PG&E, after conducting validation work, conceded that the solar results were erroneous, says the IREC paper. Image: Interstate Renewable Energy Council screen capture of PG&E map. This site uses cookies. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. As the Virginia Clean Economy Act passed last year, Dominion has a similar map now. An expedited review of the interconnection request under Levels 1 - 3 is available provided the proposed DG facility passes the screens outlined in Part 466 and does not require construction of facilities by ComEd to protect reliability and accommodate the interconnection of the DG facility. In Hawaii, the solar community helped Hawaiian Electricafter the utility cut off interconnection requests for a period of timeto develop a better understanding of hosting capacity on its lines. Circuit level data is visible when zoomed below the sixteenth-section scale. Minnesota is one of seven states that require utilities to conduct hosting capacity analysis and present their results in a map resource. By viewing the map below, you agree and acknowledge that: The information in this tool is for guidance purposes only and is not guaranteed. The Hosting Capacity Map shows a considerable disparity among communities in mile by mile sections with some able to host only 100-200 kWs to some with capacities of over 3,000 kW. Also, the map is taken from data as of a point in time and updated as of the date indicated in the pop-up display on the map, and therefore may not reflect current conditions in a given area. The Commission should set a deadline and intermediate goals for the ultimate integration of hosting capacity analysis with the interconnection process. GwfaaLLI'U:gp*= G}.a[8. Computer Room Air Conditioning Unit (CRAC) Older equipment can cost your facility more money on energy costs and maintenance. Solar developers take on module manufacturing risk. Synchronous Generation and System Fault Current Limitations. endobj John Farrell directs the Energy Democracy initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and he develops tools that allow communities to take charge of their energy future, and pursue the maximum economic benefits of the transition to 100% renewable power. To similarly incorporate hosting capacity analysis into the Xcel interconnection processs fast track screens would support the development of distributed energy resources in Minnesota by reducing costs and time for project development, and would direct project development to locations with existing grid capacity. View the Interconnection Queue. Why Minnesotas Community Solar Program is the Best, Feds Should Collect Better Data for Fairer Markets and Energy Justice. Featured photo credit: Victoria Catterson via Flickr (CC BY 2.0). Whether youre a customer, contractor, or developer, our interactive maps can help you identify potential sites for private generation. As your last line of defense against power fluctuations and data loss, the UPS provides emergency power to run your IT equipment. Our Electrical Training Institute is a leader in electrical training, through public enrolment electrical courses as well as on-line electrical training courses and webinars. Going significantly beyond this amount would likely require a combination of upgrades by ComEds infrastructure, potentially higher interconnection costs and deployment of technologies like energy storage. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Southern California Edisons hosting maps contain a built-in function enabling users to filter sites based on available capacity above a certain threshold. Utility National Grid operates in Rhode Island and illustrates local line capacities with its HCA map. Once the map is displayed, use the address search tool bar in the top left corner to zoom into a specific address. A technical error has occurred. The Hosting Map can provide insight into how much solar can be installed in which locations in order to help solar reach a significant portion of the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 25% electricity from renewable sources by 2025. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Commercial Solar Guy is a commercial solar developer, general contractor, and consultant. The Commission should, after considering stakeholder input in Docket No. The Company, after being directed by the Commission to do so, has declined to provide the actual locations of distribution system lines in its 2020 hosting capacity report: In Order Pt. The substation capacity may also be supplying additional load for another network and/or radial load area. You may submit a formal request for DER interconnection at a specific site online. We provide localized 8,760 hour forecasts to assist developers in considering the application of DER in our service territory. Hosting capacity analysis provides an opportunity to accommodate significant potential growth in distributed solar resources and ILSRs solar adoption model forecasts suggest that theres an urgency to action: within five years, distributed solar deployment could push the margins of Xcels hosting capacity. Email us at BusinessEE@ComEd.com or PublicSectorEE@ComEd.com. If you have more to contribute, please comment with a link. Additional displays with tabulated data have been included in the form of data pop-up displays to indicate that the hosting capacity may be lower at any given location. Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy pv magazine 2023, Welcome to pv magazine USA. % A decade ago, resources for scouting viable locations for new distributed energy resources (DER) simply did not exist. Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy. As previously mentioned, existing DER is not considered in this stage of the hosting capacity analysis, and the data pop-ups are intended to provide additional context to the displays. The Interconnection Queue Report provides the following minimum information for all Distributed Generation (Excluding Level 1 Applications) or Distributed Storage Resource Projects for which a queue position has been assigned: Each substation and feeder where an interconnection will be made is identified in the reported data by a unique index number assigned for the purpose of reporting interconnection queue information and not by any geographic or operational designation or description. uqJF$ As documented in the Star Tribune, interconnection delays have frustrated Minnesotas solar developers. The Illinois Commerce Commission established Title 83 Illinois Administrative Code Part 466 (Electric Interconnection of Distributed Generation Facilities) to establish standardized applications and review procedures and agreements for customers wanting to connect generators of equal to or Less than 10 MVA in parallel to a utility's electric distribution system. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. However, the interconnection process stands to gain much more from hosting capacity analysis. SDG&Es HCA tool allows users to see hourly changes in load capacity., IRECs recommendations apply to both solar hosting capacity and load hosting capacity. However, if the Commission does not apply greater pressure for action, hosting capacity may continue to be a largely performative exercise without providing tangible benefits to Minnesota stakeholders and electric customers. Geneva, NY According to ComEd's description, "Hosting Capacity is an estimate of the amount of DER [distributed energy resources] that may be accommodated under current configurations at the overall circuit level without significant system upgrades to address adverse impacts to power quality or reliability." Each circuit's hosting capacity is determined by evaluating impacts of DER along the three phase distribution mainline. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. The Commission should accept Xcel Energys 2020 Hosting Capacity Analysis Report, but set more parameters around its implementation. pv magazine offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. Link leads to external site, Share to LinkedIn. That could potentially generate around 20 million kWh. . o Customer/Utility information sharing portal w/maps showing DER hosting capacity & locations where EV . More articles from John Fitzgerald Weaver. Our interactive portal can help guide decisions regarding the interconnection of resources. Peak and Minimum Load Duration Curves These reports identify where the grid can accommodate additional distributed generation capacity (including rooftop and community solar) and the results are displayed on the companys Hosting Capacity Map. If you have any issues viewing the data, please This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment. Based on ComEds Hosting Capacity, Oak Park could generate about 6% of its electricity from solar power located within its borders. Information for Developers of Renewable Energy. In this role, she contributes to blog posts, podcasts, video content, and interactive features. No matter the facility type, you can improve the overall energy efficiency of your IT room and keep your computer equipment running while also saving money. Xcel slows the adoption of cost-effective distributed generation. Solar hosting capacity maps, now required in seven states, show where solar can be added on a distribution circuit without incurring any grid expensebut only if those maps are accurate. You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Please note that this analysis was conducted under current configurations, without installed DER, and prior to infrastructure upgrades such as; installing a recloser or remote terminal unit at the Point of Common Coupling, replacing a voltage regulating device or controller to allow for reverse flow, substation-related upgrades including 3V0 protection, or other protection-related upgrades. It may also speed up the interconnection process; if developers can split an upgrade charge with other projects in the queue for that same feeder, they may be less likely to withdraw their application in the final stretch. ComEd anticipates that the Interconnection Queue data will typically be updated monthly. In reviewing the capacity values, you learn that they include minimum plus maximum levels and existing private generation. Stay informed. Each township is subdivided into 36 sections (1 mile X 1 mile). A technical error has occurred. Every interconnection location must be specifically assessed through the formal interconnection process. SDG&E has a fast track process in place to interconnect small DER installations (such as rooftop solar on single-family homes) within an average of three days. 1. States that now provide HCA maps include California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Electricity Forum publishes Electricity Today T&D Magazine and Intelligent Power Today Industrial Electrical Magazine. The hosting capacity map is offered free of charge and correspondingly is not as accurate as the next steps for obtaining more specific information. As outlined in an earlier pv magazine USA article, these still-young hosting capacity maps havent always shown the most accurate information, meaning that solar developers might not have reached out to customers in these regions. Hosting capacity is defined as the approximate amount of generation that can be accommodated at a given point in time on the system without impacting reliability, requiring specialized inverter settings, or without requiring system modifications. The Company requested that the Commission excuse the complaints from the Quality of Service Plan, a request that the Commission denied. Voices of 100%: Youth Propel a Climate Action Plan, Community Solar Collective Gives Member-Owners Pow, 475 megawatts of residential solar by 2034, as a tool for economic stimulus and increased energy justice, comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Why Utilities in Minnesota and Other States Need to Plan for More Competition, committed to make the interconnection process work better, approving the November 2, 2020 Petition To Publish Certain Information about Applications in the Interconnection Queue, map that includes criteria violation values, Mainstreaming Electric Homes Episode 178 of Local Energy Rules. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Implementing energy-efficient equipment can help you save money and cut your energy consumption by 2040%.*. Your email address will not be published. Supporters agreed that the Companys participation in greater inter-developer transparency could facilitate cost-sharing in line upgrades and would be an improvement from the current cost-causer pays model. Without offering an explanation, when the final interconnection for the 200 kW project was approved, the utility assessed no new fees. As a solar developer and individual cheering for a strong power grid, few pieces of data are as useful as site data sorted by grid demand. Owner signs deal, $2,5000 payment made for PE-stamped one line & interconnection application 3. It divides the ComEd service territory into townships (6 miles X 6 miles). To investigate whether PG&Es early solar hosting capacity results were accurate, California Public Utilities Commission staff worked with PG&E, IREC and other stakeholders. A legend can also be found in the top left corner of the map. This tool isnt applicable for the vast majority of DER project planning (around 98%) in SDG&Es service territory.