CalPERS had an interesting comment about cleantech investment and how it has felt noble to lose money in the sector.  While many have lost money in solar, much of it has been focused on the desire to find the silver bullet in a factory.  Making big bets is the game of venture capital, and maybe 2013 will show that solar needs targeted strategic investment that expands the market from the bottom up.

News

• Greentech Media – Financing Tools Move Renewables to Main Street
• Bloomberg – Solar Will Be 2nd-Biggest Source of U.S. Power in 2013
• RE World -Three States Now Have More Than 1 Gigawatt of Solar
• Solar Industry – RPS Revisions In CT Could Threaten State’s Solar
• NY Times – Chinese Solar Panel Giant Is Tainted by Bankruptcy
• Gigaom – CalPERS: Cleantech has been a noble way to lose money
• RE World – Integrating Variable Renewables as Germany Expands Grid
• Media Matters – Fox News: Solar “Might Be Tanking Our Economy”

Opinions

• Jack Spencer – Seven Reasons Loan Guarantees Are Bad Policy

Have a great day!

Yann

A little bit of a bad news day, SunTech bankruptcy looks official and everything seems to have gone south at Solopower.  We knew this was coming, the consolidation that probably should and needs to happen.  On the good news front, San Onofre may be shut down for good and Los Angeles is going coal free.  

News

• Greentech Media – Securitization: Innovation in Solar Finance
• AOL Energy – California’s Green Economy Grows Up
• FastCo – Los Angeles To Ditch Coal Power Completely By 2025
• GTM Research – On Suntech’s Bankruptcy: An Optical Illusion
• Bloomberg – Suntech Won’t Object as Banks Seek Bankruptcy
• NY Times – Chinese Solar Panel Maker Falters as Prices Plunge
• Fox News – Solar firm faces layoffs, just months after opening

Opinions

• Paula Mints – Solar PV Profit’s Last Stand
• LA Times – Ratepayers can’t afford a grid without San Onofre
• Patriot News – Pennsylvania must shift to renewable energy

Have a great day!

Yann

The 9th Circuit Court has ruled that FHFA is allowed to choose not to purchase residential mortgages involving PACE.  FHFA may also choose to stop buying mortgages from residential mortgages in PACE areas which opens up a whole new can of worms.  PACE works, now we need Congress to act on it so that we all can use it.

News

• 9th Circuit – Court allows FHFA to kill Residential PACE
• Greentech Media – Solar, Wind Projects in Desert Get US Approval
• NJ.com – NJ surpasses 1 gigawatt of installed solar
• SolarPowerWorld – What Does A Solar Developer Do?
• Greentech Media – Podcast: The Year in Solar 2012
• CleanTechnica – Japan To Overtake US And Germany In Solar
• RE World – 2012 German Nuclear and Gas-Fired Generation Falls
• Forbes – What’s Behind the Sudden Solar Surge in Greece?

Opinions

• Alex Anich – What Does the Future Hold for NJ Solar?

Have a great day!

Yann

The Suntech saga has ended its first act. Now that the bonds have been defaulted, it will be interesting to see how the consolidation plays out. Analysts and manufacturers are putting out reports of pricing staying solid at these levels with minor upticks. Let’s see how it plays out in the second act.

News

• Forbes – Suntech Says It Has Defaulted On $541 Mln Of Debt
• Bloomberg – Suntech Default Signals Chinese Solar Consolidation
• Gigaom – An accelerator emerges as most active cleantech VCs
• Triple Pundit – Solar Power to Hit Cost Parity Next Year
• Peninsula Press – Solar faces obstacles for commercial adoption
• Bloomberg – China Seen Canceling Subsidy for Large Solar
• Greentech Media – Grid Integration of Wind and Solar Is Cheap
• RE World – Risk-Based Review to Enable “Fly” Interconnection

Opinions

• DeSmogBlog – Obama’s Energy Strategy — Too Little, Too Late?

Have a great day!

Yann