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,
The Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) today announced the addition of Eco El Paso to its family of local chapters across the state.
“We are excited to welcome Eco El Paso as a new local TXSES chapter” said TXSES Executive Director Pete Parsons. “Under the leadership of Executive Director Shelby Ruff, Eco El Paso brings enormous depth of talent, experience and dedication to clean energy. They are deeply committed to helping TXSES carry out our mission as an independent, national not-for-profit organization committed to fact-based policy leadership, quality workforce development and consumer empowerment.”
A membership-based organization for more than four decades, TXSES has been the pre-eminent statewide organization exemplified in strong, well-established local chapters in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and now El Paso. Having chapters in these major metropolitan cities, which represent nearly a quarter of Texas’s 29 million citizens, enables gifted, dedicated experts to disseminate quality, fact-based solar information and strategies that every Texas community can adopt.
“Eco El Paso is excited to be a Chapter of Texas Solar Energy Society since our mission and goals align in many ways, especially regarding solar energy, solar jobs and the many benefits solar provides to our region,” said Ruff. “Solar energy is a major part of the clean energy transition that provides high paying, local jobs. El Paso is one of the best cities for sunlight in the U.S. Our solar panels produce more power every day than the rest of Texas.”
“Adding another chapter like Eco El Paso increases our ability to reach more Texans on the importance of sound, favorable solar policies that will grow the industry, build healthy, resilient communities, support local well-paying jobs and lay the foundation for an equitable 100% clean energy Texas,” said TXSES Board Chair Katherine Searcy.
By Katherine Searcy, Chair, TXSES Board of Directors
The Texas Solar Energy Society’s mission is Equitable Access to Solar Energy for Every Texan. Green building enables the efficient use of solar energy by reducing the total energy needed for a home or business, which in turn reduces the size of the required solar photovoltaic system. In this way, green building is foundational to and interwoven with the widespread adoption of distributed solar. This issue of the Solar Reflector focuses on green building: the requirements for residential green building certification, accessory dwelling units, and solar home tours, both locally and nationally.
Green building encompasses not only energy efficiency and renewable energy, but also water efficiency, healthy materials, and regionally appropriate design. The nationally recognized green building rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), provides a holistic framework to evaluate and incorporate these myriad components into a building’s design. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) administers the LEED program. Our first article, written by the Texas chapter of the USGBC, highlights the key requirements to obtain LEED certification for a home.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are small, secondary structures located on the same property as a primary dwelling. These charming structures can increase urban density and offer flexible living arrangements. In our second article, Alan Barley shares strategies for getting the most out of these small spaces and for ensuring they are as energy-efficient as conventionally sized homes.
Our final article highlights several green building home tours: our very own Cool House Tour, the American Solar Energy’s National Solar Tour, and the North Texas Renewable Energy Group’s (NTREG) DFW Solar Tour. The Texas Solar Energy Society is excited to share the 2020 Cool House Tour in a virtual format on Sunday September 27 from 2 to 4 pm. We hope you will join us!
The 2020 Tour marks the 24th year that TXSES has collaborated with Austin Energy Green Building. This year, we’ll highlight three distinct building types: a rural homestead, an urban accessory dwelling, and an affordable multifamily community. This lineup emphasizes that thoughtful design can deliver healthy, green homes for a variety of contexts and budgets. The virtual tour will include live discussions with the teams involved in each project; we hope that these conversations, along with the virtual tours, will retain the enjoyment and educational benefits of an in-person tour. The tour content will be available after the event day, enabling more people to experience and learn from the tour. There’s still time to register!!
The Cool House Tour is part of the National Solar Tour (nationalsolartour.org), which is coordinated by our parent organization, the American Solar Energy Society. The National Solar Tour will occur from September 28 through October 4. Homeowners and business owners across the country will share inspirational examples of solar integration and green building. Our chapter, NTREG, will hold their DFW Solar Tour virtually on October 3.
With all the uncertainty we are facing collectively, I find it reassuring to connect with the inspiring people and projects highlighted in this Solar Reflector. I hope that you, too, will find inspiration and useful, shareable ideas for your home, business, and community. As always, we’d love to hear your inspiring solar stories and your ideas for how TXSES can help improve equitable access to solar for every Texan. We look forward to hearing from you.
From the outset, I knew that 2020 would be a year of great change for TXSES. After more than a decade of service, our previous Executive Director, Lucy Stolzenburg, retired, and the organization welcomed Patrice “Pete” Parsons to the helm.
In February, the Board of Directors held a strategic planning retreat to steer the organization through the next three years. The Board has increasingly emphasized expanding our reach to a wider, more diverse Texas audience, and we are very excited to share our updated mission:
Equitable access to solar energy for every Texan.
We hope to educate and inspire every Texan to adopt solar energy as part of an equitable 100% clean energy future. With renewed enthusiasm, we kicked off the year with an intention to expand our online presence, our chapters, and our capacity. Little did we know just how much change 2020 had in store for us.
The coronavirus pandemic has upended our lives, businesses, and communities. Nationally, the solar industry lost thousands of jobs, particularly in the residential market. Despite these hardships, signs of life remain, and the industry may be showing early signs of recovery.
In the Austin area, I’ve heard that many solar businesses are weathering the storm, and Austin Energy continues to approve projects and conduct inspections at near pre-COVID pace.
In light of our current cultural strife, now more than ever, it’s important to support our communities by serving all of our neighbors; by providing relevant information through inclusive, welcoming environments; and by listening.
We are finding creative solutions and silver linings. We are adapting the Cool House Tour to a virtual format, rescheduled for September 27, 2020. Though we’re disappointed that we won’t get to see you in person at the Tour, we are excited that more people may be able to attend on the day of the event or afterward!
As part of our goal to reach more Texans, we intend to increase our online content, and the virtual Cool House Tour is one step in the right direction. Additionally, TXSES has expanded our outreach on social media. If you haven’t already, please follow and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We also hope to expand our chapters to more cities across Texas this year.
We want to hear from you: how can we help your community, your business, and our state achieve an equitable 100% clean energy future? We can do this together.
By Hanna Mitchell, Program Director for Solar United Neighbors of Texas
While demand for solar is growing across Texas – and some Texas cities have recently doubled down on their investments, going solar may still feel out of reach for millions of Texans. And while the cost of solar has dropped dramatically in recent years, the typical profile of a solar owner is someone who owns their home and has upfront capital or decent credit.
For those who rent, move frequently, or own a home that is completely shaded or without contiguous roof space, community solar may be a worthwhile option to reap the benefits of local solar electricity without putting panels on your roof.
So what is community solar, anyway? Since the term is frequently misused, let’s start by clarifying what it’s not: community solar is not a “green purchase program,” which generally rely on the trade of Renewable Energy Credits and come at a premium. Community solar isn’t a bulk purchase program for homeowners.
Community solar, also known as shared solar, allows people who are enrolled in the project to get their electricity from a solar array that may be either on or offsite but is generally close to where people are using the electricity. For a deeper dive into community solar programs, check out this guide from Solar United Neighbors.
While Texas does not explicitly legislate community solar programs as you can find in sixteen other states, the complex nature of the Texas electricity market offers a patchwork of community solar options that complement rooftop solar and the potential for many more options to evolve.
Much of the community solar currently available in Texas is offered through municipal utilities and electric co-ops. Check with your local electricity provider(s) to see if community solar is currently available or will be in the future.
So to recap, community solar functions as a form of distributed generation that complements rooftop solar and is available in some parts of Texas. In practical terms, you may see several different models available that allow you to buy solar electricity from a shared array.
Under a subscription model, people may sign up to buy their electricity from the community solar array, ideally at a cost equal to or below the current rate they are paying for electricity. Under an ownership model, people or organizations may buy shares (e.g., in increments of kW) and receive a credit on their utility bill for the amount of money that their share in the project is producing. This is called virtual net metering.
Beyond local availability, there are some factors to think about when shopping for a community solar program. You may want to consider who owns and operates the project, which can determine how the benefits are shared with subscribers.
You will also want to review your monthly energy use, how much you pay for it and how much of your consumption you would like to offset, if that option exists. And finally, you will want to look over the terms of the contract so that you know the length of the agreement and payment schedule
Courtesy Solar United Neighbors
From a policy and development standpoint and although community solar has the potential to improve equitable access to solar, not all community solar programs are created equal. Whether or not the program is a good economic option for consumers, either in terms of lower rates or recouping expenses, is one factor. The ease of subscribing and unsubscribing is another consideration.
And as with any community-sited project, it is important to build stakeholder input in project planning and decision making – especially from those that the project is designed to serve so that there are real community benefits. For more information on project siting, check out this summary of recommendations or this guide to project development from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Expanding distributed generation and access to solar in Texas will take a multi-pronged approach. The good news is that community solar can be an avenue for growing more solar energy jobs, improving grid stability and offering an option for more Texans to go solar.
As Program Director for Solar United Neighbors of Texas, Hanna works to bring solar to more Texans. For the better part of a decade, she has organized for environmental and social change.
Chair’s Corner – December 2020
