What a year! This week, SolarWakeup.com is celebrating its first birthday.  Last August 28th, the very first rundown of the top solar news was emailed out to a small group.  Today that list is much larger thanks to so many of you for subscribing.  I still check on new subscribers every day to see how far the reach has gone.  The more we talk about solar in the news, the better the industry gets.

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News

• NREL: These solar REIT pioneers are mining the sun for “good income”
• New Times: Obama’s Group Takes Sides in Arizona’s Solar-Energy Battle
• Greentech Media: Here’s How Chinese Firms Will Produce Solar for 36 Cents
• Trentonian: NJ’s solar warfare rages on
• Forbes: New Insurance Offering Reduces Risk For Investors in Solar Power
• CNBC: Solar stocks have a day in the sun, or is it just a flare?
• SC Republic: SC regulators drops solar forum after complaint from utility

Opinions

• Rhone Resch: The State of the Solar Industry
• Verde Independent: Solar users penalized for being responsible

Have a great day!

Yann

Apparently there are 3,200 utilities across the Country.  Well above the total number I would have guessed which makes the slow adoption of solar interesting. One reason may be the late removal of the solar ITC restriction for utilities or the lack of benefit given to utilities by regulators.  Or the SCE reaction to a spoof video explains more than any words could.

News

• Business Week: Why the U.S. Power Grid’s Days Are Numbered
• Greentech Media: Experts Grapple With Finding the True Value of Solar
• WWL-TV: Public Service Commission takes action to protect solar customers
• WATE: TVA solar energy limits don’t keep up with demand
• Yahoo: SunEdison to spin off semiconductor business in solar push
• Greentech Media: Silver Lake Raises $653.5M for Kraftwerk Cleantech Fund
• RE World: Virtual Net Metering Allows Energy Savings One Tenant at a Time
• HuffPost: Latino Politicians Saying ‘Si Se Puede’ to Higher Bills, Less Solar 

Opinions

• CleanTechnica: Why Solar Financing Beats Solar Incentives

Have a great day!

Yann

According to the FERC Chair, solar will overtake everything.  No disagreement here but there is a big amount of consolidation going on.  M+W is buying Gehrlicher, which had filed insolvency a few months back.  Another acquisition appears to have occurred but waiting to see it covered by news outlets to report it while several other downstream players are looking to sell themselves/sell assets to monetize their work.

News

• Greentech Media: FERC Chair: Solar ‘Is Going to Overtake Everything’
• Bloomberg: Green Bonds to Top $9 Billion on Buffett’s MidAmerican Boost
• PV-Tech: PV to account for 3.6% of global energy by 2030
• Greentech Media: Efficiency Pros Want? Financing. They Lack? Financing.
• Star Tribune: Minnesota energy-savings projects get a boost from St. Paul
• Biz Journals: M+W acquires solar company
• Bloomberg: Solar Manufacturers May Boost Capacity as Demand Surges
• Forbes: Vermont Co-Ops Push Back On Net Metering For Solar Power

Opinions

• Solar Industry: Think ‘Economic Development’ In Your Solar Plans

Have a great day!

Yann