LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative members who installed their own photovoltaic systems piloted the utility to lead the nation in solar watts per customer (47.1) in 2008, and cumulative solar watts per customer (70.6) through the same year. That’s
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative members who installed their own photovoltaic systems piloted the utility to lead the nation in solar watts per customer (47.1) in 2008, and cumulative solar watts per customer (70.6) through the same year.
That’s according to the 2008 Top Ten Utility Solar Integration Rankings, published in May by the Solar Electric Power Association, for the customer side of the electric meter or member-installed solar systems designed to generate electricity.
KIUC also ranked second nationally in terms of PV systems installed by consumers in 2008, with the 2008 total solar watts per customer figure being second in the nation for either side of the electric meter, behind only the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s 2,696.3.
In the public power utilities category, KIUC was again second in the nation only to San Francisco in the category of solar watts per customer, and third behind San Francisco and Oakland, Calif. in the cumulative category.
Randy Hee, KIUC president, told members of the KIUC board of directors, staff and members at last week’s board meeting that KIUC’s members have the highest number of consumer-installed solar systems in the nation, per kilowatt-hour.
Generous federal and state tax credits help most members pay for up to 65 percent of the cost of systems, which can run in the neighborhood of $40,000 but can reduce a member’s monthly electric bill to near $0 because they generate electricity the members would otherwise have to buy from KIUC.
Systems are being installed by members, and contractors say KIUC is easier to work with than some other electrical utilities, Hee said.
“Something is working in that area. … And it’s not something that we do alone. It’s actually customer-connected solar, so it takes effort from members,” Hee said. “On our side, it’s us enabling that interconnection.
“This is the second year in a row (for the high ranking), so we’re pretty pleased with the progress in that area,” Hee said.
“Solar’s a tough deal to put in ourselves because we can’t take advantage of the tax credits (as a nonprofit, member-owned cooperative), so for us it’s mostly trying to enable others to get it in,” he said.
“It’s difficult for us to get it done. We try to make interconnection agreements easy and fair to members,” said Hee.
Not all members are in financial positions to take advantage of the government tax credits. “You’ve gotta be able to take advantage of the tax situation,” to make installing PV cost-effective, he said.
According to the SEPA 2008 report press release, renewable portfolio standards, impending carbon policy, and fluctuating costs of power generation and fuel resources top the list of drivers towards improved utility perception of solar electric options.
“Residential and commercial photovoltaic projects will continue to be important stimulants for job creation and small-business growth, but they will be complemented by large-scale photovoltaic and concentrating solar power projects,” said Mike Taylor, SEPA director of research and education.
“The variety of ways solar power is being implemented signals an increased maturity in the market,” Taylor said.
SEPA is comprised of over 550 utilities and solar industry members. From national events to one-on-one counseling, SEPA is a resource for unbiased and actionable solar intelligence, according to the release.
SEPA can help people take time and risk out of implementing solar business plans, the release states.
The SEPA Web site is www.solarelectricpower.org.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com
