California Center for Sustainable Energy

Statewide program exceeds 1,000 megawatts of solar power generation

In early July, the California Public Utilities Commission issued its California Solar Initiative (CSI) annual assessment to the state legislature, highlighting a major milestone in 2011– more than 1 gigawatt (1,255 megawatts) of customer-generated solar energy – the first state to do so.

The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected a proposal from San Diego Gas & Electric's Phase 2 General Rate Case for service in 2013 that would have established a network use charge (NUC) for customers, including solar PV generators, for their use of the electric distribution grid. In a scoping ruling filed Jan. 18, Commissioner Mark Ferron wrote that as proposed, the NUC "may be inconsistent with current law" and ordered the utility to file a revised rate case without the charge during February.

Andy Black, CEO and founder of OnGrid Solar, will be presenting two workshops on the financial analysis of solar photovoltaics (PV) at CCSE this month.

Topping the list again in 2011 with 4,500 installations

San Diego ranks first among California cities for use of solar energy again this year, with the most systems installed and the greatest generation capacity, according to a report issued by the Sacramento-based Environment California Research & Policy Center on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at a press conference held at Point Loma Nazarene University.

CCSE leads effort to grow solar in Southern California

As part of the Department of Energy’s $12 million Rooftop Solar Challenge, CCSE was awarded $700,000 to lead a team of 11 jurisdictions and five utilities to determine the best ways to expedite the widespread adoption of solar throughout Southern California. The regional team will develop guidelines for streamlining and standardizing the permitting and connection of solar systems aimed at reducing the cost of solar installations and making solar cost competitive with other energy sources.

The City of Chula Vista continued to expand its leadership role in going green and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the switching on of a 50- kilowatt photovoltaic ( PV) system covering a solar carport at its civic center complex. During a ceremony held Nov. 21, Andrew McAllister, CCSE’s director of policy and strategy, presented Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox with a $740,975 rebate check from the California Solar Initiative.