CSI—What’s New and Recent Events

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What's New

PG&E Will Host the First CSI Public Program Forum of 2012

The California Solar Initiative Program Forum provides a venue for public stakeholders to identify and discuss priority issues related to the administration and implementation of the CSI program with the California Public Utility Commission and the three Program Administrators: Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison and the California Center for Sustainable Energy. PG&E will be hosting the first CSI Public Program Forum of 2012 on January 25 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco. For more details, please visit the CSI Program Forums page.

Commission Approves Decision which Modifies the CSI Program Budget, RRQ, and PBI Payment Rates to Implement SB 585

On December 1, 2011 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the Decision which modifies the California Solar Initiative (CSI) Program budget, revenue requirement, and Performance-Based Incentive (PBI) payment rates to implement Senate Bill (SB) 585 (Stats. 2011, Ch. 312), signed by the Governor on September 22, 2011. Specifically the Decision:

• Increases the total cost of the CSI Program funded by customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Southern California Edison Company (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) by $200 million.
• Requires that the $200 million in additional program budget to be funded first by money already held in interest and forfeited application fees before any additional funds are collected from customers.
• Revises the PBI payment rates for Steps 8, 9, and 10 for all new CSI applicants (both residential and non-residential) to incorporate a 4% discount rate rather than the 8% rate previously incorporated into PBI payments. The new rate applies to all new applicants as well as those previously on the Wait List (PDF, 59 KB)

To view the revised PBI incentive rate, please visit the California Solar Initiative Trigger Tracker website.

California Solar Initiative Q3 Update

PG&E is happy to report that we continue to see brisk participation and demand for California Solar Initiative (CSI) incentives evidenced by the steady allocation of Residential Step 8 reservations. PG&E has been receiving on average over 50 Residential applications a day for the past few months culminating in almost 1200 applications for the month of August. Not quite a record, but significantly higher than most average months. For the current status of Step 8, please visit the CSI Statewide Trigger Tracker website.

We would also like to share with you other important CSI Program changes.

CSI Phase One Modifications

Recently, the CPUC issued a number of rulings through the CSI Phase One Modification that mandate Program changes effective on July 14, 2011.

Modifications that affect the current CSI application process as of July 14th are as follows:

Probation and suspension from the CSI Program for high volume contractors (defined as those with 200 or more project sites per rolling 12-month period) shall be placed on a probation if their failure rate reaches 1.5% and 2.5%, respectively.

The Performance Monitoring Reporting Service Cost Cap is removed.

Projects 10 kW and above mandated to install a PMRS system and report 15-minute interval kWh production data to the Program on a quarterly basis for five years.

All projects 10 kW and below are exempt from installing a PMRS service but are still encouraged to do so. The PBI incentive option is no longer available for all fixed systems less than 10 kW.

All projects submitted on or after July 14th are subject to the new guidelines above. Please read the full CPUC Decision for additional details.

PowerClerk Update

On October 12, 2011 the EPBB Calculator will be integrated into PowerClerk – the CSI online application tool. The integration will further streamline the process by removing the requirement for Applicants to submit copies of the EPBB calculation. We hope that you find this helpful as you submit new reservations.

CSI Program Handbook

On September 8th the CPUC issued Resolution E-4396. The Resolution denies the Program Administrators proposed mandatory use of a 1-Step application review process and the associated process-related changes for all small projects (systems 10kW or less) and instead continues the current 2-step process guidelines for processing applications. The 1-Step process is currently optional for all projects. All of the other CSI Handbook changes approved by the Commission encompassed a wide range of programmatic modifications that include but are not limited to RES-BCT eligibility, the removal of the RFP requirement for government and non-profit agencies, and clarification on cost cap requirements.

Additionally, the Program Administrators have submitted two Advice Letters, PG&E Advice Letter 3899-E and PG&E Advice Letter 3900-E to update the CSI Handbook which incorporates some of the recent feedback received from the solar industry and ruling through the CSI Phase One Modifications.

What's New with NEM Billing - Assembly Bill 920 – July 12, 2011

The California Public Utilities Commission has reached a decision with regard to Assembly Bill 920 (AB 920). For more information, please review our Frequently Asked Questions.

Status of Assembly Bill 2724

Assembly Bill (AB) 2724 promotes solar electricity generation on state buildings by increasing the California Solar Initiative (CSI) incentive cap for eligible state agencies from 1MW to 5MW, up to an aggregate of 26MW. All 26 MW are on a first-come, first-served basis and may be used up in any of the CSI Program Administrator service territories.

Please note that as of December 16, 2011, Southern California Edison (SCE) has conditionally reserved CSI incentives for nearly 20 MW of solar projects eligible under AB 2724, with about 6 MW remaining.

AB 2724 is scheduled to sunset on Jan. 1, 2013.

CSI Document Matrix Streamlines CSI Forms

From feedback received from CSI program participants, program administrators have further streamlined the California Solar Initiative application process by creating a single CSI Document Matrix that features a convenient listing of all the forms used by the CSI Program. The CSI Document Matrix provides descriptions of all required documents to help you determine when a document is required and standardizes all the forms across all three program areas, i.e., load justification, EE disclosure form, etc. Having consistent forms in one place will ensure easy access to the most up-to-date CSI documents. All forms can be found in a centralized location at the Go Solar California website.

Consumer Product Safety Commission Issues Recall for Solar Inverters

PG&E has become aware of a nationwide recall for certain solar inverters that may impact a small number of our solar customers. The recall was issued on January 18, 2011 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for solar inverters manufactured between September, 2005 and August, 2010 under the brands Xantrex, Sunpower and General Electric (GE). The manufacturer discovered a potential safety issue with a component of certain inverters, which could cause the compartment cover to be blown off with force. Please note the manufacturer reports that there have been no incidents of injury or property damage due to this issue.

To determine which inverters are affected, the recall notice provides a list of part numbers and instructions on how to locate the part number. The manufacturer is providing a repair kit at no cost to customers or contractor. For more information, please refer to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice.

PG&E Non-Residential Program Reaches Incentive Budget Cap – December 24, 2010

Due to budgetary constraints, California Solar Initiative funding for non-residential solar incentives has been depleted as of December 23, 2010. PG&E may be unable to guarantee a California Solar Initiative (CSI) incentive for unreserved Non-Residential applications received on or after December 24, 2010. Please continue to submit your reservation requests and PG&E will include your application on the CSI Non-Residential project Wait List based on the time and date it was received. Waitlisted projects will be processed on a first come, first served basis if and when funding becomes available.

Wait List Information

The Wait list includes the following information:

1. Ranking—the position of each project on the wait list is ranked according to the date and time it is received. In other words, the project that is ranked number one on the waiting list will be the first to receive an incentive reservation when funding becomes available.
2. Application Number—the number assigned to a completed application (PGE-CSI-XXXXX) once it has been submitted online through PowerClerk.
3. CSI System Size—the maximum system size (kW) that will be incentivized upon reservation.
4. Current Status—the status of the project in PowerClerk. This status will remain as "Wait List" until the Program Administrator has sufficient funding.
5. Date and Time of Submittal—The time that the project application was received online through PowerClerk. This is an extremely important number because it defines the criteria for chronologically ranking projects on the Wait List (PDF, 59 KB).

PG&E Non-Residential Interim Wait List Process
All unreserved project applications received on or after December 24, 2010 will be placed on the wait list, which follows these steps:

1. Applicant completes and submits the CSI application online. All required documents must be attached and all sections of the applications must be filled out via PowerClerk.
2. Applicant receives a CSI number (PGE-CSI-XXXXX) and the project will automatically be ranked on the "Wait List" in PowerClerk. The project’s ranking on the wait list can be found here (PDF, 59 KB).
3. PG&E will review each project in the order it is ranked. As funding becomes available, PG&E will invoice the Host Customer for the applicable application fee, which must be paid within 14 days of invoicing. If the application fee is not received within this period, the application will be cancelled and removed from the wait list. In this instance, the next project on the wait list will be moved to the “Under Review” status. In addition, Applicants who have not submitted all required and accurate documentation will be suspended and will have 14 days to submit the requested information. If the required documentation is not submitted within 14 days, the application will be cancelled. All suspension and application fee deadlines will be strictly enforced.
4. Upon receipt of the application fee and approval of the application, the project will receive its initial reservation.

Please note that a waitlisted project is not eligible for a CSI incentive if the solar system has been interconnected for more than 12 months.

System Size Increases
Additional incentives will not be provided for system size increases for applications reserved or confirmed prior to December 24, 2010. The system size that is submitted on the initial reservation will be the maximum amount that will be incentivized.

Incentive amounts are determined by the tax status of the System Owner (this may include commercial entities, government or non-profit entities). Once the initial reservation is issued, any changes that result in an increase incentive amount will not be honored at this time. This may include a system size increase or system ownership changes.

Waitlisted applicants who decide to cancel their application are encouraged to contact PG&E to be removed from the Wait List.

PG&E CSI Budget Status – December 23, 2010

PG&E, along with the other CSI Program Administrators, have posted the most current budget status of all CSI funds encumbered and possibly available for reservation. The budget status will be updated on a weekly basis. Please visit www.californiasolarstatistics.ca.gov for the most up-to-date budget information.

Contact Us

E-mail
solar@pge.com

Phone
Solar Customer Service Center 1-877-743-4112

Mailing Address
PG&E Solar and Customer Generation - CSI
PO Box 7433
San Francisco, CA 94120
Street Address (for overnight deliveries)
PG&E Solar and Customer Generation - CSI
245 Market St., MC N7R
San Francisco, CA 94105-1797