MCG and ICLEI Host Webinar on Solar Power Purchase Agreements on March 15th

Boston, February 2012: Businesses and residents often lack the upfront capital needed to invest in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. In such cases, businesses and residents may turn to third-party financiers to develop, own, and install solar PV and sell the electricity back to the business or homeowner. This is called a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) and in many cases, solar electricity sold under a PPA is cheaper than electricity sold by the utility.

As a result, solar PPAs are becoming increasingly more popular. In 2010, PPAs and solar leases (another similar arrangement) made up 43% of all PV installations (by capacity) in the non-residential sector and approximately 17% of capacity additions in the residential sector. With this in mind, MCG and ICLEI are moderating a webinar that examines the emerging prevalence and discusses the future of PPAs and other similar ownership structures.

During the webinar, PPA experts will discuss how retail PPAs work, how municipalities have taken advantage of the PPA model to lock-in their energy costs, and the potential for innovative PPA ownership models. Speakers draw upon in-depth experience to assess the advantages and limitations of PPAs and will summarize the conditions necessary to make retail PPAs successful the U.S. – including an assessment of legal and financing issues that local governments should consider. In addition, the webinar highlights two case studies of local governments that have used a PPA or hybrid PPA model to install solar from Morris County, NJ and Natick, MA.
   
Join us on Thursday, March 15th from 2:00-3:00 Eastern. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/857965502. Additional information is below.

Title: Saving with Solar: Understanding Retail Solar Power Purchase Agreements
Date: Thursday, March 15, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Moderators:
• Amy Heinemann, NC Solar Center/DSIRE
• Chad Laurent, Meister Consultants Group, Inc

Speakers:
• Bob Bois, Environmental Compliance Manager, Town of Natick, Massachusetts: Mr. Bois will discuss the town’s experience with installing solar on several local government buildings using retail PPA’s. He will focus in particular on obstacles encountered and how they were overcome.
• Stephen Pearlman , Inglesino, Pearlman, Wyciskala & Taylor, LLC , Morris County, New Jersey: Mr.  Pearlman will describe a new variation on the traditional retail PPA model where a local government acts as both a purchaser of power and a vehicle for accessing low-cost development capital. He will also discuss his implementation experiences with this “Bond-PPA Hybrid” model

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Questions? Please contact Farleigh Wolfe at farleigh.wolfe(at)iclei.org

Meister Consultants Group, Inc. (MCG) is a Boston-based international consulting firm that specializes in the rapidly expanding field of sustainability. By leveraging participation and dialogue tools as well as our expertise in business and governmental affairs, MCG helps clients shape strategies to adapt to changing events, markets, and policies. MCG is founded on the principle that global best practices can inform even the most localized decisions. As a collaborative partner and consultant, we connect the expertise of our international network with insights of local experts to implement robust sustainability strategies and sustainability programs