MAKALE / ARTICLE T' in ESPC: performance. Many customers might shy away from new technologies such as solar cells or fuel cells because they are afraid they won't work. ESPC mitigates this risk by guaranteeing performance and often leaving operation and maintenance (O&M) in the hands of specialists. The legislation authorizing ESPC tor Federal agencies requires that payments to the ESCO be less than energy cost savings, the term be less than 25 years, and !hat measurement and verifıcation of annual energy cost savings be performed. The risk of project performance usually falls on the ESCO. lnterest rates for ESPCs are typically the prime rate plus 1.25%-1.5%, depending on recourse or non-recourse and perceived risk. in practice, the contract term is often less than 15 years. in order to streamline the ESPC process tor Federal agencies, the US Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has signed indefinite quantity contracts with several major ESCOs on a regional basis. These contracts, dubbed 'super ESPCs', are available tor any Federal agency to secure financing tor any solar energy technology. Costs to use the contracts vary from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on the technical assistance required from FEMP, and they are suitable tor comprehensive projects that include efficiency measures as well as cogeneration (tor on-site energy use only). 62 UTILITY FINANCING Utilities can consider solar energy as a substitute for wirebased revenue or as a strategy to cut costs and enhance wirebased revenue. When considered a substitute tor wire-based revenue, a utility company might offer solar energy services through an unregulated energy services business. The utility would arrange third party, non-recourse financing tor the project. Why would utilities want to compete with their own electric power supply business? in the words of David Freeman of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, 'lf they don'!, and rates go up sharply, people are going to buy their own solar panels and pull the plug on the utilities.' The alternative perspective for utilities would be to use solar energy systems to reduce the cost of serving new or remote customers and thus enhance wire-based revenue. Utilities could avoid the cost of transmission upgrades and the problems of siting new central planı. in this case, utilities could use the same shareholder financing, bonds, or operating budgets that they use to serve customers with centralized generation systems. Utilities can implement several different types of programs to finance solar energy systems. Perhaps the simplest is to finance a solar energy projeci through contracts and ordering agreements. These are the same mechanisms that a customer would use tor the procurement of basic electric power. Utilities might offer incentives tor solar energy projects as part of demand side management (DSrvJ) bidding programs. The utility might offer technical assistance, low-cost financing or rebates to encourage solar energy as an integrated resource. For example, Hawaiian utilities offer $800 rebates tor residential solar water heaters. A utility might also offer solar energy services though tariffs approved by state public utility commissions. Payments and terms might be fixed in the approved tariff, and interest rates ENERJİ & KOJENERASYON DÜNYASI Example 5. Tlıis 1170 kWPV system at Saııta Rita Jail, Califorııia, delivers 1,460,000 kW/ı/yeaı; or 30% of tlıe prison's electric /oad. T/ıe sysıem was fıııaııced with USS2.5 millioıı from tlıe CEC Eıııerging Reııewable Teclınology Bııy-Doıvıı; $250.000from CPUC's cost-cııttiııg deıııand program: anda $980,000 fıxed interesı loan (6%, IJ years) froın CEC Eneı·gy Efficie11cy Finaıu.:ing Pı·ograın for loca/ govermııenıs. Aımual ııtility cosı saviııgs are measured af $295,000. might be comparable to shareholder returns (usually higher than other types of financing). A utility company might also develop solar energy projects to supply power for green power purchases. Green power refers to electric power generated from renewable energy resources, certified by a third party, and often sold ata premium price. CHAUFFAGE Chauffage, from the French word tor heat, is an arrangement under which a customer purchases the benefits of a solar energy projeci (electricity, heating or cooling) rather than financing and purchasing the hardware to achieve these benefits. This could be very appealing to a customer that does not wish to be burdened with development and ongoing operation of a solar energy project. Risk of project nonperformance falls totally on the owner/operator of the equipment. GRANTS Grants are sometimes available from the government to promote new technologies or support government programs. in these cases, the government is promoting an objective that may be in alignment with, but also may be tangential to, the objectives of the projeci participants. Government grants are often awarded through a competitive proposal process and often entail a lot of reporting requirements. Grants are also sometimes available from environmental or philanthropic organizations. Donations of equipment are sometimes available from suppliers. Grants or donations are usually sought by organizations that have a charitable mission or offer a rare opportunity to showcase a project to a large number of visitors. The pursuit of grants and donations is sometimes a two-edged sword, causing projeci delays and unfulfilled expectations. ('Why should I finance it now if I might gel a grant later?' But the grant never comes). Source: Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcyMTY=