New York launched new incentives for Large Solar Projects

I've been checking out New York's solar development on regular basis after learning about their Free Street Solar Chargers at selected locations within NYC and recently I saw this article in my email subscription.

New York has come up with several interesting incentives for solar projects carried out within the next 2 years. For us readers, it's sufficient to know they set aside $1 billion for this purpose, which is apart from existing ones.

But for SEDA (the body which manage the renewable energy projects implementation in Malaysia), they may want to look at it more detailed. There maybe nothing in it but there's no harm looking. The US is one of the nations with biggest capacity in new solar PV installation.

Statue of Liberty in New York. Image from Wikimedia Commons. Read about Commons here.

Here's the excerpt from Renewable Energy World:

New incentives for Large Solar Projects

Following the recent announcement to commit an additional $1 billion to New York solar incentives over the next decade, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) unveiled the next anticipated funding program for large solar systems, over 200 kW in size. This round of funding closely resembles previous offerings, and does not appear to be part of the "megawatt block" structure highlighted in the April announcement. 

Program Opportunity Notice (PON) went live in mid-May, promising $60 million in available incentives or more, to be awarded at NYSERDA's discretion. Applications are due July 17th, 2014 and all systems must come online by April of 2016.


Some changes from previous Large Solar Incentives

All New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) load zones are in play. Several favorable tweaks to this year's program, compared to earlier New York solar incentive rounds indicate a willingness on NYSERDA's part to see this program drive more project development this year than ever before. 

In previous PONs for large projects, awardees received the full incentive amount in five payments — 30% at project completion paid out in two upfront installments, and 70% paid out as a PBI split between the first three years of production. In the new PON, 30% upfront payment occur in one installment instead of two, and the remaining 70% condensed to only two years' worth of production, paid at year's end.


Renewable Energy Storage and Efficiency

This program also incorporates several tie-ins to storage and efficiency for applicable solar projects, echoing the New York State Public Service Commission's recent landmark initiative rethinking New York's energy future.

An additional $50,000 in incentives may be awarded to each project that integrates energy efficiency or storage at the customer site. Energy efficiency projects must reduce energy use intensity (kBtu/sq ft/year) by at least 15% over the baseline energy use intensity.

Storage projects must provide at minimum 250 kW of load management, demand management, or improved load factor. Finally, projects located in Strategic Locations (determined by each individual utility) will receive an additional 25% above the Project Incentive.

You can read further at REW

9th Sabah International Folklore Festival 2014

Welcome back SIFF 2014. After a less-participated event last year, let's hope this year will be merrier.

Throughout the second week of June, culture vultures will be enthralled by the colours, rhythms and diversity of the world's folk dances right here in Kota Kinabalu. The 9th Sabah international Folklore Festival (SIFF) is an annual effort to promote peace and understanding through cultural understanding as dance troupes from around the world gather in the Land Below the Wind to showcase their unique folk dances.

The festival begins with a scheduled Sabah International Folklore Festival Parade at Lintasan Deasoka in Gaya Street on 9 June 2014, from 2.00pm to 5.00pm (barring last minute change). I was at such parade in 2012 and believe me, it's mesmerising.

Latvia folk dance during the 2012 SIFF parade at Lintasan Deasoka. Pic by de engineur

The premier show takes place on 12 June at the Tun Raffae Auditorium, Menara Tun Mustapha at 7.00pm. The highlight of the festival is none other than the International Folk Dance Competition on 13 and 14 June, where participating dance troupes will compete for the title of champion. The competition takes place at the Tun Raffae Auditorium.

Ticket prices:

RM30 - Adults
RM10 - Students below 17 years of age
International Folk Dance competition will be on 13th and 14th June 2014.
SIFF dates: 7 - 15 June 2014

For further information please contact:

Sabah Cultural Board
Wisma Budaya Building
Tel: 088-268836
Email: borneosiff@gmail.com
Mr Joisin Romut - Chief Liaison Officer, Sabah International Folklore Festival

You can also refer to the tentative programme schedule here. Kindly note that the competition venue has been changed from Sabah Cultural Centre Penampang to the Tun Raffae Auditorium at Menara Tun Mustapha in Likas.

Winning performance by the Chinese dance troupe in 2012. They did not take part last year.

TheGreenMechanics: It's about time you change your mindset about watching cultural performance - be willing to pay.

We did not go to the SIFF last year but did the previous year when it was won by the China dance troupe. We plan to come back to enjoy the performances this time around.

Mudajaya commissioned 10 MW solar farm in Pahang

We have seen Kumpulan Melaka Bhd commissioned its big solar farm quite recently at Melaka World Solar Valley and now Mudajaya - a construction company - has entered into this profitable but limited business of producing energy from solar.


The internal rate of return is (interpreted as) 14% to 16%. Starbiz, June 2, 2014


The headlines of this news would be:

Mudajaya has commissioned a 10-MW solar farm in Gebeng, Pahang, and signed a renewable energy power purchase agreement with Tenaga Nasional Bhd for a concession period of 21 years.

The feed-in-tariff (FiT) rates approved by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA) for phase I and II of the solar energy power development of 5 MW each are RM0.9016 per kilowatt hour (kWh) and RM0.8295 per kWh, respectively. - Page 2, Starbiz, June 2 2014

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The Green Mechanics 2 cents:

No qualms at all on big players getting the big chunk of the limited solar PV quota, but being one of the public contributors to the Renewable Energy fund (you pay 1.6% on top of your electricity bills nowadays), I am entitled to my opinion that many, not just few, companies and organisations should be given better opportunity to participate.

If SEDA allocate, say, 65 MW of solar PV quota for 2014 then if big conglomerates get 'allocated' for 5MW or 10MW then only few would benefit from the fund.

And I thought all these companies would need to go through balloting process. Did Kumpulan Melaka and Mudajaya Group go through the lucky draw? Am I implying that some people negotiate to get quota rather than being lucky at the ballot box? No, but if there is one thing SEDA can do to eliminate doubts, it would be to periodically and frequently publish the on-goings at its office - e.g. Full report on applications, elimination process, eligible applicants, allocation register, list of companies and quota, etc. This would be on top of the updates it makes on its portal.

Don't expect people to keep coming to the website to check for news; reach out to the public by going to the mainstream media, newsletter, emails, etc. These people are your financiers!

Renewable Energy initiative should be an effort to first make the people aware by getting as many organisations as possible to participate. Thereafter, you can embark on capacity.

This may take longer to achieve the capacity target, but if your RE fund size is only that big then that's the pace you have to make do with.


Readings of interest:
- Solar farm by KMB
- Solar farm by Mudajaya