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Solar ABCs Newsletter
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December 2008
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Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings
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Greetings!
Welcome to the December newsletter for the Solar America Board for Codes
and Standards (Solar ABCs). In this newsletter you will learn about three new Solar ABCs reports, find information from recent Stakeholder meetings and an announcement for an upcoming meeting, learn about the proposals submitted for changes to the 2011 National Electrical Code, and more. If you want to play an active role in discussion, debate, and the preparation of position statements and policies, you may sign up to become an active member
of one or more panels. The Solar ABCs is organized into different
panels with each having responsibility for different topics related to
specific codes or standards. Let me know if you have any suggestions for future newsletters or any other comments for Solar ABCs.
Sincerely,  Larry Sherwood
Project Administrator
Solar America Board for Codes and Standards
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Solar ABCs Report: Solar Access Law
A Comprehensive Review of Solar Access Law in the United States
Consumers must have access to sunlight to efficiently and economically use a solar energy system. This Solar ABCs Report, authored by Colleen McCann Kettles of the Florida Solar Energy Research and Education Foundation, documents the legal issues for solar access and solar rights and provides model statutes for use by state and local government.
Solar America Board for Codes and Standards Recommendations
A recommended model statute is provided for implementation at the state level. The model statute includes prescriptive measures, such as community design, solar easements, as well as prohibitive measures, such as measures restricting the use of solar energy. At the local level, Solar ABCs recommendeds that the focus be placed on implementation and enforcement of state law, and a requirement that site-plan review and approval include an element to address the current and future use of solar energy (such as solar easements, landscaping, building height restrictions, and orientation).
Click here to download the complete report or a one-page summary of the report and recommendations.
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Solar ABCs Report: Utility External Disconnect Switch
Utility External Disconnect Switch: Practical, Legal, and Technical Reasons to Eliminate the Requirement
This Solar ABCs Report, authored by Michael Sheehan of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, documents the safe operation of photovoltaic (PV) systems without a utility external disconnect switch (UEDS) in several large jurisdictions. It explains the rationale for eliminating the UEDS requirement:
- Functionality is redundant
- Fails to provide the protection that is its justification
- Adds unnecessary cost to a PV system.
Solar America Board for Codes and Standards Recommendation
The recommendation of this report is to eliminate the requirement for installation for UEDS on small, inverter-based systems in all jurisdictions. With the inherent safety features built into all UL-listed PV inverters, the UEDS is functionally unnecessary and provides little, if any, additional safety.
For customers with self-contained meters (including almost all residential and small commercial customers), the meter itself is already fully capable of providing the functions required of the switch (i.e., a visible, physical, lockable separation of the system from the utility). At the very minimum, these customers should be excluded from any UEDS requirement.
Click here to download the complete report or a one-page summary of the report and recommendations.
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Solar ABCs Report: Comparison of Interconnection Procedures
Comparison of the Four Leading Small Generator Interconnection Procedures
Distributed generation is far more likely to be deployed if developers and utility customers can readily discern the costs of interconnection and the length of time for the interconnection approval process. While regulators have a challenging task in formulating interconnection procedures, the benefits of implementing procedures that function effectively are substantial.
This Solar ABCs Report, authored by Jason Keyes and Kevin Fox of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, reviews four sets of interconnection procedures that regulators often consider when developing state and local procedures. As a framework for review, the report uses the grading criteria developed by the Network for New Energy Choices and uses that organization's review of state interconnection procedures.
Solar America Board for Codes and Standards Recommendation
Each of these four sets of procedures present a suitable framework for effective regulations, though the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's Procedures provide the most comprehensive model.
Click here to download the complete report or a one-page summary of the report and recommendations.
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Proposal Submitted for Changes to 2011 National Electrical Code
Over 40 proposals for the changes to the 2011 National Electrical Code were submitted to NFPA in October. Click here for the link to see the proposals. A big THANKS goes to all who participated in developing these proposals over the past year. The next step is the initial Code Making Panel meetings in January 2009 attended by Ward Bower and Bill Brooks. The Code Making panels won't issue the formal Report on Proposals until after July 14, 2009.
Any new proposals for changes to the NEC must go into the 2014 NEC update cycle. If you are interested in actively participating in the development of these proposals or know of someone who will or should participate, please contact John Wiles.
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UL Requests Modules for Fire Test Program
UL will conduct research on fire test requirements for photovoltaics. This research and testing program will better determine the effects of PV modules on various fire class ratings on roofing materials during fires. The program was developed in response to fire test concerns in California. Click here to see a summary of the research plan and click here for more background on this topic. Stakeholder comments on the research plan are welcome and can be sent to Tim Zgonena and Larry Sherwood.
UL would greatly appreciate module donations for this testing. The modules do not need to function, but they should be physically complete. Contact Evelyn Butler for more information on module donations.
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US TC82 TAG Meeting Discusses IEC Standards
On September 24-25, 2008 the TC 82 Technical Advisory Group (TAG) held its first face-to-face meeting in many years, this time in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Arizona State University (ASU) SkySong complex. The ASU Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory generously hosted the meeting, and 33 interested TAG members attended. The TAG meeting is a forum for input on upcoming IEC Photovoltaic Standards by U.S. Stakeholders. Click here to see the minutes of the meeting. The next USTAG meeting will likely be in the spring and announced in a future Solar ABCs Newsletter.
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IEEE Meets on 1547 in January
IEEE 1547-2003 is the flagship Standard for interconnection in the U.S. with over 40 states (and the federal government) requiring compliance. There are two other standards that are important and under development now:
- IEEE P1547.6 Draft Recommended Practice for interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems Distribution Secondary Networks
- IEEE P1547.4 Draft Guide for Design, Operation, and Integration of Distributed Resource Island Systems with Electric Power Systems
The next meeting of the P1547.6 working group is tentatively scheduled for January 27-28, 2009, co-located with the P1547.4 working group on January 29-30, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Each working group will establish its own agenda, which should be available before the meeting. All interested parties are welcome to attend these meetings (membership in IEEE is not a requirement). Click here for registration information.
Please refer to the SCC21 web page for more details.
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ASTM Considers PV Standards
The ASTM E44.09 Subcommittee on Photovoltaic Electric Power Conversion held a meeting last month in St. Louis. Click here to see highlights of the meeting. The subcommittee has two new standards in development, one a PV roofing installation practice, and the other for reporting PV system power to Performance Test Conditions (i.e., the PVUSA method). Contact Carl Osterwald if you have any questions or wish to participate in the development of these standards.
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Solar ABCs Stakeholder Meeting Report
Solar ABCs held its Annual Photovoltaic Stakeholder Meeting on October 17, 2008, immediately following the Solar Power International Conference. At the meeting, Solar ABCs released the first three Study Reports (see separate articles). Also each Solar ABCs panel presented their first year results and discussed current hot topics in solar codes and standards. The topics discussed included fire safety code and standard issues, proposals for changes to the National Electrical Code, grounding issues, PV cell performance recommendations, interconnection, net metering, and solar access laws.
Click here to download the presentations from the meeting.
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Taking the Red Tape Out of Green Power
The Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) released a report detailing how some towns and cities undermine local investment in green energy and frustrate residents and business owners, by making it difficult to install small-scale solar and wind systems. Taking the Red Tape Out of Green Power outlines simple steps that cities and towns should take to break through their renewable energy gridlock. You can read NNEC's report here. |
DOE Requests Information on PV Systems and Components Data
During the Accelerated Aging Workshop held April 1-2, 2008, a number of industry representatives suggested that the National Labs could support the PV community by collecting PV field reliability information for installations across the country. To better define the community's needs and how these may be best addressed, the Golden Field Office has released a Request For Information (RFI), #DE-PS36-09GO39002, PV Community Project-Fielded PV Systems and Components Data. Click here to download the RFI.
We encourage you to respond to this request to aid the Department of Energy and the National Labs in identifying how to address the needs of the community. Comments should be sent to PV.CommunityRFI@go.doe.gov in Microsoft Word format by Dec. 17, 2008. We realize that this is not much time, but we encourage you to send even a short statement of your suggestions by this date. If more time is needed, please send that request as well.
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