SolarCity and NRDC paper: Rooftop PV provides net benefit to all Nevada utility customers

 

Rooftop solar PV generation provides 1.6 U.S. cents of benefit per kilowatt-hour of energy generated, producing USD 7 million in benefits annually for all Nevada utility customers, according to a study released on May 24^th, 2016 by SolarCity Corporation (San Mateo, CA, U.S.) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC, New York City, US).

If environmental and health externalities are included, the benefits of rooftop solar increase to 3.4 cents per kWh, and USD 14 million annually.

The peer-reviewed paper, "Distributed Energy Resources in Nevada", is the first to quantify all the rooftop solar cost and benefit variables identified by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

The paper recommends policymakers and regulators develop advanced grid planning procedures that incorporate these benefits into the utility ratemaking process, which would enable Nevadans to see the benefits on their electricity bills and ensure that the state transitions to a cleaner, more affordable, and resilient grid.

"This study confirms what Nevadans already intuitively know: the thousands of rooftop solar systems across the state benefit all Nevadans, and the state should have policies which encourage the deployment of more distributed energy," said Jon Wellinghoff, Chief Policy Officer of SolarCity.

"As Nevada policymakers are planning the energy grid of the future, we encourage them to consider the potential of distributed energy resources to build a smarter, more resilient grid to power our economy with affordable clean energy."

"A close examination of the costs and benefits of rooftop solar generation in Nevada confirms that a continued partnership between customers and their utility to promote investment in clean energy benefits everyone," said Noah Long, Director of the Western Energy Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

SolarCity and NRDC found when all costs and benefits are quantified, rooftop solar provides USD 7 – 14 million worth of benefits forNevada utility customers. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com