2020 0.40% 2.50% 1.58% $500 $200
2021 1.85% $150
2022 2.175% $150
2023 2.50% $50

The amendment puts it place a system size cap, stating that all solar requirements be met by acquiring SRECs from systems no larger than 5 MW. Additionally, the amendment requires systems to be sited within the District. For systems located outside of the District, the amendment plans to grandfather systems smaller than 5 MW in capacity that were registered as a renewable resource with the District prior to January 31, 2011.

As mentioned in our previous blog post on this potential change to the District’s existing RPS law, this bill will take very important, concrete steps to addressing the current oversupply in the DC market.

It is still unclear how the grandfather date of 1/31/2011 will affect facilities outside the district that have been registered by the DC Public Services Commission and issued SRECs since then.

As the District is still operating under the current RPS law, out-of-state systems are still eligible to be certified for SREC generation, but it is unknown if the registration will hold value considering the implications of the amendment. The DC Council website does not currently indicate the next date for further consideration, but SRECTrade will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.

Solar Capacity in the SREC States – May 2011

Posted June 1st, 2011 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade SREC Markets Report: May 2011

The following post outlines the megawatts of solar capacity certified and/or registered to create SRECs in the SREC markets SRECTrade currently serves.

May 2011 Updated JPEG

PJM Eligible Systems

As of the end of May, there were 15,480 solar PV (15,203) and solar thermal (277) systems registered and eligible to create SRECs in the PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS) registry. Of these eligible systems, 59 (0.38%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 systems are greater than 5 MW. The largest system, currently located in New Jersey, is 18.3 MW,  and the second largest, located in Ohio is 12 MW. The third largest system, is located in IL and eligible for the MD, PA, and DC SREC markets, is 10 MW.

Massachusetts DOER Qualified Projects

As of May 6, 2011, there were 524 MA DOER qualified solar projects; 467 operational and 57 not operational. Of these qualified systems, 11 (2.1%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 are between 1.5 and 2 MW. Three of the projects greater than 1 MW are currently operational.

Capacity Summary By State

The tables above demonstrate the capacity breakout by state. Note, that for all PJM GATS registered projects, each state includes all projects certified to sell into that state. State RPS programs that allow for systems sited in other states to participate have been broken up by systems sited in state and out of state. Additional detail has been provided to demonstrate the total capacity of systems only certified for one specific state market versus being certified for multiple state markets. For example, PA includes projects only certified to sell into the PA SREC market, broken out by in state and out of state systems, as well as projects that are also certified to sell into PA and Other State markets broken out by in state and out of state systems (i.e. OH, DC, MD, DE, NJ). PA Out of State includes systems sited in states with their own state SREC market (i.e. DE) as well as systems sited in states that have no SREC market (i.e. VA). Also, it is important to note that the Current Capacity represents the total megawatts eligible to produce and sell SRECs as of the noted date, while the Estimated Required Capacity – Current and Next Reporting Year represents the estimated number of MW that need to be online on average throughout the reporting period to meet the RPS requirement within each state. For example, New Jersey needs approximately 255 MW online for the entire 2011 reporting year to meet the RPS requirement. Additionally, the data presented above does not include projects that are in the pipeline or currently going through the registration process in each state program. This data represents specifically the projects that have been approved for the corresponding state SREC markets as of the dates noted.

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Solar Capacity in the SREC States – April 2011

Posted May 4th, 2011 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade SREC Markets Report: April 2011

The following post outlines the megawatts of solar capacity certified and/or registered to create SRECs in the SREC markets SRECTrade currently serves.

GATS_MA_Generators_April_2011_v1

PJM Eligible Systems

As of the end of April, there were 14,598 solar PV (14,344) and solar thermal (254) systems registered and eligible to create SRECs in the PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS) registry. Of these eligible systems, 52 (0.36%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 systems are greater than 5 MW. The largest system, currently located in Ohio, is 12 MW,  and the second largest, located in Chicago and eligible for the PA, DC, and MD markets, is 10 MW. The third largest system, located in NJ, is 5.6 MW.

Massachusetts DOER Qualified Projects

As of April 13, 2011, there were 524 MA DOER qualified solar projects; 467 operational and 57 not operational. Of these qualified systems, 11 (2.1%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 are between 1.5 and 2 MW. Three of the projects greater than 1 MW are currently operational.

Capacity Summary By State

The tables above demonstrate the capacity breakout by state. Note, that for all PJM GATS registered projects, each state includes all projects certified to sell into that state. State RPS programs that allow for systems sited in other states to participate have been broken up by systems sited in state and out of state. Additional detail has been provided to demonstrate the total capacity of systems only certified for one specific state market versus being certified for multiple state markets. For example, PA includes projects only certified to sell into the PA SREC market, broken out by in state and out of state systems, as well as projects that are also certified to sell into PA and Other State markets broken out by in state and out of state systems (i.e. OH, DC, MD, DE, NJ). PA Out of State includes systems sited in states with their own state SREC market (i.e. DE) as well as systems sited in states that have no SREC market (i.e. VA). Also, it is important to note that the Current Capacity represents the total megawatts eligible to produce and sell SRECs as of the noted date, while the Estimated Required Capacity – Current and Next Reporting Year represents the estimated number of MW that need to be online on average throughout the reporting period to meet the RPS requirement within each state. For example, New Jersey needs approximately 255 MW online for the entire 2011 reporting year to meet the RPS requirement. Additionally, the data presented above does not include projects that are in the pipeline or currently going through the registration process in each state program. This data represents specifically the projects that have been approved for the corresponding state SREC markets as of the dates noted.

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Solar Thermal SRECs in DC – Update

Posted April 12th, 2011 by SRECTrade.

Recent legislation passed by the council of the District of Columbia now allows non-residential solar thermal systems to be registered to produce DC SRECs. Under the new legislation non-residential systems must be SRCC OG-100 certified. The legislation went into effect on March 12, 2011 and will expire on October 23, 2011. Previously the District only accepted SRECs from residential SRCC OG-300 certified solar thermal systems.

The new legislation has the following requirements for solar thermal systems:

Solar thermal non-residential systems producing or displacing more than 10,000 kW-hrs per year must be SRCC OG-100 certified and the annual energy output must be determined by an onsite OIML compliant meter.

Solar thermal non-residential systems producing or displacing 10,000 kW-hrs or less per year must be SRCC OG-100 certified and their annual energy output can be determined by the SRCC OG-300 performance rating protocol OR by an onsite OIML compliant meter.

Residential SRCC OG-300 certified solar thermal systems are not affected by this legislation and can continue to be registered in DC.

Given the current supply dynamics of the DC SREC market, this legislation will continue to provide more supply to the oversubscribed program. While SREC prices could continue to decline in the near term, it may be beneficial for solar thermal system owners, previously not eligible for the DC market, to register and receive certification as an option for potential SREC liquidity.

For an update on the current capacity certified to produce DC SRECs see the SRECTrade SREC Markets Report: March 2011.

Additionally, the Distributed Generation Amendment Act of 2011, could have a positive impact on the oversupplied DC SREC market. The legislation is still pending and details associated with the cut off date for grandfathering in out of state DC registered systems are still unknown. SRECTrade will continue to monitor this piece of legislation and provide additional information as it becomes available. For more background on the proposed amendment see these blog posts:

Could Change Be Coming to Washington DC’s SREC Market?

DC Bill Introduced to Limit Out-of-State Facilities

For information on registering a solar thermal system directly with DC Public Services Commission see this page, or consider registering through SRECTrade’s EasyREC service.

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Solar Capacity in the SREC States – March 2011

Posted April 4th, 2011 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade SREC Markets Report: March 2011

The following post outlines the megawatts of solar capacity certified and/or registered to create SRECs in the SREC markets SRECTrade currently serves.

Summary JPEG

PJM Eligible Systems

As of the end of March, there were 13,888 solar PV (13,634) and solar thermal (254) systems registered and eligible to create SRECs in the PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS) registry. Of these eligible systems, 46 (0.33%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 systems are greater than 5 MW. The largest system, currently located in Ohio, is 12 MW,  and the second largest, located in Chicago and eligible for the PA, DC, and MD markets, is 10 MW. The third largest system, located in NJ, is 5.6 MW.

Massachusetts DOER Qualified Projects

As of March 16, 2011, there were 337 MA DOER qualified solar projects; 314 operational and 23 not operational. Of these qualified systems, 11 (3.3%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 are between 1.5 and 2 MW. Two of the projects greater than 1 MW are currently operational.

Capacity Summary By State

The tables above demonstrate the capacity breakout by state. Note, that for all PJM GATS registered projects, each state includes all projects certified to sell into that state. State RPS programs that allow for systems sited in other states to participate have been broken up by systems sited in state and out of state. Additional detail has been provided to demonstrate the total capacity of systems only certified for one specific state market versus being certified for multiple state markets. For example, PA includes projects only certified to sell into the PA SREC market, broken out by in state and out of state systems, as well as projects that are also certified to sell into PA and Other State markets broken out by in state and out of state systems (i.e. OH, DC, MD, DE, NJ). PA Out of State includes systems sited in states with their own state SREC market (i.e. DE) as well as systems sited in states that have no SREC market (i.e. VA). Also, it is important to note that the Current Capacity represents the total megawatts eligible to produce and sell SRECs as of the noted date, while the Estimated Required Capacity – Current and Next Reporting Year represents the estimated number of MW that need to be online on average throughout the reporting period to meet the RPS requirement within each state. For example, New Jersey needs approximately 255 MW online for the entire 2011 reporting year to meet the RPS requirement. Additionally, the data presented above does not include projects that are in the pipeline or currently going through the registration process in each state program. This data represents specifically the projects that have been approved for the corresponding state SREC markets as of the dates noted.

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Additional Info for DC SREC registrations

Posted May 10th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

DC Eligibility
For customers looking to register systems in the DC SREC market, as we have previously stated, DC will accept applications from customers sited in the PJM regions and states adjacent to the PJM region where electricity is eligible to be transmitted into the PJM region. SRECTRADE will manage the application process for our EasyREC customers to ensure the system is approved.

DC Facility Rejections
We previously reported that a facility was rejected out of New York state and have learned that the application provided that the electricity was not capable of being transmitted into the PJM region. The DC PSC was subsequently unable to get clarification in order to approve the facility.

A second facility in New York has also been rejected because there was “no basis to conclude that the facility generates electricity consumed within the PJM Interconnection region.”  We are currently seeking clarity on how these determinations are made and will post them when we have more information.  In the meantime, here are some details:

DC rule 945-E-1764 (http://www.dcpsc.org/pdf_files/commorders/dcmr15/Chapter29.pdf) defines a renewable energy credit as “a credit representing one megawatt hour of electricity consumed within the PJM interconnection region that is derived from a tier 1 renewable source, a tier 2 renewable source, or a solar source that is located:

“In the PJM Interconnection region or in a state that is adjacent to the PJM Interconnection region.”

The same document describes New York as an “Adjacent PJM State” and the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) as an “Adjacent Control Area”.  The crux of the issue seems to be the wording “consumed within the PJM interconnection region”.  Electricity flows bidirectionally between PJM and NYISO every day, the amount varying based on supply and demand in the two ISOs.  An electron generated in NYISO clearly can’t be tracked (Heisenberg and all), so there is no way to know if a given electron generated by the grid-tied solar installation makes its way into PJM and is consumed. In fact there is no way to know if a given electron generated by any installation in any “Adjacent PJM State” makes its way to PJM and is consumed there, although it is possible that any electron generated in an adjacent PJM state will. Going even further, an electron generated by a system located in DC might actually be consumed outside PJM! As we see it, this leaves two choices on how to interpret the DC RPS rules. Either every grid tied generator in an “Adjacent PJM State” could be delivering their electrons to be consumed in PJM and therefore all are eligible to create DC renewable energy credits, or none can prove that their specific electrons where consumed in PJM and so none are eligible.

How far back will DC accept SREC generation?
We also get questions about systems that were installed prior to the application date in DC. Customers and installers will ask how far back DC will count solar generation for SRECs. DC will only count SRECs created in the current energy year (same as calendar year) as long as generation is inputted before the last business day in January. This means that, as of this blog post, any generation for a facility in 2009 will not count. Only generation from January 2010 onwards will be eligible for the creation of SRECs.

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