If You Like Solar, Tell Your Utility To Publish This Map

John, I agree that SCE's map is better than nothing, but PG&E's new map is FAR better and this is the standard we are pushing to become de rigueur in California. PG&E's map shows line kV and peak load (registration required, but it's easy):

https://www.pge.com/eum/login?TYPE=100663297&REALMOID=06-43c2976d-0fc8-1011-bf83-8304711d0cb3&GUID=&SMAUTHREASON=0&METHOD=GET&SMAGENTNAME=www.pge.com&TARGET=-SM-https%3a%2f%2fwww.pge.com%2fb2b%2fenergysupply%2fwholesaleelectricsuppliersolicitation%2fPVRFO%2fPVRAMMap%2findex.shtml

I would also urge installers to contribute to http://openpv.nrel.gov/index.

This is the NREL's national database for PV installations and can give consumers as well as lawmakers and idea where solar is lacking and where it's growing.

Fred:
The site you suggested is wonderful. Thanks a lot.

And many thanks for all you do for solar.
Jim Lindsey, Solar Plexus Nashville,Tn

Thanks for the shout out, Jim. Appreciate it.

I think Ed Begley's house has about 15 dots over it.

Tam,

Thanks for that update. I was unable to find their map a couple months ago.

-John

"Since as much as a third of the cost of PV can be recaptured via its benefits to the electric grid when properly placed in the distribution system, having this information is crucial for solar developers."
How is it crucial for developers?
Do the solar developers get special benefits from the utilities for installing rooftop solar systems "properly placed"?
Do they have "demand pricing" for electricity in these areas?
Cost to connect "may" be lower? Can you be more definitive?
This is good general information, but the benefits to independent power producers versus to homeowners rooftop installs is not made clear here.

Excellent. This kind of information helps the world.

"Since as much as a third of the cost of PV can be recaptured via its benefits to the electric grid when properly placed in the distribution system, having this information is crucial for solar developers."

This map shows developers where they can interconnect and avoid high penetration areas where either it's not possible to interconnect or there are added costs. This is a useful thing.

However, the grid 'benefits' are less certain and depend on the situation. On a single distribution feeder, 'capacity benefits' are binary - they are either there 100% of the time, or they aren't, unless you add storage. 90% of the required need doesn't cut it and so the operational benefits of solar at this micro-level tend to be oversold.

When you start to aggregate distribution feeders across geographies, and the risk of total non-performance is shared by multiple feeders then system level capacity becomes a reasonable discussion that has some benefits, but they aren't life-changing. How to monetize system level benefits and then distribute them among tens and hundreds of PV systems is something that needs more study - there isn't a tangible model right now.

Recovering one-third of the cost of PV seems high, but if it was theoretically agreed upon by everyone, even these benefits are hard to monetize - they are allocated across time (short-term vs. long-term benefits), jurisdictions (RTO, utility, society), capacity application (distribution, transmission, system), etc. It's not insurmountable, but there isn't just a single entity who is getting all the benefits and willing to pay for it directly.