This is your SolarWakeup for October 13th, 2017

Happy Friday the 13th. Yesterday we added Michael Judge, Director of Renewable Energy at MA DOER, to the SolarWakeup Live! Boston agenda. Michael has been leading the implementation of the SMART program and the conversation will yield vital information for solar companies interested in the market. Get your tickets here.

SolarWorld Files Their Post Hearing Brief. The briefs offer no insight into what commissioners will do, they are regurgitations of talking points. In SolarWorld’s version, it basically takes a bunch of solar reporters articles and their interviews with companies to try and shape their case. In some instances, when reporters have come out to set the record straight, SolarWorld then attacks them. The adjustment plan goes into a 5 year plan similar to my 5 year plan where I end up a billionaire. Lots of hopes and dreams about how 5 companies will make 1GW or more in the US without importing cells and setting it all up in 6-9months. I guess they expect the US solar market to shrink by 50%. They do go into detail about their sales process, hoping to be acquired by a strategic in a process run by Macquarie with the caveat that the buyer could change the adjustment plan, i.e. no promises made to the ITC.

How Many iPhones Are Made In America? How many cell phones are made in the US? Apple, Samsung and Google (HTC) manufacturer their cell phones abroad. Nobody would argue that Apple and Google are not American companies that create substantial benefits to the US economy. Imagine a small, niche company that is bankrupt and owned by a foreign investor files for relief to double the cost of your iPhone. It will be $2k now so that it can be made in the US. Sales would plummet and innovation would likely slow at the company to focus on cost. That is the exact same thing that Suniva and SolarWorld are asking for. On the other hand, Apple would never let a filing get past the front doors of the ITC.

Bernie Sanders Weighs In. Sanders is famously against trade deals including NAFTA, TPP and others. The Senator from Vermont wants US to make more stuff which is why he likely sees the 37,000 solar manufacturing jobs in the US and smiles. He also understands that a remedy must have benefits that outweigh the costs, regardless of whether the jobs affected by the remedy are caused by market competition.

Opinion

Have a great day!

Yann