1. Your Feedback on Community Solar Decisions

Section 1 Instructions:
 
This section lists tentative decisions CSD has made regarding the design of a Community Solar (CS) pilot.  We would like your feedback to let us know how (if at all) these decisions might impact your organization's interest in or ability to participate in a future CSD funding opportunity for Community Solar.

In each instance you'll be ask to express whether you 1) Agree, 2) Somewhat Disagree, or 3) Disagree with a decision.  In each instance, those expressions will have the following definitions:
 
1) Selecting "Agree" means the decision will have no impact, or a positive impact, on your organization's ability to participate in a procurement opportunity.
2) Selecting "Somewhat Disagree" means you may not fully support the decision, but your organization would still consider participating in a procurement opportunity. (if you select this option, please explain the impact in the "Comments" section below each question).
3) Selecting Disagree" means the decision would either prevent your organization from participating in a bidding opportunity or you would no longer be interested. (if you select this option, please explain the impact in the "Comments" section below each question).
4)  No opinion.

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* 1. Use of CSD Funds - CSD’s funding may be used for any purpose related to project construction and implementation, including to purchase land, to construct the array, to lower customer energy costs, etc.

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* 2. Leveraged Dollars for Generation - Leveraged dollars and resources are highly encouraged, but not required to be provided for the purpose of buying down the cost of energy generation or otherwise lowering customer costs. 

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* 3. Carve-Out or Stand-Alone - Both carve out and stand alone projects will be considered, as long as CSD money is only used to benefit qualified low-income customers.  Bidders will be required to submit plans detailing how CSD's funding contributions benefit low-income participants.

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* 4. Bidding Entities - At a minimum, a non-profit whose primary focus is to serve low-income communities, and a utility company will be required to partner in some fashion (to be determined) in order to bid.

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* 5. Organizational Structure at time of Bid - Though a more formal partnership may ultimately be required, organizations submitting bids must, at a minimum, submit a description of the various organizations to be involved, a description of what roles those organizations will play, and letters of support from each organization’s governing body.

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* 6. Source of Generation - Because funding is from California Climate Investments with the primary goal of reducing GHG, CSD will only consider proposals that create new, unfunded generation.  Existing arrays and arrays already funded will not be considered because they do not introduce new GHG emission reduction within the state.

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* 7. PV Panel Placement - CSD will not dictate where PV panels paid for with CSD funds can be placed.  This means they can be placed on a non- or for-profit building (school, small business, large business), vacant land, etc.

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* 8. Who Receives Benefits - Benefits from CSD's share of funds may only go to residential customers.  No schools, churches, businesses or any other non-residential institutions may benefit from CSD's share of the electricity generated

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* 9. Array Location - The generating array may be located anywhere in the utility’s service territory.  CSD will not require that it be located in a DAC, a low-income community, or a brownfield, etc.

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* 10. Customer Qualification - Customers will be eligible for Community Solar either via income documentation or categorical eligibility (acceptable Categorical Eligibility to be determined).

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* 11. CS for Single-Family - Though, ideally, homes that do not qualify for rooftop PV (because of roof/shade/electrical panel/renter-occupied) would be ideal candidates for CS, CSD will not require that only those homes be served.  Customers who are already benefitting from existing solar PV installations would be excluded from participating.

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* 12. CS for Multi-Family - Because existing investor-owned utility regulations currently allow a single MF property to host PV and distribute benefits to tenants via Virtual Net Metering (VNEM), and because such PV is offered via CSD’s existing LIWP MF program and others, for the purpose of CS, CSD will only allow MF properties to benefit if multiple property locations or customers outside the MF property receive those benefits.  The ability to do this, and the details for doing it will have to be approved by the CPUC in their current proceeding R14-01-002, which is expected to be approved by the end of 2017.  

While CSD will not allow CS to exclusively serve single, stand-alone MF properties, this would not preclude individual tenants or condominium owners with their own utility bills from participating in a broader community solar model.

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* 13. Energy Efficiency Upgrades - CSD will require bidders to include a plan for improving the energy efficiency of homes served by CS.  This task must be paid for with leveraged funds.

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* 14. Energy Education - CSD will require bidders to include a plan for providing energy education for customers served by CS.  The education would include, but not be limited to, the benefits of solar PV and Community Solar, the benefits of energy efficiency,  information on any installed energy efficiency measures, etc.  Energy education must be paid for with leveraged funds.

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* 15. Workforce Development - CSD will require bidders to include a plan for workforce development served by CS. 

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