GREEN PEAK SOLAR. Twin Cities Urban Solar Farm

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1 GREEN PEAK SOLAR Twin Cities Urban Solar Farm

2 Proposal To assemble a team of Local Stakeholders to support GPS s application for a $27 million Federal Loan Guaranty in support of this Nation s 1 st Urban Solar Farm.

3 Funding Opportunity U.S. Department of Energy Federal Loan Guaranty Proposal (DE-FOA )

4 Green Peak Solar has been Established to: Actually construct 3 Megawatts of Solar Peak Power in residential blocks and neighborhoods that is fully dispatchable & Smart Grid compatible * Note: There is only 1.5 megawatt of Solar Power currently installed in Minnesota

5 Rural Wind Farms We are all familiar with Rural Wind Farms Green Peak Solar s goal is to build an Urban Solar Farm

6 Green Peak s Solar Urban Solar Farm will be a Community Based Innovative and Integrated Peak Energy System Which will: Utilize local businesses Utilize local investors Generate local jobs Retain the project s economic stimulation & profits locally

7 GPS s PROJECT GUIDELINES Organize so as to comply with exemptions under state securities law Stimulate voluntary bottom up involvement Accommodate the average citizen s participation Facilitate local investment & keep profits local Create local jobs & utilize local firms and talent Maintain local control & jobs - - Long term Bring an Urban Solar Farm to Commercial Operation

8 What s so Different about this Solar Farm? It will be constructed right in the inner-city It won t be on house roofs It will be a true Cooperative Local neighborhood homeowners will be the members through Block Clubs It will be affordable for most middle class citizens Participation is completely voluntary

9 Observations from GPS s Urban Market Research Alley A Typical City Block: with roofs, roof styles, dormers, sun aspect, shading, structural (wind & weight), and building code & inspection problems

10 Observations from GPS s Urban Market Research continued Existing Power Lines Alley Therefore GPS has proposed pole mounted, grid-connected trackers along alleys right near the existing Xcel power lines in willing backyards with approved 2-7 pm solar sites.

11 High Bridge Solar Arrays

12 High Bridge Solar Arrays cont.

13 A.G.A. Medical Solar Arrays

14 A.G.A. Medical Solar Arrays cont.

15 A.G.A. Medical Solar Arrays cont.

16 General Layout i-cell battery

17 i-cell Batteries The addition of 10kW of Battery Storage quadruples the GPS Urban Solar Farm s Peak Power Surge available to the local utility during the 2-7 PM peak from 3 to 13 Megawatt hours

18 Observations from GPS s Urban Market Research continued Will need 300+ city blocks, with an average 2-3 sites per block. Uses Xcel s existing grid.

19 All 1,000 GPS Pole-Mounted Arrays will: Be a classic distributed generation facility and therefore: Require no new transmission line construction, meaning one can use the existing alley grid system Be continuously computer monitored (Smart Grid) Be remotely controllable in real time (Smart Grid) Be fully dispatchable by Xcel Energy (Smart Grid)

20 With the Above Goals in Mind: Green Peak Solar is in negotiations with Xcel Energy to enter into a 20 year Peak Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to provide 3 megawatts of clean, renewable Peak solar power for Xcel Energy s Ratepayers as efficiently as possible

21 Green Peak s Envisioned Organizational Structure XCEL Peak PPA Coordinator or wholesale Level Green Peak Solar Cooperative Provides: Mgmt, Coordination, Insurance, Maintenance, Repair, Operational Control Services Neighborhood or management Level SE Como, or U of M Alliance Central Corridor Hiawatha Corridor Future Future City Block or retail Level LLC 1 LLC 2 LLC 3 LLC 300 Individual City Blocks

22 Principles of a Cooperative Voluntary & Open Membership Democratic Member Control Member Economic Participation Autonomy & Independence Education & Training Concern for Community

23 Typical Green Peak Solar Block Club s Economics Cost per 3.2 kilowatt tracking array = $ 40K + 35% solar energy & 2-7 pm Max. Cost of 10kW of i-cell batteries = $ 20K 4x daily peak power available Total Cost = $ 60K Less: MN State & 30% Fed s rebates + deprec = $ 27K Subtotal = $ 33K Less: 10% Down payment from Blocks = $ -6K membership fees fm Block LLCs $ 27K remains to be financed

24 The GPS Solar Farm Plans to Utilize Minnesota Firms Solar Panels from 10K Solar in Bloomington i-cell batteries from Energy Harvest Group in St. Paul Inverters from Silent Power in Brainerd

25 Sources of Solar Array Borrowing MN s Microenergy Bond Program - - No successful bond sales yet MHFA has several million of unused funds - - but $ not available for equipment, & +6% Local Banks won t make this kind of loan without a Federal Loan Guaranty

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27 Therefore We Need to Assemble Federal Grant Team & Prepare Grant Submission Booklet We ll need people & idea contributions from: Central Corridor LRT Line (planners & supporters) Solar Cities Planning (organizations) Smart Grid (planners & Xcel Energy) Urban Solar Farm (Innovative Power Systems) State Incentives & Federal Stimulus Funding (support & applications)

28 Central Corridor LRT Line

29 Central Corridor LRT Line University & Dale

30 Solar Cities Planning The Twin Cities is one of the 16 U.S. metropolitan areas selected to participate in this National solar energy planning effort

31 Smart Grid Xcel Energy and the MN Legislature has selected the University Avenue Energy Innovation Corridor neighborhoods for its first Minnesota installation of a full Smart Grid pilot program

32 Urban Solar Farm Innovative Power Systems first suggested the concept of an Urban Solar Farm Xcel Energy has expressed serious interest Edina 3.8 kw Minneapolis 3.3 kw

33 State Initiatives & Federal Stimulus Funding In 2009 the MN Legislature specifically allocated $3 million of Federal Stimulus funding for Smart Grid and Solar projects within the Central Corridor The MN Office of Energy Security will award these funds to deserving projects

34 Organizing Test Market & Pilot Program In cooperation with Xcel Energy We must apply to the MN Office of Energy Security & to Xcel s CIP Fund for: - Test Market & Pilot Program Grant - $500,000 - A Revolving Loan Fund for construction costs (per array) with the Array LLC repaying their loan upon rebate reimbursement & Commercial Operation - $2.4 million

35 Next Steps Form a Local Solar Stakeholders Grant Request Support Team Brainstorm other helpful Stakeholders & team members Agree upon needed expertise, contributions, and resources

36 Questions & Suggestions for Next Steps? Suggestions at the LHP&L session included putting aside the need to find individual homeowners to host the arrays and finding agreeable business owners to host panels, particularly utilizing all the flat roofs in various business nodes across the city. A block or group of friends would be the LLC that owns the panels and receives the income from them, they would pay the business owner rent (like hosting a billboard on their business) and/or the owner could become a member of the LLC and may forgo rent to increase profits.