Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems for Portable Classrooms

FINAL REPORT

Prepared for:

Solar Electric Power Association

(Utility Photovoltaic Group)

TEAM-UP Program GCA9806

Prepared by:

Lakeland Electric

December 1, 2000
Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE VENTURE........................................................................................................................1

2. VENTURE TEAM DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................................................1

2.1 VENTURE TEAM AND APPROACH................................................................................................................................. 1
2.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEAM MEMBERS.................................................................................................. 2
3. PROJECT DESIGN AND PROCUREMENT..............................................................................................................2
3.1 PROJECT DESIGN AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................. 2
3.2 PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND SYSTEM DESIGN REVIEW ......................................................................................... 2
4. PV SYSTEM INSTALLATION, TESTING AND OPERATION...........................................................................3
4.1 PREDICTED SYSTEM PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................................ 3
4.2 SITE PREPARATIONS AND A SSESSMENTS.................................................................................................................... 4
4.3 TRAINING AND INSTALLATION ..................................................................................................................................... 4
4.4 SYSTEM COMMISSIONING AND A CCEPTANCE TESTS................................................................................................. 4
4.5 PV SYSTEM OPERATION AND DATA COLLECTION .................................................................................................... 4
4.6 M AINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY................................................................................................................................ 5
5. POTENTIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES...............................................................................................................5

6. VENTURE COSTS ..............................................................................................................................................................6

6.1 OVERALL COSTS AND BREAKDOWN............................................................................................................................ 6
6.2 INSTALLED SYSTEM COSTS........................................................................................................................................... 6
6.3 ELIMINATING BARRIERS AND COST REDUCTION STRATEGIES................................................................................ 7
7. SYSTEM AND CUSTOMER IMPACTS ......................................................................................................................7
7.1 IMPACT ON UTILITY SYSTEM ........................................................................................................................................ 7
7.2 IMPACT ON EMISSIONS ................................................................................................................................................... 8
8. CUSTOMER LOAD: IMPACT ON CUSTOMER SIDE..........................................................................................8

9. MARKET SURVEY/INSTRUMENTS USED AND RESULTS..............................................................................9

10. LESSONS LEARNED, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................9

11. NEXT STEPS FOR THE VENTURE TEAM.........................................................................................................10

Executive Summary

This report presents a project summary for the installation of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems on portable
classrooms in Lakeland, Florida. Headed by Lakeland Electric and supported by a number of organizations and
industry stakeholders, this project demonstrates the practicality of implementing PV systems at schools – including
most importantly the associated educational value and public benefit. This report also characterizes a number of
issues in implementing utility PV projects, including specifying and procuring equipment, and installing, operating
and maintaining the systems.

Acknowledgments

This document was prepared by Lakeland Electric with assistance from the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) for
the Solar Electric Power Association, formerly known as the Utility Photovoltaic Group (UPVG), and the United
States Department of Energy (DOE). The work was performed in support of Subcontract No. GCA9806 dated
October 12, 1998.

The TEAM-UP assembly of responsible organizations was carefully managed and crafted to contribute to the overall
success of this venture. Lakeland Electric appreciates the valuable inputs of the Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC), the Florida Solar Energy Research & Education Foundation (FLASEREF), the MAST Academy of Miami
and the Polk County, Florida Public School District.

Lakeland Electric expresses appreciation to those researchers at FSEC for providing their ongoing support and
positive contributions to this venture: Jerry Ventre for his vision and ability to assemble a winning team; Stephen
Barkaszi for the industry knowledge and starting power needed during any pioneering endeavor; and Jim Dunlop for
the tenacity and comprehensive knowledge during such a complex and lengthy project.

Acknowledgements are also due for the Polk County School Board employee who was instrumental in the everyday
guidance of the venture. Larry Helton (Facilities & Operations Administrator) showed genuine interest in this effort
and was particularly helpful in the site selection process.

Lakeland Electric appreciates also the contributions of Susan Schleith (FSEC) and Jennifer Szarro (FSEC) and
Colleen Kettles (FLASEREF) for their organizational input and industry wisdom during the academic development
chapter of this venture. The MAST Academy’s Wafa Khalil deserves the highest marks for her authorship of a
much-needed solar energy textbook.

Very special recognition goes to the twenty-five schoolteachers who attended the first-ever Solar Energy Teachers
Workshop held during January of 2000 in Lakeland, Florida. We expect great things from them.
1. Introduction to the Venture
Florida's public school overcrowding has reached crisis proportions. So much so that former Governor Lawton
Chiles called a special session in 1997 to deal with this sole issue. As one of the fastest growing states in the
country, and without an adequate tax base to support school construction initiatives, Florida's school districts have
had to improvise. Portable classrooms have become the order of the day. In one central Florida county alone,
nearly 800 portables provide needed classroom space to accommodate the school enrollment. Of the 106 schools in
the county, only 15 do not utilize portable classrooms. The result - 28 percent of the county's schoolchildren study
in portable classrooms.

Polk County, referred to above, is home to Lakeland Electric (LE), the third largest generating municipal utility in
Florida. With a reputation for progressive solar initiatives and management support, LE recognized numerous
opportunities for implementing solar electric systems at the schools. This includes positive public exposure for the
utility, and in gaining valuable first-hand experience with installing and operating these types of systems. At the
same time, LE recognized opportunities to educate students on conservation and renewable energy technologies.

In pursuit of this venture, LE developed partnerships with the Polk County School District, the Florida Solar Energy
Center (FSEC), the Florida Solar Energy Research and Education Foundation (FLASEREF) and the photovoltaics
industry. Based on experiences with prior solar electric and thermal projects, concepts were developed for
implementing photovoltaic (PV) systems on a number of the portable classrooms at schools in the LE service
territory. Co-funding for these projects was obtained from the UPVG Team-Up initiative, the Florida Energy
Office, Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Department of Energy.

There are several practical reasons why portable classrooms are an appropriate platform for photovoltaics. They
have nearly flat roofs, and are installed in open spaces, so final orientation of the PV array is of little consequence.
They are modular in nature, and factory-built to standard specifications. This makes the use of standard designs and
packaged systems attractive from a modular and cost reduction standpoint. They are frequently installed new, or
moved, on short notice, requiring close coordination between the school board and the utility. The primary
electrical load of the portable classrooms is air conditioning, which is reduced by the shading effect of the roof-
mounted PV arrays, and most importantly, the air-conditioning load has high coincidence with the output from the
PV system.

2. Venture Team Development

2.1 Venture Team and Approach

The venture team for this project consists of several key industry, government and educational institutions.
Lakeland Electric, the third largest municipal utility in Florida, was the host utility and responsible for project
management. Other venture team members include the Florida Solar Energy Center, Siemens Solar Industries,
Advanced Energy Systems, Trace Engineering, the Florida Solar Energy Research and Education Foundation
(FLASEREF), the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FLASIEA), and the Public School Board of Polk
County, Florida. Indirectly, these and other Lakeland PV projects have also been supported by Sandia National
Laboratories, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Florida Energy Office/Department of Community Affairs.

In part, the development of the venture team for this project was based on feasibility studies conducted by the
Florida Solar Energy Center that identified the most attractive scenarios for photovoltaic system owners and/or end-
users. Nine prospective end-user groups were analyzed for market potential and ranked as high, medium or low.
Two of the three groups with high market potential (according to these feasibility studies) were municipal utilities
and government building owners - two groups that are an integral part of this project.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 1

2.2 Roles and Responsibilities of Team Members

Lakeland Electric is responsible for overall project management, including procurements, installations, labor and
operations. Technical assistance was provided by the Florida Solar Energy Center during all phases of this project,
primarily with funding support from Sandia National Laboratories and the Florida Energy Office. These efforts
included defining the design and technical requirements for the equipment, developing and conducting training
programs for installers, performing acceptance tests, and monitoring the performance and reliability of the systems.

Representatives from the system and equipment suppliers (Siemens Solar, Advanced Energy, and Trace
Engineering) were also key players in the venture. Each made several site visits to Lakeland to inspect the systems
and equipment during critical phases of the project, and were instrumental in developing and improving the quality
of the system packages and hardware.

At the onset of the project, a simple written agreement between Lakeland Electric and the Polk County School
Board was negotiated for the proposed PV installations. Facilitating this was the well-established customer
relationship between the two parties that has existed for many years. Because Lakeland Electric is responsible for
the PV systems and burdened all costs associated with the installations, the school board was a willing participant.
The Polk County School Board arranged for the site availability and staff cooperation necessary to accommodate the
system installations. School board technicians and electricians also familiarized themselves with the theory and
operation of the PV systems as they were commissioned, in the event special maintenance or emergency situations
should arise.

A highlight of the venture was the development of a solar energy curriculum package by FSEC, FLASEREF, and
The Mast Academy of Miami, Florida. Members of the venture team also conducted a workshop, directed toward
Polk County teachers in January 2000. This workshop included training, materials and demonstrations of numerous
solar energy devices suitable for use in science education programs. A high school level textbook, Electricity from
the Sun, was developed and widely distributed to teachers attending the workshop and others.

3. Project Design and Procurement

3.1 Project Design and Technical Specifications

Requirements for the PV systems and equipment were based on a standard technical specification for small grid-
connected PV systems developed by FSEC. These specifications cover industry-accepted requirements for PV
systems and hardware, including listing of modules and inverters, code-compliant designs, and component and
system warranties. These specifications have also been used by a number of other Florida utilities in procuring PV
systems and equipment, and are included in the appendix of this report. As with most projects, the total amount of
PV purchased was based on available funds, and each individual system size was based on the available roof area on
the portable classrooms.

3.2 Procurement Process and System Design Review

Based on the resources available for this project, seventeen grid-connected PV system packages were purchased by
Lakeland Electric for installation on the portable classrooms. Major components for each system include the PV
array, support structure for mounting the array on rooftops, a dc-ac power conditioning equipment suitable for
interconnecting the PV system output with the utility grid, and balance-of-system hardware such as wiring, conduit
and meters.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 2

As a major partner in the project proposal, Siemens Solar provided the PV equipment for this project at competitive
market prices. Coincidentally, the procurement of the Lakeland PV systems occurred during the initial release of the
EarthSafe line of packaged grid-connected PV systems by Siemens. These timely events allowed Lakeland
Electric, FSEC and other partners to work closely with Siemens in developing and improving the EarthSafe
packages, and by gaining experience with the hardware and training prospective installers during the implementation
of this project. By the conclusion of this project, the Siemens EarthSafe packages were formally approved through a
technical design review process, and are eligible for PV system buy-down funds under the Florida Photovoltaic
Buildings Program. Complete specifications for the Siemens EarthSafe packages and other approved grid-
connected PV systems are available from FSEC’s web site at: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/pvt/pvbldg/approvals.htm.
Excerpts from this site and the specifications for the EarthSafe 10-6 model systems used for the Lakeland schools
are included in the appendix of this report.

4. PV System Installation, Testing and Operation

• Predicted System Performance
• Site Preparation and System Installation
• PV System Acceptance Testing
• Initial System Performance: Actual vs Specified
• Longer Term Operations
• Certification of final System Performance and Project Output
• Maintenance and Reliability History
• Equipment Warranties
• Problems Encountered
• Lessons Learned

Considerable experience and information was gained throughout this project in the areas of system installation,
testing and operation. These efforts included the development of a training and certification program targeted
toward utility personnel, electrical and solar contractors and others involved in PV installations. These training
programs covered all aspects of system design, installation and operation, and included typical procedures for site
assessments, acceptance testing and system inspections. Other efforts in this project included significant amount of
data collection on the performance and reliability of the systems and components. Lakeland Electric and its partners
have also worked closely with industry in the beta testing of new designs and products during this project, which
have aided in the development and improvement of these products.

4.1 Predicted System Performance

Initial system performance predictions for these systems were based on ratings or testing of equipment, and site
specific meteorological conditions. As part of this and other Florida funded projects, independent PV module
performance test results are required. Current-voltage measurements on randomly selected Siemens SP75 modules
in FSEC’s flash simulator showed module peak power performance within five percent of the manufacturer’s rated
value, and approximately five percent above the manufacturers guaranteed performance. Based on the sum of
manufacturer’s module STC ratings, the overall array size for each system is 1800 Wdc. Factoring in actual
operating conditions such as temperature, mismatch and line losses, and inverter maximum power tracking and
power conversion efficiencies, the actual ac output of the system is generally expected to be 65 to 75 percent of the
STC value under typical Florida conditions. These factors result in an expected ac output for these systems to be on
the order of 1170 to 1350 Wac. In terms of average daily energy performance, the historical insolation data for
nearby Tampa, Florida indicates an annual average daily insolation of between 4.9 and 5.3 peak sun hours for
horizontal to south-facing latitude tilt surfaces. Since the orientation and roof slope of the portable classrooms fall
somewhere in this range, we use a value of 5 peak sun hours. Based on a peak power output estimate of 1200 Wac,

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 3

we estimate the average daily energy output for each system to be on the order of 7 kWh per day, or about 120
kWh/day for all seventeen systems.

4.2 Site Preparations and Assessments

After kick-off meetings with school board officials, Lakeland Electric personnel conducted surveys of area schools
utilizing portable classrooms. Several acceptable sites were identified for PV installations and six sites were
selected to host two or more system installations. Criteria for acceptable classrooms included a structurally sound
roof and unobstructed area for installing the array, reasonable access to the point of utility interconnection, and
consent from the school official, usually the principal. Minimal site preparations were required, although in some
cases overhead cabling owned by the utility or schools had to be relocated from in front of proposed PV array
locations. Knowledge of the roof truss spacing was also helpful in identifying the specific hardware needed for
mounting the PV arrays. An example of site survey and assessment for developed under the Florida Photovoltaic
Buildings Program is included in the appendix for reference.

4.3 Training and Installation

As an integral part of this project, a training program was developed and conducted specifically for those involved
with the project installations. Based on an extensive task analysis developed through interviews with subject matter
experts, the training program was developed by the Florida Solar Energy Center in cooperation with a number of
individuals and organizations in government and industry. Three separate weeklong training programs were
conducted for Lakeland Electric staff and outside contractors as part of this project, each involving the actual hands-
on installation of pilot PV systems on the portable classrooms. A detailed description of the training program,
including the objectives, agenda, and instructors is included in the appendix.

As a result of this training, two electrical journeymen individuals who were under contract to maintain Lakeland
Electric’s power plant were chosen to install the remainder of the systems. These individuals were skilled
electricians, and had no problems developing the skills needed to install the PV systems. After experience with a
few installations, this installation crew reduced installation time (and costs) to about one-half. By using these in-
house contacted personnel, Lakeland Electric avoided excessive contracting costs and paperwork.

4.4 System Commissioning and Acceptance Tests

After installation, FSEC staff assisted Lakeland Electric staff in conducting inspections and acceptance tests for all
installations. These tests included verifying functional requirements for the systems, as well as selected performance
measurements. In summary, most systems performed as expected, excluding those that experienced initial inverter
problems. An example of the form used for these inspections and tests is contained in the appendix.

4.5 PV System Operation and Data Collection

For each of the seventeen PV systems on portable classrooms, the PV system AC output is recorded independently
of the building loads with a conventional utility watt-hour meter. In accordance with the agreement, two of the
systems (using two types of inverters) have automated data acquisition equipment installed to record system
operating parameters on a continual basis. These data acquisition units use Campbell Scientific CR10 dataloggers,
and include independent power supplied and phone modem. Instrumentation points for each system include plane of
array solar irradiance, ambient temperature, wind speed and direction, array temperature, array dc voltage, current
and power, and ac power. System ac voltages, power factors and other power quality parameters were measured
only during acceptance testing and at other critical periods. In one instance, Lakeland Electric power quality
engineers have installed monitoring equipment on one of the PV systems to record data. The PV system monitoring
will be continued for two additional years at a minimum.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 4

The standard utility watt-hour meters used to record the PV system AC output are recorded every month and entered
in the Lakeland Electric database along with all of the other service meters. By entering the serial numbers for the
PV meters, Lakeland Electric staff can easily access PV production data, and identify problems and need for
maintenance. An example of the meter reading report for Lakeland Electric’s PV systems, along with a chart
showing the differences in energy production for the different systems are contained in the appendix. Note that this
chart shows several systems with inverter problems – easily identifiable from the meter readings.

Data from the systems with data acquisition units is automatically downloaded to FSEC’s severs and processed on a
daily basis. This procedure, and selected daily data charts are included in the appendix. These data detail the daily
energy performance, as well as all DC and AC parameters over time. In addition, near real-time data has been
collected to identify certain inverter reliability issues, and has been extremely valuable to inverter manufacturers.

4.6 Maintenance and Reliability

While there have been no problems associated with PV modules and arrays, a number of performance and reliability
issues have surfaced during the evaluation of small PV inverters in the Florida program. These issues include the
ability of units to maintain grid-connection, power conversion efficiency, effectiveness of array peak power tracking
algorithms, nuisance trips of circuit breakers, and failures of source circuit fuses. Consequently, the output for some
of the systems has been less than expected.

The ability of many small PV inverters to operate arrays at peak power has been inconsistent, and with some units
array peak power utilization is 10 to 20 percent below optimal. Measurements show that these inverters are
operating arrays at voltages considerably higher than the actual maximum power voltage. Further exacerbating this
situation is that the array power vs. voltage characteristic drops off sharply at voltages higher than at maximum
power. A similar variation below the maximum power voltage would have much less effect on reducing array
power output. Other observations suggest inverters are also having problems maintaining peak power tracking
under changing irradiance conditions, and when transitioning through certain power levels.

5. Potential Market Opportunities

Public schools in Florida present an attractive yet largely untapped market opportunity for grid-connected PV
systems. There are several supporting reasons for this. For one, Florida schools represent a large daytime electrical
load, generally coincident with high air-conditioning loads and high solar irradiance. Schools also usually have
large, unshaded, and unutilized rooftop area, well suited for installation of PV arrays. School boards also have
electricians and other staff that can help to operate and maintain these systems. Perhaps more important are the
educational aspects and general public good associated with installing PV systems on schools.

At the onset of this project, there was very little market penetration of PV in the educational facilities sector in
Florida. In part, this can be attributed to the severe economic evaluation, which is performed in connection with
educational facilities construction. Florida law, since 1980, has required a life cycle cost analysis of various energy
efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy measures before construction of an educational facility may
commence. These analyses have followed traditional thinking and generally require minimal "pay-back" periods
before these measures are included. To date, the only solar technology that has had a major impact in the
educational facilities market is solar pool heating.

With the increasing number of subsidies, buy-down funds and technical support available for PV projects, other
Florida utilities have also targeted schools and other public facilities for PV applications. In Jacksonville, Florida’s
largest municipal utility, JEA, recently completed the installation of 20 PV systems at area high schools. The
Orlando Utilities Commission and Utilities Commission of New Smyrna Beach have also installed PV systems at
schools in their service territories.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 5

Due to the tax-based assessments used to support public schools in Florida, the prospects for increasing school
budgets for the purchase of PV systems is not likely. However, there are a number of other options to support these
public projects. Many utilities are finding it worthwhile to invest marketing and research funds in this area.
Subsidies, buy-down funds and other measures to support schools investments in PV technology are critical to
sustain this market for he foreseeable future.

6. Venture Costs

6.1 Overall Costs and Breakdown

Including the venture team and outside funding from the UPVG Team-Up initiative, the total resources expended for
this project was approximately $500,000. Cost goals and projections were generally met. Total hardware costs for
the PV equipment and installation for all 17 of the portable classroom systems were approximately $213,000. This
number includes PV modules, inverters, balance-of-system equipment (support structures, conduit and wiring, etc.)
and installation labor. Costs for follow-up maintenance and data acquisition equipment are not included in this total.
Administrative and technical support for these projects provided by Lakeland Electric and the venture team has
totaled approximately $200,000, including staff salaries, travel, training, and associated expenses. This number also
includes approximately $80,000 in-kind support from the Florida Solar Energy Center. Grant monies received to
date from UPVG are approximately $105,000, and are based on $1.75 per peak AC output of the systems. Since the
PV systems implemented under this project are owned and operated by Lakeland Electric, there were no customer
charges for the PV systems or services. Communications costs and marketing were not a significant part of this
effort, other than small subcontracts for the efforts with the schools.

6.2 Installed System Costs

As part of value assessments, the installed system costs for these projects were carefully documented. While the
installed costs for earlier residential PV applications at Lakeland Electric ranged from $10 to $12/Wp, cost
reductions by nearly 50 percent were achieved for the subsequent school projects. Total installed costs for the
portable school systems were $6.42/Wp, including inverter and module costs of $5.56/Wp (87 percent); BOS costs,
including wiring conduit, metering and array supports of $0.33/Wp (5 percent); and labor costs (4 man-days for
experienced installers) at $0.53/Wp (8 percent). Due to frequent inverter reliability problems, first year annual
operation and maintenance costs ranged from $0.05 to $0.20 per kWh - in most cases greater than the value of
energy produced (or offset). This area presents perhaps the greatest opportunity for near-term cost reductions. The
figure below diagrams the breakdown of installed PV system costs.

Modules and
Inverters
87%

Labor BOS
8% 5%

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 6

6.3 Eliminating Barriers and Cost Reduction Strategies

As an integral part of this venture, a number of barriers and cost reduction strategies were addressed. First of all,
this venture is highly subsidized by multiple sources, reducing the high first costs and life cycle costs burdened by
the utility. Without these financial subsidies and technical support, it is not likely that this project would have
materialized. Furthermore, with Lakeland Electric taking the responsible role for the project, many issues such as
permitting, zoning, installation, interconnection, installation and operations were all handled directly by the utility or
part of the municipal/city infrastructure of which Lakeland Electric is a part. The involvement of the Polk County
School board also helped to reduce venture costs by use of existing portable classrooms and through the agreement
between the utility and school board. Since Lakeland Electric owns and operates the systems, no specific end-user
agreements were required, and no customer billing statements were needed. However, Lakeland Electric does
implement billing provisions on monthly statements for customers using utility-owned solar domestic water heating
systems.

Technical support provided by FSEC also helped to reduce direct costs to Lakeland Electric. This assistance
improved the overall quality of the project through all phases, including the design specification, training,
installation, and monitoring for the systems. And the continued follow-up and monitoring of performance and
reliability issues has important consequences for product development and certification efforts.

Bulk purchasing of the PV system hardware was also employed to reduce costs. Although the procurement for this
project was not competitively bid, prices for PV system hardware was generally lower than for purchases of single
systems. Since the inception of this project, there have been major industry advances in packaging grid-connected
PV systems, which has driven costs for similar size procurements up to 30 percent lower than prices for this project.

7. System and Customer Impacts

7.1 Impact on Utility System

Due to the relatively small amount of distributed PV generation on its grid (less than 30 kWac), the impact of these
systems on the electrical network has not been of great concern to Lakeland Electric. However, if the PV
penetration increases significantly beyond this level and if in the future customer-owned and operated systems are
permitted, Lakeland Electric distribution engineers are likely to raise concerns about safety, power quality and
reliability. This group has been updated about the current PV activities, and has installed power quality monitoring
equipment to investigate the performance of one of the PV systems.

At present, all grid-connected PV systems in Lakeland are interconnected on the low-voltage side (customer side) of
distribution transformers. In the extreme case at Jenkins High School, five individual PV generators (totaling about
6 kWac, peak output) are connected to a single 50 kVA distribution transformer. At other sites, only one, two or
three PV systems are connected to a common distribution transformer. In short, the PV capacity on any one
transformer ranges from only a couple percent to about twelve percent of the transformer rating. Again, this low
level of PV capacity per distribution transformer is of little consequence to Lakeland Electric. However, these
issues will continue to be investigated by Lakeland Electric.

In terms of the daily peak and energy loads, the output of the PV systems has a high level of coincidence with the
daytime electrical loads for the portable classrooms. However, as with most Florida utilities, overall system peak
loads are predominately driven by residential customers, and generally results in a summertime peak load occurring
in the late afternoon and early evening. In cases where west-facing PV arrays are deployed, the peak output can be
shifted two to three hours after solar noon. However, while this somewhat improves the match between PV output
and system loads, it results in a slight reduction in daily PV system energy output due to the non-optimal solar

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 7

orientation. In an earlier project completed by Lakeland Electric and Florida Solar Energy Center, the combination
of PV system with a super energy-efficient residential building has demonstrated how customer-side load shifting
and management techniques can help to create a better match between PV output and the utility system loads.

7.2 Impact on Emissions

The offset of utility emissions due to the PV systems has been minimal, however estimates have been derived based
on Lakeland Electric’s generation mix. The primary emissions components for Lakeland Electric and their amounts
are NOx (5.1 lbs/MWh), COx (0.25 lbs/MWh), and SO2 (7.6 lbs/MWh). Assuming the total PV capacity on the
portable classrooms is about 20 kWac peak, annual energy production is expected to be on the order of 36 MWh.
This amounts to annual emissions reductions of about 184 lbs of NO x, 9 lbs of CO x, and 274 lbs of SO2 . Monthly
records of emissions reductions have been kept along with energy production readings. Examples of these data are
included in the appendix [*].

As a distributed resource, the current economics for PV systems makes for tough competition against conventional
utility generation at Lakeland Electric. Nevertheless, involvement in these efforts has been beneficial to Lakeland
Electric’s public image, and is worth some level of investment. However, continued and increased subsidies, and
utility and customer buy-in will be required in the near term to sustain and increase the number of applications.

8. Customer Load: Impact on Customer Side

As mentioned earlier in this report, the peak output of the PV systems has high coincidence with the daytime
electrical loads on the portable classrooms. The peak load for the portable classrooms occurs during the middle of
the day during air-conditioning season (May-October). The peak output of the PV arrays also occurs during the
middle of the day, and with the near horizontal orientation of the arrays, the peak output of the systems occurs
during the peak air-conditioning months. These factors contribute to a high percentage of the PV peak power and
energy being utilized by the portable classroom loads.

Due to the varied use profiles of the portable classrooms, and the cyclical nature of the air-conditioning load, and the
variable output of the PV systems, the effect of the PV systems on the load shape is highly variable. The demand
from typical air-conditioners used on the portable classrooms ranges between about 5 and 7 kW, which amounts to
about 5-7 times the peak ac output of the PV systems. During the milder weather and during unoccupied periods
(air-conditioning equipment in the portables is usually on hourly timers), the electrical loads on the portables may
only be a few hundred watts for lighting and computer equipment. In these instances, the PV systems more than
meet the load, and the minor amount of excess power is consumed by other loads on the same distribution system.
In terms of energy, the maximum daily consumption on the portables amounts to about 30-40 kWh per day,
depending on the classroom use and air-conditioning. Using an estimated PV system daily energy production of 7
kWh/day, this contributes 20-25 percent of the building loads.

Lakeland Electric presently owns and operates all PV systems connected to its grid, and all of the systems are
interconnected on the utility side of the customer service entrance meter. There are currently no provisions for
customer owned and operated systems, nor are there any direct impacts on customer’s net demand or energy billing.
However, monitoring of both PV system output and customer loads have shown what the effects would be if the PV
systems were to be interconnected on the customer side of the utility service entrance. In the case of the 4 kWdc PV
system on the super energy-efficient home mentioned previously in this report, the impact on the customer net load
would be significant. Data from the other Lakeland residential PV systems on conventional efficiency homes
suggests a much lower percentage effect of the customer net load.

Even in this case of utility-owned systems, the customer perception of the technology and support for what the
utility is doing remains high. Visual impact of the PV systems on the structures is good, and the array installations
are consistent with rooflines and evenly spaced along the rooftops, with all wiring protected and hidden from sight
in conduit.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 8

9. Market Survey/Instruments Used and Results
In Polk County, only 15 out of the 106 public schools do not use portable classrooms. This means that 28 percent of
that county's schoolchildren study in portable classrooms. Dade County has around 2400 portable classrooms, and
Broward County, the second fastest growing school district in the United States, has around 2100 portables.

High numbers of portable classrooms can be found in virtually every part of Florida. And the numbers continue to
grow. In short, overcrowding in schools will continue to be a major problem across the state. The challenge for
schools is in finding money to pay for new classrooms. While new permanent construction costs an average of
$80,000 per classroom, a new portable classroom costs only about $30,000 to $35,000, a relatively inexpensive way
to add seating capacity. Because of numbers such as these, the venture team feels strongly that projects such as
these could be replicated across the state (as well as the rest of the country). School board officials and others
responsible for the purchase of portable classroom are potentially major customers for the PV industry.

Although no formal marketing efforts were undertaken as part of this specific project, Lakeland Electric staff and
other venture partners actively promote this project, and seek to identify other similar opportunities.

10. Lessons Learned, Conclusions and Recommendations

In summary, Lakeland Electric’s PV experience has developed a wealth of information, identified needs and
demonstrated a number of key elements in implementing utility PV programs. These include issues associated with
the hardware and design of the systems, installation and practitioner training, and in monitoring and maintaining
systems.

There were no major barriers to implementing this project from a utility perspective. Cost reduction opportunities
have been identified through use of standard designs and bulk procurement. Installer training, technical assistance
and monitoring efforts have helped improve quality and success of the project. In terms of the equipment and
installations, a number of lessons have been learned through this project. While the performance and reliability of
modules and arrays has never been at issue, the reliability and performance of inverters must be improved. This is a
major challenge to the industry, which, if not met, is likely to limit the growth of the utility PV market.

From a near-term utility perspective, PV technology is seen as a developing resource. While there continues to be a
technical and research interest, installed PV prices will have to reach $3/Wp before Lakeland Electric can seriously
consider offering a non-subsidized PV programs to its customers. Nevertheless, Lakeland Electric will continue its
present involvement with PV systems, and to seek support for new ventures.

From the schools perspective, the PV systems are generally seen as a good thing, although the level of interest
varies. PV and schools makes good sense for a number of reasons, and similar projects have been undertaken at
other Florida utilities.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 9

11. Next Steps for the Venture Team
Current and planned activities of the venture team include a number of efforts in the areas of market development,
the regulatory process, standards and interconnection requirements, and monitoring the performance and reliability
of PV systems and equipment.

While no new PV projects are currently in the works at Lakeland Electric, staff continue to look for new
opportunities, oversee existing PV and solar thermal projects, and continue to promote solar and renewable
technologies through programs with the schools. Lakeland Electric is also active in the SunSmart program, the first
utility-based program in Florida that actually allows customers to choose what kind of electricity they want to
purchase. The SunSmart program uses partnerships with Florida’s municipal utilities and other interest groups to
offer a unified, low-cost solution to providing electricity customers with a green energy option. It gives utilities the
help they need to become familiar with new renewable energy technologies like photovoltaics (PV), and it educates
consumers about the benefits of using these technologies.

Lakeland Electric UPVG Team-Up Project – Final Report 10