Spring, SRECs, and RECs

Spring is here. The crocuses are emerging, robins flit about, and solar production is sharply climbing as we enter the peak solar generation months. As with the changing of the seasons, a different transition of sorts is happening for legacy solar owners in Massachusetts as the Solar Renewable Energy Certificate program comes to an end for many in the final months of their 10-year program term, and participation in the broader Renewable Energy Certificate market for solar owners begins.

Here is a brief primer on the program transition. After SRECs, solar owners are eligible to participate in the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) program. This is part of the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) which mandates electric utilities operating in the state purchase an increasing amount of certificates from renewable energy producers (wind, solar, etc.). Production of certificates is typically reported by a solar revenue grade metering company to NEPOOL-GIS. Important note: this assumes a functioning and reporting meter, as well as having agency reporting in place. If you have been receiving payments for SRECs or RECs recently, you likely already have this in place. The RECs can then be brokered. Almost all brokers who help clients transact SRECs, also help clients transact RECs. So, this transition should go smoothly as it is in the broker’s best interest to maintain uninterrupted service.

So what are RECs worth these days? According to recent pricing from brokers, RECs are trading right around $39 per MWh (or $0.039 per kWh). So if you generate 10,000 kWh in a year you could expect about $390 in revenue, excluding broker fees.

To learn more about how Suntility can help you optimize your clean energy facility through the various transitions of solar ownership, contact Suntility through the website or by phone at 508-538-4Sun.

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, net metering credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

By Michael on March 22, 2024

Electricity Rates Are Rising Sharply This Year, Further Highlighting The Value Of Solar

Following the sharp rise in natural gas prices in 2021, electricity supply rates have climbed markedly entering 2022. Eversource’s residential electricity ‘supply’ rates, also known as ‘Basic Service’, or ‘generation’ rates, increased from $0.10753 at the end of December ’21 to $0.15764 at the beginning of January ’22. That represents a 47% increase. National Grid’s residential electricity ‘supply’ rates, also known as ‘Basic Service’, or ‘generation’ rates, increased from $0.09707 at the end of October ’21 to $0.14821 at the beginning of November ’21. This equals an increase of 53%. Higher rates from Eversource and National Grid, highlight the value of solar in both the higher producing warmer months and in winter.

A Natural Gas (Methane) Stove

Strong international demand for natural gas, and continued retirements of coal and nuclear power plants, have increased many regions reliance on the methane fuel. At the same time wind and solar capacity continues to lead new additions to the grid in the United States. For example, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that 63% of all utility-scale electric generating capacity additions in 2022 will be solar (46%) and wind (17%).

In this environment, consistent solar production only becomes more important, and more valuable. To learn more about how Suntility can work with you to optimize your clean energy facility contact Suntility through the website or by phone at 508-538-4Sun.

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, net metering credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

 

By Michael on February 15, 2022

Clean Energy Is Increasingly Central To The Nation’s Energy Mix

Once dubbed as alternative energy, solar and wind have truly gone mainstream, and are now central and growing pieces of the energy mix. 2020 only accelerated that shift. According to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. energy consumption in 2020 increased for renewables, and fell for all other energy sources. Renewables share of U.S. energy consumption also meaningfully exceeded coal and nuclear in 2020.

At a time when global temperatures are rising and the effects of climate change are disrupting tens of millions of lives; when the dangers of air pollution are becoming clearer with every new study; and when the oldest and least efficient electric power plants are rapidly retiring; clean energy is more important than ever.

Suntility’s laser focus on helping to ensure the success of clean energy projects is critical. Tailored solutions offered from dedicated monitoring; to net metering credit services; to owner’s agent services; and more; advance clean energy owners’ interests. Suntility clients know that they’re receiving expert support only from clean energy industry veterans that have worked on hundreds of clean energy projects, and have decades of experience managing utility-scale and commercial solar projects.

To learn more about how Suntility can work with you to optimize your clean energy facility contact Suntility through the website or by phone at 508-538-4Sun.

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, net metering credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

By Michael on June 4, 2021

Massachusetts Solar Savings Made Simple: Receive Net Metering Credits From A Solar Net Metering Project

Commercial electricity users in Massachusetts are constantly looking for savings, especially during these extraordinary times. The simplest method to achieve savings may be to receive net metering credits from a Solar Net Metering Project.

What is a Solar Net Metering Project? A Solar Net Metering Project is a solar installation in one location, that allocates net metering credits – energy value in the form of a bill credit – to one or multiple electricity accounts located elsewhere. An important note, the solar project and recipient electricity accounts must be in the same service area of the same electric utility.

In return for net metering credits, that offset some or all of their electric bill dollar for dollar, customers of a Solar Net Metering Project typically pay a discounted price for the net metering credits they receive. For a commercial energy user receiving net metering credits from a community-scale Solar Net Metering Project savings typically equal thousands of dollars a year – just for signing a contract. No capital investment, solar panels or maintenance required. Over the term of the agreement savings can well exceed tens of thousands of dollars.

Here are two basic examples, one where a solar project site generates electricity far in excess of what that site could use in a month. It designates to the utility to send that excess value (the net metering credits) to the electric account of a building on a separate property in the same utility territory. The credits arrive on the other building’s electric bill and offset what that building would have normally had to pay that month.Another example is where the solar array allocates net metering credits to multiple accounts monthly.Savvy energy purchasers and budget-conscious energy users across Massachusetts are benefiting from these power purchase arrangements and more stand to benefit as well. Typical customers of Solar Net Metering Projects in Massachusetts include schools, municipalities, manufacturers, and non-profits. These agreements help facilitate renewable energy in Massachusetts as well, helping to ensure the Commonwealth’s energy is from locally generated clean energy.

Are you a commercial electricity user in Massachusetts interested in learning how to save? Contact us at 508-538-4Sun or contact us through our the website here:  www.suntilityelectric.com/contact-us-today-for-a-free-consultation-or-for-more-info/

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

By Michael on June 4, 2020

Earth Day: We Don’t Have To Live With Air Pollution

This Earth Day brings special significance. We celebrate the 50th Earth Day, a milestone in itself, at a time when respiratory health has never been on the mind of more people and has never been more important to humanity.

Scientists, researchers and health professionals have long shown the detrimental effects of air pollution on respiratory health. Air pollution causes increased rates of asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), premature death, heart disease and can make coronavirus cases worse.

We don’t have to live with air pollution.

We can make choices to use clean energy for electricity and transportation. Fortunately, the costs of clean energy sources such as wind and solar have fallen dramatically over the past decade, down 34% and 76% respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). New wind and solar are now competitive with new natural gas generation (Bloomberg News). Electric vehicles are now cost competitive with the average price of a new car ($37k according to Edmunds.com), AND have lower operating costs. Solar, wind, and electric vehicles aren’t technological luxuries, they are smart financial choices and good for our health.

Here are a few ways to save money, reduce air pollution and save the planet:

  • look into getting solar with a free no-contact, or remote, solar assessment from the folks at My Generation Energy, Inc. (508-406-9133);
  • get an electric vehicle (see Drive Green from the Green Energy Consumers Alliance) or bike commute;
  • participate in your local utility’s energy efficiency program (Mass Save here in MA); and
  • compost food waste (especially if you have ‘pay-as-you-throw’ in your municipality).

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

Contact Suntility Electric LLC at 508-538-4-Sun

By Michael on April 22, 2020

The First Key To Solar Ownership Success – Dedicated Monitoring

Do you have someone professionally monitoring your clean energy system? If not, you could very easily be missing major production or communication issues. Losing just a few days worth of solar production can quickly cost commercial and utility-scale systems thousands of dollars of revenue and savings. Losing a few weeks or months of solar production for residential systems can be equally as damaging. That is revenue and savings that can be captured only if the issue is flagged and a timely response is made.

For solar, a number of issues need to be monitored including: grid disruptions; system disconnections; inverter malfunctions; communication issues; rodent intrusions and other potential issues. Many solar installations have metering or inverter equipment that can generate automated alerts for problems, however too often those alerts can be false positives and interpretation is important to identify real issues, and root causes, as well as to coordinate the appropriate response. Having a dedicated solar expert overseeing your production is absolutely critical to ensure maximum up-time and to ensure the best system results. Working with Suntility you will receive daily monitoring of your wind or solar installation to provide you with the peace of mind that your system is experiencing no major issues affecting production or communication, and if it is, then the appropriate response will be made. Furthermore, Suntility monitors your wind or solar project on holidays, vacations and weekends so that you don’t have to – after all renewable energy doesn’t take any days off. With our essential Active Remote Monitoring Services you can have confidence that Suntility is expertly monitoring your system for issues, tracking your results, and alerting you to any identified problems. Suntility actively monitors your solar array remotely so you don’t have and so you can achieve solar success.

To learn more about Suntility’s comprehensive administration, detection and tracking for your Massachusetts residential, commercial or utility-scale wind or solar installation contact us at 508-538-4-Sun.

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

By Michael on August 28, 2019

Vermont Solar Savings Made Simple: Receive Net Metering Credits From A Group Net Metering Project

Large electricity users in Vermont are constantly looking for savings. The simplest method to achieve savings may be to receive net metering credits from a Group Net Metering Project.

What is a Group Net Metering Project? A Group Net Metering Project is a solar installation in one location, that allocates net metering credits – energy value in the form of a bill credit – to one or multiple electricity accounts located elsewhere. An important note, the solar project and recipient electricity accounts must be in the same utility territory.

In return for net metering credits, that offset some or all of their electric bill dollar for dollar, customers of a Group Net Metering Project typically pay a discounted price for the net metering credits they receive. For a large energy user receiving net metering credits from a large Group Net Metering Project savings can easily equal tens of thousands of dollars a year – just for signing a contract. No capital investment, solar panels or maintenance required. Over the term of the agreement savings can well exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Here are two basic examples, one where a solar project site generates electricity far in excess of what that site could use in a month. It designates to the utility to send that excess value (the net metering credits) to the electric account of a building on a separate property in the same utility territory. The credits arrive on the other building’s electric bill and offset what that building would have normally had to pay that month.Another example is where the solar array allocates net metering credits to multiple accounts monthly.Savvy energy purchasers and budget-conscious energy users across Vermont are benefiting from these power purchase arrangements and more stand to benefit as well. Typical customers of Group Net Metering Projects in Vermont include schools, municipalities, manufacturers, and ski resorts. These agreements help facilitate renewable energy in Vermont as well, helping to ensure Vermont’s energy is from locally generated clean energy.

Are you a large electricity user in Vermont interested in learning how to save? Contact us at 508-538-4Sun or contact us through our the website here:  www.suntilityelectric.com/contact-us-today-for-a-free-consultation-or-for-more-info/

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

 

 

By Michael on April 8, 2019

Know Your AOBCs: Alternative On-Bill Credits In Massachusetts SMART Solar Program

Massachusetts has been a solar leader in virtual net metering credits – the ability to generate excess electricity with one account, and send that monetary value to another account to offset electricity usage there. Tens of thousands of solar projects across the Commonwealth use net metering to receive fair compensation for the excess solar energy they generate. With the state having effectively phased out net metering for new large solar projects, a new mechanism under the Massachusetts SMART Solar Program will allow solar projects to send the monetary value of excess production to other electric accounts. This value is called an Alternative On-Bill Credit, or AOBC. While an Alternative On-Bill Credit Generation Unit (solar project) receives the incentive payments from the SMART program, AOBCs can be sent to other accounts and credited on those accounts’ electric bills.

What are AOBCs worth? The value of an AOBC is based on the electric utility’s Basic Service rate. This is also known as the ‘supplier’ or ‘generation’ rate. Typically, in Massachusetts, this value has fluctuated from $0.08 per kWh to $0.14 per kWh. Therefore, if you generate 100 kWh of Alternative On-Bill Credits that is worth somewhere between $8 and $14 worth of credits that can be sent to other accounts, depending on the current Basic Service rate. Those AOBCs can be sent to other accounts within the state, provided that the recipient accounts are in a service territory of the same electric utility.

While AOBCs provide much of the same functionality of net metering credits and have many of the same requirements when allocating credits, there are multiple additional new aspects and nuances to managing AOBCs. Suntility’s expert management and consulting services are helping clients navigate and optimize this new incentive structure and regulatory framework. Massachusetts solar market has always been dynamic. Suntility’s industry insights and technical assistance are a trusted resource for solar owners and those engaged in solar energy deals. Let Suntility help you manage, and know, your AOBCs.

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

To learn more contact us at 508-538-4Sun

By Michael on January 17, 2019

Don’t Let Your Net Metering Allocations Get Lost In The Utility Shuffle, Work With Suntility

Did you know that Eversource alone has over 1,730 accounts that allocate net metering credits?

Don’t let your net metering allocations get lost in the utility shuffle, work with Suntility.

Suntility’s Net Metering Credit Services are the solution to ensure that your utility credits are flowing smoothly and are being consistently and appropriately applied. This is critical to the economic viability of your solar array. For the largest solar installations, this annual value can easily reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and one or multiple months of errors by the utility can be extremely costly and have a seriously detrimental effect on financial returns. With Suntility’s detailed net metering credit monitoring, validation, reporting, and issue resolution, errors identified trigger immediate Suntility action and resolution. From a decade’s worth of experience in the New England renewable energy markets, Suntility has an extensive track record of recognizing issues quickly and achieving the best outcome for clients.

Suntility currently provides these essential solar asset management services to solar projects in Massachusetts and Vermont, covering the utility territories of Eversource, National Grid and Green Mountain Power.

Suntility’s clients include:

  • municipalities;
  • commercial real estate owners;
  • Fortune 500 energy companies;
  • financial institutions;
  • small businesses and more.

Suntility’s expertise in managing complex utility billing processes and tracking thousands of net metering transactions helps you know with confidence that you’re receiving the credits you deserve and that those credits are delivering the proper value.

Furthermore, maintaining a balance of the flow and use of net metering credits among the various allocation accounts can be an on-going challenge for facility owners and off-takers. Improper or outdated allocations can result in stranded credits or significant delays in the use of credits. Regularly re-balancing allocation ratios of net metering credits is an important element of maximizing the value of your net metering facility and is a key part of this Suntility service and Suntility’s value add. To learn more contact us today or go to https://www.suntilityelectric.com/net-metering-credit-services/

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, utility credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

Contact us at 508-538-4-Sun

By Michael on July 18, 2018

Suntility’s Key To Providing The Best Solar Management Services: Thinking Like An Owner

Serving solar owners and renewable energy clients every day takes unique dedication and expertise. Our mission at Suntility is to help our clients make the most of their clean energy and that starts with thinking of the project as if it were our own. That is because managing a solar project over the lifetime of the project requires numerous cost-benefit decisions to maximize project investment. Those decisions include appropriately and regularly analyzing the performance of a clean energy project, quickly identifying any operational or revenue deficiencies, and economically resolving those deficiencies. These are all essential components to successful operations and maintenance, as well as successful management of the revenue streams and cost savings.

Putting ourselves in the shoes of our clients and helping them maximize the investments they’ve made in their projects is paramount to their success and likewise Suntility’s success. Solar is like any other investment. It has an inevitable amount of servicing and attention required to ensure it is performing properly and so that the owner of that asset is in the strongest position possible at the best value.

Our services have been tailored specifically to the needs of clean energy projects. That means striking the proper balance between proactive management and light touch servicing. Because of that our clients enjoy stronger operational and financial performance, and not to mention, the peace of mind that comes with knowing that we’re on top of things. To learn more about how we can work with you to optimize your clean energy facility reach out to us for a free consultation.

Suntility is your trusted partner in success. Suntility provides renewable energy maintenance services, net metering credit services, owner’s agent services and consulting solutions to optimize facility reliability, performance and value.

To learn more contact us at 508-538-4Sun

By Michael on May 16, 2018