A-1. Review Solar Garden Proposal CITY OF C HANHASSE N
Chanhassen is a Community for Life-Providing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor& City Council
FROM: Greg Sticha, Finance Director
DATE: August 14, 2017 ' h<1
SUBJ: Solar Garden Participation
BACKGROUND
The City of Chanhassen is currently participating in one Solar Garden(Blue Lake Facility, Oak
Leaf Energy) and has executed a second subscription agreement with US Solar for participation
in a second agreement (location under construction). The participation of those two
subscriptions brings the total eligible electrical load the city participates in at about 30%. The
locked rates the city is paying for participation in those two gardens is $0.1179 &$0.1143 per
kilowatt hour.
The city has been approached by ReneSola out of Oakland, California for participation in a third
solar garden. The proposal is similar to the other two agreements the city has executed with a
fixed rate and no escalator on the cost of the energy purchased. The rate proposed of
$0.1130/kwh would be slightly cheaper than the rate the city is currently paying at the Blue Lake
Facility($0.1143/kwh). ReneSola has offered participation of up to 1,420,000 kwh,which
would amount to approximately another 30%of the city's entire eligible electrical load. The city
could consider participation at a smaller amount than the proposed 1,420,000 M. The
estimated Net Present Value Savings on 1,420,000 kWh would be$1.35M over the next 25
years.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff is looking for direction on participating in an additional solar garden subscription
agreement with ReneSola. Ben Ransom from ReneSola will be present this evening to answer
any questions about his company's proposal. If council would like to participate, an indication
to staff about what level of participation would be needed. Staff would then have a subscription
agreement reviewed by the city attorney and it would be placed on an upcoming agenda for city
council action.
ATTACHMENTS
1. ReneSola Proposal.
f:\gregs\solar gardens\8-14 P1+9W-ims�c c WWW Ci.Chanhassen.mn.us• FX 952.227.1110
7700 MARKET BOULEVARD • PO BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN • MINNESOTA 55317
1300 Clay Street,Suite 550,Oakland,CA 94612
ReneS-,Ma
ENERGY
I
June 5,2017
To: Greg Sticha
City of Chanhassen
7700 Market Blvd
Chanhassen,MN 55317
I
From: Ben Ransom
ReneSola Energy,Inc.
673 Ashland Ave
Saint Paul,MN 55104
(651)734-5527
Ben.Ransom@ReneSola.com
Re:ReneSola Community Solar Garden Subscription Proposal I
Dear Mr.Sticha-
Thank you for the opportunity to present our Community Solar Garden(CSG) subscription offering to you.
We are pleased to outline the following subscriber price and terms:
i
• City of Chanhassen subscription: 1,420,000 kWh(-0.8 MW AC garden capacity),which is !
estimated at 30%of the City's total annual energy usage.
• Upfront cost:$0
• Maintenance cost: $0/year
• Term:25 years
• Year 1 rate paid to solar garden operator:$0.1130/kWh with a 0%escalator
• Year I bill ARR credit from Xcel:$0.12296/kWh for Xcel General Service; Small General Service
rate is higher and the actual bill credit will be determined after analyzing actual subscriber Xcel
invoices
• Current electricity rates:Not applicable,the subscriber benefit amount is independent of the current
electricity rates that the subscriber is currently paying Xcel
• Pricing and savings,assuming historical 2.6%Xcel bill credit escalator and 2%inflation rate:
Estimated
- Year I price An cumulative NPV
($/ h) (% r benefit over 25 years($)
ears $
ption 1 $0.1130 0.000% $1,873,484.50 $1,353,690
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The following graph illustrates the Xcel bill credit estimated increase at 2.8%per year compared to your
subscriber rate paid to the solar garden:
Savings Graph
$0.25
I
$0.20 !
I
$0.15
$0.10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Bill Credit Option 1
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The following table shows the estimated annual and cumulative savings of your subscription incorporating an
industry standard 0.5%annual system degradation:
Subscriber Rafe )EJstimated
CSG Rate-Bill Cost/Benefit
Year Option 1 Subscriber Load
($/kWh)
Credit($/kWh) Offset(kWh Option l($)
1 $0.1130 $0.1230 1,420,000 $14,143.20
2 $0.1130 $0.1260 1,412,900 $18,436.65
3 $0.1130 $0.1292 1,405,836 $22,817.08
4 $0.1130 $0.1325 1,398,806 $27,286.76
5 $0.1130 $0.1359 1,391,812 $31,847.99
6 $0.1130 $0.1394 1,384,853 $36,503.15
7 $0.1130 $0.1429 1,377,929 $41,254.68
8 $0.1130 $0.1466 1,371,039 $46,105.05
9 $0.1130 $0.1504 1,364,184 $51,056.84
10 $0.1130 $0.1543 1,357,363 $56,112.64
11 $0.1130 $0.1584 1,350,576 $61,275.15
12 $0.1130 $0.1625 1,343,824 $66,547.11
13 $0.1130 $0.1668 1,337,104 $71,931.32
14 $0.1130 $0.1712 1,330,419 $77,430.69
15 $0.1130 $0.1757 1,323,767 $83,048.15
16 $0.1130 $0.1804 1,317,148 $88,786.74
17 $0.1130 $0.1852 1,310,562 $94,649.56
18 $0.1130 $0.1902 1,304,009 $100,639.78
19 $0.1130 $0.1953 1,297,489 $106,760.68
20 $0.1130 $0.2005 1,291,002 $113,015.57
21 $0.1130 $0.2060 1,284,547 $119,407.90
22 $0.1130 $0.2115 1,278,124 $125,941.15
23 $0.1130 $0.2173 1,271,734 $132,618.92
24 $0.1130 $0.2232 1,265,375 $139,444.90
25 $0.1130 $0.2293 1,259,048 $146,422.85
*Note:Xcel's Applicable Retail Rate(the"ARR"Credit Rate)will change yearly to reflect Xcel Energy's
overall revenue and sales. For purposes of this Cash Flow analysis,ReneSola has assumed that the credit rate
escalates at 2.8%per year.ReneSola cannot guarantee this escalation rate and makes no representation that
actual cash flow will match estimated cash flow.
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Other Benefits
Our subscription offer provides other benefits for the City of Chanhassen:
Locality:Our 3MW McLeod County garden can fully offset the proposed 1,420,000 kWh of estimated load.
Deliverability:The above-mentioned project has Xcel SRC applications in good standing order. We have
fully executed dispute-free Interconnection Agreements and encumbrance-free Conditional Use Permits. We
are scheduled to commence construction next summer for a 2018 Commercial Operation Date(COD).
Credibility:ReneSola is a twelve-year old reputable NYSE-listed global solar company with over$1 Billion
annual revenue. We have been successfully developing and constructing solar projects around the world for
many years with 1 GW of pipeline and have a substantial amount of CSGs under development in Minnesota.
We are working with local property owners,subscribers,development services,engineering,surveyors,legal
counsels,sales,marketing,manufacturers,construction,landscapers,consultants,and other partners to benefit
the communities of Minnesota.
Transact-ability:As of today,we have sufficient capacity in our gardens to support the City of Chanhassen's
demand. As you are aware,CSG capacity,especially at these multi-MW facility rates,is in limited supply
and will reach full subscription status quickly. We have pre-approved Chanhassen as a subscriber with our
finance team to expedite the subscription process.
We have a team of local and headquarter-based employees to support your staff and will be happy to answer
any questions you may have. Thank you Greg in advance for your time in reviewing our proposal and we
look forward to your positive feedback.
Sincerely,
Ben Ransom
Business Development Manager
ReneSola
673 Ashland Ave
Saint Paul,MN 55104
(651)734-5527
Ben.Ransom@ReneSola.com
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F--
MORE . 1
ReneSola is offering subscriptions for the energy produced by our CSGs in Minnesota. The only key
requirements for eligibility are: 1)You must be an Xcel account holder,and 2)You must be in the county or
in the adjacent county to the CSG. Once you become a subscriber,you will continue to pay Xcel electricity
bills. Xcel energy will credit your electricity bill for the actual amount of energy produced by your
subscribed capacity,referred to as the CSG rate.
In accordance with the rules of the Community Solar Garden Program as established by the MN State
Legislature and Public Utilities Commission,the size of the subscription is determined as a percentage of a
garden's capacity based on three key factors: 1) maximum of 120%of a subscriber's twenty-four months'
average annual usage,2)the percentage of capacity that is available in a solar garden,up to 40%for any
subscriber, and 3)the subscription size desired by a subscriber,within the allowable limits.
For example,a 5 MW AC garden may have a nominal capacity to produce 9,100,000 kWh per year. If a
subscriber opts to subscribe to the maximum 40%of a garden,that equates to 9,100,000 x 0.4=3,640,000
kWh. 120%average usage would be 3,640,000 x 1.2=4368000 kWh. Actual kWh will vary depending on
factors such as weather conditions and will decline each year due to system degradation,but the subscription
will be for 40%of the actual solar garden output. This output determines the amount you are billed for by
ReneSola and what you are credited for on your electric bill by Xcel.
A subscriber may subscribe to multiple gardens to achieve their desired kWh target. The difference
between the rate the subscriber pays to ReneSola and the credit on the subscriber's bill is the subscription
benefit. Unless the CSG rate drops below the subscriber rate,the subscription benefit will represent savings
associated with your subscription,essentially lowering your energy costs.
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Utility Subscriber Community solar garden
Subscriber Cost=Utility Bill—Bill Credit 4 Subscription Payment
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Founded in 2005, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2008, ReneSola (NYSE: SOL)
is an international leading brand and technology provider of energy efficient products and power
solutions.Leveraging its global presence and expansive distribution and sales network,
ReneSola is well positioned to provide its highest quality green energy products and on-time
services for EPC, installers, and green energy projects around the world.
Why do we do what we do? Why do we make the effort? Because it's important. At ReneSola, we
are focused on improving everything we do. We are also continually developing new product lines
and services to provide additional value to our portfolio of green energy offerings. Our strong
portfolio of world-class products and services gives us a competitive edge in global markets.
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since 2008 subsidiaries Stock Exchange
Confidential—Do NOT Distribute 6
CORPORATE
#1 in PHOTON Labs Outdoor Field Competition
ReneSola Module Performance Ratio of 98.9%Scores First Place out of 170 modules from 100
competitors-October 2012 Report
"We congratulate ReneSola on its outstanding performance.The Company's success reflects the R&D
achievements of Chinese module manufacturers competing at the forefront of the solar industry."
-Mr.Qingke Xiang Module Test Project Manager,PHOTON
Complex and highly accurate real-life 1-year long
field test
philto il -More than 200,000 solar professionals rely on
LABORATORY
VA/A Photon Lab's test results for critical project decisions
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Tier-1 And Bankable
A C C E L 10 S Bloomberg
s O t A R NEW ENERGY FINANCE
-Accelios is a leading solar research firm with ReneSola awarded BNEF's Tier-1
independent factory audit service based in
-Ranking.Stringent listing requirements.
Germany.
-"Tier 1"and"Bankable"requires minimum 85 of 100 Products financed by major banks.
points,only 5%of the factories pass.
ReneSola awarded 91 points.
Audit included business,products,manufacturing,
marketing,after sales service,long term sustainable
business development.
-Audit included N.America production lines:cell
sorting,assembly,quality control,and testing
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PARTNER .
Partnering with leading utilities,commercial and industrial owners/developers in
the US:
Xcel Energy- AMERESco
METROPOLITAN
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U.S. Financiers Trust ReneSola
0 embank ® 91 EASTWESTBANK �� BridgeBank
FIFTH THIRD BANK
Coronal Management LLC
• •. • :•
Rabobank ~eminole Financial Services,LLC
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