Expand Your Influence: Partnering trees and solar panels

November 16, 2011

Dan Staleystaley.dan@gmail.com

http://danstaley.net

1. Basics: Solar Industry Trends2. Detail: Solar Access3. Cultivating Partnerships:

Outlining Strategies

Agenda

• WHY: Making space for Green Infrastructure

• By ~2040: 50% of all buildings will have been built in the last 50 years (‘Next 100 million problem’)

• Energy will be one of humanity’s top challenges in coming decades: Solar part of ‘Silver Buckshot’

• Green Infra expansion is excellent policy in cities

Challenge and Opportunity

Intro and Background

• Solar Power Collected Two Ways:– Directly: Photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on ground, pole, or rooftop

– Indirectly: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) – mirrors and collectors

Solar Power Collection (PV)

• Local Power Collection and Distribution

PV panels are akin to a plant leaf – a shade intolerant leaf

Solar Industry Now

• Growing rapidly, costs decreasing rapidly

– 2010: U.S. doubled installed capacity– World growth doubling: 2015, 2019– Costs decreasing 7%/year

Solar Industry Innovation

• Solar Industry Innovating Rapidly• Akin to Moore’s Law

Solyndra

Thin film roof tiles Solar

glass

Solar Access

Solar Access Definitions

• Solar Access:

The ability to receive unobstructed direct sunlight (“right to light”)

• Solar Access Zone:

The 3-dimensional clear space or volumetric shape (“wedge”) needed to allow unobstructed sunlight to reach a solar collector, window, building, garden, etc. for a given time period

Solar Access Visualizations

Sun path chart

Sky dome path

Sun path volumetric“wedge”

defining the accesszone

2-D 3-D

Common Solar Access Depictions

Plan view(landscape, land

use)

Computer model of sunpath

(architectural)

• No ‘right to light’ in U.S.: in dicta• U.K.: Common Law (“Leylandii

Law”)• U.S. Circuit Court decision in 1950s • States started implementing

hodgepodge of solar strategies during 1970s energy crisis

• No U.S. standard building code for insulation (viz. Int’l Bldg Code)

• Trees often used in lieu of insulation

Solar Access Background

• ‘10-2’ Solar Access Laws– Clear access zone from 10am-2pm at time of PV installation :: compromise law– Many in solar industry want all day access, but 9am-3pm majority of insolation

• UFers just now catching up– The most new expertise to offer

‘Green premium’ on homes with visible PV panels

Background

Solar Access: Site Analysis Basics

1. 2.

3.

9a-3p

Partnering Strategies

• Alternative energy industry– Solar industry’s time is coming -- soon

• PV rental and/or leasing for collection

- Companies “lease” roofs to generate power – Power

Purchase Agreements (U.S.), Feed-In-Tariff (EUR)

- ROI often based on unfettered access

Solar Access Zone Partners

• Alternative energy industry– Lots of smart, motivated people– Have been ready and waiting for widespread deployment since the 1970s– Technology catching up with their ideas– Businesses, banks catching up too– Urban Foresters last piece of puzzle for efficient cities: Green Power Partners

About Your Partners

Solar access needs1. Need new tools and visuals to help

others choose and site trees

2. Need guidance to help grow trees in time periods: how tall/wide in 20 years, at maturity

3. Decsionmaking at different scales: tree, parcel, street, municipal

Industry Needs

Solutions: Don’t Be Afraid of Shade

• Siting • Species

What and where

• Scale• Scenario

When and why

Siting: What and Where

Solar Smart clearance pruning and projected time to next maintenance: ROI

Species: What and Where

What small-statured species go here?

Scale: When and Why

Bulls eye for single tree clearance over time

35 ft tree, 20 ft distance to PV arraySept.19 @ 2:00 pm

Scale: When and Why

• Siting: Solar Smart Zones as code/aid for solar access

Sept 22 @ 3:00 pm

Scale: When and Why

• Siting: Solar Smart Zones by structure, height, and placement on lot

Sept 22 @ 3:00 pm

Sept 22 @ 3:00 pm

Solutions: Scaling Up

• Scale: Solar Smart Streets• Scenario: Height after 10, 20 years

Solutions: Projects to Add Value

• Solar Access Zones • Solar Smart Species (and where)• Solar Smart tree maintenance/pruning• Solar Easements: green neighborhoods• Solar Smart Streets: setbacks, street tree species by side of street & direction• Solar Smart Sustainable Business Improvement Districts

Your Solar Access Partners

Don’t Be Afraid of Shade!You’re both innovative

Both will benefitPartners in efficiency

Ready to goMotivated expertsNot a tree hugger

Solar Access Recap

• Solar access is coming – get out in front!• 9-3 access better than 10-2 and you can make it happen• Right tree, right place, right reason• Solar Smart trees, zones, maintenance• Solar folks have the tools except for tree scenarios – need a green power partner

– They are smart and motivated to get it right – the perfect partners

Thank you!

Q&A

Expand Your Influence:

Additional messaging and ideas for promoting change

Key References

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communitieshttp://www.ite.org/bookstore/RP036.pdf

Smart Growth: A Toolkit for Realtors®http://www.realtor.org/smart_growth.nsf/pages/toolkit_smart_growth

CITY TREES sustainability guidelines & best practices http://www.treetrust.org/pdfs/citytrees-bonestroopilot.pdf

* ASES 2010

• Trees shall have adequate rooting volume as determined by…• Trees shall have sufficient distance from infrastructure as determined by…

More Design Standards

PV Siting and Design

• As little as 5% blockage can affect panel

Solutions: Don’t Be Afraid of Shade

Tree shadow lengths on ground on July 22 @ 3:00 pm

50 ft ht 35 ft ht 20 ft ht

55 ft lth 39 ft lth 22 ft lth

Changemaking Reasons

• Multiple reinforcing benefits• Conflict avoidance• Co-location• Support multiple goals and/or plans• High design standards• Environmental: stormwater, human health, urban heat island, air quality, energy savings, safety

• Comprehensive Plans– Usually at City, County scales – Set agenda for development

• Set high-level goals• Set Green Infrastructure as a goal• Green Infrastructure supports many planning and community goals

Take-home Messages

More Take-home Messages

• Use Green Infrastructure as a Stormwater Utility

• Re-think how Grey Infrastructure is sited• Green Infrastructure supports many planning and community goals• Many actors have different pieces of a finished puzzle