Renewable Power & Smart Grid Community Partnership Gary Nystedt Resource Manager City of Ellensburg 3:15 3:45 pm
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park
Ellensburg
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Electricity City of Ellensburg (approx 8500 utility customers ) Annual Usage - 185 million kwh $11.7 million Natural Gas Annual Usage - 9 million therms $9.5 million
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park 1980-present Ellensburg s Conservation /Renewable Programs $16 million in conservation project 2004 - present Community Solar Project Small Wind Turbines - 111 KW - 17.6 KW
Ellensburg s Community Renewable Park Electricity City of Ellensburg (approx. 8500 utility customers ) Annual Usage - 185 million kwh $11.7 million Natural Gas the sun Annual Usage - 9 million therms $ 9.5 million Ellensburg s most abundant energy resource
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park 2004 Northwest Solar Summit identified solar barriers impacting the installation of solar systems
High Initial Cost $25-35,000
Aesthetic Concerns
Lack of Qualified Local Installers
South Facing Roof Orientation )
Shading (Solar Access)
Non - Homeowners
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Key Elements overcomes many of the solar barriers new and innovative funding approach valuable educational tool distributed energy resource keeps utility dollars in the community link to local economic development benefits to the local utility encourages other communities
Solar Gardens Institute
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Key Players Utility Director City Council WSU / Northwest Solar Center Bonneville Environmental Foundation Central Washington University Bonneville Power Administration Senator Rockefeller/Joe & Tammy Deets / Bainbridge NWSEED WA Department of Ecology Utility Customers Battelle
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park A New Marketing & Financing Concept Introduced People in the Community partner with the Utility to help fund the project In exchange for their financial support the Utility gives the Contributors a credit on their utility bill for the value of the electricity produced by the solar system
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park if a customer contributes the customer receives 3% 3 % of the project funding kwhs produced by the solar project in the form of a solar credit on their utility bill The solar credit is given to the customer for 20 years (the length of the warrantee on the solar panels )
contribution for a community solar system $250 to $15,000
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Pledge Brochure
High Visibility Site
Ellensburg Solar Community Project 2004 solar concept Local citizens partnering with the City for clean renewable energy options
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Strong Educational Component CWU - Industrial Engineering Technology Department - Geography Department - Education - Faculties Management Ellensburg Public School District National Solar Tour
Phase I November 2006 36 KW System (120 ) 300 watt polycrystalline modules Phase ll November 2008 21 KW System (72 ) 300 watt polycrystalline modules Phase III September 2009 13.5 KW System (180) 75 watt thin film modules
the wind Ellensburg s 2 nd most abundant energy resource
Skystream 2.4 KW
2.4 KW
Energy Ball 2.5 KW
Honeywell 1.5 KW
10 KW
4KW
5.o KW
Tangarie 10KW
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Challenges Buy-in from the Utility & City Council City Statutes & Regulations (RCWs) New Concept vs Existing Programs & Funding ROI Solar Legislation
Ellensburg Community Renewable Park Renewable Power & Smart Grid Community Partnership Distributed Energy Resources Keep Utility Dollars in the Community Produce Local Jobs Reduce Demand on Regional Transmission Systems Clean Energy Resource Require Significant Public Education Enables Everyone to Participate at Some Level