There’s never been a better time for solar in Texas. I’m proud to be part of an organization that’s making this happen by helping Texans join forces to go solar and fight for their energy rights. Solar United Neighbors of Texas (SUN) does this every day, in a variety of ways.
We help people go solar through our free-to-join solar co-op programs. These groups bring interested members together to bulk purchase solar (joining isn’t a commitment to purchase panels). We work closely with local partners to spread the word about the groups and encourage members to join. We hold free public information sessions and tabling events to ensure co-op members are well informed about solar energy.
Once a solar co-op is large enough, we initiate a competitive bid process on their behalf. Local installers submit bids and a selection committee, composed of co-op members, reviews each bid. The committee chooses the one that best serves the needs of the group; then the installer visits and prepares individualized proposals for each member.
The co-op process usually takes about 6-8 months from launch to final celebration.
SUN has been in Texas for almost three years. In that time, we have run ten co-ops. The last two have been the largest yet. Our Plano co-op has 146 members. The most recent Houston co-op has 291. Nationwide, SUN has reached more than 45,000 consumers and helped more than 6,000 families install more than 50 megawatts (MW) of solar. Here in Texas, we have reached almost 1,500 individuals in the last three years. We’ve helped 142 families install more than 1.3 MW of solar.
While the stats are impressive, the stories behind the numbers are even more exciting. Each co-op has a champion who reaches out to neighbors, helps get the word out and leads by example. One of those champions, Andreas Matzakos, organized community meetings with SUN and offered tours of his own system. Andreas is now one of our volunteer info-session presenters. Another champion, Carol Denson, invited neighbors to her home to share why she was considering going solar. It was a beautiful example of the power of “neighbors” in Solar United Neighbors.
As we’ve grown in the state, we’ve deepened our relationships, enabling us to help even more Texans go solar. This year, in coordination with the anniversary of Houston’s Climate Action Plan, we partnered with the City to launch the Houston Solar Co-op. At a press conference, Mayor Sylvester Turner discussed the benefits that distributed solar generation provides for our health, grid resiliency and climate. Thanks to the power of the City’s social media networks and local press, SUN had to close the co-op early due to record sign-ups!
We’re setting another record with the Houston co-op: the number of solar contracts that include battery storage. Of the first 41 contracts, 27 members have chosen to include battery back-up. People choose to go solar for a variety of reasons: to save money on their utility bills, to reduce their carbon footprint, and more recently, to provide resiliency against extreme weather events like February’s winter storm Uri.
SUN also has an outstanding help desk and process to help those interested in seeking their own solar bids. This process provides the same education that co-op members receive.
Texas presents an interesting challenge and opportunity for solar. Its deregulated market means most electricity customers choose their own retail energy provider. This can be confusing, whether a homeowner has solar or not. Our goal at SUN is to reduce barriers to going solar. We partnered with Texas Power Guide to provide a free analysis to current and prospective solar owners. The analysis looks at past energy usage and the size of the homeowner’s solar array to determine which of the current electricity plans is most beneficial. Our research found that only 3% of Texas solar owners are using the best plan for them. Our tool can help solar owners save hundreds of dollars annually.
While the competitive bid process enables SUN to make solar more accessible for all, more support is needed to reach low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents. The City of Plano, for example, has allocated special funds to help advance solar in LMI communities. As a pilot project, SUN, together with co-op partners and the selected installer, facilitated the installation of a solar array on a Habitat for Humanity home in Plano. It’s a start, with more to come.
Our work continues long after the co-op celebration. We continue to build community around advocating for solar rights for all. We support legislation that expands solar, like SB 398, the Solar Consumer Protection Act passed last session which ensures solar customers have the information they need to make informed decisions. It will also prohibit municipalities, in addition to homeowner association boards, from unreasonably restricting energy independence. These protections are hugely important for the rooftop solar market and will help to bring more jobs and more solar to Texas.
We oppose efforts to limit solar, such as Pedernales Electric Cooperatives’ recent imposition of unfair fees on solar customers. At the federal level, we are advocating for 30 million solar homes – an economic stimulus to help combat climate change. Imagine 1 in 4 roofs with solar in five years! Working toward a big vision like this makes it a joy to work with an organization like Solar United Neighbors. https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/texas/
If it’s an odd-numbered year, the Texas legislature is in session. A confluence of clamor and mayhem with thousands of bills filed (more than 7,000 this session), each session has its own unique personality.
Back in July 2020, State Comptroller Glen Hegar projected a $4.6 billion deficit by August 2021. But in January, Hegar reduced this estimated deficit to $946 million, citing underestimated gains in tax receipts from online sales. And while better than the original $4.6 billion deficit prediction, a $946 million deficit is still painful, especially when pre-COVID, Hegar predicted an almost $3 billion surplus.
Then February happened.
The near-collapse of the state’s electric grid changed everything. A flurry of energy bills was filed.
We’re tracking a list of renewable energy bills, all of which will impact solar in Texas. We’ve included the companion versions and legislators so you can reach out and voice your opinion.
To keep up with bill status, click here. Under search legislation, select word/phrase or bill number.
For
HB 1607 (Darby) and SB 1325 (Hinojosa) to invest in additional transmission lines to bring wind and solar power to our cities.
HB 3795 (Button, Guillen) and SB 1029 (Huffman) relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation for certain solar or wind-powered energy devices
HB 3978 (Crockett; enabling legislation to HJR 144) Relating to a credit against the ad valorem taxes imposed on property on which certain solar energy devices have been installed. HJR 144 Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for a credit against the ad valorem taxes imposed on property on which a solar energy device has been installed based on the cost of acquiring and installing the device.
SB 398 (Menéndez) and HB 3696 (Deshotel) adopting a Solar Customer Protection Act to make it easier for Texans to go solar. Prevents municipalities from discriminating against street-facing solar installations.
SB 1303 (Blanco) and HB 4120 (Deshotel) to modify the Clean School Bus program to prioritize electric buses and directing the Public Utility Commission to adopt rules to remove barriers for schools to install charging infrastructure, solar and batteries.
Against
SB 1255 (Birdwell) to discriminate against wind and solar energy in Chapter 313 economic development program.
SB 1256 (Birdwell) to discriminate against wind and solar energy in Chapter 312 property tax abatements.
SB 1278 (Hancock) to discriminate against wind and solar in the ERCOT market.
With sunny days and afternoon temperatures pushing into the 80s, it is hard to believe that just over a month ago, Texas was in the grips of a historic freeze that broke both the natural gas and electricity systems and left millions of Texans shivering in the dark. If only there was some way to harness all of the hot air from all of the terrible hot takes out there, we could probably power the entire grid through the summer.
At a high-level, the grid failed to match supply and demand. And just like in any market where there is not enough supply to meet demand, not everyone who wants the product – in this case, electricity – was able to get it. What makes electricity different than other products is that if real supply-demand mismatches are allowed to persist, the entire market collapses and no one is able to get electricity. In fact, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid operator that services about 90 percent of Texas customers, said that they were within a few minutes of a catastrophic grid collapse that could have taken days if not weeks to bring back online.
When one thinks of Texas, one doesn’t usually think of snow and ice. More likely, cowboys and the hot Texas sun come to mind. However, at the coldest part of the storm, all 254 counties of Texas were under a winter storm watch at the same time, something that has never been recorded in our state. The cold snap in 2011 that induced a few hours of rolling blackouts wasn’t nearly as cold, widespread, nor did it last as long. To find the most comparable weather event, one has to go as far back as 1989. So, while these events are rare, they are not without complete precedent.
In the end, the projected peak demand for the ERCOT system at 11 am on Tuesday, February 15th was about 76,679 MW, about 19,000 MW more demand than projected for this winter and about 9,400 MW more than the most demand we have ever seen in winter. To put it further in perspective, ERCOT’s all-time peak demand record is 74,820 MW, set in August of 2019. We never hit that new peak, because the grid could not supply that much energy. Instead, we had to turn off the power to millions of Texans for multiple days.
About 60 percent of homes in Texas use electricity for heating, and the other 40 percent use natural gas[1]. Also, roughly half of the power plant fleet in ERCOT runs on natural gas. The record cold meant that Texas homes and power plants were demanding record amounts of natural gas for heating and the electrified homes were demanding record amounts of electricity for their heat. At the same time, the record cold reduced the amount of natural gas well production by roughly half.
In the end, we were unable to deliver enough natural gas to meet both home heating and power plant needs. Additionally, because multiple wind, coal, nuclear and natural gas plants froze, we were short somewhere close to half of our generation capacity – not a good place to be when you’re expecting record levels of demand.
Figure 1: Figure showing all power plant derates and capacity losses for all fuel types during the Texas blackouts. Visualization by Brendon Pierpont: https://twitter.com/brendanpierpont/status/1368066372702326787?s=20
The grid, however, doesn’t rely on all resources equally during winter peaking events. In planning for winter peaks that typically occur early on winter mornings, the grid operator knows that solar and wind are not likely to produce and doesn’t plan for them to be.
Figure 2: Technology performance by fuel type during the Texas blackouts. Chart by Blake Schaffer: https://twitter.com/bcshaffer/status/1364635620706971651?s=20
If we look at how each resource performed during the blackouts (Figure 2), only nuclear, wind and solar produced at or above their critical minimum levels (red dotted line) for at least part of the time.
Utility-scale solar performed very well, in part because most large solar arrays track; they’re able to rotate away from the snow, then back and forth to allow the snow to fall off. Utility-scale solar is small, relative to other resources in ERCOT, but generally, it overperformed once the sun came out. Distributed solar is slightly different. Although it’s usually fixed and cannot shed snow as easily, that did not mean that they didn’t perform well.
Data from Pecan Street Inc, a smart-grid research and development group based in Austin, recently detailed how real-world solar PV systems performed during the Texas freeze. They found that residential solar array production was down about 60 percent (based on days with similar amounts of sunlight) during the first couple days of the event, but eventually bounced back to normal levels once the snow melted (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Solar radiation vs. distributed solar production during the Texas blackouts. Data and chart by Pecan Street Inc., used by permission. https://www.pecanstreet.org/2021/02/solarstorm/
The entire week is one that many Texans hope never happens again. One lesson we are learning is that systems are only as good (but sometimes worse) as what you plan for. Not all types of generation fulfill every task that the grid needs, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not useful.
I don’t put my flip-flops away in the winter because they don’t keep my feet warm. Truth is, they are great almost nine months out of the Texas year! We need a strong, resilient and diverse mix that includes a lot of solar to make sure that we are better prepared for whatever the climate throws at us.
[1] There are other sources, but they are much smaller comparatively.
Joshua D. Rhodes, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow at the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin and a Founding Partner of IdeaSmiths LLC. His current research is in the area of smart grid and the bulk electricity system, including spatial system-level applications and impacts of energy efficiency, resource planning, distributed generation, and storage. Joshua is also the secretary of the TXSES board of directors.
The Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) announced the election of six new members to its board of directors, as well as the full slate of officers.
Joining TXSES’s board of directors are Howard ‘Scot’ Arey, owner of Solar CenTex; Dr. Ariane L. Beck, Research Fellow at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin; Ann Hamilton, former senior grant officer at Houston Endowment Inc. (HEI); Mary C. Palmer, Environmental Program Coordinator, Austin Energy; Dub Taylor, Director Texas State Energy Conservation Office (retired); and Ron Zagarri, Director-at-Large North Texas Renewable Energy Group, former vice-chair of the TXSES Board.
“We are honored to welcome this impressive group of individuals to our board,” said TXSES Executive Director Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons. “They bring enormous talent, insight and dedication to clean energy and are committed to helping TXSES carry out our mission as an independent, national not-for-profit organization accelerating the clean energy transformation through quality educational materials that will grow the industry, protect clean air, build healthy, resilient communities, support local, well-paying jobs and lay the foundation for energy independence.”
Howard “Scot” Arey | Chair
Scot is the owner of Solar CenTex, a solar installer from Harker Heights operating since 2013. Scot was a former TXSES board member and chairperson and after a multi-year hiatus, wants to return to the board during a critical period for Texas distributed generation.
Dr. Ariane L. Beck
Ariane is a Research Fellow at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on how interactions between underlying social, behavioral, economic, and technological components of the energy system impact diffusion of clean energy technologies and how information channels can accelerate diffusion processes. Previously, she was project manager for a consumer side smart grid research project and served as Assistant Department Chair for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UT-Austin. She has managed over $25million in DOE projects throughout her career and has over 40 peer-reviewed publications. Her recent projects include producing a roadmap for scaling community solar in Texas and developing a better understanding of the role of community-based organizations and knowledge spillovers in the solar ecosystem. Dr. Beck received her Ph.D., MS, and BS in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
Ann Hamilton
Ann served as senior grant officer at Houston Endowment Inc. (HEI), Texas’s largest private philanthropy, whose portfolio includes solar and energy efficiency, for 18 years. During her tenure, she developed its environmental grant-making portfolio, became familiar with environmental groups statewide, researched and visited potential grantees, and recommended over 1,000 grants for board approval, totaling over $220M. She co-founded and presided over Texas Environmental Grantmakers Association for 12 years and Cullinan Park Conservancy for 10 years. Hamilton has been recognized for her efforts by the Texas Land Trust Council, Lady Bird Johnson Center, Hermann Park Conservancy, and other groups. She received the Terry Hershey Woman in Conservation Award from the Texas Audubon Society in 2016. Hamilton currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Aransas Project, The Progressive Forum-Houston, and Bayou City Initiative. She is an emeritus director of the International Crane Foundation and The Philosophical Society of Texas.
Mary Palmer
Endorsed for her specific brand of organization, compassion and focus, Mary is a leader within the Customer Renewable Solutions team at Austin Energy. As an Environmental Program Coordinator, Mary works to accelerate the transition to a carbon-free energy future by engaging with commercial and residential customers and the solar contractor community. In her work, she implements program design and strategic planning to grow the City of Austin’s renewable energy programs. Mary is skilled at combining business acumen with a human-centered design approach. She is passionate about being a catalyst for continuous improvement and brings unique perspectives gained from seven years of experience in the non-profit sector. Her proudest achievement is working with local communities and volunteers from all over the world to install rainwater harvesting systems; a total capacity of 82,900 liters of potable, accessible water to residents of Fiji.
Dub Taylor
For more than 25 years, Taylor has helped advance cost-effective, clean energy technology and policy through his work in the public sector. For twenty years, he was Director of the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). Prior to SECO, he was with the Texas Railroad Commission’s Alternative Fuels Research and Education Division. At the federal level, Taylor served on and twice chaired the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). Originally appointed Chair by President George W. Bush’s Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, he was again appointed to this role by former Energy Secretary and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Taylor currently serves on the Boards of PACENation, the National Association of State Energy Officials Institute, Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation and the Austin ISD Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Austin-San Antonio Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers and the Texas Chapter of the Energy Services Coalition.
Ron Zagarri | Treasurer
In 1918, labor leader Nicholas Klein observed, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” The same can be said of energy disruption, considering that America can arguably attain 100% sustainable energy in this decade. As a fossil fuel leader, this transformation places Texas squarely in the fighting stage on the path to decarbonization. Although we can expect a bumpy ride, Ron believes TXSES is uniquely positioned to accelerate this great transition. Former vice-chair of the TXSES Board, Ron has been assisting the organization with the conversion of its accounting practices.
With the election of Arey, Beck, Hamilton, Palmer, Taylor and Zagarri, TXSES’s board includes Amy Olsen, Wells Solar, Vice-Chair; Joshua Rhodes, Ph.D. Webber Energy Group, the University of Texas at Austin and IdeaSmiths LLC, Secretary; and David Brearley. According to TXSES by-laws, each TXSES chapter has a seat on the TXSES board. The five TXSES chapter representatives are: Rosa Orenstein, J.D., North Texas Renewable Energy Group; Dylan Rup, Houston Renewable Energy Group; Leslie Libby, Solar Austin; Kaylyn Randolph, Build San Antonio Green; and Shelby Ruff, Eco El Paso.
Chair’s Corner – December 2020 Katherine Searcy, Chair
As we wrap up one of the most tumultuous years that I can recall, I return to gratitude as a centering and productive force: gratitude for the technical and business achievements that enabled climate-friendly photovoltaics to become a dominant source for new electric generating capacity nationwide; gratitude to live in Texas, a state with such an abundant solar resource that we have the second largest installed solar capacity of any state, and we are predicted to more than triple that capacity in the next five years; and gratitude to our members who have sustained our organization through this uncertain year with their generous donations.
Within the organization, I extend sincere thanks to our Executive Director, Pete Parsons, who has faced down an extremely challenging first year with enthusiasm, humor, and determination. I’m grateful for the other Executive Committee members, Micah Jasuta (Vice Chair) and Paul Gonin (Treasurer), who have met weekly to provide counsel and steer the organization, and for the full TXSES Board.
I give thanks to Lucy Stolzenburg, our previous Executive Director, for supporting this year’s Cool House Tour. I sincerely thank Ron Zagarri for overseeing the transition to a new accounting system and new bookkeepers, a detailed and sometimes tedious, but critical, task for a lean nonprofit such as ours. Finally, I want to extend a special thanks to Jane Pulaski, who has donated untold hours managing our communications, social media accounts, and grant applications throughout the year.
In 2020, we transitioned the Cool House Tour to a virtual format and were excited to learn that half of the participants were first-time attendees. We continued to publish this Solar Reflector newsletter, and we substantially increased our social media presence. We welcomed Eco El Paso as our West Texas chapter. Finally, we began expanding services to our business members by forming a policy committee.
Through this committee, we support solar-friendly policy in Texas by connecting our business members, collaborating with other nonprofits, and providing credible information to relevant stakeholders (industry, utilities, legislators, and the general public).
Looking forward into 2021, we intend to expand our programs. The Cool House Tour will continue in a virtual format. We will establish the policy committee as a valuable forum for our business members to exchange information and form coalitions for mutual benefit. Taking inspiration from our chapter, Solar Austin, we are seeking funding to create equitable, clean energy internship programs in each of our chapters’ cities.
Finally, as funding allows, we intend to promote community solar as a viable option for people who cannot install solar on their own roofs, yet want to power their lives with the sun.
Weathering this year’s storm truly took a village. I’m grateful for everyone’s contributions that enabled us to continue working toward our mission of equitable access to solar energy for every Texan.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Healthy New Year,
Chair’s Corner – December 2020