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| Pasadena Solar Initiative |
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PSI Rebate Amounts |
Rebate Application Overview
| Application
Process | Application
With that goal in mind, PWP now offers solar rebates to all customers. We will also reimburse permit fees paid to the Department of Planning and Development associated with residential installations. And now, new federal incentives signed into law on Oct. 3, 2008 make solar even more affordable...
PSI Rebate Amounts |
Rebate Application Overview
| Application
Process | Application
Pasadena Solar Initiative Program (effective January 1, 2009)
PSI Rebate Application Overview 1. Find an installer for your solar system 2. Determine your energy needs and appropriate size of PV system 3. Installer registers with PWP - Call (626) 744-6970 4. Submit PSI on-line application 5. Mail supporting documents to PWP 6. Obtain PSI application approval from PWP to reserve rebate 7. Obtain building permit from Planning & Development 8. Customer installs solar PV system 9. Solar system inspection by Planning & Development 10. Submit Incentive Claim Form 11. Electrical inspection and interconnection clearance from PWP 12. Receive rebate check
FOR SELF-INSTALLATIONS, CALL THE ANSWERLINE (626) 744-6970
Additional PSI Program Information
California Senate Bill 1399: Notifying Your Neighbors Before You Install Solar
FOR SELF-INSTALLATIONS, CALL THE ANSWERLINE (626) 744-6970
Pasadena Clean Power EstimatorThe Pasadena Clean Power Estimator is an online tool designed to help you determine the estimated AC capacity and energy output of your PV system (based on type and angle of PV panels, inverter type, and shading). Based on your input, it will also calculate your estimated energy cost savings and the estimated rebate amount you could receive from the Pasadena Solar Initiative. Calculate your savings now...
Pasadena Solar Initiative Workshops PWP hosts several free solar workshops throughout the year just for its electric customers. Experts will be on hand to answer your questions about:
Space is limited and reservations are required. Reserve your spot today.
PSI Incentive DetailsThe PSI program offers two types of incentives: Expected Performance Based Buydown (EPBB) and Performance Based Incentives (PBI). The EPBB incentives are paid based on verified solar system characteristics such as location, system size, shading, and orientation. The PBI incentive is a flat cents-per-kWh payment for all output from a solar system over its initial 5 years of operation. Depending on the size of the solar power system you install, you could be eligible for one of two rebate incentive types:
1. Incentive rates are based on CEC-AC Watts and are expected to remain at current levels for all solar applications approved by June 30, 2009, but may be reduced at any time prior to application approval. 2. The EPBB incentive amount is calculated using Pasadena's Clean Power Estimator using a Reference System South facing, 34 degree roof pitch, and no shading. 3. Incentive rate for qualifying non-profit and government applicants (host customers). Third-Party ownership or PPAs must use commercial rate.
Expected Performance Based Buydown (EPBB)For PV systems up to 50 kW CEC-AC, customers will receive a one-time payment at the applicable EPBB rate once the installation is completed and approved as follows: EPBB Payment = System AC Rating x Design Factor x PSI Payment Rate The System AC Rating and Design Factors will be determined using Pasadena's Clean Power Estimator, which factors in system design (type and angle of panels, inverter type, and shading) to determine the estimated AC capacity and energy output.
Systems equal to or lower than 50 kW AC have the option to opt-in to the PBI payment structure. See next section for details.
Performance Based Incentive (PBI)Customers installing PV systems greater than 50 kW CEC-AC and up to 1,000 kW CEC-AC will receive with five annual PBI payments based on actual metered energy output of solar power produced during each of the first five years of operation. Once the reservation is confirmed, the incentive rate will remain fixed during the 5-year payment period. PBI Incentive Payment = Annual measured output (kWh) x PSI Payment Rate
Customers will be able to estimate their annual energy output and corresponding incentive payment amounts using Pasadena's Clean Power Estimator.
Application Process for the PSI Rebate
STEP 1 – FIND AN INSTALLER PWP strongly suggest hiring an experienced licensed solar contractor to design and install solar systems. Licensed contractors are your key to getting the most productive solar energy system for your home or business. Typically, the solar installer will apply for PSI incentives on your behalf, apply for local permits, and arrange for your system to be interconnected to your utility company’s power grid. Installers must be familiar with PWP’s rules and regulations for electrical design and installation (Regulation 21) and Distributed Generation Interconnection Requirements (Regulation 23) including metering requirements. The State of California provides a list of pre-qualified solar installers online a www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/retailers/index.html. Searching for a solar installer by zip code is the fastest way to find a solar installer closest to you, although any licensed contractor may work on your project. Solar installers typically provide free site evaluations, comprehensive quotes and payback information. While PWP does not certify or recommend PV equipment manufacturers or installers, these internet resources may help you locate potential PV installers:
FOR SELF-INSTALLATIONS, PLEASE CALL THE ANSWERLINE (626) 744-6970
STEP 2 – DETERMINE ENERGY NEEDS AND APPROPRIATE SIZE OF SOLAR SYSTEM Making your home or business energy efficient before you install solar energy is an essential first step. Energy-saving actions—such as changing incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and replacing old, inefficient appliances—are the best way to save energy and money while providing real, lasting benefits to the environment. Energy efficiency measures also help reduce the size of the solar system you need, saving you thousands of dollars in up-front installation costs. Speak to your installer to determine what kind and size of solar power system is right for you. Be sure to consider any potential reductions in your energy usage that may result from the required energy audit. Residential customers can fulfill this requirement by providing proof of completing the Home Energy Calculator.
STEP 3 – INSTALLER REGISTRATION
To participate in the Pasadena Solar Initiative (PSI) program, the installer must first request access to the online Pasadena Solar Initiative’s Online Application system from PWP. Please ask your installer to call the AnswerLine at 626-744-6970 to request access to the program. Installers need to provide name, phone number, and email address of the person who will be responsible for entering and managing applications as well as the name and address of the company. PWP provides access to PowerClerk to one (1) person per company.
STEP 4 – SUBMIT PSI APPLICATION
The solar installer must submit an online application. Click here for the PSI On-Line Application. (Program registration required before log in. Call 626-744-6970 to register.) For self-installations, please call the AnswerLine at 626-744-6970.
STEP 5 – MAIL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO PWP After completing the on-line application, print a copy of the application. The solar installer (or customer) mails the following documents for installation approval: a) Printed version of the Online PSI Application, signed by installer and customer b) Single Line Diagram. Please read carefully below: · For systems equal to or lower than 10,000 Watts AC, print a copy of the Generic PV System Electric Diagram on a 11x17 sheet of paper and complete all the required information in the drawing. For a sample of a completed form, click here. If you have trouble printing this form, please call the Answerline at 626-744-6970 and we’ll mail you a copy. · If proposed solar installation is different than the Generic PV System Electric Diagram or it has additional equipment such as batteries, please provide your own single line diagram. · For systems greater than 10,000 Watts AC, please provide two complete sets of drawings. Include all solar related drawings (structural, electric, etc.) If final drawings are not available at the time of application, submit a set of drawings providing the minimum necessary attributes of the solar PV system Design. For a list of the necessary attributes, click here.
c) Two (2) copies of the Site Drawing d) Shading Analysis Report (Solar Pathfinder or equivalent technology) Make sure the appropriate report is submitted. e) Copy of a signed contract between Customer and Installer, or a letter from the customer stating the company they selected for the project. f) Letter of approval from the Home Owners Association'f Board of Directors (if applicable.)
Mail complete application package to: Pasadena Water and Power Attention: Pasadena Solar Initiative 150 S. Los Robles Ave. Suite 200 Pasadena, CA 91101 (INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL DELAY APPROVAL.)
STEP 6 – PWP APPLICATION APPROVAL & RESERVATION Pasadena Water and Power staff will review application package and verify required documents for completeness and accuracy. PWP’ Engineering Department will evaluate application package free of charge. PWP will evaluate application package and approve or reject the installation. When the application is approved, a PWP Approval and Reservation Letter will be sent by PWP to customer. Installer will be also notified via fax or email . Installer (or customer) must bring this letter when applying for a building permit to the City’s Department of Planning and Development. Once PWP approves the application, a rebate amount will be reserved for you for a limited time. To claim your rebate, your solar installation must be completed within 9 months of the application approval for existing facilities, and within 18 months for new construction. If the application is not approved, PWP will contact installer or customer and discuss necessary corrections to the application or supporting documents. Vendors/installers who need assistance from PWP during the conceptual PV system design, must pay the Initial Review fee as specified in the “Application and Inteconnection Process’ Section of PWP’s Distributed Generation Interconnection Requirements (Regulation 23).Before the PV system is allowed to interconnect to the grid or receive any rebate, customers are required to provide two (2) signed original copies of the Interconnection Agreement and Net Metering Agreement and an Energy Efficiency Audit (see Step 10 below). Energy efficiency audits are available free of charge upon request for facilities that will host PV systems. Contact the AnswerLine at 626-744-6970 or your Account Manager to request an Energy efficiency audit.
STEP 7 – BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION A building permit from the City’s Department of Planning and Development is required before installing a solar system on your home or facility. Installer (or customer) must bring PWP’s Approval and Reservation Letter when applying for a building permit from the City’s Department of Planning and Development. Permit Center is located at 175 North Garfield Av. Pasadena, during our business hours, (Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.). For more information in how to obtain a building permit, visit the Permit Center website or call 626-744-6646
STEP 8 – SOLAR SYSTEM INSTALLATION Installers must be familiar with PWP’s rules and regulations for electrical design and installation (Regulation 21) and Distributed Generation Interconnection Requirements (Regulation 23) including metering requirements Systems must be installed in conformance with the manufacturers’ specifications and with all applicable electrical and building codes and standards. Installer will work with an electrical inspector from the City’s Department of Planning and Development to make sure the installation is in compliance with local codes.
STEP 9 – SOLAR SYSTEM INSPECTION As part of the installation process, your solar installer generally handles permits required by the city. When the solar installation is complete, a building inspector from the City’s Department of Planning and Development will verify that the system conforms to building and safety codes. After the solar system passes inspection, Building Inspector will lock the PV system in the off position.Please note the PV system will not be allowed to interconnect to the grid until PWP’s Interconnection Agreement and Net Metering Agreement is fully executed (signed) by both customer and the City of Pasadena.
STEP 10 – SUBMIT INCENTIVE CLAIM FORM After solar system has been signed off by building inspector, installer (or customer) submits the Incentive Payment Claim Form (IC) to PWP with the following supporting documents to start the solar incentive rebate process:
STEP 11 – SOLAR INTERCONNECTION CLEARANCE After all the required documents are submitted, PWP will replace old meter with a new Net-Meter and the system can be turned on. PWP requires a performance meter for solar systems larger than 10 kW-AC. Please refer to the PSI Program requirements for more information. Random inspection and testing of the system will be performed by PWP personnel to verify that the system was installed as designed and specified in the original application and the equipment functions properly. PWP will perform a Final Inspection and Commissioning to all solar systems larger than 50 Kw AC.
STEP 12 – RECEIVE REBATE CHECK Customer will receive a rebate check within 2-3 weeks after submitting all the required PSI program documents.
PSI PROGRAM REQUIREMENTSCustomers are required to obtain approval from the utility first before applying for a building permit for a solar installation. After application is approved by PWP, funds will be automatically reserved for the solar installation for a specified period. All PV systems must meet requirements listed herein and Public Resource Code Section 25782 to qualify for the PSI.
Eligible Customers and Solar Energy Systems
Solar System Size, Location, and Ownership Requirements · Size: The solar energy system must be between 1kW and 1,000 kW CEC-AC and intended primarily to offset part or all of the Customer’s own electricity demand. Systems should be sized to produce no more than 100% of the Customer’s average annual energy consumption as shown on the PWP billing record for the two years previous to the issuance of the Reservation. If the customer’s account has less than two year history, the average will be calculated with available data. Applications with new or expanded sites with no electric bill history or where the existing electric bill does not reflect the customer’s expected expanded consumption, the application must include an estimate of the expected expanded consumption. An engineering estimate is preferred. The engineering estimate must include the appropriate substantiation of the forecast of the customer site’s annual energy use (in kWh) if the generating system size is based on future load growth, including new construction, load growth due to site expansion or other load growth circumstances. Suggested methods of demonstrating load growth include Application for Service with corresponding equipment schedules and single line diagram; building simulation program reports such as eQUEST, EnergyPro, DOE-2, and VisualDOE; or detailed engineering calculations or lists of equipment with corresponding equipment schedules. The PSI Program Manager will verify the load growth predicted before moving forward with the application process. Solar systems installed under previous Solar Program qualify for additional solar capacity under PSI. New application is required and current PSI requirements will apply. · Location: The PV system must be permanently installed on the same premises where the Customer’s electricity demand is located · Interconnection: The PV system must be connected to PWP’s electrical distribution grid. · Ownership: The customer may lease the PV system or purchase its output from a third-party PV system owner/operator/installer. Please see “Additional Requirements for Third Party Ownership”
Additional Requirements for Third Party Ownership (PPAs) For all customers procuring their PV system via a Power Purchasing Agreement (PPAs) by Third-Party companies, the Commercial customer PBI rate shall apply (including non-profit customers).
Interconnection to the Electric Utility Distribution System Eligible solar electric generating energy systems must be permanently interconnected to the electrical distribution grid of the utility serving the customer’s electrical load. Portable systems are not eligible. The system interconnection must comply with applicable electrical codes and utility interconnection requirements. PV systems will not be allowed to operate until PWP’s Interconnection Agreement and Net Metering Agreement is fully executed (signed) by both customer and the City of Pasadena and written notification and clearance is provided by PWP.
Solar Energy System Components and Warranty All components in the solar energy system must be new and unused and must not have been previously been placed in service in any other location or for any other application. All major solar energy system components, including PV modules, inverters, and meters must be included on the CEC’s Eligible Equipment Lists, which may be found on the CEC website. All solar energy systems must have a minimum 10-year warranty provided in combination by the manufacturer and installer to protect the purchaser against defective workmanship, system or component breakdown, or degradation in electrical output of more than fifteen percent from their originally rated electrical output during the ten-year period.
Installation The solar energy system must be installed in conformance with the manufacturer’s specifications and in compliance with all applicable electrical and building code standards. For information about PWP’s rules and regulations for electrical design and installation, please read about Regulation 21. For installations larger than 10 kW AC, rules and regulations governing Regulation 23 (Distributed Generation Interconnection Requirements) might apply. All installations require submittal of electrical drawings such as single line diagram and site plan. Refer to Step 5 of the PSI Application Process for more specific requirements. All installations are required to obtain the appropriate building permits from Department of Planning and Development located at 175 N. Garfield Ave, Pasadena CA 91101. For more information, please call at 626-744-6646 or visit the Permit Center. PSI will reimburse permit fees paid to the Department of Planning and Development for the installation of RESIDENTIAL solar systems. Reimbursement of the permit fees will be processed when installation of the system is completed as part of the rebate process. Permit fees are normally under $200.00 for residential installations.
AC Manual Disconnect All installations are required to install a manual disconnect device that has a Visible Disconnect on the AC side of the PV system. AC disconnect must be capable of being locked in the open position and directly accessible to PWP employees at all times. Disconnect must be installed in close proximity to, or no more than eight (8’) feet from the utility’s electric meter, or at the discretion of the utility. If you have questions regarding the location of the AC disconnect, call PWP’s Utility Planning at 626-744-4495.
Meter Requirements Systems larger than 10 kW AC are required to install a performance or generation meter with ± 2 percent accuracy tested according to all applicable ANSI C-12 testing protocols, and purchased from Pasadena Water and Power meter shop. A meter socket for PV performance meter is required in all installations larger than 10 kW AC. Systems equal or smaller than 10 kW AC can use the inverter’s built-in performance meter in lieu of a performance meter or install a performance meter at the customer’s option and expense. Eligible meters are listed at the California Energy Commission website listed above. For all systems receiving PBI payments, the installed meter(s) must be a separate Interval Data Recording (IDR) meter(s) or a complete system that is functionally equivalent to and IDR meter recording data no less frequently than a 15 minutes. PWP may require additional meter functionality requirements to monitor large solar systems. Meters and service panels must meet all local building and utility codes. PWP will install a bidirectional net meter before the system is connected to the grid at no cost to the customer.
Maximizing Solar Generation PSI provides financial incentives for high quality solar installations with maximum system performance during periods of peak electric demand. All solar installations are required to submit a shading analysis through the use of a solar Pathfinder (a device that calculates the sun’s path throughout the year) or any equivalent technology. For systems smaller than 10 kW AC, A shading analysis must be done for each separate solar array by placing the instrument at the center of where the array will be located and taking a reading. For systems equal to or larger than 10 KW AC, shading analysis at each corner of the array must be performed and an average result from the four readings must be submitted. It is the intent of the PSI Program to provide incentives for reliable, permanent, safe systems that are professionally installed, and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. PWP will conduct final inspection and commissioning for systems rated equal to or greater than 50 kW in order to verify that the project is installed as represented in the application, is operational, is interconnected, and conforms to the eligibility criteria of the PSI Program. PWP will perform random field inspections to verify system characteristics for EPBB systems less than 50 kW.
Energy Efficiency Audits All existing residential and commercial customers are required to have an energy efficiency audit conducted of their existing home or building before solar incentives are paid. Residential customers can fulfill this requirement by providing proof of completing the Home Energy Calculator. Residential energy efficiency audits are available from PWP at no cost. Please call the AnswerLine at 626-744-6970. Large Commercial customers must contact their PWP Account Manager to schedule an energy audit.
Payment Assignment Customer may agree to assign the PSI incentive payment a third party by completing the PSI Payment Assignment Form.
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