誰にでも太陽光の恩恵を！ 米加州が貧困層向けに300ＭＷを設置支援

Published at Nikkei Business Online --- 　ここ数年、太陽光発電システムの価格が大幅に低下したが、米国ではいまだに太陽光発電は「お金に余裕のある家庭用のもの」とされている。そんなイメージがカリフォルニア州で変わろうとしている。

　昨年10月、カリフォルニア州のJerry Brown知事は低所得世帯に太陽光発電（PV）導入を促進する米国最大規模の法律案（低所得者向け賃貸集合住宅用にソーラープログラム）に署名し、同法を成立させた。このプログラムの年間予算は1億米ドルで、10年間の実施が予定されている。

　カリフォルニア州太陽光発電産業協会（CALSEIA）でエグゼクティブディレクターを務めるBernadette Del Chiaro氏は、「この法律はカリフォルニア州にとっても重要な新しいプログラムです。なぜなら、賃貸を含めた全ての電力消費者が、汚染を出さない太陽光発電の恩恵を、住んでいる場所、または働いている場所で得られるようになります」と、語った。

Credit: Everyday Energy

このプログラムを通し、同州は、少なくとも300MWの太陽光発電システムを低所得者向け賃貸集合住宅に導入する目標を掲げている。「最低300MWです。我々はどちらかというと500MWを目指しています」と、米Everyday Energy社でCEO（最高経営責任者）を務めるScott Sarem氏は語った。同社は、カリフォルニア州サンディエゴ市に本社を置き、同州において、低所得者向け賃貸集合住宅用への太陽光発電システムの設置量でナンバーワンであり、さらにこの法律の提案書作りにも大きく貢献した。

　「このプログラムは『必要性』から生まれました」と、Sarem氏は続けた。カリフォルニア州の太陽光発電設置導入量は米国で最も多く、低所得者向けアパート用太陽光発電の補助金制度に関しても、実は前から取り入れていた。しかし、幅広く利用されず、成功を収めたとは言えなかった。.. Read More Here

California Bridges the Green Divide with Nation’s Biggest Solar Program for Low-income Renters

Published at Renewable Energy World --- Solar is not just for homeowners. The advent of community solar is now enabling those who don’t own a home to go solar and enjoy all of its benefits. But regardless of whether someone decides to own or rent, solar still seems to be for those who have a disposal income. That is, until now.

Last October, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the nation’s largest solar bill for low-income renters. The Multifamily Affordable Housing Solar Roofs Program was created under AB693, which will dedicate about $100 million per year over a period of ten years.

“AB 693 is a very important new program for California because now, all consumers, including renters can enjoy the benefits of pollution free solar electricity generated right where we live and work,” Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), said.

The new program has the goal to install at least 300 MW of rooftop solar PV on multifamily affordable housing projects.

464 kW PV system on “Park Villas” Multifamily Affordable housing with 268 tenants. Credit: Everyday Energy

“[The] minimum [is] 300 MW,” Scott Sarem, CEO and Co-founder of Everyday Energy, said. “We are targeting more like 500 MW.”

Everyday Energy is a California-based solar project developer for multifamily affordable housing. The company has worked closely with CALSEIA, the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CALEJA) and Assemblymember Susan Eggman, who is the author of AB693.

“This program was born out of necessity,” Sarem said.

Although California is the largest solar state in the U.S. and has a track record of implementing solar on multifamily affordable housing, the existing program has failed to reach out to low-income renters and disadvantaged communities in California....Read More Here

Born from Disaster: Japan Establishes First Microgrid Community

Published at Renewable Energy World --- Following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, one city decided to transition to a clean, renewable future and became Japan's first microgrid community.

Although Japan's Fukushima prefecture is most commonly associated with the 2011 disaster due to the nuclear power melt-down, Miyazaki prefecture, located north of Fukushima, suffered the largest death toll, close to 10,000, and the largest flood damage in the nation.

Located on the coast, Higashimatsushima city was no exception. It had a catastrophic tsunami-caused flood, which put 65 percent of the city under water, with over 1,100 lives lost. Approximately 10,000 residents lost their homes and were forced to evacuate.

“After the disaster, some parts of the town didn’t get electricity for up to three months,” said Tohoru Ishigaki at the office of Future City Initiative under the city’s Department of Disaster Recovery Policy. “We strongly felt [after the disaster] that our responsibility was to provide reliable energy.”
Turn Local Tragedy Into a New and Vibrant Vision

To create a safe, resilient and sustainable society for the remaining population of 40,000, the city decided to deploy distributed, clean renewable energy sources. Under post-disaster recovery and reconstruction plans, the city set a bold goal to become a Net Zero Energy City by 2022, supplying the entire city with locally produced energy.

As a first step, the city turned a flood-affected former city park into a 2-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project. This project symbolizes the city’s commitment to energy self-sufficiency. Mitsui & Co., Ltd, one of the largest trading company in Japan, completed this system in the summer 2013. The company also built PV carport systems with a total capacity of 270 kW at three locations on high ground, away from the vulnerable coastline. These sites are designated for evacuations and solar power will provide emergency power....Read More Here

California Solar Energy Apartments: Virtual Net Metering Allows Energy Savings One Tenant at a Time

Published at Renewable Energy World --- In California, residents at any, affordable or luxury, apartments can enjoy the benefit of solar powered electricity at their own apartment complex, without owning PV panels. This benefit is made possible by Virtual Net Metering (VNM). Although VNM is not a new thing, it has the potential to be the next big thing to expand solar on multi-tenant properties.

In the past, apartment owners could put a PV system on an apartment complex only to offset the electricity load of common areas or to offset tenant loads. Offset tenant loads for multi-family housing required separate PV systems and inverters for each tenant and this process was often very complicated and expensive. VNM has removed this barrier, allowing the distribution of energy from a single PV system among multiple meters, without requiring the system to be physically connected to each tenant’s meter. ...　Read More

Oak Knoll Villas (low-income solar housing project) by Everyday Energy