Grateful, humble, and deeply appreciative are just a few words that come to mind when thinking about the 2023 Solar Summit this past Tuesday at the Kendeda Building at Georgia Tech. The speakers all brought their A-game to put on a fantastic and informative show before an amazing turnout of ~150 clean energy professionals, advocates, and enthusiasts. 

There are too many people that helped make this one of the best Solar Summits ever, but a very special thanks goes out to a few people who without their generous contributions, the event would not have been possible. It all starts with Dr. Marilyn Brown who not only sponsored this year's event but also put together an amazing panel of researchers that centered equity as being a fundamental cornerstone of a clean energy future. 

We would be remiss not to recognize our gratuitous hosts at the Kendeda Building, but more specifically, Shan Arora, whose name may be familiar to those that have been in the clean energy space for a while. Shan made the planning, logistics and catering for the event appear effortless but we know he worked hard to make this year's event special. 

A special thanks goes out to our keynote speakers, Bill Nussey and Charles Hua, who both brought critical information and insights that provided a clear vision of the future of solar and electrification. Finally, we want to thank the GA Solar board members that worked tirelessly behind the scenes these past few months to organize the event and bring it in for a soft landing. Without the support from Co-Chairs Christopher Matos-Rogers and James Reilly, Co-Vice Chair Gustavo Arce, and board members Michael MacMiller, Polly Sadler, and Charles Herrig, this event would not have been possible. 

From all of us at GA Solar to all of those that attended, sponsored, and participated in the 2023 Solar Summit, a heartfelt thank you goes out to all of you that made this event special and helped solidify GA Solar as the premier solar education and advocacy nonprofit organization in Georgia. We promise to continue our efforts to add value to your membership and make Georgia a great place to do business for solar energy. 

 Don Moreland, Executive Director

For More Information:
Don Moreland, [email protected], c-703-475-3228

Atlanta, GA – New testimony filed by the Georgia Solar Energy Association shows that expanding a solar program managed by Georgia Power to just 3% of customers would create 2,422 new jobs and help customers reduce electricity bills by over $75 million per year through energy savings and grid-efficiency improvements.

Georgia Power’s monthly-netting pilot program which provides credits to homes and businesses for the solar energy they push back onto the grid, was capped to just 5,000 customers by the Public Service Commission in 2019. The program became over-subscribed within two-years, and added more customer-owned solar energy in Georgia than the previous 20-years combined.

The solar energy industry currently employs 5,341 Georgians. Georgia Solar Energy Association’s testimony, authored with support from Greenlink Analytics, indicates that an expansion of the pilot program to 80,000 customers will add another 1,477 jobs directly to the State’s solar industry and 945 indirect jobs. In polling released earlier this year, 80% of all Georgians supported the expansion of the monthly netting program.

As a part of Georgia Power’s rate-case filing, the company seeks to prohibit the addition of new customers into the monthly-netting program, to charge customers a new $200 fee to add solar energy systems to their homes and businesses, and to increase utility rates by 12% over the next two years. 

GA Solar is partnering with HeatSpring to provide online training discounts to the GA Solar community.

HeatSpring is an online educational platform for professionals specializing in renewable energy, green building, and technologies that address our changing climate. Since launching in 2006, HeatSpring has been on a mission to provide professionals the knowledge and real-world skills they need to continue making positive change in the world. 

HeatSpring instructors are industry experts, who are actively working in real-world jobs, developing and teaching top-notch curriculum for the HeatSpring community of knowledge seekers. 

Of HeatSpring’s 220 active courses, 141 of them are totally free. Some of those free courses are Introduction to Agrivoltaics, Solar Power 101, Solar Development on Brownfields & Landfills, Utility-Scale Solar PV and Distribution Voltage Challenges, Qualifying Commercial Solar Leads & Projects, and many more.

Dear Georgia Solar Members and Friends,

Last week’s IRP decision from the Georgia Public Service Commission was a mixed bag for the solar industry in Georgia. While we applaud the approval of 2.3 GW of new renewable capacity over the next three years, we are very disappointed in the failure of the Commission to advance an important and overwhelmingly popular policy for rooftop solar in the state. 

On Thursday, July 21, the Georgia Public Service Commission failed to advance a motion to expand the popular “monthly netting” program to 75,000 Georgia Power customers. The motion, put forth by Commissioner Echols and seconded by Commissioner McDonald, failed 3-2. 

We need your support to help Georgia Solar advocate for the expansion of Monthly Netting for all Georgia utility customers. Can you chip in $10 to support solar energy in Georgia?

Expanding this program would have allowed more Georgians to receive fair billing for the solar energy that they generate and supply to the distribution grid. It would have also given crucial support to a rapidly growing industry that employs thousands of Georgians. 

Georgians have spoken clearly, and they want more flexibility to adopt solar energy.  A recent poll found that an overwhelming majority (80%) of Georgians favor expanding the monthly netting program. 

For Immediate Release July 5, 2022

Poll: Georgians are concerned about electricity rate hikes and see solar as part of the solution. 
Eighty percent agree that the popular “monthly netting” program should be expanded. 

ATLANTA, GA — A new poll released [today] revealed Georgians are highly concerned about anticipated increases in their utility bills and see expanding local solar as part of the long-term solution. The poll also shows Georgians overwhelmingly support expanding a popular program that gives customers more credit for energy sent to the grid. This survey, providing state-wide data on how likely voters view rooftop solar, is sponsored by Georgia Solar Energy Association.

State-wide, the poll found that 74% of Georgia voters expressed concern about their personal utility bill increasing over the next year.  Almost half (45%) said they are “very concerned”. A solid majority (63%) feels that expanding local solar energy will help keep future utility costs lower in Georgia. When asked if the popular Georgia Power “monthly netting” program should be expanded, an overwhelming 80% said it should. 

What can Georgia PSC learn from Florida governor’s veto?          
  (Psst: It’s good news for green power)

ATLANTA, May 18, 2022 – As Georgia’s Public Service Commission continues hearings on the Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan, commissioners should look south for guidance on rooftop solar.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have increased exponentially the costs for installing and using rooftop solar power. Support for the veto was “overwhelming,” according to the Miami Herald. “DeSantis received 16,809 emails, letters and phone calls opposing the net metering bill. The number in support: 13,” said the article.

The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GA Solar) announced Don Moreland as new executive director of the nonprofit. GA Solar was established in 2008 and is the oldest and only non-profit based in Georgia focused solely on growing a thriving solar industry in the state.

“We are thrilled to have Don, a longtime collaborator and solar champion, at the helm of GA Solar,” said GA Solar board co-chair Jennette Gayer. “Don will help grow the rooftop solar market and our organization to new success.” 

Moreland, an attorney, and owner of Solar Crowdsource, served as the nonprofit’s chair of board of directors 2017-2018 and chair of its policy committee 2021-present. He fills the recently unoccupied position as the organization implements a plan for strategic growth to bring more value to its members and engages in important solar energy legislation before lawmakers now at the state capitol and critical proceedings at the Georgia Public Service Commission later this year. 

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve GA Solar in a new capacity during such an important year for solar energy in Georgia. GA Solar is the oldest and most well-established solar advocacy organization in Georgia and should play an important role in consumer protection legislation and provide more opportunities for every-day Georgians to participate in the new clean energy economy,” said Moreland. 

Moreland started working in the Georgia solar industry in 2011, first developing utility-scale solar projects and now owner of Solar Crowdsource, a company that has presided over 14 “Solarize” programs and facilitated over 1,000 solar installations across Georgia including Savannah, Macon, Athens, and Atlanta. A native Georgian, Moreland was born in Decatur, GA and grew up in Marietta, GA. He holds a juris doctor degree from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. 

GA Solar was deeply engaged in behind-the-meter (BTM) solar energy legislation in this year’s legislative session. There were several bills that together would significantly remove regulatory barriers, protect consumers, and increase access for Georgia residents. Unfortunately, none of these bills made it out of committee before crossover day. The various bills can be organized in three categories: (1) consumer protections, (2) monthly netting, and (3) miscellaneous as outlined below.

Although none of these will make it to the Governor’s desk, they outline a terrific agenda for next year. GA Solar will be working throughout 2022 leading up to the next legislative session to advocate for another slate of solar-friendly legislation. Click here to learn more about how you can support GA Solar and donate here.

Consumer Protections

• HB 966 by Representative Thomas of the 65^th
  • to require that retail consumers view a solar awareness presentation prior to purchasing certain solar technology
  • Provide for the PSC to develop such solar awareness presentation and to promulgate certain rules and regulations
• HB 1494 by Representative Gullet of the 19^th
  • To require certain disclosures prior to the sale or lease of distributed energy generation systems
  • To require a companies installing solar energy systems to be licensed as an electrical contractor

Outcome: HB 966 was included in HB 1494 which GA Solar supported. HB 1494 made it further than any other bill in this list passing unanimously out of the EUT committee but stalled in House Rules and did not get a vote in the full House before crossover day.

Monthly Netting

• HB 1083 by Representative Ed Setzler of the 35^th
  • To clarify “monthly netting” in the Georgia Cogeneration and Distributed Generation Act of 2001 to be monthly.
  • To require that fees imposed on solar customers meet certain criteria;
  • to expand the state-wide cumulative limit to a larger percentage of each utility's annual peak demand;
  • to provide the commission with the authority to determine the appropriate credit available once the existing credit limit is reached

Outcome:  assigned to the EUT committee, had a subcommittee hearing; stalled in subcommittee