Your Help Is Needed. The solar family is looking for your help during the tough times impacting some of our colleagues in the Camp Fire in Paradise California. CALSSA has set up a donation page and your generosity is greatly appreciated, any amount helps get solar pros that lost everything back on their feet. 
008.3 Solar Bonds. Duke Energy is going out for the poorly marketed green bonds. I look forward to seeing the spread between these and the corporate bonds and hope that they are aligned given the risk profiles. 
Does Resilience Sell? Last week I asked what the sales pitch was for energy storage and many of you responded that the recent storms are part of it. I agree that storms cause people to think about it but pulling the trigger for backup power alone is a 1% problem. Unless I am wrong, I don’t think resiliency is a sales tool but more of a lead generation tool. 
Barrier In Community Solar. Community solar is growing rapidly and with that comes innovation. Some folks have said that the hardest part is the subscriber enrollment and management which equates to new companies coming up with ways to service developers looking for off takers. Frank fills you in. 
IOU To Retail Market. This may not be a serious endeavor, I hope the Arizona readers fill me in on what this really means politically. But any PUC looking at the value of IOUs and allowing retail competition seems like a giant leap in the right direction, undoubtedly where we end up anyways. In order for a 100% renewable future, we must have wires companies and retail competition, rate basing generation means staying stuck in antiquated transactions. 
Solar Jobs In Midwest. This is a great time to look for a great job in the midwest, at the jobs fair you will see hundreds of solar jobs competing for installers, electricians, sales consultants and more. This means higher wages and a great future for Americans in the midwest. 

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Today is the day when we say thank you to the veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces for their service and sacrifice to a grateful nation. Some of us know that we could never serve them the way they have served us. But what we can do as the solar industry is try to pay them back by giving them jobs when they come home - something The Solar Foundation has worked diligently since the Department of Energy chose to fund a Solar for Vets program back in 2016. According to The Solar Foundation's 2017 National Solar Jobs Census, there are 21,599 veterans employed in the solar industry across the United States, meaning veterans make up 9% of the total number of solar workers in the nation. This is more than the 7% veteran employment percentage of overall workers in the economy. What's more, the jobs veterans fill come in all shapes and sizes, from manufacturing to installation to everything in between. The best part of encouraging veterans to join the solar industry is that some of the job skills translate directly. America’s solar industry needs the technical skills of America’s veterans, and with appropriate training and certification, transitioning service members can make solid solar career matches. Military skills translate well for electrical and mechanical technicians, logistics specialists, and engineers. In fact, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) highlights potential careers for veterans on its Solar Career Map page on its website. The range of careers spans from entry-level positions all the way up to advanced careers. And once a veteran joins a solar company, then further training can get them the skills they need to move into higher and higher positions. In other words, the solar industry isn't just about creating jobs for our former soldiers and sailors - it's about creating lifelong careers for these men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect and serve the rest of us. So today, let's make sure we take time out to thank the veterans we know for their service and sacrifice - and, if they're looking for work, get them connected to the solar industry. It's the perfect place for them to find their next career.

The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon

The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon

We have all seen those big power plants outside cities that provide power — historically from coal, oil and nuclear and now more recently, natural gas. These utility power plants have served us well for over a century. But technology is passing them by. These old central generation power plants are obsolete. They are more expensive than power generated by wind, solar and energy storage. Even some of the newest gas peaker plants under construction are destined to be obsolete within a decade. New power generating technologies – solar, wind, battery storage, distributed energy resources, virtual power plants, etc. — are steadily improving in terms of cost, duration and reliability. Unfortunately, commercial and residential electricity customers are saddled with the costs of existing power plants, even ones that have been installed recently. Utilities pass their costs of power generation, transmission and distribution directly to ratepayers. Moreover, utilities are guaranteed a 10% profit based on their net assets. Although they do indeed care about reliability and safety, utilities actually make more money when they own a lot of assets (higher profits) and charge high prices for power (higher revenues). These new clean, inexpensive power generation and storage technologies are turning the utility industry upside down. Commercial and residential customers can essentially purchase their own power plants for less money than utility-provided power. Listen up to this week’s Energy Show as we review the deteriorating economics of utility-based power plants, as well as the implications these new technologies are having on consumers throughout the United States.