1. The Joint Accounting Conference 2018
Solar Panels and Distributed Energy
“Something Ventured”
The Joint Accounting Conference 2018
May 17-18, 2018
Keith Johnson, P.E.

2. History. Strata Solar - Chapel Hill, NC
Sixth largest Solar Farm Contractor in the U.S.
In Awarded 40 MW of Renewable Generation by TVA – Renewable Standard Offer (RSO) Program
Contacted Pickwick Electric about locating Solar Farms in our service territory. Partner with LPC.
Could be positive for the County.
Started working with Strata late 2012 on bringing 40 MW of Solar to McNairy County.

3. Responsibility Strata Solar - Pickwick Electric Cooperative Design
Permits
Construct each Farm
Pickwick Electric Cooperative
Get the Generated Energy from the Farms to TVA.
Contracted to build Substation
Contracted to build dedicated circuits to each farm.

4. Dedicated 25 KV Circuit 1.18 miles
Site Layout
Mulberry Farm
Substation
157 Acres
Selmer Farm
Dedicated 25 KV Circuit 1.18 miles
Dedicated 25 KV Circuit
.82 miles
208 Acres

6. Solar Farms Each Farm 20 MW DC -16 MW AC Output 66,000 Panels
18 – 880 KVA Inverters KVA 3 phase Transformers
Fixed Panels

7. Solar Farms Both Farms combined Average 3.7 million KWH a month.
Maximum Output 31 MW.

8. Selmer Mulberry Substation
Pickwick owns and operates Substation
Two Feeder Substation / For Solar Farms Only
25KV Stepped up 161KV
Each Farm is Metered by TVA separately
All of the energy generated is purchased by TVA.

9. Important Things to Consider
Agreements
Reimbursement Agreement
Interconnection Agreement

10. Agreements with LPC Reimbursement Agreement Scope of Work (Detailed)
Payments (Progress Payments)
Milestones (Tentative Dates, Assume Delays)
Contingency/Cost Overruns (Collected in Advance)
Resolution of Disputes
Interconnection Agreement
Transporting of Generation to TVA
Operating Procedures
Inspection/Testing
Outages (Routine vs Non-Routine)
Annual Operating Costs (Billed Monthly)

11. Agreements/Costs with TVA
For larger systems, typically over 10MW , TVA requires a parallel operating agreement even if the system is interconnected to the LPCs distribution system. All costs for the associated studies and any required equipment are the responsibility of the renewable system owner. Regardless of size the system owner is also responsible for the NEPA review and any permits or other associated costs.

12. Agreements/Costs with TVA
Once the system is approved to begin generation, a time of use rate is applied to the generation. This rate generally aligns with the typical system load shape so that summer generation in the afternoon is higher than mid-morning. Spring and fall have the lower rates and weekday hours are higher than weekend hours. The Pickwick systems are part of the 2012 and RSO offering. The 2012 and 2015 time of use rates were based on the market price of power at the time, since then the market price has substantially decreased due to falling natural gas prices.

13. Other Considerations Protection & Safety
Protect Your Equipment (Inverters UL 1741, IEEE 1547)
Transient Events (Restore Farm after Trip)
Permanent Faults (Lockout Farm)
System Instability (Frequency or Voltage-Lockout Farm)
Lightning Protection (Thousands of Posts Driven in Ground)
Transfer Trip (Source Trips, get Farm Offline)
Operating Procedures (Multiple Sources, Maintenance)
Power Quality (No issues have occurred)

14. Sunny Day

15. Partly Cloudy Day

16. Cloudy Day

17. Why do This?
County Embracing Sustainability with Projects Such as Energy Efficiency, Started Recycling Program
Green Energy a Good Fit to Complement These Programs
Hope that it Would Attract Green Friendly Industries to Locate in our Service Territory

18. We Learned and Adapted 2016 – Silicon Ranch 20 MW DC (16 MW AC)
Construction Started March 2016
Similar Interconnection Agreements and Reimbursement Agreements as Used Before (With Some Changes)
Both Projects to be Interconnected to Existing Substations at 25KV (Customers Served from Same Feeders and Substations)
ISD 10 MW (June 2017) and
20 MW (October 2017)

19. 70 MW Completed 10 MW 20 MW 138 ACRES 20 MW Existing 199 ACRES

20. Selmer North I – 20 MW 20 MW DC - 10 MW AC Output
6 – 2860 KVA Inverters KVA 3 phase Transformers
Tracking System

21. Selmer North II – 10 MW 10 MW DC - 8 MW AC Output
3 – 2860 KVA Inverters KVA 3 phase Transformers
Tracking System

22. Why do This Again? Still the Same Benefits From the First Projects
Helped Reduce Distribution Losses and Transformation Losses – Direst $$$ Benefit
More Stable Voltage Profile on Affected Feeders
It didn’t Cost the Cooperative or Members Anything
Equipment and Line Upgrades, Full Ownership

23. What We Did Different After First Project
Change Agreement to get a Fixed Monthly Maintenance Amount instead of Complicated Billing Each Month
Currently working on Potentially two Additional Solar Farms

24. Questions? Keith Johnson, P.E. Pickwick Electric Cooperative
P.O. Box 49
Selmer, TN 38375