Resource Library

This report by Harcourt Brown & Carey, commissioned by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, specifies general program elements of a successful on-bill financing program for the residential market for Hawaii. There are several reasons that an on-bill finance program is effective for Hawaii, including high energy costs, the ability of on-bill programs to serve renters, and the opportunity to promote capital intensive solar technologies.

For the small number of green pricing programs, an increasingly important value is a fixed-price, rate stability benefit reflecting the fixed costs of the renewable energy sources used to supply the program. Programs offering this benefit protect or exempt their participants from the portion of rate increases that stem from fuel costs. This report examines utility experiences when offering the fixed-price benefits of renewable energy in green pricing programs, including the methods utilized and the impact on program participation. It focuses primarily on utility green pricing programs in states that have not undergone electric industry restructuring.

Southern California Edison's review of its own electric vehicle solutions implementation concludes that rate plans can encourage off-peak charging behavior. Setting an end time creates a more random start time pattern because batteries have different “states of discharge” and charge at different levels, thus requiring various amounts of electricity. When customers set an “end charge” time for charging to be complete, they randomize the start time of their charging, which prevents a large number of vehicles from coming online at the same time – avoiding power-load spikes that potentially could affect the local distribution system.

"Behavior based energy efficiency (BBEE) programs focus on energy savings resulting from changes in individual or organizational behavior and decision-making. BBEE programs have been growing in prominence around the country as a means of achieving energy savings beyond what is obtained through traditional efforts focused on encouraging the adoption of energy efficient technology." This report provides numerous case studies with advisory sections on: Marketing & Communications; Tips & Assistance; Goal Setting; and Rewards & Recognition.

The City of Los Angeles updated its green building code to include a reflectivity requirement for new and replaced residential roofs. The ordinance requires low-slope roofs to have a minimum three-year solar reflectance of 0.63 and a thermal emittance level of 0.75. Steep slope roofs must have a minimum three-year solar reflectance level of 0.20 and thermal emittance of 0.75.

This two-page inspection checklist details the Palo Alto municipal utility requirements for residential EVSE installations.

This sample checklist for building inspectors is from the "Ready Set Charge: A Guide to EV-Ready Communities" guidebook. In addition to providing a template from Los Angeles County, it lists common inspection considerations and requirements.

Energy Conservation Ordinances (ECOs) provide a means for local governments to improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. ECOs typically require property owners to implement specific measures to reduce energy and water use where a property does not meet a minimum standard. This fact sheet describes their intended benefits as well as various models for ECOs.

The City of Berkeley's Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance (RECO) was adopted to improve the energy and water efficiency of existing housing. RECO is meant to help insulate residents from energy price increases by reducing the amount of energy used for heat, hot water, and lighting. The ordinance states that every home or apartment building sold or transferred in Berkeley or undergoing renovations valued at $50,000 or more must meet certain energy or water efficiency requirements.

This report presents background information and data analysis for recommending a Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance (RECO) in the City of Boulder. A RECO would reduce energy use and green house gas (GHG) emissions from existing buildings in the residential sector by requiring that specific energy efficiency measures are completed or efficiency thresholds met when triggered by either the sale of any dwelling or the application for or renewal of rental licenses for rental dwelling units in the city.

This Residential HVAC Inspection Checklist from the City of West University Place, TX, contains compliance requirements for both the 2012 International Residential Mechanical Code as well as items related to local regulations. This format can be easily adapted to another AHJ's use.

Excel spreadsheet to calculate the solar PV permit fee for residential

Under its Permit Fee Rebate for Sustainable Housing program, the City of Asheville waives fees for building permits and plan reviews for certain renewable energy technologies and green building certifications for homes and mixed-use commercial buildings. Geothermal heat pumps receive a full permit fee rebate of $50 upon the project's completion.

Montgomery County's permit guidelines for residential solar installations specifies that if a battery system is included in the project design, it must be disclosed along with information about other major system components.

Pacific Gas & Electric offers a wide range of rebates and incentives for residential energy efficiency improvements, as well as buyer's guides and financial assistance programs.

This report examines several relatively new financing methods for residential photovoltaics, including solar PPAs and leases, utility loans, and revolving loan funds, and compares them to traditional self-financing methods. It provides with an overview of each financing method, describes relative advantages and challenges between the various financing mechanisms, and analyzes differences between them where data is available.

The Spanish government adopted a new Technical Building Code (CTE, Codigo Tecnico de la Edificacion) in March 2006 which includes an obligation to cover part of the domestic hot water demand with solar thermal energy. This obligation applies to all new buildings and to those undergoing major refurbishments.The required solar contribution varies between 30 and 70% depending on three main factors: domestic hot water demand of the building (liters/day), climate zone, and conventional fuel to be replaced (only for refurbishments). Some exceptions are defined in the law, mainly in the case of buildings that either satisfy their demand by other renewables or by cogeneration or for shaded buildings.

This section of the residential water heating requirements under the 2013 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards details solar water heating requirements, including mandatory solar-ready construction requirements as well as when solar water heating is required prescriptively for systems serving single and multiple-dwelling units.

Guideline for establishing a fixed fee based on cost recovery for residential PV permit applications.

Resource Solar is one of several companies currently offering power purchase agreements for solar water heating systems. While PPAs may be subject to different rules and regulations in each state, this FAQ about their solar thermal PPA product for condominium owners and associations can provide a useful overview of the arrangement as well as its benefits.

The EPA's compliance assistance program provides businesses, federal facilities, local governments and tribes with tools to help meet environmental regulatory requirements. Compliance assistance tools and methods include one-to-one counseling, online resource centers, fact sheets, guides and training. This online portal segments resources according to compliance area and also contains a sector-based resource section as well as a link to the Compliance Assistance Center. Local governments can locate relevant compliance resources and disseminate them to their polluting industries, such as agriculture, food processing, automotive repair, and more.

The Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program is a voluntary partnership program between the Environmental Protection Agency, utilities, manufacturers, and state affiliates to help protect the ozone layer and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. RAD program partners recover ozone-depleting chemicals from old refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. More information about the program and a list of partners can be found on the RAD website.

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) offers a retro-commissioning (RCx) program for public sector buildings as another means towards reducing energy usage in buildings. The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center supports DCEO in management of the program and providing the RCx services. Eligibility for the 2014-2015 program year is limited to public sector entities that have electric service delivered by Ameren Illinois or ComEd utilities.

This report summarizes and compares the work done by 15 previous distributed PV cost/benefit studies conducted across the U.S. It assesses what is known and unknown about the categorization, methodological best practices, and gaps around the benefits and costs of DPV, and begins to establish a clear foundation from which additional work on benefit/cost assessments and pricing structure design can be built. (document length: 63 pages)

This paper is an examination of the utility-accessible External Disconnect Switch debate in the context of utility- interactive PV systems for residential and small commercial installations