The Energy Credit Card brings many benefits to utilities including energy efficiency improvements.

Benefits to the Utilities

Optimum Location for PV systems

Under the current incentives such as the zero net metering or third party ownership, PV systems are installed regardless of the need or the condition of the local distribution transmission lines. With the solar PV systems installed at electric utilities' expense, the electric utilities choose where to emphasize installations based on the need for local renewable distributed generation, and then negotiate with those building owners.

Marketing Education and Outreach
Current customer behavior with respect to energy consumption is a major concern of the electric utilities. Electric utilities realize the importance of energy efficiency and the need to find an effective marketing strategy to persuade their customers to reduce their consumption. Current business models will reduce or eliminate the customers' load, but neither model teaches the customers to reduce their load. There are existing utility programs that assist customers to reduce their consumption, but they involve rebates and the usual complexities.

Ø The Energy Credit Card business model will help funnel monies paid by the
        electric utilities to their customers for them to improve the energy efficiency of
        their buildings.
Ø Customers are still paying for all their energy consumption even though there is
        a solar PV system on their roof. This monthly expense will encourage better
        behavior.
 Ø Monies on the energy credit card will help pay for other energy related goods
       and services like natural gas and transportation fuels.
 Ø Local retailers will give instant discounts to those purchasing energy related
       goods and services giving an additional savings.

The Energy Credit Card brings many benefits to utilities including;

With the Brobeck Solar Energy Credit Card payment system electric utilities own the PV systems. All the energy produced by the solar PV system on the customer's roof is fed directly on to the grid. Thus, electric utilities will continue to supply the building owners with electricity and the customer will continue to purchase electricity from the electric utility.

The two solar PV business models most widely used throughout the U.S. is net metering and third party ownership. In either case, the utility loses an electric customer when the building owner activates the solar PV System to the electric grid. For instance, in California, for every 1 MW of solar PV installed under the net metering program, the electric utility may lose up to $15,000,000 in electricity revenues over the next 35 years.

With the Brobeck Solar Energy Credit Card, the electric utility will see a $17,000,000 positive shift in revenues during the life of the solar PV system (35 years)

Meeting RPS mandates

While renewable portfolio standards have promoted solar PV installations, states like California are lagging behind current requirements. At the same time, there are proposals on the table to increase these mandates, putting utilities even further behind. Several risk factors, in California for example, have been identified that inhibit solar PV systems from being installed to meet the renewable portfolio standards. They include transmission, financing, developers' inexperience and site control. The Energy Credit Card will allow the utilities to overcome many of these risks and regain their pace to fulfill today's and even the next generation renewable portfolio standards. With the local utility managing these projects many of these risk factors can be reduced.

Ø Transmission: The electric utility owned solar PV system will be connected to the
        utility side of the meter giving support to the local transmission and distribution
        power lines.
 Ø Financing: The local electric utility will have access to funds through low cost
        bonds and they will also be able to take the investment tax credit.
Ø Site Control: The electric utility will have to deal only with the building owner.
        Permits will be handled in the usual manner by the installer sub-contracted by
        the electric utility.

This page last modified on Friday, November 27, 2009

†Retention of Electric Customers
†Meeting RPS mandates
†Solar PV System Location Optimization
†Outreach Programs
†Present to Cities/Communities a real alternative to Community Choice Aggregation (CCA's)
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