Posts Tagged ‘MA SRECs’

Solar Capacity in the SREC States – February 2011

Posted March 2nd, 2011 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade SREC Markets Report: February 2011

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

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PJM Eligible Systems

As of the end of February, there were 12,995 solar PV (12,747) and solar thermal (248) systems registered and eligible to create SRECs in the PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System registry. Of these eligible systems, 43 (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 February 18, 2011, there were 220 MA DOER qualified solar projects; 204 operational and 16 not operational. Of these qualified systems, 10 (4.5%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 3 are between 1.5 and 2 MW. Only one of the projects greater than 1 MW is 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 date noted.

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Solar Capacity in the SREC States – January 2011

Posted February 2nd, 2011 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade SREC Markets Report: January 2011

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

SREC Supply January 2011

PJM Eligible Systems

As of the end of January, there were 12,240 solar PV (12,001) and solar thermal (239) systems registered and eligible to create SRECs in the PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System registry. Of these eligible systems, 38 (0.3%) 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 January 10, 2011, there were 206 MA DOER qualified solar projects; 183 operational and 23 not operational. Of these qualified systems, 9 (4.4%) have a nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt or greater, of which only 2 are between 1.5 and 2 MW. None 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 date noted.

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First Massachusetts SRECs created!

Posted July 21st, 2010 by SRECTrade.

The first set of SRECs eligible for the Massachusetts solar carve-out were created in the SRECTrade aggregation on July 15, 2010. These SRECs represent Q1 2010 generation and over 50% of the total share of SRECs created in NEPOOL GIS for Q1 2010 can be attributed to customers of SRECTrade.  With partners like SunBug Solar, Alteris Renewables, Sunlight Solar, My Generation Energy and more, the SRECTrade marketplace is quickly becoming the platform of  choice for installers searching for an efficient, transparent and cost-effective way to serve the SREC needs of their clients.

One key benefit of SRECTrade’s aggregation is that the customer owns and controls their SRECs until sold to a buyer in the auctions or the forwards market.  Each SREC created in the SRECTrade aggregation is attributed to a single facility. Other aggregations may require a contract that does not allow for flexibility because the generation from multiple facilities is lumped together to create a single SREC.  You don’t have your own SRECs, but your electricity gets counted toward a portion of the aggregate’s SRECs.  With SRECTrade’s aggregation, you own your SRECs until you tell us what to do with them. Our goal is to provide the most effective platform in Massachusetts along with the best customer service in the business.

Now that Q1 2010 SRECs are created, SRECTrade will close the first MA SREC auction on August 6, 2010. Auctions will be available monthly, but since SRECs are generated quarterly, the first auction after quarter-end will always have the most volume.  Q2 2010 SRECs will be available on October 15, 2010 and available starting with the November auction.

Massachusetts DOER Raises Solar Requirement for 2011

Posted June 17th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

The Massachusetts DOER made its final changes pertaining to the implementation of the solar carve-out program in the state’s RPS class I revised regulation. Most noteworthy of the changes, the DOER increased the solar requirement for the 2011 energy year to 69MW, or a total of 78,577 MWh. The increase in the solar requirement is a welcome development for SREC markets in Massachusetts, coming on the heels of the TransCanada legislation, which reduced the solar requirement for Massachusetts (more information on the TransCanada legislation here). This is a good indication that the state has levers it can pull to ensure the state supports a thriving SREC market, providing the market with some stability.

This should serve to counterbalance the change prompted by the TransCanada settlement that exempts certain buyers from the solar carve-out.

To see the all the changes made to the legislation see the RPS Class I Revised Regulation with Tracked Changes.


Massachusetts SRECs 101

Posted June 8th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

What is an SREC? Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) are created for every megawatt hour of electricity produced by solar generators. A 10 kW system produces about 12 SRECs a year. SRECS are sold separately from electricity, and the solar power generated does not need to be used for the SREC to be created.

Who buys SRECs? Electricity suppliers must buy SRECs to meet the Massachusetts RPS requirement. Threatened by a Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP) of $600 per megawatt hour if they do not comply, these companies will pay up to this price for SRECs.

How do I sell SRECs? Since individual solar owners do not produce enough SRECs to sell direct to buyers, an intermediary mechanism must exist. SRECTrade created the SREC auctions to connect sellers directly to the buyers in the market in a simple, efficient and effective way. The closing price of each auction represents the fair market price based on supply and demand.

Massachusetts SREC Pricing: State has set up a controlled market for SRECs that creates a price range of $300-$600 per SREC. There are several levers available to the state to ensure that pricing stays within this range.  First, the electricity suppliers who fall short of their SREC requirements must pay a fine of $600 per SREC. This sets a ceiling price of $600. In years where there is an SREC shortage, pricing will be close to $600. If there is an oversupply of SRECs, then market prices will be at or near $300. The state ensures this floor price by having a last chance fixed-price auction at the end of the year. Buyers can bid to purchase the SRECs that are available at $300 per SREC. If there are still unsold SRECs remaining after this auction, the state will adjust the capacity requirements for the following year to compensate for this surplus and allow increase the life of the unsold SRECs from 2-years to 3-years. This will ensure a stable SREC price and give solar owners an assurance that prices will be above $300.

Massachusetts Solar Requirement: The state has set the requirement for the SREC program at 30 megawatts of solar in 2010. That is the equivalent of approximately 36,000 SRECs that need to be produced and purchased by suppliers in 2010.

Massachusetts SREC Program Logistics

  1. SRECTrade will submit PV project application to the DOER. Once this application is approved, their solar facility will be added to the NEPOOL GIS tracking platform, where SRECs will be created and transacted.
  2. Solar electricity generation is reported to the Production Tracking System (PTS).
  3. SRECs are generated quarterly in NE-GIS and are then posted in the SREC auctions.
  4. The state has committed to the program for 10 years. Each SREC is valid for 2 years, so an SREC created in 2010 can also be sold in 2011.

SRECTrade Aggregation Logistics

  1. Fill out the forms to enroll in EasyREC
  2. SRECTrade will submit your application to the DOER for approval and set up your SREC account – this takes a few weeks
  3. Once set up, SRECTrade will collect your readings at the beginning of each month using an online form or internet-enabled inverter
  4. SRECs are generated quarterly by NE-GIS
  5. SRECTrade hosts monthly auctions on the first Friday of each month. You will be notified of the result after each auction. Possible results include:
    1. Successful: X SRECs sold at Y Price
    2. Unsuccessful: Y Price was below minimum, X SRECs not sold
    3. No SRECs: None were available in this auction
  6. If successful, payments will be delivered by the end of the month via direct deposit or mailed check. If unsuccessful SRECs are carried forward to next auction

EasyREC customers own their SRECs until sold in auction or contracted in the Forwards Exchange.

For More Information: http://www.srectrade.com/massachusetts_srec.php