CH2M HILL and DOE's Solar America Communities Program Introduce Grid Parity Modeling Tool to Help Advance Solar Power

CH2M HILL, a global full service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm, announced completion of a first-of-its-kind modeling tool designed to promote the expansion of solar energy in the United States. The project was completed as part of the company’s ongoing support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Solar America Communities program.

This tool is intended to help communities understand how and when solar energy will become economically viable in various regions of the United States.

CH2M HILL’s PV Cost Convergence Model provides valuable information about grid parity timelines and solar incentive scenarios for 25 cities across the United States. The tool forecasts when distributed PV energy costs may become competitive with existing grid electricity – a target known as “convergence” or “grid parity.”

This information is considered vital to the expansion of solar power in the United States, since energy consumers will be more inclined to embrace solar energy when it is equivalent in cost to conventional energy sources. The model includes a dynamic graphical display feature that reveals the effects of various incentives on grid parity in specific locations.

This information provides valuable input for strategic planning activities at many levels, including educating cities and regions on the impacts of current and new solar incentive programs. CH2M HILL’s Cost Convergence Model can be accessed at www.PVcostconvergence.com . CH2M HILL was selected by DOE to provide a range of services in support of 25 Solar America Cities partnerships established in 2007 and 2008. The partnerships are now part of a broader Solar America Communities program designed to increase the use and integration of solar energy in communities across the United States. Through federal-local partnerships and nationwide outreach, DOE supports local governments’ efforts to accelerate adoption of solar energy.

CH2M HILL is working with officials in each city to create customized programs on issues including solar engineering, financial modeling, zoning code revisions, structural engineering analysis, emergency management operations using solar power, site selection for solar arrays, marketing and outreach, and installer certification and training.

CH2M HILL also developed a first-of-its-kind Web-based Solar Mapping tool that allows a city’s residents to estimate the cost to equip the roofs of their homes with solar panels, calculate how much money a home can save by using solar power, and choose from a list of local solar installers.

CH2M HILL supports all 25 Solar America Cities: Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Knoxville, TN; Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN; New Orleans, LA; New York City, NY; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, TX; San Jose, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Santa Rosa, CA; Seattle, WA; and Tucson, AZ.

Visit Solar America Communities online at www.solaramericacommunities.energy.gov .

Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy, facilities and resources. With US$6.3 billion in revenue and 23,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record and named a leader in sustainable engineering by Verdantix. The firm has been named a FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For five times. Visit us at www.ch2mhill.com, twitter.com/ch2mhill and facebook.com/ch2mhill .