DISHONEST GRANT APPLICATIONS?
My history goes back to the Nelson Community Solar Garden a completely misrepresented deceptive political stunt.
It was presented as fully funded and voluntary, this didn't happen.
The public information was misrepresented, deceptive and changeable to suit the needs of the day, or public media item.
My issue is paying for something of no value, So many costs are shown in the public information from $186,000 to $338,000, my estimate real cost was over $400,000.
In a $60,000 grant request the city states the project will reduce GHG's, false. Nothing is cleaner or greener than water power.
The grant shows a buy in forecast for participants as being from $2000 to $4000. Their annual energy earned forecast exceeds years of known data by about 25%. The city set the buy in at $923 per panel contract before final costs were known and this was never adjusted. Costs doubled. The grant application states, any unforseen costs may affect the final cost to the customer.
The project does adds to city GHG's, its not fully funded and all Nelson hydro customers are paying full retail for this while losing the income otherwise earned from cleaner greener water power.
Its time to stop these phony solar grant applications. We are all in it together. Until engineers stop lending their signatures to legitimize grants and educators begin to teach the real value of solar in BC the public money will continue to be wasted on solar projects in BC.
The Balfour Community Hall solar system will cost $5,448.00yr for 25 years to make power
valued at $28/yr. See calculations at bottom.
The political feelgood agenda subsidizing solar projects at full retail are over. Its not up to the single mom or other low incomers struggling to pay rent and feed their families to subsidize these green washing projects.
Fortis, a business whose management answers to shareholders only pay wholesale for any excess solar power from anyone. Also one cannot install a system larger than to meet their needs.
BC Hydro, politically driven no longer pays premium for any solar. They now follow Fortis's lead.
Nelson has not caught up to reality, they pay full retail for their phony solar garden power and anyone else's solar power even though their bylaw says they won't buy any power unless it makes economic sense. A subsidy from all Nelson hydro customers for fantasy solar that has no value here.
I believe I stopped one $60,000 CBT solar grant application. you can read about it below.
First a brief educational piece
What could be more absurd than the only city with its own clean green hydro power plant making huge profits to put solar panels at the dam while sending water and profits down the river! Plus increase the cities carbon footprint, nothing is cleaner or greener than our water power.
Almost all annual solar power is made when we can't even use all the water!
Blue is water flowing through generators making power
Orange is water spilling from spring runoff till fall, the time 80% of annual solar power is earned.
Why is public grant money being used to put solar systems on public buildings whose only benefit is a small reduction in that buildings electric bill at huge cost to everyone else. The Balfour community hall system I estimate annual costs at $5448 for solar valued at $28. (wholesale cost to produce that same power with our water power). In fact not even $28. We all lose the income that water power would have made to help reduce all our electric bills.
A local highway sign, showing local dams making power for a million homes, the solar garden in winter might make power for one home, $400,000.
Nelson dam in winter when Nelson buys most excess power from Fortis and solar doesn't work and every solar system installed with public money is cashing in their summer solar credits at full retail.
Nelson community solar garden in winter . From October through March it makes enough power for little more than ONE average house. $400,000.
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THREE BALFOUR PUBLIC BUILDINGS HAVE SOLAR SYSTEMS FROM GRANT MONEY
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The Balfour Golf Club house was one.
The RDCK engaged the Pembina Institute for their project.
CBT Grant eligibility requires
1 The project must demonstrate a positive return on investment
2 Have a significant community impact
Not Eligible if
1 Have a narrowly defined benefit
2 Are primarily focused on or associated with a single sport
BALFOUR GOLF CLUB HOUSE SOLAR SYSTEM
Solar Panels face East and West, solar panels make most power facing SOUTH
Nelson hydro's bylaw limits systems to 25 kW, the golf clubhouse have 40 kW?
The losing bidder showed 24.8kW for the golf clubhouse, their bid statement
"in order to meet the Nelson hydro bylaw maximum of 25kW installed"
Why does the on line public data suggest only 24.8kW is installed?
Almost all annual solar power is made when we can't even use all the water!
Orange is water spilling from spring runoff till fall, the time 80% of annual solar power is earned.
Why is public grant money being used to put solar systems on public buildings whose only benefit is a small reduction in that buildings electric bill at huge cost to everyone else. The Balfour community hall system I estimate annual costs at $5448 for solar valued at $28. (wholesale cost to produce that same power with our water power). In fact not even $28. We all lose the income that water power would have made to help reduce all our electric bills.
 |
| Nelson dam overflowing from spring till fall while the community solar garden out of sight on the right makes power we don't need but spent over $400,000. Nelson hydro customers subsidize this feel good worthless solar paying full retail so that money can be distributed to those who opted in for a 25 year contract for the power of a solar panel thinking they were saving the planet. |
Nelson dam in winter when Nelson buys most excess power from Fortis and solar doesn't work and every solar system installed with public money is cashing in their summer solar credits at full retail.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
THREE BALFOUR PUBLIC BUILDINGS HAVE SOLAR SYSTEMS FROM GRANT MONEY
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Balfour Golf Club house was one.
The RDCK engaged the Pembina Institute for their project.
CBT Grant eligibility requires
1 The project must demonstrate a positive return on investment
2 Have a significant community impact
Not Eligible if
1 Have a narrowly defined benefit
2 Are primarily focused on or associated with a single sport
BALFOUR GOLF CLUB HOUSE SOLAR SYSTEM
Solar Panels face East and West, solar panels make most power facing SOUTH
Nelson hydro's bylaw limits systems to 25 kW, the golf clubhouse have 40 kW?
The losing bidder showed 24.8kW for the golf clubhouse, their bid statement
"in order to meet the Nelson hydro bylaw maximum of 25kW installed"
Why does the on line public data suggest only 24.8kW is installed?
UPDATE May 2021, I finally got this on line deception changed to show what is actually installed, over 40kW of solar. Now any one using this data isn't fooled, this is the worst local system instead of the best.
The Community Hall continues the deception showing about 2/3 of what is actually installed. How do I get this changed? Everyone knows, I have told everyone over and over its deceptive.
From an RDCK agenda we have the following:
One of the main stipulations is that projects cannot exceed 25 kW single-phase
Why does the Golf Clubhouse have 40 kW installed? The hydro manager answer, because they have two meters. I don't want this man managing my electric utility!
From the RDCK Documents the following statement regarding solar
Warren Buffet calls IRR bull@#$% bookkeeping.
Buffett: I’ve been on 19 boards and seen a zillion presentations projecting a certain IRR [internal rate of return]. If the boards had burned them all, they’d have been better off. The IRR is based on what the CEO wants. The numbers are made up.
Roof mounted solar panels require many roof mount penetrations, too risky to install on a metal roof.
The perfectly good Community Hall roof was replaced for $18,700
After the Alberta bidders visit one finds the following in the RDCK meeting minutes
Balfour Recreation Commission for the Solar PV Systems Project be amended to include an additional $18,700
Below the new $18,700 roof more amenable to mounting solar panels without risk of roof leaks
The roof faces West, solar panels make the most power facing south.
The National Fire Code requires one meter set back around the perimeter and a channel up the centre for fire fighting reasons.
One can find the community hall data here . Nelson hydro has sold power to BC Hydro.
All 2019 Community Hall solar power made if sold to BC Hydro would earn less than $100.
Below On Line info is DECEPTIVE
The on line public data is deceptive, anyone using this for their project calculations will be fooled into thinking the systems make more power than they actually do. Why haven't they corrected this on line data I have brought it up more than once.
One RDCK estimate shows the Alberta bidder installing for $2.68/watt.
Travelling from Edmonton Alberta to install at this price? Not believable.
The Nelson community solar garden was almost $7/watt installed.
Kimberley SunMine almost $7/watt.
The Kelowna project estimated $4/watt. It was never built the BCUC
denied it because it was of no benefit to anyone and questionable whether any GHG's were saved.
Penticton was honest, their solar study said it would have to be subsidized over 50%.
The available public RDCK info regarding the solar projects and costs doesn't match
what has been installed.
Its reasonable and possibly optimistic to think they installed for $4/watt but lets use that.
3 systems total of 67 kW of solar installed at $4/watt + $18,700 roof totals $286,700.
25 year payback annual payments over $17,000/yr.
Total annual Balfour solar power from all three systems would be made by Nelson hydro for less than $500/yr and sold for a 1400% profit!
Its actually worse.
Since 80% of that annual solar power is earned when excess water is spilling over the dams, (see graph above in orange) one might attribute 20% of annual solar power to any value to society.
That works out to less than $100 solar value for $17,000 spent.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember the $60,000 in CBT grant money I believe I stopped. Nelson applied for a $60,000 CBT grant for their solar garden but never received it. I like to think it was because I was in touch with the CBT about that grant and their project. Why is CBT still giving out grant money for solar projects?
The Posterchild of absurdity and public waste for solar
the Nelson Community Solar garden click here
More dishonest grant applications click here
As long as we have engineers willing to step on their professional ethics and sign their names to grants, and educators promoting solar this waste of public money won't end.
The Community Hall continues the deception showing about 2/3 of what is actually installed. How do I get this changed? Everyone knows, I have told everyone over and over its deceptive.
From an RDCK agenda we have the following:
One of the main stipulations is that projects cannot exceed 25 kW single-phase
Why does the Golf Clubhouse have 40 kW installed? The hydro manager answer, because they have two meters. I don't want this man managing my electric utility!
From the RDCK Documents the following statement regarding solar
the systems must be economical to
ensure public dollars are being spent prudently.
Below from RDCK's own comments:
Below from RDCK's own comments:
Each company provided an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) calculation, but the details of how
each company performed the calculation is unknown. It is suspected the calculations are not
similar and may or may not include levelized operation and maintenance costs. This would be like buying a delivery truck for $100,000, gross earnings $10,000/yr and calling it a 10% return without including insurance, fuel, drivers wages, wear and tear, tires, all costs etc. .....Nonsense.
The salespeople came up with positive economic returns of +.5% and -.4%? This is eligible? Golf is a single sport golf, a single sport was ineligible for a grant!
Calculations used the IRR method of bookkeeping and they exaggerated annual solar power beyond what years of local data prove. Also, that Nelson hydro would pay full retail for any excess solar power even though their bylaw says they won't buy any power unless it makes economic sense.The salespeople came up with positive economic returns of +.5% and -.4%? This is eligible? Golf is a single sport golf, a single sport was ineligible for a grant!
Warren Buffet calls IRR bull@#$% bookkeeping.
Buffett: I’ve been on 19 boards and seen a zillion presentations projecting a certain IRR [internal rate of return]. If the boards had burned them all, they’d have been better off. The IRR is based on what the CEO wants. The numbers are made up.
Roof mounted solar panels require many roof mount penetrations, too risky to install on a metal roof.
The perfectly good Community Hall roof was replaced for $18,700
After the Alberta bidders visit one finds the following in the RDCK meeting minutes
Balfour Recreation Commission for the Solar PV Systems Project be amended to include an additional $18,700
Below the new $18,700 roof more amenable to mounting solar panels without risk of roof leaks
The roof faces West, solar panels make the most power facing south.
The National Fire Code requires one meter set back around the perimeter and a channel up the centre for fire fighting reasons.
One can find the community hall data here . Nelson hydro has sold power to BC Hydro.
All 2019 Community Hall solar power made if sold to BC Hydro would earn less than $100.
Below On Line info is DECEPTIVE
The on line public data is deceptive, anyone using this for their project calculations will be fooled into thinking the systems make more power than they actually do. Why haven't they corrected this on line data I have brought it up more than once.
One RDCK estimate shows the Alberta bidder installing for $2.68/watt.
Travelling from Edmonton Alberta to install at this price? Not believable.
The Nelson community solar garden was almost $7/watt installed.
Kimberley SunMine almost $7/watt.
The Kelowna project estimated $4/watt. It was never built the BCUC
denied it because it was of no benefit to anyone and questionable whether any GHG's were saved.
Penticton was honest, their solar study said it would have to be subsidized over 50%.
The available public RDCK info regarding the solar projects and costs doesn't match
what has been installed.
Its reasonable and possibly optimistic to think they installed for $4/watt but lets use that.
3 systems total of 67 kW of solar installed at $4/watt + $18,700 roof totals $286,700.
25 year payback annual payments over $17,000/yr.
Total annual Balfour solar power from all three systems would be made by Nelson hydro for less than $500/yr and sold for a 1400% profit!
Its actually worse.
Since 80% of that annual solar power is earned when excess water is spilling over the dams, (see graph above in orange) one might attribute 20% of annual solar power to any value to society.
That works out to less than $100 solar value for $17,000 spent.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember the $60,000 in CBT grant money I believe I stopped. Nelson applied for a $60,000 CBT grant for their solar garden but never received it. I like to think it was because I was in touch with the CBT about that grant and their project. Why is CBT still giving out grant money for solar projects?
The Posterchild of absurdity and public waste for solar
the Nelson Community Solar garden click here
More dishonest grant applications click here
As long as we have engineers willing to step on their professional ethics and sign their names to grants, and educators promoting solar this waste of public money won't end.
Balfour Community Hall calculations:
18kW installed at $4/watt =$72,000 plus new roof $18,700 = Total $90700
Borrowed at 3.5%/yr for 25 years is annual payments of $5448.
One year of solar power 14270kWh made by Nelson hydro for .0087c/kWh wholesale =$124
Refer to Orange in river waterflow graph above showing water spilling from spring runoff
through fall, solar has NO value we don't even need the water.
Community Hall solar power made from Jan-Mar and Oct-Dec total 3253kWh
3253kWh x .0087c/kWh(Nelson hydro wholesale) = $28.
$90,700 for a system one might attribute value to for $28!
This is undefendable, reality, the real cost to society.
Public money lost to legitimate grant applicants.
Nelson hydro customers subsidize this solar at full retail while losing income otherwise
earned from selling cleaner greener water power that would help keep everyone's electric
rates down.
18kW installed at $4/watt =$72,000 plus new roof $18,700 = Total $90700
Borrowed at 3.5%/yr for 25 years is annual payments of $5448.
One year of solar power 14270kWh made by Nelson hydro for .0087c/kWh wholesale =$124
Refer to Orange in river waterflow graph above showing water spilling from spring runoff
through fall, solar has NO value we don't even need the water.
Community Hall solar power made from Jan-Mar and Oct-Dec total 3253kWh
3253kWh x .0087c/kWh(Nelson hydro wholesale) = $28.
$90,700 for a system one might attribute value to for $28!
This is undefendable, reality, the real cost to society.
Public money lost to legitimate grant applicants.
Nelson hydro customers subsidize this solar at full retail while losing income otherwise
earned from selling cleaner greener water power that would help keep everyone's electric
rates down.
