Opinion
Best, Yann
News
1 Wall Street Journal:
California’s Rooftop Solar Reckoning
2 Utility Dive:
Extreme weather shows need for dispatchable resources, new transmission - FERC commissioners
3 Axios:
How Texas' power grid weathered the latest freeze
4 Bloomberg:
Europe’s Climate Push Fails to Stem Crisis in Solar Industry
5 Reuters:
SolarEdge to lay off 16% of workforce to trim operating costs
6 Solar Builder:
U.S. energy transition to speed forward through 2025
7 PV-Tech:
CALSSA - California solar industry to face a downward trend in 2024
8 Solar Power World:
Connecticut increases incentives available to residents installing battery storage
9 PV-Magazine:
Solar corporate funding hits decade-long high in 2023
Opinions:
10 Renewable Energy World:
Texas grid survives, thwarting NIMBYs, and companies turn to ‘greenhushing’ — This Week in Cleantech
Have a great day!
Yann
Opinion
Best, Yann
News
1 Associated Press:
The Pentagon will install rooftop solar panels as Biden pushes clean energy in federal buildings
2 Utility Dive:
BlackRock to buy Global Infrastructure Partners in $12.5B deal, cites clean energy trends
3 Axios:
U.S. warmup is in sight after one more Arctic blast
4 Reuters:
German energy regulator plans to cut red tape to aid energy transition
5 PV-Tech:
US expands Western Solar Plan to five more states
6 Renewable Energy World:
Americans say they don’t mind utility-scale solar. Why isn’t more getting built?
7 Energy Storage News:
‘Highly attractive’ revenues forecast in Australia’s new Very Fast ancillary services opportunity
8 Canary Media:
Hawaii used rooftop solar to shore up the grid. New rules threaten that
9 PV-Magazine:
U.S. government identifies 22 million acres for solar in western states
Opinions:
10 New York Times:
Davos puts Climate on the Back Burner
Have a great day!
Yann
Intersolar Day 1. Anything you think I should see at Intersolar? As I tour San Diego, ERCOT enters its second day of conservation and looks to operate itself through a challenge. Meanwhile we have soaring demand for more electricity from the energy transition and economic growth. These challenges present opportunities and conferences offer a glimpse on the companies seeking to rise to the occasion.
Tax Markets Working. At the Voltility event a few months ago the talk on tax credit transfer market was quite optimistic and the data seems to confirm that. This means a solid market for capital structures that seek to build out the infrastructure we all work in. There are some new structures that are quite interesting, would be great to have a few of you pitch the best new ideas in capital formation.
Demand Met By Renewables, Storage, DERs and Grids. Today’s top note highlights the prediction for the year. The grid is stretched and operators are like a stretch Armstrong connecting rising demand (faster than predicted) and generation that is more flexible in both when it produces and how/where it delivers energy to consumers. Now the market needs to match the demand for new build of generation, storage and transmission with the requirement for new market products for those assets and DERs to ensure grid stability remains.
Europe Builds Ecosystem. In an effort to help create a manufacturing ecosystem in Europe, the government is stepping up with a $5billion package for Northvolt. Think of this as the European version of a loan guarantee.
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
9 US power sector trends to watch in 2024
2 Energy Storage News:
Europe backs Northvolt with US$5 billion loan package
3 New York Times:
Despite Frigid Cold, Texas Power Grid Has Kept the Heat On So Far
4 Reuters:
US energy tax credit trading grows to as much as $9 billion, study finds
5 Solar Builder:
Alliant Energy completes Beaver Dam solar project in Wisconsin
6 Renewable Energy World:
EIA - Solar and wind to lead U.S. generation growth for next two years
7 Solar Power World:
Unirac and S-5! expand solar mounting component partnership
8 PV-Magazine:
SolarApp+ speeds solar permitting for more than 160 communities
Opinions:
9 Axios:
Global climate policy faces stormy waters in 2024
Have a great day!
Yann
See You In San Diego. If you find yourself at Intersolar this week, come by the FlexGen booth and say hello.
NEM 3.0 Disaster. The situation in California is dire, layoffs are impacting most businesses and demand is off a possible 40%. Some installers are saying that the cost of the install is more doubling with the addition of storage but without additional revenue streams, the payback is nearly 10 years. In reality, CAISO needs the aggregated demand provided by residential storage to maintain long term stability but the revenue streams are not matching that need. The pleas from the industry don’t appear to have infiltrated Sacramento or the governor’s mansion thus far, which is unfortunate.
ERCOT Challenged. While you’re reading this, ERCOT will likely be at it’s closest demand reserve, far less margin than operators would like to see. The cold snap hitting so much of the Country can isolate the most fragile portions of the grid infrastructure, with a single event possibly starting a chain reaction that leaves many without power.
The Smart Home. CES happened last week and the smart home remained a big portion of the tech event. For me, the smart home seems to have focused itself on what’s available on Amazon and connects with Alexa. I consider myself willing to try new tech but the single platform ecosystem has eluded me thus far, only a few apps have found a niche home in my smart home, centered around lighting.
Opinion
News
1 New York Times:
California Has Dealt a Blow to Renewable Energy, Some Businesses Say
2 Star Telegram:
ERCOT asks Texans to reduce energy use Tuesday morning until 9 a.m. to avoid emergency
3 Solar Builder:
Three intriguing home solar + storage announcements at CES 2024
4 Utility Dive:
Renewables growth puts COP28 goals within reach, but acceleration is needed
5 Bloomberg:
The Green Investor Calling Out Biden’s Climate Law for Enriching Bankers and Consultants
6 Axios:
Scoop - John Kerry to leave Biden administration, help campaign
7 Energy Storage News:
European Union countries’ clean energy plans ‘fall short when it comes to energy storage’
8 Canary Media:
Chart - The US grid battery fleet is about to double — again
9 PV-Magazine:
Solar wafer prices stabilize with potential for future price hike
Opinions:
10 Renewable Energy World:
High interest rates are a climate problem
Have a great day!
Yann
