BEF STIMULATES NEW SMALL SOLAR PROJECTS WITH PURCHASE OF SOLAR GREEN TAGS
New Program will Kick-Start Solar Throughout the Region
April 12, 2002 (Portland, Ore.) - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the Northwest Renewable Energy Cooperative (NWREC) announced a new partnership and a three year purchase commitment for Green Tags from new small solar installations throughout Oregon and Washington. As many as 30 small solar installations on homes and businesses are included in the first phase of the project.
"The Foundation is deeply committed to increasing the amount of new renewable energy in the system," said Robert Harmon, Vice President of BEF. "This collaboration with the Cooperative will help drive down the costs of installing and operating small solar systems in the Northwest while spurring new solar by committed individuals and businesses."
The agreement between BEF and NWREC calls for the Cooperative to sign agreements with the owners of new photovoltaic systems and pay the system owners 10 cents per kilowatt hour for the environmental attributes – or Green Tags – produced by the solar systems. BEF will in turn purchase the Green Tags for resale to its wholesale customers and on its web site, www.GreenTagsUSA.org.
"This commitment from BEF will allow us to bring costs down for people who are committed to solar and want to install it on their homes and businesses. As more and more people sign up to buy Green Tags from BEF, we will be able to support more systems," said Doug Boleyn, Manager of NWREC.
Green Tags represent the offset in emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that occur when renewable energy replaces traditional forms of power generation. All BEF Green Tags come from new wind and solar resources. The net revenue generated from selling Green Tags is reinvested in additional new renewable energy projects.
"Solar energy, while a wonderful renewable source of power, is still somewhat expensive when compared to wind energy or polluting fossil fuels. With Green Tags, we can support those individuals who need a little extra revenue to make their solar systems affordable," added Harmon.
Rachel Shimshak, Executive Director of the Renewable Northwest Project, called this new model "an innovative way to help reduce the cost of installing new solar systems in the Pacific Northwest."
Tom Starrs, president of Schott Applied Power, a provider of engineered solar systems, commented that this agreement "is typical of the creativity that BEF is bringing to the market for environmentally preferred power. By enabling the owners of solar electric systems to capture the additional value associated with generating clean, green, renewable electricity, BEF is making solar energy affordable for many Americans."
"This arrangement between BEF and NWREC will make a huge difference in determining when and to what degree we choose to expand our existing rooftop PV system," said Paul Horton, co-director of Climate Solutions in Olympia, Wash.
About BEF
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. Created by regional environmental groups and the Bonneville Power Administration, the Foundation operates collaboratively with but independent of both.
About Green Tags
Green Tags are certificates that represent the environmental benefits from a specific amount of electricity from a wind turbine, solar panel or other renewable energy source. When non-polluting energy displaces energy produced from burning fossil fuels, there is a corresponding savings in greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) that is captured as the Green Tag.
BEF’s Green Tags are certified by Green-e (www.green-e.org) and designated Climate Cool by the Climate Neutral Network as having a net zero impact on the climate while also displacing fossil fuel generated electricity and approximately 1,400 pounds of CO2 emissions per Green Tag (www.climateneutral.com). The new renewable energy resources that produce BEF’s Green Tags are certified by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Renewable Northwest Project and the Northwest Energy Coalition.
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