Gary Nystedt of the Ellensburg Washington municipal utility discusses how to set up a community renewable project.

1. Ellensburg
Community Renewable
Park

2. Ellensburg

3. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
City of Ellensburg
(approx 8500 utility customers )
Electricity
Annual Usage - 185 million kWh
$11.7 million
Natural Gas
Annual Usage - 9 million therms
$9.5 million

4. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
Ellensburg’s
Conservation /Renewable
Programs
1980-present
$16 million in conservation project
2004 - present
Community Solar Project - 111 KW
Small Wind Turbines - 17.6 KW

5. Ellensburg’s Community Renewable
Park
City of Ellensburg
(approx. 8500 utility customers )
Electricity
Annual Usage - 185 million kWh
$11.7 million
Natural Gas
“the sun”
Annual Usage - 9 million therms
$ 9.5 million
Ellensburg’s most abundant energy resource

6. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
2004 Northwest Solar Summit
identified solar barriers impacting
the installation of solar systems

7. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
Solar Electric Barriers
 Aesthetic concerns – solar modules on the roof
 High initial costs
$25 - $30,000 for a standard residential installation
 Primary roof area not oriented south
 Roof shading from other buildings & trees
 Lack of qualified solar installers
 Lack of understanding about renewable energy
 Maintenance Issues

8. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park

9. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
Key Elements
 overcomes many of the solar barriers
 new and innovative funding approach
 valuable educational tool
 distributed energy resource
 keeps utility dollars in the community
 link to local economic development
 benefits to the local utility
 encourages other communities

10. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
Key Players
 Utility Director
 City Council
 Northwest Solar Center
 Bonneville Environmental Foundation
 Central Washington University
 Bonneville Power Administration
 Senator Rockefeller
 Utility Customers

11. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
A New Marketing
&
Financing Concept Introduced

 People in the Community partner with the Utility to help
fund the project
 In exchange for their financial support – the Utility gives the
Contributors a credit on their utility bill for the value of
the electricity produced by the solar system

12. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
if a customer contributes the customer receives
3% 3%
of the project funding kWhs produced by the
solar project in the
form
of a “solar credit” on
their
utility bill
The solar credit is given to the customer for 20 years
(the length of the warrantee on the solar panels )

13. contribution for a community solar system
$250 to $15,000

14. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
Pledge
Brochure

15. High Visibility
Site

16. Ellensburg
Solar Community Project
“2004 solar concept “
Local citizens partnering with the City for clean renewable energy options

17. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
Strong Educational Component
 CWU
- Industrial Engineering Technology Department
- Geography Department
- Education
- Faculties Management
 Ellensburg Public School District
 National Solar Tour

27. Phase I
November 2006
36 KW System
(120 ) 300 watt polycrystalline modules
Phase ll
November 2008
21 KW System
(72 ) 300 watt polycrystalline modules
Phase III
September 2009
13.5 KW System
(180) 75 watt thin film modules

30. Federal ARRA Grant
Ellensburg’s New Renewable Park

32. “the wind”
Ellensburg’s 2nd most abundant energy
resource

33. Skystream
2.4 KW

34. 2.4 KW

35. Energy Ball
2.5 KW

36. Honeywell
1.5 KW

37. 10 KW

38. 4KW

39. 5.o KW

40. Tangarie
10KW

41. Ellensburg Community Renewable
Park
2012 - 2013
 Complete Installation of the 3 remaining turbines
 Interstate & Project Signage
 New Data monitoring system/weather station
 Update Web Page