Sunshine Solar Group (SSG)
Sunshine Solar Group (SSG)
Background
Background
Sunshine Solar Group (SSG) was originally formed to bring owners of solar electric systems (PV) throughout the State of Florida together to facilitate the sale of the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) their systems create. Consolidating our available RECs gives us better bargaining power to increase the sales price in the developing green energy market.
As members talked with other homeowners about their systems, their lower electric bills and selling their RECs through the group, we started receiving emails from non solar homeowners asking us how they could PUT THEIR ROOFS TO WORK by Going Solar. SSG expanded by working out an agreement with the oldest and most trusted solar installers in Central Florida to help other homeowners also become solar owners.
As owners of small PV solar systems (typically less than 10 kilowatts), we have no viable way to sell our RECs by ourselves. No one will deal with us as individuals – much less pay us a fair amount for them. As individuals, we are small fish with no pond to swim in. However, together as a group, we can sell our RECs and receive fair payment. As the group grows, so does our bargaining power with potential purchasers who want or need our RECs.
In January 2009, the Florida Public Service Commission submitted a draft proposal for Florida’s Renewable Portfolio Standard Rule (RPS) to the Florida Senate Draft RPS. In short, the RPS would have required Florida’s public utilities to produce 20% of the electric sales in Florida from renewable sources by 2020 with 25% of this total coming from solar or wind. The RPS called for the public utilities to build up to this level of renewable energy beginning at 7% by 2013, and increasing to the 20% figure by 2021.
As of December 2018, there has been no progress in Florida toward enacting an RPS and it does not look like there will be one anytime soon. If an RPS were ever enacted, it would create a compliance market in Florida for our RECs. In states where utilities are under an RPS requirements (compliance markets) the value of RECs to system owners is much greater.
There is a voluntary market for the purchase/sale of RECs operating in the United States. This voluntary market will buy our RECs, but only if we have a sufficient quantity of them to make it worth their time. Since 2008, SSG has sold the group's RECs into the Voluntary market with payments to members totaling over $8,100 (sales of RECs).