Your SGIP resource
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The newly funded Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) goes live in California on May 1st, 2017. We've gathered the best resources we could find on SGIP so they're all in one place for you. Let us know if we missed anything. We'll keep it as up to date as possible.
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On March 14th, CivicSolar, CALSEIA, Geli, and UtilityAPI hosted a webinar to provide a well-rounded background of SGIP and an overview of resources available to you when pursuing solar + storage opportunities.
SGIP Program highlights:
- You can start applying for SGIP funds on April 10th. Funds become available on May 1st. There are funds for commercial and residential projects. Incentives are tiered and step down over time, depending on triggers. Timing:
- It's fully expected that the first tier of funds to be allocated within a few days, if not the first day. If there are more projects than funds on the first day, then the projects are selected via a lottery in the next 10 days. The next tier will open up a minimum of 20 days after the previous tier is filled.
- No one developer can use more than 20% of the incentives.
- Analyzing a site for storage is much more complex than evaluating a site for solar. Utility bill and interval data is crucial to accurately evaluate savings and create a proposal. UtilityAPI makes it easy to get the data for analysis and Geli has a free storage analysis tool.
- Have further questions about evaluating sites for storage? The team from CivicSolar is here to walk you through the project and SGIP application. Email them your question.
- Geli has detailed information and calculators. Check them out here.
- Single line drawings are required for every SGIP project application. CivicSolar can show you how to do them or you can hire them to do them for you. Get in touch with them here.
There were many good questions asked during the webinar. Here is the full list of questions and answers.
CALSEIA has done a great job advocating for solar and storage. Membership dues are modest compared to the massive value they provide to members. Apply for CALSEIA membership here.
Additional resources
The CPUC hosted their quarterly SGIP meeting on March 10th, reviewing the program and diving deeper into step downs. Here are the detailed slides:
| sgip_2017_slides_from_cpuc_workshop__1_.pdf |
Policy background and details on SGIP, from CESA:
The SGIP: where high tech principles meet energy policy
From Sonnen:
The planned reopening of SGIP for energy storage applicants is projected to occur mid-April. Once reopened, SGIP will reserve 75% of its incentive funds for energy storage projects; 15% of that will be reserved for residential energy storage projects less than or equal to 10kW in size.
On the day the program reopens, the incentive level for residential energy storage systems will be set at 50 cent/watt-hour. As you may recall, the 2016 opening of SGIP had an overwhelmingly high demand. We expect this year to be similar in that demand will exceed the amount of available funding for incentives at that level very quickly.
Therefore we expect incentive levels to decrease shortly after SGIP reopens, likely to 40 cents/watt-hour for residential energy storage systems. If the 40 cents/watt-hour incentive level is also met with high demand and exceeds budgeted funding within 10 days, then the incentive level for residential energy storage systems will decrease further.
The SGIP: where high tech principles meet energy policy
From Sonnen:
The planned reopening of SGIP for energy storage applicants is projected to occur mid-April. Once reopened, SGIP will reserve 75% of its incentive funds for energy storage projects; 15% of that will be reserved for residential energy storage projects less than or equal to 10kW in size.
On the day the program reopens, the incentive level for residential energy storage systems will be set at 50 cent/watt-hour. As you may recall, the 2016 opening of SGIP had an overwhelmingly high demand. We expect this year to be similar in that demand will exceed the amount of available funding for incentives at that level very quickly.
Therefore we expect incentive levels to decrease shortly after SGIP reopens, likely to 40 cents/watt-hour for residential energy storage systems. If the 40 cents/watt-hour incentive level is also met with high demand and exceeds budgeted funding within 10 days, then the incentive level for residential energy storage systems will decrease further.