Lotus
Solar Manufacturing LLC
Smart
Grid Demonstration Project
Funding
Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0000036
Area
of Interest 1. Project01
Table of Contents
Abstract
4
Introduction
and Background
5
Project
Narrative
6
Regional
Demonstration
6-17
Relevance and
Impacts
19
Roles of
Participants
20
Project
Performance Sites
20
SOPO
21-22
Lotus Solar Manufacturing LLC-Smart Grid Demonstration Project Abstract
______________________________________________________________
Daniel Hettenbach, President and
CEO
Michael Weissenfluh, CFO
Briana
Kimball, Financial Lead
Objectives
·
Emplace Smart Grid Technologies and PV systems
in Tillamook County under the Lotus Solar No- Cost
smart PV system deployment to needs-based applicants. In
five years a projected 2356 smart PV systems provided to 2,356 year round residential
customers of Tillamook People’s Utility District
·
Create 200 sustainable jobs in Tillamook County
·
Develop a 5MW solar farm in cooperation with
Port of Tillamook Bay and Tillamook People’s Utility District as part of the No-Cost
deployment for community energy storage and usage
·
Demonstrate a repeatable scalable business model
that can be enacted in any community
·
Reduce carbon emissions
·
Establish and operate a U.S. based
green manufacturing company that produces a renewable energy source, 220W PV
module solar panels
·
Partner with local schools to provide paid workforce
internships at Lotus Solar, partner with local colleges to create on the job
training credit program for smart grid technologies and renewable energy
·
Stimulate local economies
·
Create a reliable energy supply, lower energy
costs, and establish market energy independence
Lotus Solar believes that building a
manufacturing facility with a Spire Solar Spi-Line 25MW Photovoltaic Module
Line will allow them, through profitability and growth of the current renewable
energy market for U.S. made PV modules, to emplace smart grid technologies and
photovoltaic systems in Tillamook County at No-Cost to needs-based applicants
(elderly, low income, disabled) and public service sector (fire, emergency
medical services, hospitals, care centers, schools). The Lotus Solar manufacturing facility will
be able to provide jobs, establish US manufacturing of renewable energy, promote
education through workforce training and demonstrate a repeatable scalable for-profit
business model that can be enacted in any community across the nation.
Benefits/Outcomes
·
installed grid connected smart solar systems
producing renewable distributed energy
·
lower energy costs for consumers
·
Create sustainable jobs with competitive
wages
·
flex scheduling to consider family commitments and
work share to meet the needs of a diverse community
·
bringing manufacturing to Tillamook
County
·
Energy Independence
for the nation
Program Area of Interest 1:
Introduction and Background
Lotus
Solar Manufacturing LLC (Lotus Solar) was founded and established April of 2009
in Bay City, Oregon
located in Tillamook County by Daniel Hettenbach, a local
resident. As a non traditional student
entering the Associate of Arts and Science Oregon transfer degree program at
Tillamook Bay Community College Mr. Hettenbach identified a gap in the adequacy
of student government as a self determining body under the provisions of the
board. Equipped with natural leadership
Mr. Hettenbach served in student government being elected first as the office
manager and the following year elected president. After achieving many successes at the college
level including the development of a budget process and participating in
raising awareness for a bond measure that was passed to construct a new
Tillamook Bay Community College Mr. Hettenbach developed a belief in service. Being an effective student advocate he
recognized he possessed the skills to create change on a larger scale within
his community and across the nation.
This feeling was fueled by this message from President Obama’s Inaugural
Address, “For everywhere we look, there
is work to be done. The state of the
economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act-not only to create
new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the
electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us
together. We will restore science to its
rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality
and lower its cost. We will harness the
sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and
colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.” The formation of Lotus Solar occurred in
response to the challenges facing his community and communities across the
nation with the loss of jobs and wages as well as the cost of energy and
environmental impact. Mr. Hettenbach’s
own life experience has shaped him into a leader that believes Lotus Solar can
positively answer the problems faced in his community and the nation.
In just
five short months since the inception of Lotus Solar Manufacturing LLC, Daniel
Hettenbach registered the company, valuated and created a dynamic team, and
developed a business plan that provides a solution with an informed concept
that meets the challenges necessary to help our country thrive in the 21st
century. The U.S. DOE-NETL Smart Grid
Demonstration FOA presented an opportunity for Lotus Solar to put forth its
proposal for consideration to achieve smart renewable energy deployment through
its local community and communities beyond its immediate region.
Tillamook County,
known as the Land of Cheese, Trees, and Ocean Breeze, is located along the
north Oregon coast between the Coastal Range
Mountains and the Pacific
Ocean. As of 2006 the
population estimate was approximately 25,380 with a population projection of
26,589 by 2010 for an area that covers 1125 square miles including nine rivers,
four bays, and 75 miles of coastline The population of Tillamook County is
comprised of Caucasian and Native American with a growing Latino
workforce. The economy is reliant on
agriculture, timber, fishing, and tourism all of which have suffered a
significant decline since the economic downturn in 2007. The first quarter of 2009 the state of Oregon recorded a fifth
consecutive quarter for job loss that has been extremely aggressive in the
previous two quarters. Tillamook County
has a high rate of unemployment as of July 2009 it was 10.1% Oregon State as of
July 2009 had an overall 11.9% unemployment rate (Department). A local timber manufacturing company laid off
85 employees, a lot in a small rural community, in the second quarter of this
year adding to the growing unemployment rate and burden of many local families (Press).
Program Area of Interest 1:
Project Narrative
Objectives
·
Emplace Smart Grid Technologies and PV systems
in Tillamook County at no cost to needs-based
applicants, deployment of 2356 systems to year round customers of Tillamook
People’s Utility District: No-Cost
deployment
·
Create 200 sustainable jobs in Tillamook County
in five years
·
Demonstrate a repeatable scalable business model
that can be enacted in any community
·
Reduce carbon emissions
·
Create a U.S. based green manufacturing
company that produces renewable energy
·
Establish partnerships with local schools to
provide paid workforce internships and educate on smart grid technologies and
renewable energy
·
Develop a 5MW solar farm on Port of Tillamook
Bay land in cooperation with Tillamook
People’s Utility district as part of the No-Cost deployment for community
energy usage
·
Stimulate local economies
·
Create a reliable smart energy supply, lower
energy costs, and achieve a measured energy independence for the Nation
Lotus
Solar believes that building a manufacturing facility with a Spire Solar
Spi-Line 25MW Photovoltaic Module Line will allow them to emplace smart grid
technologies and photovoltaic systems in Tillamook County at No-Cost to need
based applicants (elderly, low income, disabled)and public service sector
(fire, emergency medical services, hospitals, care centers, schools). This will be at the core of the Lotus Solar
SGDP. Lotus Solar is asserting that
bringing needs-based sectors of communities that are least able to achieve
smart, distributed, renewable energy production should be the first to be
brought into the market as their burden is greatest. For this to happen a for-profit utilizing the
record growth in the renewable energy market to generate the revenue to take on
a community based deployment policy is a leadership example that Lotus Solar
Manufacturing LLC is willing to set (Buzz).
In addition the Lotus Solar manufacturing
facility will be able to provide jobs, establish U.S. manufacturing of
renewable energy, promote education through workforce training and demonstrate
a repeatable scalable for-profit business model that can be enacted in any
community across the nation which could be accomplished inside 48 months. The integration of 20% of Tillamook People’s
Utility District (TPUD1)
year round residential customers (2356 households) into the local utilities
grid with smart PV systems will have their energy cost lowered in part or in
whole by a photovoltaic (PV) system. The
smart inverters and feed in meters installed with the PV systems will provide
quantifiable data for Tillamook PUD to allow evaluation of energy needs, peak
periods, mitigate financial impact of power outages, lower emissions of
greenhouse gases, and lower transportation and distribution loss. Lotus Solar, in cooperation with the Port of
Tillamook Bay , will develop a utility-interactive 5MW solar farm in Tillamook
County to help Tillamook PUD combat energy short falls and meet Bonneville
Power Authority’s projected 2011 regional targets for energy efficiency (Administration). This
project also meets many of the areas of emphasis of the multi-year Solar Energy
Technologies Program.
Program Area of Interest 1: Regional Demonstrations
Criterion A: Region
Western Electricity Coordinating Council
(WECC) is the entity that oversees Bonneville Power Administration(BPA), the
regional entity for Tillamook County. WECC
is a vast region of deserts, mountains, plains, and forests and there just as
many diverse sources of energy. Coal,
nuclear, wind, hydro, solar, solar concentration, biomass, geothermal, and wave
energy are all power sources being harnessed to produce electricity for
customers that inhabit the Western United States.
The growing diverse energy production
market under the WECC will continue to complicate but beginning now can smarten
up with internet connected devices. The
ability of oversight agencies to view data in real time, from distributed local
energy resources, will best happen on a local level allowing local utilities to
coordinate the broader standards of regional and federal oversight bodies while
allowing U.S. citizens in local communities to benefit from job creation,
economic stimulus, and participation in building the future Smart Grid of
America. This smart device
infrastructure will be the beginnings of real time address of energy usage and
consumption.
Tillamook
PUD is a BPA customer receiving their current power supply from the Federal
Columbia River Hydropower System (District) and currently
working towards meeting the standards set for post-2011 energy conservation (Booth). There will be a historically based allotment
that will impact energy needs. This
standard requires Tillamook PUD to be proactive and develop a diverse renewable
energy portfolio. In 2003, Hooley
Digester Bio-Gas Methane Facility was established. In 2008, Tillamook PUD entered into a
memorandum of agreement with Principle Power, Inc. to develop a 150MW floating
offshore wind power plant (Parks).
Lotus Solar believes that the next
renewable energy source that should be added to the portfolio of Tillamook
County and the Tillamook PUD is solar power generated from PV modules. Mandatory emplacement of smart inverters and
meters integrated with PV systems by the Lotus Solar SGDP is the foundation for
a local Smart Grid to be established employing installation crews of
electricians, contractors, structural engineers, and providing revenue to local
governments from permit issuance, and increasing assessed value of homes. With this added generating source in place,
Tillamook PUD will be able to capture, transmit, and analyze renewable energy
data as well as being better able to meet future energy needs of its region. For this to happen a local PV module
manufacturing business committed to demonstrating No-Cost deployment in
addition to providing the local utility a cooperative partner in developing
more smart PV installs.
The Pacific Northwest is a leader in
developing renewable energy resources.
WECC has submitted a proposal for The Western Interconnection Synchrophasor Project (WISP) which includes
renewable energy and improved interconnection reliability (Council). Tillamook County is a rural community
perfectly suited for the Lotus Solar Smart Grid Demonstration Project due to
coastal conditions. The median
temperature range of 42°F in January to 58°F in July (County)
provides added benefit to PV systems.
The year round cool temperatures allow the PV modules to function at a
twenty three percent higher efficiency (Amaresco). The average annual insolation hours in
Tillamook County is comparable to those nations that are leading the global
market in PV investment such as Germany (C.E. Whitlock).
Average Insolation (10 year average)
kWh/m2/day
Country
City Latitude Longitude Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Avg
DE Hamburg 53° 33' N 9° 59' E 0.54 1.11 2.09 3.68 4.86 4.47
4.47 3.89 2.59 1.48 0.69 0.40 2.52
OR Portland 45° 32' N 122° 40' W 1.38 2.33 3.49 4.57 5.46
6.09 6.64 5.78 4.8 2.79 1.41 1.1 3.82
ES Madrid 40° 25' N 3° 41' W 1.93 2.75 4.09 4.83 5.85 6.52
7.11 6.30 4.91 3.07 1.97 1.59 4.62
(C.E. Whitlock).
Criterion B:
Description of Demonstration Project
Lotus Solar Smart Grid Demonstration
Project (LS-SGDP) will encompass the entire Tillamook People’s Utility
District, a multiple county utility district serving part of the North Oregon
Coast. Tillamook County is comprised of
rural coastal communities that enjoy hours of unharnessed solar energy each
day; a perfect fit for capturing that
energy because of the aforementioned mild ambient temperatures.
Lotus Solar’s team is aware that
demonstrating a repeatable scalable smart grid technology and renewable energy
deployment strategy will not be easy or is a light burden to receive and
bear. But the Lotus Solar team is not
reinventing the wheel by any stretch.
No-Cost deployment is the most particular innovation within the LS-SGDP
and business model. Lotus Solar also
feels assured that this will be a driver for attracting clientele. Any locality purchasing Lotus Solar smart PV
systems will see the appropriate No-Cost share of systems deployed within the
community. That will expedite
penetration and access for communities to become energy independent while
providing data for analysis by local, state, and federal government agencies.
Utilizing a for-profit model and
committing one-sixth of our yearly production to the deployment of photovoltaic
systems with Smart Inverters, Smart Meters, and battery storage to needs-based
applicants in the utility district’s service area will allow the LS-SGDP to
hire local contractors, electricians, engineers, surveyors, and have an
economic multiplier effect in not only the Tillamook PUD’s region but other
regions as Lotus Solar develops it business. The LS-SGDP inside of five years proposes to
have installed 2,356 PV solar arrays with Smart Inverters and Smart Meters
throughout Tillamook PUD’s service area.
An additional community based No-Cost deployment goal is to bring on
line a smart 5MW solar farm on Port of Tillamook Bay administered 30 acres that
is “shovel ready”. The LS-SGDP will develop a cooperative
agreement with Tillamook PUD that brings solar energy to its customers
utilizing the feed-in tariff Tillamook PUD applies to the Hooley Digester also
located in Port of Tillamook Bay Industrial Park.
Lotus Solar in applying
for financial assistance through the funding opportunity announcement issued by
the U.S. DOE and NETL (DE-FOA-0000036)being funded by the Recovery and
Reinvestment Act 2009 passed by the Congress and signed by President Obama to
aid the U.S. in creating jobs, providing education, building the foundation for
a sustainable energy future. The amount
of $38,199,977 would enable Lotus Solar to enact and demonstrate its proposed
innovative business model and deploy smart devices with PV systems proving feasibility
for grid tied penetration of devices that help to measure and collect
information produced from a renewable energy source. The improvement will be measured by smart PV
systems on roofs across Tillamook County producing mega watts of solar energy
daily, the lowered energy costs for the community, and sustained job creation.
In order to accomplish these objectives,
Lotus Solar will use funding from the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy
Technology Laboratory Recovery Act-Smart Grid Demonstrations Funding
Opportunity Award to purchase a 6+ acre parcel from Neah-Kah-Nie School
District 56, giving a much needed revenue boost back to the school district’s
damaged budget in hopes to stave off any cuts of necessary services or
personnel for the children that school district serves.
Once the land purchase has been made Lotus
Solar will contract with local architects, contractors, wetland/soil
specialists, site planners, engineers, Tillamook County, Bay City, and
Tillamook PUD for site preparation to construct a manufacturing facility in Bay
City, Oregon. At the beginning of
construction local peoples and businesses will begin work right away putting
money into the local, state, and national economy through jobs and earnings. The proposed Lotus Solar manufacturing plant
site will be employing laborers, electricians, engineers, architects,
surveyors, U.S. building material manufacturers, concrete finishers,
landscapers, painters, and glass installers.
The first eleven months of Year One of the LS-SGDP, there will be one
hundred persons participating and earning wages building the local energy
future, solar panel manufacturing facility.
At the scheduled close of site build there
will be a green facility and business ready to employ a hundred persons more. The communities and the nation will witness
Recovery Reinvestment Act 2009 money at work benefitting the people and
building a future U.S. manufacturing.
The Lotus Solar SGDP is committed to stalling job loss and turning
around the economy by finding multiplier effects for its potential
funding. This site build and the tooling
to be installed will provide a mechanism to execute the Smart Grid
Demonstrations FOA goals smartly and expeditiously in the following four years.
Paralleling that with the purchase of the Spire Corporation Spi-Line 25MW
Photovoltaic Module Manufacturing Line from Spire Solar in Bedford,
Massachusetts investing money in an American Made fully integrated tooling line
that by station, with American workers, assembles every necessary component
that must be in place to make a PV module.
Spire Solar takes 6 months to deliver their line, train Lotus Solar
personnel in Bedford, assist Lotus Solar in establishing ties with known
vendors, provides opportunity for consortium materials purchasing to get fair
prices to keep production costs affordable.
Spire has Spi-Line’s up and producing around the world, as evidence of
Spire’s successful thirty year record in the industry, benefitting local
economies and impacting energy needs in communities everywhere. Using this tooling line and Spire’s industry
experience, the Lotus Solar SGDP will have a primary component to achieve its
proposal objectives.
Working with Spire Solar through the
certification by the UL of the Lotus Solar manufactured 220W photovoltaic
module and establishing that certification Lotus Solar will be able to bring
its product to market and begin generating revenue streams. Following the inspections and approvals Lotus
Solar’s manufacturing line will employ local workers in the production of 220W
panels for sale in the solar panel market.
The generated revenue will allow Lotus Solar to begin site assessment
with engineers, contractors, and electricians to deploy the smart PV systems to
needs-based applicants that have registered by application and been evaluated
for acceptance. Low income homes with
children, elderly, or disabled will be priority applicants.
Reaching goals of twenty percent of the
United States energy usage by 2020 would be best attained by an all hands on
deck approach.
Smart Grid technologies deployment is the
primary goal of the FOA and Lotus Solar will not emplace a PV system without
them. The smart inverters and meters
will be purchased from Solectria, a proven leader in dc/ac inverters and data
monitoring, also based in Massachusetts, which will make the collection and use
of data easy and accessible via the Internet SolRenView software. This data will be modeled into understandable
graphics explaining usage and generation to the end customer. Lotus Solar will operate a link to the SolRenView
site in addition to gathering the same data for academic and governmental
review.
The
growth for energy demand continues to climb and taking advantage of every
opportunity to turn sunlight, wind force, or decomposition into sustainable
developed renewable energy will eventually lower energy costs through all
market sectors: residential, commercial,
and industrial. For the Smart Grid to
develop it won’t only take a complete overhaul of the national transportation
infrastructure it will take an exponential deployment of renewable energy
resources. This can create the most
opportunity for job creation, education, and community development utilizing a for-profit
business model that invests one-sixth of total profit in deployment of its
product on needs-based criteria in the community. This will bring the entire community to the
table participating in renewable energy deployment.
The mandated installation of the Lotus
Solar photovoltaic systems with Smart Inverters, Smart Meters, and battery
storage will increase the ability to measure and account for new sources of
distributed renewable energy, reliability of an energy independent home during
power outages by providing on site storage in current gel battery technology of
solar produced electricity.
Criterion C: SGRD Goals section 1304 (b) (2) (A-E)
(A) to demonstrate the potential benefits of
concentrated investments in advanced grid technologies on a regional grid;
Tillamook PUD
customers will be able to harness the additional power storage of battery back
up systems that will provide hours of energy everyday cost free. The 20% of year round customers that have a
smart PV system installed which will mitigate hazards and revenue loss of power
outages. At the end of year 5 the LS-SGDP
will have saved the aforementioned 2,356 year round residential customers an
estimated $5,725,645 at no cost because those customers are accepted applicants
of the Lotus Solar No-Cost deployment.
The average Tillamook PUD customer uses approximately 1280kWh per month
which makes the average monthly bill $83.
The projected average smart PV No-Cost deployment system will be 40
Lotus Solar 220W PV modules which produce 8.8kW 3 hours a day all year long
this is 26.4 kWh a day on average. At
the end of the month the system will have produced an estimated 792 kWh of
renewable quantified energy cutting the site energy usage by 61% on average. This gives the average customer a new
electricity bill of $37. The smart
inverter, meter, and battery storage are connected through the Internet
allowing for secured access by Tillamook PUD and Lotus Solar customers, U.S.
Department of Energy, and all other oversight bodies to have real time recorded
data of energy savings, generation, history, trends, and usage. The accumulation of data designates an
achieved benchmark of PV module generated energy penetration in Tillamook PUD’s
region produced at site of use as a more efficient and directly addressing
energy needs of the community. This data
will have academic, economic, and policy research value.
(B) to facilitate the commercial transition
from the current power transmission and distribution system technologies to
advanced technologies;
The current baseline is the majority of
U.S. homes do not generate energy only consume it. Therefore the installed smart PV systems of
the Lotus Solar SGDP No-Cost deployment will demonstrate how to reverse that
trend in sectors of our communities that are either: least able, most constrained, or deserving due
to community service from participating in acquiring smart renewable
energy. They will be able to join the
Green Economy of the 21st century in the United States of
America.
The Lotus Solar SGDP will demonstrate
leadership with its No-Cost deployment to challenge other for-profit entities
to find ways to invest more in providing community access to Smart Grid
technologies, Green Collar jobs, and renewable energy. The increasing share of solar energy helping
to meet U.S. energy demands and the economic impact of solar industries will be
increasing. With a projected doubling of
the solar market in 2010 and the historical aggressive growth in the solar
market over the last 5 years (D. Sethuraman); market
expansion, legislative and policy directive to diversify, and develop renewable
energy portfolios of utilities indicates it will be an active market for U.S.
manufactured Lotus Solar PV modules and systems. These national trends to reduce green house
gas emissions and to stave transference of American finances for energy to
other Nations for non-sustainable fossil fuels needs, as stated, require an all
hands on deck approach. To Lotus Solar
this means dedicating and contributing profit to smart renewable energy
deployment by participating in the energy market.
Lotus Solar believes for U.S. industry to regain a leadership role in
the global solar marketplace first we must produce renewable energy goods
and devices in many communities across the nation. Deploying them in part locally to build
energy independence to free our own spent energy monies from being committed to
non sustainable and environmentally affecting energy resources. Having our energy needs being met
sustainably through digitally interfaced renewable energy we will be able to
direct our nations freed finances through investment to seek out the
undiscovered future that could hold new industries, innovations, and community
benefit by these metrics. This would
again establish the U.S. as a visionary leader willing to invest in benefits
not only for our nation but the world as a whole by cleaning up our energy
supplies and reducing dependence and cost.
For this to happen we must make substantial gains on building
manufacturing and deploying with earnest these Smart Renewable technologies in
our communities.
The Lotus Solar SGDP facilitates this
transition from the dated 20th century energy system that produced
electricity from a central location and transmitted said energy long distance
to site of usage to the formation and outlay of the 21st century
Smart Grid which must be accompanied by renewable distributed energy production
at site of usage or closer community based energy generation like solar farms,
wind turbines, biomass digesters, wave energy, or solar concentration. Lotus Solar, setting an example, responsible
for the community that it inhabits and employs will prove that the business
model can be repeated in any community urban or rural benefitting the community
and still providing quality jobs, products, and services of the 21st
century Green Economy.
In
the five year time span the success of the Lotus Solar SGDP will be dependent
on sales results. Lotus Solar profit
from selling PV modules will fund a majority of the proposed No-Cost community
deployment of smart PV systems. Portions
of the funding will be used to purchase and deploy smart PV systems but profit
revenue will be the driver for the deployment.
Lotus Solar will also hope to partner with Native American Tribal
Nations, also a prime target sector, for possible smart solar farm development.
Utilities needing to diversify and
generate energy will be a prime target sector that Lotus Solar pursues to sale
large quantities of panels for solar farms.
These solar farms will not be deployed without smart technologies. This will provide an even more dispersed
penetration of solar energy and smart grid technologies in the U.S. energy
market.
The
substantial positive impact of the Lotus Solar SGDP and No-Cost deployment is
balanced against selling a U.S. manufactured solar panel in times when smart
renewable energy independence goals are attracting growing financial resources
at a dynamic rate. This risk will be for
the DOE-NETL to determine if even at baseline sales that the employment
created, the No-Cost deployment still occurring at baseline levels, and
building U.S. manufacturing in a rural economically depressed community
possesses enough value while providing data for study to grant a funding
opportunity award.
table showing baseline operation and no cost deployment and
jobs
table also will demonstrate mid and full sales goals and
nocost depl. and jobs
The Tillamook People’s Utility District
has made the change to digital meters but they do not have grid feed-in smart
capability; they provide a digital reading with a wireless device that does not
allow for data to be transmitted and collected.
The LS-SGRD Solectria Smart inverters will allow real time data transfer
and remote monitoring of energy production and usage by kWh which can then be
analyzed via the web.
(C)
to facilitate the integration of advanced technologies in existing electric
networks to improve system performance, power flow control, and reliability;
The Lotus Solar system with integrated
deployed current gel battery technology for storage during especially peak
hours of insolation, a complete hour that the panel receives enough sunlight to
produce its rated wattage production of kilowatt hours occurs, when kWh are
excess to the needs of the site the stored electricity in the gel battery
storage matures to service emergency needs during outages, providing a gathered
pool of energy for the site to harvest from without having to draw so heavily
from the public utilities well. This
will allow the customers to save money and the Tillamook PUD to focus bulk
energy resources at sites with a higher and more pressing need.
The Lotus Solar Smart Grid Project will
have in place an online link located at the Lotus Solar website for all
customers with a Lotus Solar smart PV system as well as all local and
government agencies to access and view up to the minute data transmissions at location
or be viewed via a secured web portal on the Solectria’s SolrenView site.
Solectria Renewables SolrenView monitoring
system will, “allows you to see detailed
inverter data (DC and AC) using your web-browser. Go back in time and flip
through day, weekly and monthly graphs up to 5 years in the past to view single
events or long-term trends. The package includes email alarms with detailed
descriptions of sudden system problems and a recommended course of action. This
service is only available for the industry-leading Solectria PVI series
inverters,” and, “SolrenView
Substring Monitoring™ enables you to detect underperformance of your commercial
PV array down to a single non-contributing string, that might otherwise have
gone undetected for years. A must-have tool to back up your PPA deliverables.
This option is only available for Solectria PVI 60kW/82kW/95kW series inverters”
(Renewables). This record and collection of the kWh
generation, demand, storage, and usage would give a real time performance
evaluation of a smart functioning distributed regional grid in a rural
community validating the process of emplacing the systems with production of
electricity. The data collected would
also allow governing entities to anticipate demands, identify trends, and
transfer loads to at needs site during usage peak hours.
If
an installed Lotus Solar system experiences interruption in power generation, or
other system, issues Lotus Solar and all involved entities will be able to
recognize the change through computer generated alerts from the installed smart
devices through Ethernet to contact generating devices (smart phones) and the
Lotus Solar server coordinating through a customer service operator interface
to deploy technicians and contact customer, utility, public services. By being able bring system issued diagnostics
and analysis to the immediate attention of Lotus Solar 24/7 operator staff so
contact and site visitation of the Lotus Solar service technicians who
investigate site for problem while alerting the local utility to any necessary
involvement for safety and oversight to the situation. The interruption can be corrected quickly,
increasing reliability through quantifiable awareness of smart PV system health
actively reporting
(D)
to demonstrate protocols and standards that allow for the measurement and
validation of the energy savings and fossil fuel emission reductions associated
with the installation and use of energy efficiency and demand response
technologies and practices;
The earth receives more energy from
the sun in just one hour than the world uses in a whole year. Solar energy leaves the smallest carbon
footprint of all the renewable energy sources however only makes up 1%of the United
States renewable energy supply (Solarbuzz). There is no pollution or waste associated
with the sun’s energy because it does not require liquids or gases for
transportation or combustion. In the
United States, solar panels have remained fairly high in price which is the
primary reason that the panels account for less than 1 percent of our nations’
renewable generation. Generating power from the sun using rooftop panels can
cost four times as much as coal, the largest and cheapest source of electricity
in this country (NYT-Kanter).
The unfortunate thing about coal is when we are burning it for everyday use we
are emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere causing a substantial amount
of pollution and diminished air quality.
As a nation we can reduce greenhouse gases by reducing the burning of
fossil fuels like coal and gas and replace it with clean solar energy.
(this
following paragraph needs a citation and table showing what 16MW of No-Cost
deployed in Tillamook county over five years with total reduce carbon
emissions)
The
addition of solar energy will reduce the amount of carbon emitting fuel sources
used for energy production there by reducing emissions. The Lotus Solar SGDP working closely with Tillamook
PUD and BPA will apply developed protocols and standards of information access
for oversight bodies to determine the amount energy produced from the LS-SGDP
smart PV systems and the estimated reduction in carbon emissions and use of
fossil fuels.
It does not have to be a foreign objective in
the U.S. There are programs available to
minimize consumer cost such as feed-in tariff programs and power purchase
agreements. If the utility companies are
willing to pay just a little bit more than the average customer can also enjoy a
renewable energy future. Oregon already
has a good tax credit and loan program for solar energy. Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski also
introduced a trio of bills in 2009 to the state legislature that would enable
the average person to engage in green energy.
HB 2121 which is the introduction of feed-in tariffs, a mechanism that
has been in place in Germany since 1991. HB 2181 looks at the cost of the solar
system and allows for local government finance for residential property owners (press). Oregon has the tools to shine bright in the
21st century and Lotus Solar is asking for an opportunity.
The simplest validation for a smart PV
system is during a regional power outage and the newfound ability to produce
electricity at site. People in homes
having energy being produced everyday at site being able to meet basic
electrical needs like hot water or hot food, a light turned on in the night, a
smart PV system reports through a glowing screen, “yes you have electricity,”
providing security to wait out the storm safely and humanely.
(E)
to investigate differences in each region and regulatory environment regarding
best practices in implementing smart grid technologies.
Lotus
Solar SGDP by partnering with Spire Corporation, an already established solar
energy company with 25+ years experience in PV,
will be able to emplace a fully integrated PV module line ready to
produce panels. This partnership will
allow Lotus Solar to bring our proposal and additional future Lotus Solar
franchises to fruition in a timely manner and ensure early local market penetration. As part of the integrated PV module tooling
line purchase Spire Corp. provides support for Lotus Solar through training of
future employees and engineers, establishing a functioning production line, as
well as certification of our 220W PV module.
Lotus
Solar as part of its SGDP will select a community and site for its Year Four
separate 25MW line and facility deployment.
Lotus Solar will early on through the selection process establish a
relationship with any local regional Utility entity to determine feasibility of
construction and enactment of the same Lotus Solar policies in their region. This investigation and selection process will
begin at the end of Year One of the project.
The transference of the Lotus Solar model into a new community and
finding success in accomplishing the same goals will be a benchmark for the
repeatability of the model.
Criterion D: SGDP Application
Lotus Solar Smart Grid Demonstration Project is proposing a 25MW solar
module manufacturing facility in Tillamook County, the installation of
Solectria Smart Inverters and Meters, back up gel battery storage units. Information will be exchanged via available
information exchange interfaces. The
smart devices will respond to failure without impacting the stability of the
system.
Interoperability
Lotus Solar will track all pertinent data and store it in our data center. Our data center is made up of many certified domain-specific databases which will include administration, accounting, manufacturing workflow, and sales.
Each Lotus Solar employee will have a dashboard that organizes their role-specific data into a cohesive view they can access at their desktop, on a laptop, or on their iPhone. Any agencies that we'll need to provide data to will have a dashboard configured for the collection of pertinent information.
Lotus Solar’s system will interoperate with all necessary systems. Lotus Solar will use any and all tools and
expertise available, including, but not limited to, data formats, communication
protocols, and physical adaptors.
Lotus
solar will integrate with the smart grid using industry standard procedures
involving interface identification, specification, testing, and lifecycle
management. Existing interfaces will be
leveraged. Legacy systems will be integrated into the project. Published standards and protocols will be
integrated into the project in a timely fashion. We will use common data
formats and communication protocols.
Lotus Solar’s secure web
application is accessible from any modern browser, including the iPhone and
other smart phones. The Lotus Solar security mechanisms will be similar to the
ones used for online banking. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) in conjunction with
128-bit encrypted keys will provide a secure channel of communication between
the end-user's computer or smart phone and our secured servers. Our servers will be secured physically at the
factory, and will be digitally secured by hardening the operating system and
web server from both local and remote attacks. Remote access will be controlled
by a firewall such that the server only receives http connections through one
port. No extraneous software will run on
the server, further securing the number of available attack vectors.
Cyber Security
Lotus Solar servers will run Linux with apache web server. These open-source tools have a long history of reliability and security. Our security staff will configure the operating system and server software securely.
Lotus Solar will obtain personnel who will work with our vendors to determine best practices and industry standard protocols for cyber security.
Cyber security will be addressed in every phase of the engineering lifecycle of the project, including design and procurement, installation and commissioning, and the ability to provide ongoing maintenance and support. Cyber security solutions will be comprehensive and capable of being extended or upgraded in response to changes to the threat or technological environment. Cyber security risk assessment is a complex and emergent topic. Our staff will be trained in background information, and will stay informed as to new threats. All current standards and practices will be in place to ensure cyber security. Lotus Solar will select vendors and devices with high security focus preferentially. As emerging smart grid cyber security standards mature, Lotus Solar will adopt and implement them into the project scope.
Lotus Solar servers will run Linux with apache web server. These open-source tools have a long history of reliability and security. Our security staff will configure the operating system and server software securely.
Lotus Solar will obtain personnel who will work with our vendors to determine best practices and industry standard protocols for cyber security.
Cyber security will be addressed in every phase of the engineering lifecycle of the project, including design and procurement, installation and commissioning, and the ability to provide ongoing maintenance and support. Cyber security solutions will be comprehensive and capable of being extended or upgraded in response to changes to the threat or technological environment. Cyber security risk assessment is a complex and emergent topic. Our staff will be trained in background information, and will stay informed as to new threats. All current standards and practices will be in place to ensure cyber security. Lotus Solar will select vendors and devices with high security focus preferentially. As emerging smart grid cyber security standards mature, Lotus Solar will adopt and implement them into the project scope.
Criterion E:
Information Security
Policy
1. Information security policy document
Lotus will institute an information security
policy, approved by the management, published and communicated as appropriate
to all employees. It will state management’s commitment and set out the
organizational approach to managing information security.
2. Review and Evaluation
The Security policy will have an individual,
who is responsible for its maintenance and review according to a defined review
process. The process will ensure that a
review takes place in response to any changes affecting the basis of the
original assessment, example: significant security incidents, new
vulnerabilities or changes to organizational or technical structure.
3. Allocation of information security
responsibilities
Lotus will establish clearly defined
responsibilities for the protection of individual assets and for carrying out
specific security processes.
4. Co-operation between organizations
Lotus will make appropriate contacts with
law enforcement authorities, regulatory bodies, utility providers, information
service providers and telecommunication operators maintained to ensure that
appropriate action can be quickly taken and advice obtained, in the event of an
incident.
5. Independent review of information security
Lotus will review security policies on
regular basis. This is to provide assurance that organizational practices
properly reflect the policy, and that it is feasible and effective.
6. Identification of risks from third party
.
Risks from third party access will be
identified and appropriate security controls implemented. Types of accesses
will be identified, classified and reasons for access justified. Security risks
with third party contractors working onsite will be identified and appropriate
controls implemented.
7. Security requirements in third party contracts
Lotus will establish a formal contract
containing, or referring to, all the security requirements to ensure compliance
with the organization’s security policies and standards.
8. Security requirements in outsourcing
contracts
Lotus will ensure that security requirements
addressed in the contract with the third party, when the organization has
outsourced the management and control of all or some of its information
systems, networks and/ or desktop environments.
The contract will address how the legal requirements are to be met, how
the security of the organization’s assets are maintained and tested, and the
right of audit, physical security issues and how the availability of the
services is to be maintained in the event of disaster.
Asset classification and
control
1. Inventory of assets
Lotus will maintain an inventory or register
of the important administrative, selling and manufacturing assets. The asset
inventory will have an individual, who is responsible for its maintenance and
review according to a defined review process.
2. Asset labeling and handling
Lotus will establish an appropriate set of
procedures defined for asset labeling and handling in accordance with the
classification scheme adopted by Lotus.
Personnel security
1. Including security in job responsibilities
Security roles and responsibilities as laid
in Lotus’s information security policy will be documented where
appropriate. It will include general
responsibilities for implementing or maintaining security policy as well as
specific responsibilities for protection of particular assets, or for extension
of particular security processes or activities.
2. Confidentiality agreements
.
Lotus will have employees sign
confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements as a part of their initial terms
and conditions of the employment and annually thereafter. This agreement will cover the security of the
information processing facility, organization assets and trade secrets.
3. Terms and conditions of employment
The terms and conditions of the employment
agreement will cover the employee’s responsibility for information
security. Where appropriate, these
responsibilities might continue for a defined period after the end of the
employment.
4. Information security education and training
All employees of the organization and third
party users (where relevant) will receive appropriate Information Security
training and regular updates in organizational policies and procedures.
5. Reporting security/threat incidents
Lotus will establish a formal reporting procedure, to report
security/threat incidents through appropriate management channels as quickly as
possible.
6. Reporting security weaknesses
.
Lotus will establish a formal reporting
procedure or guideline to report security weakness in, or threats to, systems
or services.
Physical and
Environmental Security
1. Equipment location protection
Any items requiring special protection will
be isolated to reduce the general level of protection required. Controls will be adopted to minimize risk
from potential threats such as theft, fire, explosives, smoke, water, dust,
vibration, chemical effects, electrical supply interfaces, electromagnetic
radiation and flood.
2. Power Supplies
.
Equipment will be protected from power
failures by using redundant power supplies such as multiple feeds,
uninterruptible power supply (ups), backup generator etc.
3. Equipment Maintenance
Maintenance on equipment will be carried out
only by authorized and properly trained personnel. Equipment will be covered by
insurance, and all insurance requirements will be satisfied.
4. Securing of equipment offsite
Any equipment usage outside of Lotus’s
premises for information processing has to be authorized by management. The security provided for equipment while
outside the premises equal to or more than the security provided inside the
premises.
5. Secure disposal or re-use of equipment
Lotus will ensure storage devices containing
sensitive information will either be physically destroyed or securely over
written?
6. Removal of property
Equipment, information or software cannot be
taken offsite without appropriate authorization. Spot checks or regular audits
will be conducted to detect unauthorized removal of property. Employees will be
made aware of these types of spot checks or regular audits.
Communications and
Operations Management
1. Documented Operating procedures
.
Lotus’s Security Policy with identify any
operating procedures such as back-up, equipment maintenance etc.
2. Incident management procedures
Lotus will have an Incident Management procedure
to handle security/threat incidents. The procedure will address the incident
management responsibilities, orderly and quick response to security/threat
incidents. The procedure will address different types of incidents ranging from
denial of service to breach of confidentiality etc., and ways to handle them.
Audit trails and logs relating to the incidents will be maintained and
proactive action taken in a way that the incident(s) don’t reoccur.
3. External facilities management
If information processing facilities are
managed by an external company or
contractor (third party), Lotus will ensure
the risks associated with such management are identified in advance, discussed
with the third party and appropriate controls incorporated into the contract.
Media handling and
Security
1. Management of removable computer media
.
Lotus will establish procedures for
management of removable computer media such as tapes,
disks, cassettes, memory cards and reports.
2. Information and software exchange agreement
If Lotus enters into any formal or informal
agreement with another company for exchange of information and software, the
agreement will address the security issues based on the sensitivity of the
business information involved.
3. Other forms of information exchange
Lotus will establish policies, procedures or
controls to protect the exchange of information through the use of voice,
facsimile and video communication facilities.
4. Access Control Policy
Business requirements for access control
will be defined and documented. The access control policy will address the
rules and rights for each user or a group of users. The users and service
providers will be given a clear statement of the business requirement to be met
by access controls.
5. Mobile computing
Lotus will establish a formal policy that
takes into account the risks of working with computing facilities such as
notebooks, palm-pilots etc., especially in unprotected environments. Training
will be arranged for staff that use mobile computing facilities to raise their
awareness on the additional risks resulting from this way of working and
controls that need to be implemented to mitigate the risks.
6. Telecommuting
Lotus will establish policies, procedures
and/ or standards to control telecommuting activities that are consistent with
Lotus’s security policy. Suitable
protection of any telecommuting site will be in place to protect against
threats such as theft of equipment, unauthorized disclosure of information etc.
Business Continuity
Management
1. Business continuity management process
Lotus will establish a managed process for
developing and maintaining business continuity throughout the organization.
This process will include an organization-wide business continuity plan,
regular testing and updating of the plan, formulating and documenting a
business continuity strategy etc.
2. Business continuity and impact analysis
Lotus will identify events that could cause
interruptions to business processes (equipment failure, flood and fire). A risk assessment will be conducted to
determine the impact of such interruptions. A strategy plan will be developed
based on the risk assessment to determine an overall approach to business
continuity.
3. Writing and implementing continuity plan
Lotus will develop plans to restore business
operations within the required time frame following an interruption or failure
to business process. The plan will be regularly tested and updated.
4. Business continuity planning framework
Lotus will establish a single framework for
the business continuity plan. This framework will be maintained to ensure that
all plans are consistent and identify priorities for testing and maintenance.
IT will identify conditions for activation and individuals responsible for
executing each component of the plan.
5. Testing, maintaining and re-assessing
business continuity plan
The business continuity plans will be tested
regularly to ensure that they are up to date and effective. The business
continuity plan will be maintained by regular reviews and updates to ensure
their continuing effectiveness. The procedures included will ensure that
business continuity matters are appropriately addressed.
Criterion F:
Lotus Solar
will provide regular opportunity to inform the local community understanding by
meeting with local governing bodies, publishing information on jobs created,
energy costs lowered, green energy generated, and No-Cost deployment attained
in local newspaper and on the Lotus Solar website. Throughout this process the Lotus Solar team
has been performing outreach in the rural area discussing the needs of this
community; talks which will continue through Lotus
Solar’s lifespan. Daniel Hettenbach,
President of Lotus Solar has presented the Lotus Solar SGDP in concept to
Neah-Khan-Nie School Board, Tillamook People’s Utility District manager and
department heads, Port of Tillamook Bay Board of Commissioners. Lotus Solar has received letters of support
from Tillamook PUD, POTB, and State Senator Betsy Johnson. The Neah-Kah-Nie Board , expressed support
for the Lotus Solar objectives of developing education opportunities for area
school children and installation of smart PV systems for school structures.
Lotus Solar’s
inception occurred in response to the decline and disappearance of jobs in the
timber, fishing, agricultural, construction, and tourism industries in a rural
community with significant poverty not unlike so many communities across the
nation. At the onset Lotus Solar was structured
with an ethical, progressive business model that would choose to find specific
impact areas for potential funding and profits. Lotus Solar is guided by the idea of
multiple and aggregate positive demonstrations and outcomes of its SGDP and
business model in communities where it finds itself. The Lotus Solar business model would be
lowering energy costs, greening the energy source, involving as many persons as
possible. Dollars doing more than
collecting interest but invested in real smart PV systems covering rooftops and
populating fallow lands making the sun that falls on them into electricity to
power our advancement on the challenges we all face.
The first
step proposed step of the Lotus Solar SGDP is to get much needed funds into the
budget of Neah-Kah-Nie School District 56. Another school district which has
been affected by budget cutbacks and belt tightening in funding increasing the
burden of service. The Lotus Solar SGDP
with purchase of the 6+ acre parcel in a Free-Enterprise Zone located in Bay
City, Oregon would with manufacturing facility construction would increase
property tax base for the city.
The Lotus Solar SGDP goes a step further in
ensuring the success of this rural community by committing our time to training
students in the surrounding three school districts, by creating workforce
training internship programs. These
programs with benefit four students from each school selected to participate
and receive paid training in one of four areas: computer systems, production, installation,
and administration. Our goal is to
educate and create a green workforce.
Lotus Solar
will also look to create a consortium with Tillamook Bay Community College
(TBCC) in order to grant college credit for on the job training in areas of
interest in the solar manufacturing industry.
Oregon is leading the way in solar energy research and companies like
BEST (Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center) have
partnered with University of Oregon and Oregon State University to advance
research and awareness of the industry.
Lotus Solar believes in that business model and wants to extend training
and research in Tillamook County. TBCC is moving forward on an
electrician’s program and on an alternative energy technicians program that
will produce qualified individuals Lotus Solar is committing to putting to
work.
Tillamook PUD moving forward on Smart Grid deployment
locally and renewable energy generation needs a local partner to work in
concert on solar panel and smart meter deployment. POTB having abundant land to establish solar
farms upon would allow the POTB and Lotus Solar in concert with Tillamook PUD
to demonstrate renewable energy production in Tillamook County with a 5MW smart
solar farm. Neak-Kah-Nie School District
seeing their property in Bay City being developed into a modern, manufacturing
facility allows for a long term goal of seeing a three contribution of property
to develop into a remedy for budget short falls and provide for their students
access to part time employment throughout Lotus Solar commitment to flex
scheduling so they can learn hands on about renewable energy technologies. All of these community partnerships and the
developing relationships strengthen the community’s ability to engage and
address the challenges of energy, economy, and education with Lotus Solar
providing in part or in whole a solution with establishing a 25MW solar panel
plant in Bay City.
Lotus Solar values partnerships with local, state,
tribal, federal, and international communities to employ and aid in education
of Green Collar energy technicians of the 21st Century and to
getting photovoltaic module systems affordable and available. Many of these
partnerships and relationships to be developed in the local community are
fundamental. Working with; Port of
Tillamook Bay, Tillamook People’s Utility District, Neah-Kah-Nie School
District, and local Tillamook Bay Community College are relationships that
Lotus Solar values and we will invest in their contributions by directing
federal dollar matching to invest in shovel ready projects, education,
training, and job creation from day one in Tillamook County.
Lotus Solar
will deploy public education on a quarterly basis with a forum that will be
open to the public where they can ask questions about solar modules and
renewable energy. Our website will be
open to the public and available via the internet allowing people to contact
Lotus Solar directly. The website will
provide information about achieved milestones of No-Cost deployment, cost
savings, environmental impact, and the smart PV technology used. We will also be soliciting applications from
need- based sector in Tillamook County in order to meet our commitment to
deploy PV systems, smart inverters and meters, with a back up battery source to
a part of the community that would not otherwise get to participate in smart
technology. This is a significant and
responsible innovation that allows the entire community to participate in a
smart renewable energy future. At the
end of five years Lotus Solar will have received and accepted applications from
2356 year round Tillamook PUD customers and outfitted them with a Lotus Solar 220MW
40 panel system.
Lotus Solar
will be working closely with Tillamook County in developing codes specific to PV
systems to ensure that all of the requirements regarding building permits and
inspection are in compliance. Lotus
Solar has been in direct contact with Tillamook PUD to ensure an understanding
of the guidelines set forth for small power production and make sure that all
design requirement and installations adhere to applicable local, state, and
national safety codes.
The Lotus Solar SGDP is committed to working in
cooperation with utilities, city, county, state government to educate and
familiarize regarding smart PV systems to help reduce technical and regulatory
barriers with regular contact due to expanded deployment, permit,
certification, evaluation, and process by being an active participant in
community meetings and governance engagement.
Criterion G:
Lotus Solar’s approach to collecting and present data is going to be
achieved with Solectria’s SolrenView Revenue Grade Meter, within that meter is
a monitoring device that will accurately transmit data to a website for easy
access. The server will capture kWh
usage and generated so the customer and any other local, state, or government
agency can valuate the information.
The Lotus Solar system with
integrated deployed current gel battery technology for storage during
especially peak hours of insolation, a complete hour that the panel receives
enough sunlight to produce its rated wattage production of kilo watt hours
occurs, when kWh are excess to the needs of the site the stored electricity in
the gel battery storage matures to service emergency needs during outages,
providing a gathered pool of energy for the site to harvest from without having
to draw so heavily from the public utilities well. This will allow the customers to save money
and the Tillamook PUD to focus bulk energy resources at sites with a higher and
more pressing need.
The best integration into the grid
of both distributed and centralized smart PV energy production is for more
actual systems to be constructed and emplaced throughout urban and rural
communities. Lotus Solar is committed to
aiding our nation and communities in this.
The grid integration of PV power will take an investment by private and
public entities. Profits invested in
this deployment by the Lotus Solar business model will be a responsible
commitment to build an energy future of grid tied systems that produce and
provide site generated renewable energy, the excess of which can be returned
through the grid to meet energy needs of far flung communities and
businesses. Progress and service is its
own profit. For the grid to be
integrated the smart PV systems must be introduced on wider more substantial
scope. The Lotus Solar SGDP helps to
accomplish this with its No-Cost deployment policy. Smart PV systems tied into the grid at no
cost to educational institutions, community service entities, low income,
disabled, elderly being provided by Lotus Solar are systems that ease burdens
and aid in providing the security of electricity needed even in the 21st
century. Being able to turn on a light
when it’s dark or being able hire an extra teacher, provide heat to the
elderly, and not be panicked when the power bill arrives.
Program Area of Interest 1: Relevance and Impacts
Lotus Solar Smart Grid
Demonstration Project is an innovative scalable repeatable business model that
emplaces smart grid technology in communities using known technologies and
practices to achieve lower energy cost for consumers, job creation, positive
environmental impact, building U.S. manufacturing capability while laying the
digital renewable foundation for our nation and usher in a future of energy
independence.
Program Area of Interest 1: Roles of Participants
Spire
Corporation has provided Lotus Solar with a quote for the Spi-Line 25MW Module
Manufacturing Line, complete turnkey solar module manufacturing line capable of
producing up to 25 MegaWatts of solar module per year. As a customer and partner they will also
share their process knowledge, provide training, job descriptions, and
qualifications to assist Lotus Solar in achieving maximum efficiency and quick
market penetration.
Tillamook
People’s Utility District has provided Lotus Solar with the application
information necessary for customer-owned generation so we have the requirements
understood prior to engaging in this business model. They will be Lotus Solar’s oversight in this
project to track compliance with BPA and other government agencies.
State Senator
Betsy Johnson has offered her support for our proposal.
Port of
Tillamook Bay administers 30 acres of full service industrial park land zoned
and shovel ready to house the 5MW solar farm.
They offer an attractive 3 year property tax exemptions for new non
retail businesses whose investment is $25,000 or more and create full time
jobs, both areas would be met with the deployment of the solar farm.
Yost Grube Hall Architecture
has been contacted regard green architecture design of the office building,
fabrication shop, and manufacturing plant.
Neah-Kah-Nie
School District 56 has a properly zoned 6 acre lot for sale in a free
enterprise zone in Bay City, Oregon and will be a Lotus Solar partner in the
workforce education programs. Tillamook
School District and Nestucca Valley School District will be the other two
Tillamook County Schools involved in the workforce education program.
Otak has
provided Lotus Solar with a bid that details a site survey to address
easements, topography, and an excavation plan for the Neah-Kah-Nie School
District land.
Stricker
Engineering will bring their experience in solar arrays to produce engineering
plans for PV racking systems on residential and commercial sites.
Tillamook Bay
Community College has in place an Industrial Maintenance Technician Program and
an Alternative Energy Technician Program, welding, and contractor programs,
Lotus Solar is looking forward to partner with them for on the job training of
the students in those programs.
Solectria
will be our source of smart inverters and meters as well as the experience and
expertise of data monitoring systems and installation.
Program Area of Interest 1: Project Performance Site
Neah-Kah-Nie
School District has a 6 acre lot for sale that borders Tillamook Avenue and
heads up Short Street. The lot numbers
are 56-15 and B122. The physical address
is 6385 Tillamook Ave, Bay City, Oregon 97107.
Port of Tillamook Bay I'm unclear as to which land you are
referring to, actually. The 80-acre
parcel at the corner of Long Prairie and Brickyard is affectionately known
as the Obrist field.
The entire property is part of 2S 9W 5300
parcel at the corner of Long Prairie and Brickyard is affectionately known
as the Obrist field.
The entire property is part of 2S 9W 5300
Lotus
Solar Manufacturing LLC Smart Grid Demonstration Project
Area
of Interest 1: Regional Demonstration
A.
Project Objectives
·
Emplace Smart Grid Technologies and PV systems
in Tillamook County at no cost to needs based applicants, deployment of 2356
systems to year round customers of Tillamook People’ Utility District
·
Create 200 sustainable jobs in Tillamook County
·
Demonstrate a repeatable scalable business model
that can be enacted in any community
·
Reduce carbon emissions
·
Create a U.S. based green manufacturing company
that produces renewable energy
·
Establish partnerships with local schools to
provide paid workforce internships and educate on smart grid technologies and
renewable energy
·
Develop a 5MW solar farm on Port of Tillamook
Bay land
·
Stimulate local economies
·
Create a reliable energy supply, lower energy
costs, and energy independence
B.
Project
Scope
Lotus Solar Smart Grid Demonstration
Project (LS-SGDP) will encompass the entire Tillamook People’s Utility
District, a multiple county utility districts on the North Oregon Coast. Tillamook County is comprised of rural
coastal communities that enjoy hours of unharnessed solar energy each day; a perfect fit for capturing that energy
because of the mild ambient temperatures.
Lotus Solar’s proposed project is a demonstrative repeatable scalable
smart grid technology and renewable energy deployment strategy that will
expedite penetration and access for communities to become energy independent
while providing data for analysis by local, state, and federal government
agencies . Utilizing a for-profit model
and committing one sixth of our yearly production to the deployment of
photovoltaic systems with Smart Inverters, Smart Meters, and battery storage to
needs based applicants in the utility districts service area. The LS- SGDP inside of five years proposes to get installed PV
solar arrays with Smart Inverters and Smart Meters throughout Tillamook County in
collaboration with Tillamook PUD to bring on line a proposed
utility-interactive 5MW solar farm on Port of Tillamook Bay administered 30
acres that is “shovel ready”.
C.
Tasks
to be Performed
Phase I-Project Definition and NEPA
Compliance
Project Management Plan
Ø Year
one: administrative/business model
policy, funding, land purchase, excavate location, build facility, install
tooling line, get UL certification, servers and website developed, education
development programs with local school districts, create database and website,
identify needs based community, hire workforce, train workforce, establish
benefits and flex work environment, begin production of 220w solar panels,
sales, and solar farm site development, evaluate total renewable energy
generation, job creation, economic impact report goal achievement towards FOA
Ø Year
two: UL certification, no-cost
deployment installation of needs-based community, solar farm start up,
government contracts, utility contracts, start discussion with Native nations,
development of clean efficient processes, second site expansion evaluation,
evaluate total renewable energy generation, job creation, economic impact
report goal achievement towards FOA
Ø Year
three: government contracts, utility
contracts, develop corporate partners production and sales, expansion
determination process for second site community selection, evaluate total
renewable energy generation, job creation, economic impact report goal
achievement towards FOA
Ø Year
four: government contracts, production and sales, site development for second
12MW manufacturing plant, Spire line purchase, evaluate No-cost LS-SGDP goal
achievement and look at possible deployment to other needs-based communities,
evaluate total renewable energy generation, job creation, economic impact
report goal achievement towards FOA
Ø Year
five: prepare end document for U.S.
DOE-NETL for goal achievement and data acquisition, production and sales,
develop corporate partners, completion of 5MW solar farm, completion of
deployment and installation of needs based community, second 12MW manufacturing
plan on line valuation of repeatable scalable business model and aggregate
affect, begin process for third and fourth sites-expansion in other NERC regions,
Meso-America specifically, yearly total renewable energy generated, job
creation, economic impact report goal achievement towards FOA, deliver end
document to U.S. DOE-NETL
Evaluate Project Performance
Lotus Solar SGDP is a proposed
project over the course of five years.
We will determine project performance based on sales of solar panels and
reinvested profits in the form of No-Cost deployment. A major component of our business plan is
No-Cost deployment of PV systems to 2356 year round Tillamook County customers
that would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate. In order for us to evaluate the performance
at the end of five years all 2356 customers will have a system, currently there
are none.
Lotus Solar is also going to
construct and operate in cooperation with Port of Tillamook Bay and Tillamook
PUD a 5MW solar farm. There is currently
no solar farm in the area. Currently
Tillamook PUD has no major electricity generating projects in its current
region other than a biomass plant, Hooley Digester. The solar farm is scheduled to grow by
1.25MW a year after establishment of PV module production. All 5MW of smart PV energy modules will be up
and functional by year five.
Lotus Solar understands that
reduced carbon emissions is a side effect of renewable solar energy. It is the environmentally preferred power but
currently only makes up 1% of the United States renewable energy supply. Lotus Solar is looking to change the current
trend and bring solar to the forefront.
Phase II-Operational Readiness
Review
Lotus Solar will ensure that site
construction is an approved design with the proper permits
Lotus Solar will ensure a safe and
effective work environment
Lotus Solar will ensure that all
personnel is properly trained and certified
Lotus Solar will ensure that all
business follows a high level of standards and regulatory requirements
Phase III-Commissioning and
Operations
Data Collection
Deployed Lotus Solar systems will
have digital interface whether a on site monitor or through the internet. People will be able access information about
energy their system produced, their own energy usage providing a path for a
stronger consciousness regarding conservation and creation. This adds to the educational goals to
increase environmental understanding through our communities by presenting an
opportunity for engagement of information.
Lotus Solar’s approach to
collecting and present data is going to be achieved with Solectria’s SolrenView
Revenue Grade Meter, within that meter is a monitoring device that will
accurately transmit data to a website for easy access. The server will capture kWh usage and
generated so the customer and any other local, state, or government agency can
valuate the information. The
accumulation of 24 months of data will be readily available to all local and
federal agencies.
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