Project Name: Enhanced Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Deployment via Barrier Mitigation or Removal in the Western Interconnection
Funding Opportunity: Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 2 – State Energy Strategies (SEEDS2-SES)
SunShot Subprogram: Soft Costs
Location: Denver, CO
SunShot Award Amount: $2,020,000
Awardee Cost Share: $505,000

This project with the Western Interstate Energy Board, an organization of 11 western states that provides the instruments and framework for cooperative state efforts on energy, focuses on removing or reducing the impact of barriers to distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment in the Western Interconnection. If successful, the project will result in greater deployment of distributed solar PV in the Western Interconnection than is currently predicted.

APPROACH

The project team will conduct analysis to mitigate or remove the following barriers: lengthy timelines for solar interconnection, concerns with net energy metering, and potential reliability concerns associated with distributed solar PV generation. In addition, the team will publish the findings from the analysis and scenario planning of technical assistance providers.

INNOVATION

This project will make it easier for people in the Western part of the U.S. to go solar by removing barriers through extensive stakeholder engagement in goal setting and strategy development. The strategies developed will result in distributed solar PV deployment in the Western U.S. meeting or exceeding projected deployment of 16.1 gigawatt of installed capacity in 10 years. Three quarters of that capacity is projected to be deployed in California and the remaining quarter in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.