Posts Tagged ‘SMART’

MA SREC-II Application Deadlines and MA SMART Program Application Opens

Posted November 26th, 2018 by SRECTrade.

November 30, 2018 Update: Due to this email from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) on October 12, 2018, SRECTrade had been operating under the premise that facilities larger than 25 kW DC could submit their SQA and mechanically complete documentation “by no later than December 10, 2018”. It has been brought to our attention that the mechanically complete extension applications for facilities larger than 25 kW DC had to have submitted an SQA application by November 26, 2018.

The December 10th deadline is for the mechanically complete document to be added to the existing SQA.

SRECTrade recommends that all affected facilities submit their SMART Initial Application Period applications by 11:59pm ET tonight, November 30th.

Today, November 26th, at 12:00pm ET, the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program application portal opens to begin accepting Statement of Qualification Applications. Solar Tariff Generation Units (STGUs) can then apply during the Initial Application Period, which will last until 11:59pm ET on November 30, 2018.

All applications received between 12:00pm ET on November 26th and 11:59pm ET on November 30th will be considered to have been received at the same time for the Capacity Block placement queue. All applications received on or after 12:00am ET on December 1, 2018 will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

On October 24, 2018, CLEAResult (the SMART Program Administrator), the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), and the stakeholder electric distribution companies hosted a webinar providing a demonstration of the SMART Program application portal and instructions on how to submit an application. A recording of the webinar is available here.

Please note that today, November 26th, is a significant deadline for all projects seeking SREC-II qualification. Today is the deadline for projects larger than 25 kW DC to achieve mechanical completion and the deadline for projects smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC to receive Permission to Operate (PTO). Projects larger than 25 kW DC have until December 10, 2018 to submit their Statement of Qualification application demonstrating mechanical completion by November 26th. Projects smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC have until February 15, 2019 to submit their Statement of Qualification application. For more information regarding SREC-II qualification and application deadlines, please visit our previous blog post here.

Massachusetts DOER Announces SMART Program Effective Date

Posted October 12th, 2018 by SRECTrade.

November 30, 2018 Update: Due to this email from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) on October 12, 2018, SRECTrade had been operating under the premise that facilities larger than 25 kW DC could submit their SQA and mechanically complete documentation “by no later than December 10, 2018”. It has been brought to our attention that the mechanically complete extension applications for facilities larger than 25 kW DC had to have submitted an SQA application by November 26, 2018.

The December 10th deadline is for the mechanically complete document to be added to the existing SQA.

SRECTrade recommends that all affected facilities submit their SMART Initial Application Period applications by 11:59pm ET tonight, November 30th.

On Friday, October 12th, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program effective date is November 26, 2018. November 26th is now the deadline for facilities larger than 25 kW DC to become mechanically complete and for facilities smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC to receive their Permission to Operate (PTO). On November 26th, at 12:00pm ET, the SMART Statement of Qualification application portal will open to begin accepting Statement of Qualification Applications for prospective Solar Tariff Generation Units (“STGU”) seeking to qualify under SMART.

Facilities larger than 25 kW DC will have until December 10, 2018 to submit their documentation demonstrating mechanical completion. Once granted, mechanically complete extensions are indefinite; facilities should simply submit their Permission to Operate (PTO) documents once received to complete their statement of qualification application. As a reminder, facilities can demonstrate mechanical completion by submitting one of the following documents:

  1. Certificate of Completion
  2. Proof that a wiring inspection has been scheduled by a date shortly after November 26, 2018
  3. Affidavit signed by engineer of record stating that project is “mechanically complete”
  4. Other documentation deemed satisfactory by DOER

Facilities smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC will have until February 15, 2019 to submit an application demonstrating authorization to interconnect. In other words, the PTO must be dated on or before November 26, 2018, but the DOER application can be submitted up through February 15, 2019.

Please note that SRECTrade typically asks for complete applications to be received five (5) business days in advance in order to guarantee submission by the DOER deadline.

Massachusetts DOER Schedules SMART Information Sessions and Clarifies SREC-II Transition Status

Posted October 1st, 2018 by SRECTrade.

On September 26th, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued an order approving the model Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. This action is the final regulatory step in launching the program and initiates the transition from the Solar Carve-Out II (SREC-II) Program to SMART.

Notably, on October 1st, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) clarified that the SMART Program Effective Date remains to be determined and that the SREC-II application window is still open. The DOER also announced a series of stakeholder meetings later this month to provide additional information on SMART requirements and the program transition process.

SRECTrade strongly encourages stakeholders seeking to enroll their solar projects in SREC-II to obtain Permission to Operate or mechanical completion for their projects as soon as possible. As a reminder, the SMART Program Effective Date will be the deadline for projects smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC to obtain Permission to Operate and the deadline for projects larger than 25 kW DC to achieve mechanical completion. SRECTrade will continue to provide significant updates as they become available.

Massachusetts SREC-II Application Timeline

Posted June 27th, 2018 by SRECTrade.

While the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program Effective Date is still to be announced by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), the application timelines for SREC-II have been set.

As a reminder, the SMART Program Effective Date will be the deadline for facilities smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC to be interconnected and facilities larger than 25 kW DC to be mechanically complete. This means that documentation must be dated on or before the Effective Date, but applications can be submitted for some time after.

Facilities larger than 25 kW DC will have two weeks after the SMART Program Effective Date to submit their documentation demonstrating mechanical completion. Once granted, mechanically complete extensions are indefinite – facilities should simply submit their Permission to Operate (PTO) documents once they are received to complete their statement of qualification application.

Facilities smaller than or equal to 25 kW DC will have until November 15th to submit an application demonstrating authorization to interconnect. In other words, the PTO must be dated on or before the effective date, but the applications can be submitted to the DOER up through November 15th.

For more information please reference the DOER’s Current Status of the Solar Carve Out II Program page.

DOER Announces SMART Program Administrator & 100 MW RFP // SREC-II Deadline on March 31, 2018

Posted November 14th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On November 13, 2017 the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that CLEAResult, Inc. will be the Solar Program Administrator for Massachusetts’s SMART Program.

The Distribution Companies have developed a request for proposals (RFP) for approximately 100 MW of solar projects in their respective utility service territories. The Distribution Companies will be hosting a bidder’s conference on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 1:00 PM EST to provide additional information and answer questions. Written comments on the RFP will be accepted through November 20, 2017 at 12:00 PM EST and should be submitted to ma.smart@clearesult.com. Bidders can submit an application on CLEAResult’s application website from November 27, 2017 – December 5, 2017 at 5:00 PM EST.  Results will be announced by the DOER by January 11, 2018. These results will establish the Block 1 Base Compensation Rates under the SMART Program.

The full announcement by the DOER can be found here.

As a reminder, systems must be mechanically complete or commercially operational by March 31, 2018 in order to participate in SREC-II under the current SREC Factors. Factors will be further reduced after this date but will remain at 0.8 for systems less than or equal to 25 kW.

Final SMART Program Regulation Promulgated

Posted August 25th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Friday, August 25th, 225 CMR 20.00 Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program was promulgated in the State Register. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) posted the final version filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office to their website. The DOER announced that the final, promulgated version will be made available as soon as possible.

Following the promulgation of this regulation, the DOER anticipates that the electric distribution companies will jointly file a model tariff at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which will initiate a fully adjudicated proceeding at the DPU.

For more information on the final version of the SMART Program regulation, please visit our previous blog post on the topic here.

MA DOER Files Proposed Final Version of SMART Program Regulation

Posted August 11th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Friday, August 11th, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that it has filed its proposed final version of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program regulation 225 CMR 20.00 with the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office. The DOER anticipates the final version will be published in the State Register on August 25, 2017, “with minimal to no changes”. The final but unofficial version of the regulation can be found on the DOER’s “Development of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program” website here.

100 MW Procurement

Following comments regarding the initial 100 MW Procurement, which will be used to establish Base Compensation Rates for all participating SMART Solar Tariff Generation Units, the following changes were made to program design:

  • Each Distribution Company will issue one procurement for all projects sized 1 – 5 MW
  • All facilities in the procurement will be subject to a Ceiling Price of $0.17/kWh ($170.00/MWh)
  • Procurement results will establish unique Base Compensation Rates for the first Capacity Block of each individual Distribution Company, rather than establishing a single statewide Base Compensation Rate
  • The Base Compensation Rate for the first Capacity Block will equal the mean bid price received in each Distribution Company’s service territory

Compensation Rate Adder Caps and Rate of Decline

In its regulation filed on June 5, 2017, the DOER implemented an adder cap of 320 MW for each individual Compensation Rate Adder in an effort to “place boundaries around overall program costs”. In response to comments regarding these adder caps, the following changes were made:

  • Adder caps are eliminated
  • Each Compensation Rate Adder will decline by 4% for every capacity tranche established, and the Adder will not decline as Capacity Blocks are filled. The first capacity tranche for each Adder will equal 80 MW, with future segment sizes established by the DOER as they are filled

Project Segmentation

Following comments regarding the rules set forth by the DOER around parcel limits and project segmentation, the following modifications were made:

  • Added Canopy Solar Tariff Generation Units to allowable exceptions to rules, allowing canopies to be sited on same parcel as a Building Mounted Solar Tariff Generation Unit
  • Allow Solar Tariff Generation Units to be sited on adjacent parcels if owners can demonstrate to the DOER’s satisfaction that they are unaffiliated parties
  • Allow Solar Tariff Generation Units to span multiple parcels if located behind a single interconnection point, single meter, with a nameplate capacity of 5 MW or less
  • Added language to exempt projects from project segmentation rules if the applicant can demonstrate that necessary qualification documents were obtained by June 5, 2017
  • Added language that allows the DOER to exempt projects from project segmentation rules for good cause on a case by case basis

These project segmentation rules were initially established to prevent Solar Tariff Generation Units from manipulating program rules for their own financial benefit.

Land Use and Performance Standards

The DOER has also set forth rules to ensure that land use is considered when siting projects through the differentiation of incentive levels based on project location. In response to comments regarding these rules, the following changes were made:

  • Removed certain special provisions for Agricultural Solar Tariff Generation Units from the regulation; instead, these provisions are detailed in a separate Guideline
  • Added definition and special provisions for Floating Solar Tariff Generation Units, with an associated $0.03/kWh Compensation Rate Adder
  • Added language to exempt projects from being subjected to Greenfield Subcontractors if the applicant can demonstrate that necessary qualification documents were obtained by June 5, 2017
  • Classified all land that had been previously categorized as Category 1 Land Use, regardless of zoning
  • Clarified aspects of the performance standards requirements

Other

In response to other comments received by stakeholders, the DOER also instituted the following changes:

  • Modified definitions of Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Unit, Low Income Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Unit, and Low Income Property Solar Tariff Generation Unit to clarify that Units will qualify as such if taking advantage of the alternative on-bill credit
  • Established a 35% per Capacity Block limit on the quantity of facilities with a nameplate capacity of less than or equal to 25 kW
  • Added language prohibiting capacity expansions, with specific exceptions
  • Provided further clarity regarding customer disclosure forms and added requirements regarding forms to special provisions for Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Units and Low Income Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Units
  • Modified timing of initial competitive procurement
  • Modified formula for calculating the incentive payments for Behind-the-Meter Solar Tariff Generation Units to be the sum of the three-year average of Basic Service Charges, in addition to current Distribution, Transmission, and Transition charges
  • Other technical updates and clarifying modifications

The DOER will notify stakeholders when the regulations have been published in the State Register in final official form.

DOER Files SMART Program Emergency Regulation

Posted June 5th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Monday, June 5th, the MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER) filed an emergency regulation to implement the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. The regulation is directed toward supporting the development of an additional 1,600 MW of solar energy generating facilities via a declining block program.

Although the emergency regulation takes effect immediately, it can only remain in effect for three months. The emergency regulation is a placeholder, pending a full rulemaking proceeding conducted by DOER, at which time the final program rules will be established. Following the conclusion of the DOER’s rulemaking process, the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) will need to conduct a proceeding for the DPU’s approval of the tariffs filed by the Electric Distribution Companies. Only after this rulemaking and proceeding take place will the SMART program be in effect. Accordingly, the SREC-II program remains in effect for all eligible solar facilities.

As a result of this implementation schedule, it is expected that solar facilities will be eligible to qualify for the SREC-II program through the end of Quarter 1, 2018.

For more information on the SMART program, please feel free to reference our last blog post on the topic here. The DOER’s official notice regarding this emergency regulation is available here.

DOER Announces Final SREC-II Factor Guidelines

Posted March 27th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Thursday, March 23rd the DOER provided an update on the finalized SREC-II program SREC Factors for projects over 25 kW that have not previously qualified for an SREC-II extension.

All SREC-II facilities that have a Statement of Qualification (SQA), but have not yet received an extension, will have their SQAs rejected. New applications may be submitted for these facilities, however, to seek an extension under these new guidelines. Any extension granted will be effective until March 31, 2018 at the following factors:

new-market-factors

Please note that SREC-II systems with a capacity equal to or less than 25 kW will still receive an SREC Factor of 0.8, so long as they receive their authorization to interconnect before the effective date of the SMART program.

Facilities eligible for the extension are those that have not already received either a mechanically complete or 50% construction cost extension; facilities that can demonstrate that they are mechanically complete or commercially operational by March 31, 2018 will receive their respective SREC Factor listed above.