On Tuesday we saw an article from Philadelphia.  A refrigerated warehouse caught on fire (unrelated to solar) but it had some 9,000 panels on the roof causing the firefighters to abandon any aggressive venting tactics or placing any personnel on the roof worried about the fire causing electrification of the modules.  What impact could this type of event lead to rooftop solar codes?

News

• Greentech Media: AB 327: The Dark Side for California Solar
• Bloomberg: LDK Solar Talks With Bondholders on Delayed Payment
• Greentech Media: KPMG-The Encyclopedia of Solar Securitization
• Solar Industry: Global Solar Inverter Shipments Fall During Q2’13
• CleanTechnica: 4 More Germany Solar Power & Wind Power Charts
• REnewEconomy: Graph of the Day: Top 20 countries for Big Solar

Opinions

• Denver Post: How much solar-power subsidy is too much?
• Marc Gunther: With Rooftop Solar on Rise, U.S. Utilities Are Striking Back
• Chris Nelder: The Perils of Electricity Capacity Markets

Have a great day!

Yann

“It’s the only time I’ve done a rate increase when nobody was opposed,” is the quote from the Florida utility director creating a local solar market.  Incredible what happens when electric utilities act for consumers and don’t just look at them as ratepayers.  While investor owned utilities are regulated, they are still investor owned, with executives making big money when ratepayers pay.

News

• CleanTechnica: Buying Local Solar Makes Florida City a World Leader
• Solar Industry: In a Global Solar Market, Local Conditions Rule Motives
• Algemeiner: Solar Power is the Path to Israel’s Energy Future
• Daily Beast: Combat Poverty by Installing Solar Arrays for Low-Income Homes
• Forbes: The Middle East Turns To Solar Energy
• Energy Collective: Subsidies for Solar Two Times More Than Nuclear in CA
• Bloomberg: Solar Defaults Shock Holders as $8.4 Billion Due

Opinions

• RE World: Is there a “Plug-n-Play” Solution to the PV Soft Cost Problem?
• Energy Collective: Threat to Utilities, Why Transactive Energy is the Answer

Have a great day!

Yann

Less than 2 months to go before Solar Power International.  As we gather in Chicago this year, what will we be looking for during the show?  It should prove to be a better crowd than Orlando but also a different look given the ongoing consolidation.  

News

• Greentech Media: AB 327: From California Solar Killer to Net Metering Savior?
• NY Times: A Bet on the Environment
• RE World: Accurate Solar PV Simulations Yield Better Test Results
• RECharge: First Solar stays at top of US market
• Energy Collective: Clean Energy Industry and US Jobs
• Arab News: Saudi Arabia, UAE lead race to deploy solar projects
• NBC10: Solar Panels Growing Hazard for Firefighters

Opinions

• Energy Gang: Why Have So Many Venture Capitalists Flopped in Cleantech?
• Breaking Energy: Why Ron Binz Is A Good Choice For Running FERC

Have a great day!

Yann