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Drawdown Georgia Project

Marilyn Brown, PhD, NAE, NAS, CEM

Regents and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainability

School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tracking Climate Solutions Seminar Series:

#3: Rooftop Solar

October 14, 2022

Good afternoon. My name is Marilyn Brown, and with support from RCAF, I have been leading the DDGA research program since 2019, in collaboration with many universities and NGOs across the state. Today’s seminar is part of our initiative to track (and activate) the deployment of climate solutions in Georgia.

I will start off this webinar by giving an overview of the ‘series’ that this webinar is a part of. And I’ll highlight some of Drawdown Georgia’s recent accomplishments.

Then we will turn to today’s two fantastic speakers: Bryan Jacob and Jeff Pratt .

They will share their thoughts about the opportunities and challenges of rooftop solar in Georgia and the current and evolving policy landscape.

This session is being recorded and your mics and videos will be muted throughout.

Please use the chat option to ask questions or comment. Several graduate students are keeping an eye on the chat and will identify questions that the speakers could answer during the Q&A session.

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20 DDGA Climate Solutions & Tracking

Sept 15 (1-2pm): Composting & Reforestation

by Jeff Mullen, Jacqueline Mohan

Oct 14 (2-3pm): Rooftop Solar

by Bryan Jacob, Jeff Pratt

Nov 3 (1-2pm): Recycling

by Beril Toktay, Emma Brodzik

Oct 6 (1-2pm): Electric Vehicles

by Rich Simmons, Anne Blair

Nov 17 (11am-12pm): Heat Pumps and Retrofitting

by Garry Harris, Jeff Smith

For more details: https://climatesolutions.gatech.edu

Our first DDGA task involved identifying Georgia’s carbon sources and sinks, and assessing promising climate solutions for the state. Our conclusions are shown here, by sector of the economy. Note that we include both rooftop solar and large-scale utility solar in our list of 20 high-impact solutions.

We then created an emissions tracker (led by Bill Drummond-SCARP) – that is updated every month for each of GA’s 159 counties.

Recognizing the importance of the business community, we established the first state-wide climate business compact, under the leadership of Beril Toktay at the Georgia Tech’s Center for Sustainable Business.

Finally, we are now tracking solution activation. This includes opinion surveys of climate solutions in Georgia (in partnership with Professor Cory Struthers at UGA) and the creation of a Climate Solutions tracker.

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Source: Derived from Princeton REPEAT Project, with calculations by

Dr. Bill Drummond, Georgia Tech

Funding Opportunities for

Solar Power Industry

Inflation Reduction Act

$10 billion in manufacturing incentives will reduce the cost of efficient appliances like rooftop solar
Increased 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) till 2032, and the conditions for full credit include an electrical apprenticeship program.
Additional credits are possible: domestically- produced hardware or ‘energy communities’
ITC for standalone energy storage

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/08/15/whats-in-the-inflation-reduction-act-for-the-solar-industry/

https://www.energy-storage.news/energy-storage-industry-hails-transformational-inflation-reduction-act/

Georgia Net GHG Forecasts: “Business as Usual” vs IRA

IRA=Inflation Reduction Act

https://blog.drawdownga.org/explore-the-climate-impact-of-the-inflation-reduction-act-with-the-ghg-emissions-tracker

Recently, Bill Drummond took Princeton’s analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act to estimate what the IRA might mean for Georgia.

He concluded that by 2030, Georgia could cut GHG emissions by 50% below 2005 levels–which is the goal of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Accord.

This suggests that the IRA could realize the “achievable scenario” that Drawdown Georgia modelled with its 20 Solutions.

Also, according to the IRA, there is lots of room for the rooftop solar industry to grow. The IRA re-instates the ITC at 30%, and this can be further expanded under certain conditions such as domestic production.

Also, the IRA includes qualifies standalone energy storage systems for an ITC, which have previously been eligible for the ITC only if they are directly linked to solar.

Details:

The 30% applies to both business and residential projects, including projects installed in 2022, and will last until the end of 2032. By default, the tax credit is 6%. To be eligible for the additional 24%, laborers and mechanics installing the solar power projects must be paid prevailing wages, and must be part of an electrical apprenticeship program.

The full 30% tax credit can increase their tax credit by an additional 10% – to 40% in total – by purchasing domestically produced hardware. Projects that are located in former ‘energy communities’ can earn an additional 10% tax credit. Energy communities are first defined as brownfields, and secondly as locations associated with fossil fuels over the last generation.

There are also provisions that community solar installations where at least 50% of customers live in low to moderate income communities can obtain of an extra 20% ITC.

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Tracking Georgia’s Emissions (https://climatesolutions.gatech.edu/)

● Georgia's total net emissions declined by 5% from 2017 to 2021

● Emissions from electricity declined by 15.8%

● Emissions from electricity decreased across all four sectors and especially in commercial buildings (20%)

● Georgia Power’s Integrated Resource Plan calls for more utility solar that will lower emissions further

The average carbon footprint per capita decreased by 10% from 2017-2021

19.4%

18.3%

10.5%

14.3%

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●Our survey research of ~1,800 GA households in 9/2021 shows that:

DDGA Energy and Climate Survey (https://cepl.gatech.edu/researchtoaction)

- Rooftop solar adoption is concentrated in urban areas

- It anchors other climate solutions: ~80% also purchased an EV or an efficient HVAC

- Rooftop solar is adopted often b/c “it is good for environment”

- The most important reason for nonadoption by interested households is “high upfront costs”

What has motivated adopters of rooftop solar?

What has hindered interested non-adopters?

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Today’s Presenters:

Bryan Jacob, Solar Program Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE)

Jeff Pratt, President, Green Power Electric Membership Corporation (EMC)

Topics for Discussion Following their Remarks:

Data sources and methods to track solution adoption
Key places and people who are demonstrating success
Critical infrastructure and enabling policies
Consideration of disadvantages communities and equity
Potential for accelerating adoption
Business leaders and others who should be consulte

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Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

P.O. Box 1842 | Knoxville, TN 37901

October 14, 2022

“Tracking” Rooftop Solar in Georgia

Bryan Jacob, Solar Program Director

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Drawdown Georgia

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ABOUT SACE

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) is a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible and equitable energy choices to ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. As a leading voice for energy policy in our region, SACE is focused on transforming the way we produce and consume energy in the Southeast.

Solar in the Southeast, July 2022

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SOUTHEAST SOLAR MOMENTUM: SUNRISERS

SUNRISERS

the seven utilities exhibiting the highest solar ambition – measured by the increase in watts per customer solar ratio between the base year (2021) and the four-year forecast (2025).

UTILITY	2021 W/C	2025 W/C
KNOXVILLE (KUB)	79	2,423
WALTON EMC	1.750	4,064
ORLANDO (OUC)	599	1,932
MISSISSIPPI POWER	844	1,712
GEORGIA POWER	824	1,651
FPL	649	1,414
LAKELAND ELECTRIC	194	954

Minimum 100,000 customers

Solar in the Southeast, July 2022

Rankings and Forecasts SunRisers Solar Snapshot State Forecasts State Profiles

(Re: Tampa Electric, I attribute their departure to a significantly high baseline WpC ratio 2021 and the near-term supply chain disruption.)

. SUNRISERS

SunRisers are the seven utilities exhibiting the highest solar ambition – measured by the increase in watts per customer solar ratio between the base year (2021) and the four-year forecast (2025).
Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) earned the top SunRiser slot. This is despite the 2025 forecast being reduced.
Lakeland Electric burst onto the SunRiser list FPL returned to the list for the first time in three years.
Others are familiar on this list: Walton EMC, Orlando Utilities Commission, Mississippi Power and Georgia Power.
A familiar name is missing this year. Tampa Electric had been a perpetual SunRiser, the only utility to appear on all four of our prior lists.

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FORECAST FOR SOUTHEAST STATES

Florida has definitively established itself as the Southeast leader in installed solar capacity.
Georgia may not surpass North Carolina until 2025.

Excludes PJM territory

Excludes MISO territory

Installed and Projected Capacity, MW(ac)

NORTH CAROLINA

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

SOUTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA

TENNESSEE

MISSISSIPPI

DISTRIBUTED SOLAR

UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR

Solar in the Southeast, July 2022

Rankings and Forecasts SunRisers Solar Snapshot State Forecasts State Profiles

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The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has an opportunity to reinstate a form of solar net metering (“monthly netting”) which had been successfully pilot tested but has since reached a cap that is limiting near-term growth of that market.

GEORGIA:

OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTAINED LEADERSHIP

UTILITY	2021	2025
GEORGIA POWER	824	1,651
STATE AVERAGE	566	1,126
SOUTHEAST AVERAGE	484	982
OGLETHORPE	361	701
TVA	106	224
MEAG	37	262

UTILITY	2021	2025
GEORGIA POWER	213	238
OGLETHORPE	46	76
MEAG	6	9
TVA	8	13

UTILITY	2021	2025
GEORGIA POWER	1,970	4,271
OGLETHORPE	711	1,515
MEAG*	0	80
TVA	9	24

UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR, MW

DISTRIBUTED SOLAR, MW

SOLAR WATTS PER CUSTOMER

Solar in the Southeast, July 2022

Rankings and Forecasts SunRisers Solar Snapshot State Forecasts State Profiles

MEAG Power: Electric utility company in Sandy Springs

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Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

P.O. Box 1842 | Knoxville, TN 37901 | 865.637.6055

SOLAR IN THE SOUTHEAST

Fifth Annual Report

BRYAN JACOB

Solar Program Director�bryan@cleanenergy.org

CONTACT INFORMATION

@cleanenergyorg

July 2022

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October 14, 2022

“Challenges and Opportunities of Rooftop Solar”

Jeff Pratt, President

Green Power EMC

Drawdown Georgia

Source: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/156JeMHpEdGxVNoru5R70bUa_Vfqw6zJi/edit#slide=id.p1

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Green Power EMC

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Green Power EMC

Green Power EMC is a not-for-profit cooperative that secures renewable energy resources on behalf of 38 of Georgia’s Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) and the 4.4 million Georgians they serve.

We obtain clean energy from renewable facilities all over the state including:

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Landfill Gas	Hydro	Solar	Wood Waste	Wind

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Green Power EMC

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Green Power EMC

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Green Power EMC

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Opportunities and Challenges

Benefits

Long-term “bill” saving
Utilize “unused” space
Potential to improve grid resilience
Reduce need for utility infrastructure?

Challenges

Capital cost about 2-3X more than utility scale
Less efficient energy production
Adding a battery increases cost 2X
Increasing grid source intermittency
Bad actors

Rooftop Solar

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Solar Options

Cooperative Solar

Allows consumers to benefit from solar energy by subscribing to offsite solar facilities that are located in the most ideal conditions for solar energy production
EMCs takes on the risk of ownership and maintenance while consumers receive their share of the sun without the hassle
Offered by 15 Georgia EMCs

Rooftop Solar

Over the last ten years, Georgia’s EMCs have recorded a compound growth rate of ~30% in rooftop solar

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Help Our Member-Customers Make Informed Decisions

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Green Power EMC

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Jeff Pratt

President

Green Power EMC

Jeff.pratt@greenpoweremc.com

404-310-4157

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Learn more about the roadmap of 20 solutions, go here: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100008118

Go to Climatesolutions.gatech.edu for more about Drawdown Georgia’s research program, trackers, and the business compact:

For more about Drawdown Georgia: www.drawdownga.org

Thank You!

As seen on slide 2 (turn to slide 2) we have three more exciting upcoming webinars, which will focus on Recycling/Heat pumps- the technologies that are at the core of DDGAs ‘Climate Solutions’. These webinars are an effort to understand the topography of these solutions across Georgia in the view of the six questions that we posed. Speakers as well as the audience, all are contributing to finding the pieces of the puzzle to the ‘Solutions tracker’ which remains the end goal. We appreciate your presence, curiosity and inputs and wish to keep the knowledge flowing. These slides will be up on our ‘Climate Solutions’ website soon and all the attendees will be updated about it through email along with other details such as, the contact in case you have further questions or are able to offer technology/policy specific advice.