Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Solar microgrid, anyone?

[Linda Kato (lindanicosiakato]

Hi Bryan,

Thanks.   How does the new community in Basalt Vista, CO fit into this
picture?

https://www.nrel.gov/news/features/2019/small-colorado-utility-sets-national-renewable-electricity-example-using-nrel-algorithms.html

Here is an example of a small community (27 houses) built by Habitat for
Humanity in Basalt Vista, CO, using an autonomous solar energy grid
designed by NREL in cooperation with the local energy utility.

Linda Kato
Shepherd Village Cohousing

On Tue, Jan 25, 2022 at 9:56 PM Bryan Bowen <bryan [at] caddispc.com> wrote:

> Hey David,
>
> I believe your thinking is spot on. Also, I fear it may be too great a cost
> to retrofit an ideal system into older existing residential buildings, but
> it's totally dependent on factors that vary quite a bit project by project,
> including the utility provide/regulatory environment. If we're repurposing
> an old building to become cohousing, it's usually pretty easy since we're
> upgrading everyone already.
>
> What we tell our forming communities:
>
>    - If you're able, meter the project as a whole or building by building
>    (instead of unit by unit)
>    - Definitely need to understand utility billing and electrical codes to
>       make this determination.
>       - Plan for rooftop solar (rough in) as well as solar gardens on
>    garage/carports/the CH, or ground mount to meet a NZE level of
> production.
>    - Sub-meter individual units (e-gauge
>    <
> https://store.egauge.net/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAubmPBhCyARIsAJWNpiPoEhrNnArd5pdQBrKwZQZV6ahgo1UHXRDU_jFgi0yVkELuL6vYH70aAnM9EALw_wcB
> >
>    etc) for your own billing purposes if you'd like (same with domestic
> water,
>    actually, it's more important)
>    - Go all electric and plan for a future increased share of electric
>    vehicles.
>    - And while you're at it, plan for tons of bikes of different
>    configurations to be parked in ways that really work for people. You
> want
>    to encourage as much of a mode shift as possible.
>    - Make a resiliency plan that includes consideration of what natural
>    disasters etc you might have to survive and for how long, and size a
>    battery back up to meet at least your critical loads.
>    - Include all of this thinking in your decision making process, through
>    one of the usual workshops or a stand alone series on
>    sustainability/resilience.
>
> Having meters on each unit usually means you're locked in to providing PV
> on a unit by unit basis. Metering more collectively allows the highs and
> lows to balance out better and to keep system design less redundant and
> expensive.
>
> - b
>
> BRYAN BOWEN    |    PRINCIPAL   |    AIA   |    LEED AP
>
> *caddis collaborative*
> 1521 Easy Rider Lane #102
> Boulder, CO 80304
> 303 443 3629
> caddispc.com
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 24, 2022 at 12:30 PM David Mandel <dlmandel [at] gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > The great information about EV charging prompts me to ask this question
> > that I've been starting to explore for my community.
> >
> > More than a quarter of our households already have EVs and that is sure
> to
> > grow. We've installed a couple of shared L2 charging stations using
> > existing meters (one common, one at a household -- users reimburse for
> the
> > cost) and are looking into ways to install more.
> >
> > But this begs some other urgent questions. EV charging increases our use
> of
> > electricity, as does the gradual replacement of gas-powered appliances
> > (heating, stoves, dryers) with electric that is happening or contemplated
> > in individual homes and the common house.
> >
> > And we have been warned that the transformers supplying our electricity,
> > installed when we built the community 29 years ago, are likely
> insufficient
> > to handle the extra demand. To merely find out the degree of the eventual
> > shortfall would cost thousands of dollars, our utility tells us, let
> alone
> > to upgrade/replace them.
> >
> > Moreover, our units were all wired with only 90 amps of service, low by
> > today's standards and insufficient, some tell us, to operate the
> additional
> > chargers and appliances many of us would like to install unless we take
> > care not to use too much simultaneously.
> >
> > This leads to consideration of how else we could both increase supply and
> > spread out demand. And the obvious answer is rooftop solar.
> >
> > Two households have already installed panels, but doing it individually
> > does not really seem the best way. Some of our roofs are a lot more
> > suitable than others (shade, direction, configuration), and for any that
> > are highly suitable, the utility doesn't allow you to generate more power
> > than you already use. (How shortsighted!) This is on top of a major push
> by
> > California (and probably other) utilities to drastically lower the rate
> > they pay for net metering, as well as imposing a high fee for solar users
> > to maintain "their share" of the grid. (Another shortsighted approach
> > seemingly driven by the current economics, not the pressing need to
> > decarbonize.)
> >
> > A great answer in theory would be to develop a community microgrid, which
> > would involve:
> >
> >    - Maximizing the amount of generation by installing panels on the most
> >    suitable roofs, individual households and common structures.
> >    - Using batteries to store the power, enabling its accumulation and
> use
> >    at the most appropriate times of day.
> >    - Finding a not-too-complicated way to distribute the energy and share
> >    the costs and benefits among households.
> >
> > I'm engaged in early conversations with some solar designers/installers
> who
> > are interested in the idea, and with a board member at our (publicly
> owned)
> > utility about getting its cooperation and assistance.
> >
> > So my question is whether any of you have accomplished or are
> contemplating
> > such a project. If so, let's compare notes and ideas.
> >
> > One more thing: It's clear that accomplishing this would be very
> expensive,
> > probably beyond our community's ability to finance fully even with a
> > long-term, low-interest loan -- which would make sense for part of it.
> What
> > other possible sources of funding might be available?
> >
> > Thanks for any ideas,
> > David Mandel
> > Southside Park Cohousing, Sacramento
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> >
> >
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