Weekend. Thank you for the great feedback on what to listen to on my drive cross-country. Always a great reminder of the community that SolarWakeup has become. Tomorrow will take me through most of Texas! Here is your Friday rundown.
Q1 Reports. Solar did well in Q1 which was obviously hampered by coronavirus during March. Look for more detail in the story and check out the survey for your personal experiences.
Going Upstream. An upstream deal between software and manufacturer that helps installer and homeowner is the type of dealmaking that enables larger markets and bigger margins for installers.
PG&E Board. Without much notice for most California ratepayers, the utility alumni club is convening for high priced reunions on the newly formed PG&E board. Dynegy, National Grid and Sempra to name a few resume fillers.
Next Week, Lookout. CPUC has approved two items that will hit your inbox next week. First is allowing PG&E to use diesel generators. Second, more importantly, is a new change to the resource adequacy market that is drawing universal ire.
May Survey. Did you fill out your response for May? You can see the full results of previous surveys here
Presented by Adani Green Energy. Adani is a fully integrated renewables company, from solar cell and module manufacturing to ownership and operation. The company has a top global operating and contracted pipeline of over 14 GW. Adani is the recipient of the largest solar award ever of 8 GW, which includes a single site project of 2 GW - tied for the world's largest. No one knows mega-scale projects like Adani.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
May Survey. Did you fill out your response for May? You can see the full results of previous surveys here
Your Listening Recommendations. In a few hours I am starting my drive cross-country. In the next 45 hours, what should I listen to in podcast or video format? Send your episode recommendations to my inbox please
Solarize My House. I got plenty of feedback yesterday about my home system, I appreciate that. So here’s the follow up question. I have space for up to 40 panels on the roof, a transfer switch and pre-plumbed for a gas generator. Obviously I want solar but do I also want a generator and battery? Or just a generator? Keep in mind that we plan for up to two weeks of no power post-hurricane and it would be an interesting concept to maximize the gas in the tank with solar/battery/generator if such a complete system that self-managed were on the market. Send your product/design suggestions and I’ll answer any follow up questions here.
All Quiet In Energy News. If you haven’t seen it, you should know that mainstream media (i.e. non trade news) have almost eliminated clean energy and solar coverage over the past month. I know that other issues are more prominent but I also worry about layoffs and reassignments of energy writers. For example, Vox has published 1 article with the word solar in it over the past month. It is also important that you get your stories out there, if you can afford it, hire a PR rep. Feel free to ask me for recommendations if you’d like but we need everyone to be out there pitching.
Nuclear Boondoggles. In case you missed it, the Georgia nuclear plant will miss deadlines and budgets once again. Regulators are surprisingly still publicly supporting the ratepayers subsidizing poor corporate execution however.
WSJ Covers Energy Market. This summed up how the market is saying that renewables work, in a tweet thread by WSJ reporter Russell Gold.
Tesla Impact Report. Tesla published their impact report. I have not read it but thought you would find it interesting.
Solar Farms And More. My favorite solar farms do dual and triple use cases. Top of the list are those that blend agriculture and pollinator friendly landscaping. If you’ve never had solar powered honey brews and honeys from solar farms, you’re missing out and need to visit the midwest.
Presented by Adani Green Energy. Adani is a fully integrated renewables company, from solar cell and module manufacturing to ownership and operation. The company has a top global operating and contracted pipeline of over 14 GW. Adani is the recipient of the largest solar award ever of 8 GW, which includes a single site project of 2 GW - tied for the world's largest. No one knows mega-scale projects like Adani.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
May Survey. Transitioning to a monthly survey and looking at the entire month of May for the solar industry. This 3 minute survey will help educate those watching the market and help you see what else is going on in our industry. You can see the full results of previous surveys here and fill out your response for May here.
It’s More Than Cost. A new study published by UC Berkeley and Gridlab will be all the talk this week, mainly because the headline tells us what we want to hear. Achieving 90% renewables by 2035 will be cheaper than where we are today. Here are some things to consider that would strengthen and also render it more complicated. While it’s easy to take large scale solar RFP results and extrapolate, it will take an entire system of generation to make it work for the new way of consumption. EVs and home offices will change energy usage across the system. The study is very likely underestimating the speed and depth of cost declines for energy storage, both distributed and large scale.
Fight For Electrification. Electrification of everything is the trend of the decade and if any of you still use a gas stove, you’re missing out on the joys of induction. As I move to my home in Florida, where I designed for hurricane prep, I installed a full home transfer switch for a backup system and a large gas tank to power the likely generator. The only other item I use the gas for is the instant hot water heater because 80A draw for an electric instant hot wasn’t in the cards. I’ll be back with you for advice on solar/batter/generator design and product selection soon. What do you use gas for?
Holding CA On Aliso. Speaking of gas, Governor Newsom wanted Aliso Canyon’s usage to come to a halt but since the environmental disaster a few years ago, the site is producing more than before. It may have faded into the background but activists should hold the Governor on his promise.
Presented by Adani Green Energy. Adani is a fully integrated renewables company, from solar cell and module manufacturing to ownership and operation. The company has a top global operating and contracted pipeline of over 14 GW. Adani is the recipient of the largest solar award ever of 8 GW, which includes a single site project of 2 GW - tied for the world's largest. No one knows mega-scale projects like Adani.
Opinion
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
May Survey. Transitioning to a monthly survey and looking at the entire month of May for the solar industry. This 3 minute survey will help educate those watching the market and help you see what else is going on in our industry. You can see the full results of previous surveys here and fill out your response for May here.
Virtual Trade Shows And Conferences. I’ve been in solar for 15 years and I still love going to solar conferences and trade shows. Seeing new companies making their move, showing new products and most of all the reconnection with many of you. I had the pleasure of touring the virtual trade show environment that the Midwest Solar Expo will be using in a few weeks. In the video playback, you can see how you can tour the facilities, hear speakers, meet with exhibitors and have random encounters with other attendees. It’s not going to replace the in person events but it sure does a big job improving on a webinar.
Political Opportunity. Clean energy, climate change and fossil fuels are key issues that also have a big grey area. That grey area is the undecided voter segment that doesn’t know which party is better at handling that issue. Some would see that the issues also skew heavily democratic which presents an opportunity for Biden but on the other hand turns the issue into partisan topics. Partisanship in solar has been a frustrating reality given that the solar industry has gone out of its way to be bipartisan and has shown benefits to red and blue states alike.
Presented by Adani Green Energy. Adani is a fully integrated renewables company, from solar cell and module manufacturing to ownership and operation. The company has a top global operating and contracted pipeline of over 14 GW. Adani is the recipient of the largest solar award ever of 8 GW, which includes a single site project of 2 GW - tied for the world's largest. No one knows mega-scale projects like Adani.
Opinion
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann