2. Background of Performance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements

In D.06-08-028, the Commission required that all solar installations receiving incentives through CSI have some form of communication reporting capability. This communication and reporting requirement has come to be known as "performance monitoring and reporting service" or PMRS. The decision discusses the need for performance feedback to customers so they can maximize the value of their solar investments. (D.06-08-028, p. 76.) The decision also discusses that systems receiving PBI must have reporting capabilities as part of their incentive payment mechanism. (Id., p. 77.) Moreover, the Commission required that performance data collection and reporting should be the responsibility of an independent entity not affiliated with the incentive recipient, or any solar system manufacturer or installer. (Id., p. 79.)

The Commission recognized that many details relating to PMRS would need further development and it directed the metering subgroup of the parties developing the CSI Handbook to address these areas. In particular, the Commission requested the metering subgroup to propose minimum PMRS standards and requirements within an overall cost constraint where the cost of such systems plus meter costs is no more than 1% of the total installed cost for systems up to 30 kilowatts (kW) or less, and no more than 0.5% of the total installed cost for larger systems. (Id., p. 77.)