The Westchester Solar Initiative: Regional Collaboration to Accelerate PV Deployment

Transcription

1 The Westchester Solar Initiative: Regional Collaboration to Accelerate PV Deployment PACE LAND USE LAW CENTER: LEADING COMMUNITIES TOWARD A RESILIENT FUTURE DECEMBER 6, 2013 NINA ORVILLE ABUNDANT EFFICIENCY

2 Background: Westchester Solar Initiative (WSI) Rooted in history of innovative, sustainability-focused intermunicipal collaboration. Collaboration is designed to deliver environmental benefits plus municipal and/or community cost savings.

3 Westchester Environmental Collaboration Started 2009 to pursue stimulus funding. Multi-municipal GHG inventory and CAP, incubated EIC. Energy Improvement Corporation (EIC) funded with $2.6 million in DOE /NYSERDA funds to promote and finance energy efficiency. Began in 2010 to promote sharing of best practices and shared solutions. I provide services of ED through Abundant Efficiency LLC.

4 N/SWEAC 30 municipal members Membership still growing. Merger into Sustainable Westchester is in process. EIC includes 13 members 12 Westchester municipalities plus Orange County. NWEAC / SWEAC Sustainable Westchester

5 For more information: CRREO Discussion Brief by Herb Oringel and Leo Weigman. Fall 2013.

6 Sample Projects: LED Streetlights SHARE BEST PRACTICES PROMOTE COLLABORATION

7 Event hosted by Pace Land Use Law Center 11/7/ municipalities registered. Case studies: Eastchester Dobbs Ferry Yonkers Opportunity to benefit from others experiences and to forge ahead together.

8 Sample Projects: Complete Streets POLICY TOOLKIT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

9 NYS and now Westchester county have passed Complete Streets Acts. 5 Westchester municipalities have passed resolutions and other municipalities are reviewing. Toolkit, used as model by CT, LI, and now NYS, is designed to support adoption of municipal CS policies..

10 Westchester Solar Initiative (WSI) FOSTER GROWTH IN PV INSTALLATIONS TO: Provide energy savings to residents and business owners Generate clean energy Spur economic activity and job creation WHILE Reducing burden on permitting jurisdictions.

11 WSI: The Need Inconsistent and restrictive zoning and permitting processes create barriers and raise costs. BOS Costs / Total Price per Watt NYS PV Installations Balance of Systems Cost Total System Price YTD

12 WSI: The Need Increasing demand for permits creates municipal challenge.

13 WSI: The Basics Leverages deep relationships with Westchester municipalities and expertise of other parties to accelerate deployment of PV. EIC is prime contractor Abundant Efficiency is Project Manager. Currently negotiating contract under NYSERDA PON 2672 Balance of Systems Cost Reduction.

14 WSI: The Approach Multi-faceted approach to accelerate deployment of PV in synergistic way. Two program tracks: Solar-friendly permitting and zoning Residential and commercial market aggregation

15 WSI: Solar Friendly Permitting Partner, Croton Energy Group, will survey municipalities for current permitting and zoning practices and support municipal adoption of NYS USP. Leverage CGC Implementation Funding ($2,500 or $5,000 for those that adopt) partnering with EDGE contractor. Goal: Minimum of 30 municipalities will adopt NYS USP.

16 WSI: Solar Friendly Permitting Permitting Workshop delivered by IREC with SWEAC, NWEAC, Pace and CUNY. 20 Westchester municipalities represented. Determine baseline - none currently meet recommendations of NYS permit.

17 WSI: Solar Friendly Zoning Partner, Pace LULC, will determine common zoning barriers or procedural obstacles to roof-mounted PV using the responses from municipal surveys and provide TA to remove most common. Goal: 5-10 municipalities will remove zoning/procedural barriers.

18 WSI: Market Aggregation - Solarize Westchester Abundant Efficiency with SmartPower, Sustainable Westchester and EIC will develop and implement Solarize campaigns. Select 8 municipalities based on: solar-friendly practices drive further adoption of beneficial practices. municipal and community engagement installed solar base.

19 WSI: Market Aggregation - Solarize Westchester Solarize Westchester: Includes residential and commercial Leverages standard NYSERDA incentives and EIC PACE financing (for commercial). Drives down costs through market aggregation and by spurring solar friendly practices. Goals: 400 new PV installations with total of 2.8 MW capacity. 20% price reduction on PV installations.

20 WSI: End Goals Improve the climate for solar in Westchester by removing unnecessary barriers and growing the installed base. Build and earn Solar-Friendly Westchester reputation. Demonstrate success to support other sustainability initiatives in Westchester (and beyond). Contribute to lessons learned about effective strategies to reduce soft costs - and accelerate PV deployment - in NYS and beyond.

21 Thank You! NINA ORVILLE