REPUBLIC, Washington, US, 2004-05-19 (Refocus Weekly) A U.S. utility will install and maintain solar PV systems for its customers in isolated areas.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave $888,408 from its Rural Utility
Service to the Ferry County Public Utility District, to establish a three-year
program that will establish a revolving fund for interest-free financing of PV
connections or extensions to the grid. The District is contemplating a monthly
fee of US$45 to $100 for a complete solar system for customers who live off the
grid and where the cost is too high to extend transmission lines.
The District has up to 200 remote homes without grid power, estimates
conservation director John Friederichs in the implementation manual for the ‘High-Energy
Cost Community Service Cost Assistance Program.’ Most rely on small gasoline
generators with a fully-burdened cost of 24¢ to 31¢/kWh, while solar PV has a
fully-burdened cost of 42¢/kWh.
The program would apply to consumers whose present amortized power cost exceeds
23¢/kWh, and currently use PV or fossil fuels. Line extensions cost $9.50 a
foot, but a PUD subsidy of $3/foot drops the customer portion to $34,323 per
mile.
“The District will be responsible for the maintenance of the solar PV systems,
treating them as a part of the District's distribution system,” says
Friederichs. Conventional line extensions will be over 360 monthly payments,
while solar PV installations will be paid over 240. The monthly increased
facilities charge will equal the cost of the installation, divided over the two
or three years, with a minimum monthly charge of $45 on top of the current basic
cost of 6.16¢/kWh for electricity.
Payments under the plan will return to the assistance program and be used to
fund the program beyond the original three-year grant-funded period.
“The choice between a conventional line extension and a solar photovoltaic
system will be made at the discretion of the District, based upon the most
prudent use of the available funds and the impact of the installation on future
system growth,” the manual explains. “In no case will solar PV be used if
the customer's requirements are over 10 kWh/day.”
There will be three PV choices: the San Poil package that generates 2.5 kWh per
day, the 5 kWh/day Kettle, and the 7.5 kWh/day Columbia system. Property owners
would be responsible for installing a concrete slab on which to mount the PV
system.
“The PV option would most commonly be used for qualifying consumers whose
distance from the Districts existing distribution system make the cost of a
conventional line extension prohibitive, or where they are located in an area
where terrain would make a conventional line extension impractical,” the
manual adds. A solar site survey must show that the site has at least 80% of the
maximum available solar exposure on winter solstice, or a conventional line
extension would be used.
Extensions would be selected if the site is within 1,200 feet of existing lines,
with a right-of-way and easement, or where the site is located in a future
development area. PV will not be installed on trailer spots or campsites, which
do not have a permanent residence.
PUD #1 of Ferry County serves 3,130 residential and commercial consumers with
868 miles of transmission line.