Posts Tagged ‘SRECs’

Texas SREC market may develop in 2011

Posted April 7th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

The current Texas REC market is a generic renewable energy market meaning that there is no difference between wind, solar and any other type of REC.  However, the state is currently considering breaking RECs up into three categories: solar, wind and other.  The program is run by the Texas ISO, ERCOT. Currently the ACP in Texas is $50 a REC and there is a large oversupply of RECs in the market – so values are significantly depressed.  However, RECs are good for 3 years so they may be sold in the future.

A Pending Texas SREC Market
If the proposed rule changes are accepted by the Texas Public Utilities Commission, the SREC market in Texas will begin in January 2011.  As of this post, the projected target for solar will be 50 MW with an ACP of $100.  As the rules are finalized, both the target and the ACP may be increased.

Interstate REC Trading
Texas will only count in-state RECs for the Texas renewable portfolio standard, however if you want to apply your RECs to other state compliance requirements, you must retire them in the ERCOT system and note what state or program they are being retired in – assuming that the administrator of the program will accept your RECs from ERCOT.  The tracking technology ERCOT developed with APX is similar to that now used by other platforms.

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Brad Bowery to speak at ASES National Solar Conference

Posted April 1st, 2010 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade CEO Brad Bowery will be speaking at the 39th ASES National Solar Conference May 17-22 in Phoenix, AZ. The National Solar Conference hosted by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is America’s longest-running and leading conference on the emerging trends, technology, and opportunities shaping the new energy economy. Featured keynote speakers include Earth Day Founder Denis Hayes, Executive Director of the Bullitt Foundation, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute and Catherine Zoi of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wednesday, May 19
4:00 to 5:30pm
Solar Renewable Energy Certificate Markets: Status and Emerging Issues
Moderated by: Lori Bird, NREL
This session will explore the status of solar renewable energy certificate (SREC) markets in the U.S. and emerging issues. It will cover the status of both compliance markets for SRECs that have emerged as a result of solar set asides in state renewable energy standards as well as voluntary markets for SRECs. This session will cover issues such as the integration of a potential federal solar REC market into existing markets, best practices in tracking and verifying SRECs for RPS compliance, as well as SREC trading and aggregation.
Presentations Include:
Industry Perspective on U.S. SREC Markets
Fred Zalcman, SunEdison
NJ SREC Program Status
Mike Winka, NJ BPU
Status of Solar Energy Set Asides in State RPS Programs
Charlie Kubert, Clean Energy Group
Verification and Tracking of RECs: Issues and Challenges
Steve Wiese, Clean Energy Associates
Trading in the SREC Markets
Brad Bowery, SRECTrade

As CEO of InClime, LLC, Brad Bowery has taken SRECTrade from a website and a concept to one of the most influential businesses in the growing SREC market. He successfully established the online auction in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and DC, and has laid the groundwork for implementations in Ohio, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Brad also developed and implemented SRECTrade’s installer program, establishing relationships with installers and project developers throughout the region and creating the foundation for the firm’s growth. In his role, he is in regular contact with stakeholders in the various state SREC programs, is heavily involved in the day-to-day developments of the market, and oversees one of the most comprehensive blogs on the SREC markets

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in Phoenix, AZ


California SRECs (TRECs) coming soon!

Posted March 12th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

The California TREC market is here!

Yesterday California passed legislation to allow for a Tradable Renewable Energy Credit (TREC) market. This essentially means that utilities in California can now buy SRECs unbundled from the electricity. Prior to this ruling, any SRECs used to comply with the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard had to be purchased with the electricity itself, i.e. the SRECs had to be bundled with the electricity and sold to the utility together.  The reason behind this ruling is that the utilities are not able to meet the growing requirement from projects sited within their territories and this new rule allows them to get credit for renewable energy produced elsewhere by purchasing the SRECs (or TRECs as the state calls them) from generators outside their territories.  The Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) will start at $50, creating a cap, but that cap and other restrictions around the use of RECs is planned to be lifted after 2011 after the state has had time to get more comfortable with the program.  In the early stages, this means that TREC values will be significantly lower than values in other states where the Solar ACP (SACP) is anywhere from $250-$700. Currently TRECs include all forms of Renewable Energy, however, it is unclear if there will be a market in the future that places a distinction on Solar RECs, SRECs in the California market place. With this legislation, SRECs carry the same value as any other RECs.

We see this being an important opportunity for generators outside California who are now able to help the state meet its renewable energy goals by purchasing RECs. The RECs must be registered in WREGIS in order to be eligible.  SRECTrade will have more information regarding the online market place for California TRECs soon.


New to Solar?

Posted February 15th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

We realize that many visitors of our site are learning about solar for the first time, so we thought we would put up this post by way of an introduction and some guidance on how to navigate our site. A growing number of states are implementing SREC programs. If you are new to solar, here is what you need to know:

1. Understand SRECs: For a deeper understanding of what SRECs are and how the programs work, visit our SREC Program page.

2. Find out where you are eligible to sell your SRECs: Your state may or may not have a program, however your ability to sell your SRECs into other states could have a significant impact on the value of your SRECs. You may be eligible to get your system certified in many state programs, regardless of if your state has one or not. Everyone should check our Cross-Listing post to see the states in which they may be eligible for certification.

3. Get your system installed: SRECTrade works with several installation companies. In addition, you should be able to sign up for the EasyREC service through your installer. If they do not offer the service, then feel free to contact us directly.

4. Enroll with SRECTrade: SRECTrade provides two options. If you sign up for the EasyREC service, we handle everything else including submitting your state certification applications, creating your SREC tracking account and automating the sale of your SRECs in our auction.

If you do not sign up for EasyREC, here are the additional steps:

4a. Get your system certified by your state: Once the system is installed, it is now ready to be certified by your state and any other states in which you are eligible. You can find out more on where you are eligible and how to apply on the Cross-Listing page. Every state handles this process differently, but we recommend beginning the application as soon as possible, before your installation is complete.

4b. Set up your SREC tracking account: Every state or region will use a different system for creating and tracking the SRECs. The Mid-Atlantic states use GATS, North Carolina uses NC-RETS, Massachusetts uses NE-GIS. If you opt to manage your own SRECs, you will need to have a tracking account with one of these registries. Once you have SRECs in that account, you can then post them in our auction.

4c. Create an account online with SRECTrade: This is the simplest step of all. Complete the online form to create your account and when your SRECs are available in your tracking account, log into your SRECTrade account, select the “Orders” link and place an offer to sell your SRECs.

5. Understand the timing: After you initially sign up, it will take a few months before you begin receiving payments. For example, if your system goes online on January 1st, your January generation will be recorded on February 1st. Your first SREC(s) will be actually credited to your account on March 1st. They would then be sold in the March auction, so your first payment would come in late March. After that, payments will come as SRECs are generated. Also note: some systems operate on a quarterly basis, rather than monthly.

As these processes are refined, we will continue to update this post. Please feel free to contact us any time at 877-466-4606 if you have any questions.

DC State Eligibility Criteria

Posted January 25th, 2010 by SRECTrade.

The District of Columbia is one of the states that will allow its electricity suppliers to procure SRECs from out-of-state solar generating facilities. There are no defined boundaries for what states may qualify for certification in the DC SREC market. According to information received by SRECTrade, the DC PSC will approve SRECs for states in the PJM region and states adjacent per the following guidelines:

The DC Public Service Commission is responsible for approving applications to the DC SREC market.  Their rule of thumb is that if your state has an RPS similar to DC you are guaranteed certification in DC. Currently those states include Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Ohio.

Solar facilities built in all other PJM area states AND adjacent states are reviewed closely and the DC PSC will determine if they can be granted certification. Currently, they have not declined a registration from any of those states because of location. Based on the map of the PJM region, these states include: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Here is a link to get you started:

DC Certification Instructions

Qualifying for the Ohio SREC market

Posted December 16th, 2009 by SRECTrade.

This is the first year that the Ohio RPS has come into effect and we expect Ohio to be one of the best market for SRECs over the next few years.  With an established SACP starting at $450 this year, a large electricity market, and a growing solar requirement, we expect Ohio to surpass Pennsylvania and many of the other SREC states in volume.  For that reason, we recommend registering in Ohio if you are from Ohio and any of its neighboring states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan.  For Pennsylvania residents, the early months of the Pennsylvania auctions brought a price of $290-$300, but your PA SRECs could be worth up to 30% more in the Ohio market.  To find out more about the Ohio SREC program follow this link.

Registering in Ohio

Utilities in Ohio are allowed to procure 50% of the SRECs from out of state facilities. However, these states must be contiguous with Ohio (PA, MI, IN, KY, WV). Instructions and forms required for Ohio certification can be found here: Application for Certification as an Ohio Renewable Energy Resource Generating Facility

Contact:
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
Email: AEPS@puc.state.oh.us
Toll-Free: (800) 686-PUCO (7826)
Phone: (614) 466-3292 (in Columbus area)
Fax: (614) 752-8351
180 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Directions to the PUCO

Delaware solar owners can register out of state

Posted July 9th, 2009 by SRECTrade.

One of our customers recently confirmed that any solar generator in Delaware is eligible to certify their system out of state.  Therefore, if you are a solar generator in the state of Delaware, you should see our blog on Cross-Listing to find out where you may be eligible and how to get started in each state.

New State Auctions for SRECs

Posted June 18th, 2009 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade Expands!
We are pleased to announced that SRECTrade will now be available for the rest of the PJM Regional Transmission Organization.  In addition to New Jersey, seven new markets have been added: DC, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.  Over the next few weeks, we will be putting up information on the SREC Programs in these states.

Cross-listing your SRECs
While not every state has an RPS with a solar carve-out, homeowners may find themselves eligible to generate and sell their SRECs in other states.  We’ll be working out the details of what is eligible and where.  However, as far as our auctions go, it will be pretty simple.  If you want us to sell your SRECs in any eligible state, simply check the Cross-List option.  We will then include it in every state auction in which it would be eligible and it will only sell in the auction with the highest price.  If you do not want to Cross-List your SRECs and prefer to sell them in your home state, just uncheck this option and we’ll only include your listing in your home state’s auction.

Next Auction
Our next auction closes on July 10th.  If you have SRECs in any of the states listed above, we invite you to join us as we embark on this journey across the PJM region!