From NREL:

Industry-backed Best Practices Guides Aim to Lower Financing Costs for Solar Energy Systems

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group has released new best practices guidelines for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, with the goal of increasing investor confidence in the long-term viability of PV systems. The guides - SAPC Best Practices in PV System Installation and SAPC Best Practices in PV Operations and Maintenance - were developed by SAPC subcommittees, each involving dozens of solar and finance entities.

The Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group, convened by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is comprised of 425 members of the PV market chain, including development, legal, financial, accounting, engineering, and other communities engaged in solar asset deployment, finance and operation.

"The best practices may provide valuable uniformity in the way solar assets are developed. In turn, investors can be confident that solar energy systems are deployed and maintained with consistency and in a manner that protects long-term system production and asset cash flows," NREL Project Technical Lead Michael Mendelsohn said. "As investors become more familiar with and confident in the industry-developed SAPC protocols, the hope is that due diligence costs, project review time, and the required yield to raise capital will all decrease."

According to Christopher Doyle of Dividend Solar and the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, who led the SAPC installation best practices subcommittee, "The creation of these guides tells a great story of collaboration between the solar industry, capital providers, and rating agencies to ensure the quality of solar PV systems and ultimately the long-term health of the market."

The guides include recommended contractor and provider qualifications, key performance indicators, links to external resources, and additional best practices. Additional SAPC activities include standardization of solar contract templates, development of performance datasets, and engaging rating agencies via a mock securitization process to comprehend their risk perspectives of the asset class.

This work is supported by the Energy Department's SunShot Initiative, which is a national effort to make solar energy cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade. Through SunShot, the Energy Department supports private companies, universities and national laboratories working to drive down the cost of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot.

To download the best practices and standard contracts or learn more about SAPC, please visithttps://financeRE.nrel.gov. To participate in SAPC, please contact francisco.flores-espino@nrel.gov.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

From GE:

GE ENERGY FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PACIFICO ENERGY PARTNER ON A THIRD SOLAR TRANSACTION IN JAPAN

March 31, 2015

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MIYAZAKI CITY, JAPAN – MARCH 31, 2015: GE unit (NYSE:GE) GE Energy Financial Services and Virginia Solar Group subsidiary Pacifico Energy have partnered for a third time to construct a solar power project in Japan. GE Energy Financial Services and Virginia Solar Group will jointly invest equity in a 96.2-megawatt (DC) photovoltaic solar plant, with GE Energy Financial Services’ commitment totaling ¥7.5 billion. Construction of the plant is underway in Hosoe on Kyushu Island, in the prefecture of Miyazaki. A ¥35 billion term loan facility with a 22-year tenor – led by The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. as the sole and exclusive mandated lead arranger – was provided on a non–recourse project finance basis with a syndicate of 12 Japanese financial institutions. Additional transaction details have not been disclosed.

Pacifico Energy is the project developer managing construction and operations of Hosoe, which is being
built on 140 hectares of land that was originally intended for a golf course. Once complete, it will be the
largest solar power plant on Kyushu Island and consist of approximately 300,000 photovoltaic modules
supplied by Trina Solar. Toyo Engineering Corporation is the construction company on the project, and
Asahi Dengyo is providing operations and maintenance services. In addition to capital, GE is supplying
the project with 50 units of 1.26-megawatt Brilliant solar inverters, which eliminate the need for an
intermediate transformer, resulting in higher conversion efficiency and superior grid performance.

Hosoe is expected to begin commercial operations in the spring of 2018 and will sell its power to Kyushu
Electric Power Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement. It is expected to generate enough
clean energy to power up to 30,000 households and avoid 68,200 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
By 2020, Japan aims to have 20 percent of its energy generated from renewable power sources, a goal
which is supported by the country’s regulatory policies and feed-in tariff. Sushil Verma, a managing
director and head of Asia Pacific at GE Energy Financial Services, notes that Hosoe is the third
transaction between GE Energy Financial Services and Pacifico Energy that contributes to the country’s
renewable energy goals.

“We aim to continue helping Japan achieve a diversified power mix. Working with reliable and regional
counterparties supports our international expansion and renewable energy investment commitments,”
Verma says.

GE Energy Financial Services has made equity and debt investment commitments of $1.9 billion in nearly
two gigawatts of solar power projects worldwide, and plans to continue to invest over $1 billion
annually in renewable energy projects. Hosoe is the fourth Japan solar project in which GE Energy
Financial Services has invested since last May. Last year, the company invested in Pacifico Energy’s
Kumenan and Mimasaka Musashi solar projects in May and December respectively, and in September,
the GE unit helped finance Japan’s largest solar project, which is being built in Setouchi City.

Kazuomi Kaneto, president of Pacifico Energy K.K. added “We are excited about partnering again with
GE on Japan’s third largest solar power plant, and the largest in the country which is invested 100
percent by foreign financial institutions. This investment, leveraging the extensive development
experience of our team, helps Japan achieve 20 percent of its power generated from renewable
sources.”

Pacifico Energy has started construction on 75 megawatts (DC) of solar power projects in Japan in 2014
and is set to start construction in early 2015 on another 149 megawatts (DC). The company currently has
another 300 megawatts (DC) in development.

Note to Editors:

View a rendering of Hosoe, here.

About Pacifico Energy K.K.

Founded in 2012 to help meet Japan’s domestic energy needs, Pacifico Energy is a Japanese power plant development company focused on solar photovoltaic projects. Pacifico Energy covers all aspects of solar power plant development, including permitting, design, financing, construction, and asset management. Based in Tokyo, Pacifico Energy’s strength is in its team and investment partners consisting of professionals with deep solar industry and energy experience. For more information please see:www.pacificoenergy.jp

About Virginia Solar Group

Pacifico Energy is owned by investor group Virginia Solar and affiliated with the Jamieson Group, a California based oil & gas/real estate enterprise with annual revenues of over USD $800 million.

About GE Energy Financial Services

GE Energy Financial Services—GE’s energy investing business—works as a builder, not just a banker, to help meet the world’s power and fuel needs. We offer more than money—expertise—for essential, long-lived and capital-intensive power, oil and gas infrastructure—GE’s core business. Drawing on GE’s energy technical know-how, financial strength and risk management, we see value where others don’t and take on our customers’ toughest challenges with flexible equity and debt transaction structures. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, GE Energy Financial Services holds approximately $16 billion in assets. More information:www.geenergyfinancialservices.com. Follow GE Energy Financial Services on Twitter: @GEEnergyFinServ

About GE

GE (NYSE:GE) imagines things others don’t, builds things others can’t and delivers outcomes that make the world work better. GE brings together the physical and digital worlds in ways no other company can. In its labs and factories and on the ground with customers, GE is inventing the next industrial era to move, power, build and cure the world. www.ge.com

Tags

• Business Unit: Capital, Energy Financial Services, Energy Management, Power Conversion

From GE:

Gartner Names GE Energy Management a Leader in 2015 “Magic Quadrant” Report for Advanced Distribution Management Systems

March 31, 2015

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PowerOnTM Advantage Utilizes the Power of the Industrial Internet to Improve Grid Resiliency and Asset Utilization

ATLANTA—March 31, 2015—GE’s Digital Energy business (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has been named as one of the industry’s leading providers of advanced distribution management systems (ADMS) by Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. This position was stated in a recent report issued by Gartner* where it analyzed the capabilities of 10 vendors that offer ADMS solutions.

“Anticipating our customers’ grid optimization needs and delivering innovative, leading-edge solutions that increase reliability, productivity and efficiency are priorities for us at GE. Our PowerOnTM Advantage ADMS was built on more than 30 years of collaborative experience with our customers and seamlessly brings together the unique needs of distribution management systems and outage management systems into one singular, modular platform,” said Keith Grassi, global product line leader—asset control, GE’s Digital Energy business. “We believe receiving this recognition from Gartner for our ADMS solution is a great achievement and demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with the tools they need to enhance their grid management systems.”

Gartner is recognized as the transmission and distribution industry’s expert, and its Magic Quadrant reports offer comprehensive insights about the sector, providing benchmark standards for the industry. In Gartner’s Magic Quadrant report, it identified the position of 10 technologies and assessed vendors on “Completeness of Vision” and “Ability to Execute” against their stated vision. 

The report positioned GE Energy Management in the Leaders quadrant for its ADMS solution based on completeness of vision and ability to execute.

GE offers an advanced Industrial Internet solution capable of providing a streamlined, integrated product based on a single network model. The software’s innovative, modern user experience differentiates GE’s PowerOn Advantage solution from other offerings in the industry.

“We are investing significantly in device agnostic mobility capability, advanced optimization capabilities and big data integration to further improve grid resiliency and asset utilization and to drive operational efficiency for our customers,” said Keith Redfearn, GM, software solutions, GE’s Digital Energy business.

As an extension to its PowerOn portfolio, GE recently released its PowerOn Response software, a new solution designed to help utilities reduce downtime and restore power faster after severe storms. In accordance with GE’s strategy to drive real customer value from enterprise grid management solutions with full, seamless interoperability, PowerOn Response integrates field-collected data with operational workflows and existing grid management solutions to ensuring repair information is rapidly delivered to field crews.

GE’s PowerOn Advantage ADMS uses GE’s Predix TM Industrial Internet software platform to provide a new paradigm in user experience, where the data finds the user. The company’s PowerOn Response solution—part of GE’s Mobile Enterprise Suite and built on its Predix platform—fully utilizes this strength to improve data collection, integration and management processes. 

GE is uniquely positioned as the only vendor to be acknowledged as a leader in both the recent Gartner Magic Quadrant for Advanced Distribution Management Systems and the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Utilities Geographic Information Systems** published September 15, 2014.

“Our global presence, partner network and mature professional services network is referenced as the most extensive of all vendors in both reports,” said Brian Boutte, GM, Global Channels and Strategic Partners, GE’s Digital Energy business. “Our global partner ecosystem is a natural extension of the GE team and is one we are actively growing. It not only offers us extended reach, but more importantly a broad perspective on the global segment, customer needs and product feedback, something that is unmatched in the industry and that enables us to better deliver world-class software solutions.”

GE will be featuring its full portfolio of advanced Industrial Internet software solutions for the modern grid at its International Software Summit, which is taking place June 8-11 in Frankfurt, Germany.

The full Gartner Magic Quadrant is available at www.gartner.com. A Gartner subscription is required.

GE’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in transmission and distribution solutions that manage and move power from the power plant to the consumer. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to delivering analytic tools to help manage the power grid, GE’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visithttp://www.gedigitalenergy.com/.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) imagines things others don’t, builds things others can’t and delivers outcomes that make the world work better. GE brings together the physical and digital worlds in ways no other company can. In its labs and factories and on the ground with customers, GE is inventing the next industrial era to move, power, build and cure the world. www.ge.com

Follow GE’s Digital Energy business on Twitter @GEModernGrid, LinkedIn and on YouTube.

*Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Advanced Distribution Management Systems, Randy Rhodes, Zarko Sumic, March 17, 2015.

**Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Utilities Geographic Information Systems, Randy Rhodes, September 15, 2014.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Solar Helps Stabilize Energy Prices in U.S. Virgin Islands

From the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:

Renewable #energy is leading to more consistent energy prices for island communities. Due to its remote location, the #US Virgin Islands has relied on oil to produce #electricity, which causes major price fluctuations due to shortages, weather, or other factors.#Solar plants, like this one located on St. Thomas, have helped them reduce their fossil fuel use by 20% over the last five years—with their goal of a 60% reduction by 2025 in reach with more renewable energy planned. Learn more how the U.S. Virgin Islands has become a leader in #Caribbean clean energy:http://go.usa.gov/3jvDT

Tesla sales hit new record - Apr. 3, 2015

Tesla Motors sold a record number of cars in the first quarter.



The company said it sold 10,300 of the Model S in the first three months of the year, up 55% from the same period of last year.



Tesla sales hit new record - Apr. 3, 2015

Corps Completes New Housing Complex at Fort Hunter Liggett

From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District joined with U.S. Rep. Sam Farr and Fort Hunter Liggett officials to celebrate the completion of a new housing complex at the installation in Monterey County March 27. Read the whole story here: http://ow.ly/L2NjT

Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

From the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:

This #hospital, dedicated to taking care of Northern California’s military #veterans, improved its #energy efficiency in large part due to an Energy Department program. For #TBT, we go back to 1997 when our Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) awarded the first in a series of six regional “Super Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs)” to help government agencies improve their energy efficiency and reduce taxpayer costs. The San Francisco VA Medical Center (pictured) was among the first federal facilities to award an ESPC to an energy service company using our contract. ESPCs enable federal agencies to fund building upgrades such as heating, cooling, lighting, and building automation systems without up-front costs. Recently, we announced a new solicitation that will spur more energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements at federal government facilities across the #US. Learn more: http://go.usa.gov/3grPJ.