This is your SolarWakeup for April 2nd, 2018

No April Fools. Use APRIL40 for 40% off your ticket to our exclusive event in San Francisco. There’s a single sponsor interview slot left if you are looking to reach the SolarWakeup audience with your message. As anyone that has come to our previous events will say, this isn’t the biggest crowd but its the most influential. Again, use APRIL40 to get 40% off your tickets.

Cheap Solar, Now Value. The BNEF report pretty much confirms reality. The battle for price of energy output has been won by renewables. No fuel cost assumptions make certain of that fact. There is no longer the need to battle for cheaper now that we’re sub 3 cents in sunny areas. Now is the time to talk about system value, value of DG, value of storage and putting some of that value into the ecosystem. That means contractors investing in higher margins for higher quality. Buying better roof mounting that doesn’t leak. Most of all we all need to invest in margins.

Legacy Power, Legacy Tricks. First Energy has been pushing for coal and nuclear subsidies through all the avenues, FERC, DOE and the White House. On Friday, it asked for emergency bailouts for the power plants that are not providing value to the system and have the Trump administration guarantee profits to the ailing power plants. After no positive response on the request, First Energy went to bankruptcy court late on Saturday to file for chapter 11 and look to restructure debt. Within the last 12 months I still had conversations with private equity firms that were open to acquiring these types of power plants but I have to think that those days are quickly ending.

Subsidized Manufacturing From Jinko. I enjoy the irony of the solar manufacturing plant receiving subsidies from the Florida government in response to a global tariff against solar modules because the foreign manufacturers are…subsidized. Explain the nuance of a State that is anti-solar, anti-competition for solar projects that is making the headlines by putting together subsidies with guarantees from ratepayers. This isn’t Jinko’s fault, they are a bystander in this and I want them in Florida. But more importantly, I want solar to be allowed to compete here.

Opinion

Have a great day!

Yann