Jul 24 2008

SEPA's Top Ten

Posted by: Katie Romans

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) today announced its first annual "Top Ten Solar Electric Utilities" in the US. (Drum roll, please...)

You guessed it. PG&E received top rankings in the following categories:

• #1 for Solar Electric Capacity on the Customer Side of the Meter (MW) -- All Utilities and Investor-Owned Utilities
• #1 for Solar Electric Capacity per Customer on the Customer Side of the Meter (MW/customer) -- All Utilities and Investor-Owned Utilities
• #2 for Total Solar Electric Capacity (MW) -- All Utilities and Investor-Owned Utilities
• #3 for Total Solar Electric Capacity per customer (MW/customer) -- All Utilities and Investor-Owned Utilities

What do these categories all mean?

According to SEPA, the "customer side of the meter" refers to solar electric systems that are configured to first offset onsite consumption at retail rates, with any remaining excess exported to the distribution grid.

Conversely, the "utility side of the meter" refers to systems located on the utility side of the meter on either the distribution or transmission system, where utilities are the end purchasers of the solar electricity. Southern California Edison leads the pack in this category.

Not surprisingly, California utilities swept the race as early solar adopters. However, as CNET's Elsa Wenzel reports, others in the west, mid-west and mid-Atlantic regions are making their presence known.

Today, the Top Ten. Tomorrow, the Top Twenty.

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