Have a wonderful Friday. Monday’s SolarWakeup will be coming to you from the air as I fly to New Jersey for the 5th SolarWakeup Live! event. Most of the previous interviews are available online at solarwakeup.com. Join us on Tuesday in Jersey City and make sure you vote!
Making Resi Storage Pencil. Sunnova announced yesterday the addition of their solar plus storage offering to the Texas market. This continues the market trend of giving consumers a choice to have storage with CleanChoice making an offer for storage in the Maryland market. What is driving the consumer’s demand for storage given that storage still needs to drive price down? 
Can California Grow More? California is 50% of the US market and it will have to work hard to keep that number steady, not because California is declining but because other States are growing nicely. That being said, companies are investing big in the growth here. In this case, Vivint Solar, is announcing a 20 year fixed price offering to consumers which locks in a rate for electricity and could cause consumers to jump into the deal. Will be interested to see how it does. 
Coal? PJM CEO spoke about the coal bailout needs yesterday as covered by Utility Dive. The bailout, he says is unnecessary, would choose generation mix by fuel choice instead of pricing the service that is most desired. With GTM reporting that more than 30GW of coal is ready to be retired in the next few years, it is imperative that the policies are future proof. I.e. if the goal is to have backup power from offshore wind and solar energy, than price the value of keeping electrons standing by instead of marking a price to how much coal is sitting in the backyard. 
NIMBY Partners. The Department of Interior approved a massive three square mile project near Joshua Tree and now solar is fighting against the Sierra Club. Understanding the fight is straightforward, this is about wildlife preservation and habitat conservation while the solar development is about adding more renewable energy to the grid. I don’t want to argue the right and wrong about the complaint by Sierra Club but this is a valuable time to point out to donors that Sierra Club and solar industry advocacy groups are different. Sierra Club can’t go to donors and tout their desire to expand solar (taking tens of millions of funds that donors think go to solar advocacy) when those donors really should be looking at solar focused advocacy. I’m not knocking environmental groups and the mission, which I support. I am pointing out that fundraising for solar is made harder by the grab for the dollars that want to support solar. 

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Texas is one of the sleeping giants of the solar industry. With it high isolation rates, it's been predicted that given its way, solar from Texas could actually power the entire country. In other words, it's a powerhouse waiting to happen. And now homeowners in the state have the opportunity to put solar + storage at their homes thanks to an expansion by a homegrown solar company that is slowly expanding its national footprint. Sunnova Energy Corporation announced today the expansion of its Sunnova SunSafe solar plus battery storage service offering to homeowners in the company’s home state of Texas. Sunnova is one of the first residential solar plus storage service providers to offer solar plus battery storage in the Lone Star State. In addition, Sunnova is the only residential solar service provider to offer a 25-year solar plus battery storage contract with a comprehensive warranty and performance guarantee ensuring long-term peace of mind for homeowners. “There are two things you should never bet against—adoption of technology and consumer choice. And in Texas we’re seeing that firsthand with the demand of residential solar plus storage. Sunnova’s newly available solar plus battery storage offering provides Texan homeowners with an added layer of energy reliability and freedom that utilities can’t provide,” said William J. (John) Berger, Chief Executive Officer of Sunnova Energy Corporation. “Texas has been the epicenter for transformative energy technologies for years and, as such, it’s only fitting that homeowners across our Lone Star State will play a critical role in our mission to help power energy independence.” Sunnova’s SunSafe offering in Texas is a customized solar plus battery storage technology system designed to replace much of the energy homeowners normally consume from the electrical grid, day and night. It maximizes the use of the energy produced by the solar system, significantly reducing consumer dependence upon the grid and in some cases eliminating it all together. Unlike solar-only power systems that do not have a battery, it will also continue to produce and store energy when the power grid is down or idle, giving homeowners back-up power for their critical loads. “In Texas, we’ve seen firsthand the devastation caused by storms and hurricanes, and homeowners across the state want to ensure they’re protecting their families from extended power outages and electricity instability,” said Michael Grasso, Chief Marketing Officer for Sunnova Energy Corporation. “By offering Sunnova SunSafe, homeowners are given that peace of mind knowing that they’ll have reliable energy, day and night.” In addition to Texas, Sunnova also offers the service in Hawaii, Arizona, California, Puerto Rico and Massachusetts.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

California has the most aggressive solar plans in the nation. This is no surprise. Between the 100% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) (which in the Golden State means solar) to its mandating that all new construction must have solar panels on them starting in 2020, it's clear the legislature and the people of California have gone all in on the Solar Revolution. But that would mean nothing if there is no one to serve the burgeoning market. Which is why the most recent announcement from Vivint Solar is so exciting that they are expanding their solar leasing program to the entire state. Vivint Solar, a leading full-service residential solar provider, announced it has launched a new fixed rate solar lease plan. Initially available in select markets in California, the new solar plan allows new customers to install solar panels for no money down, lease them from Vivint Solar for 20 years and pay the same fixed monthly payment over the entire contract term. The new offering underscores Vivint Solar's commitment to expand the solar plans homebuilders can offer to homebuyers as they prepare for California's 2020 mandate requiring rooftop solar installations on new homes. In collaboration with Vivint Solar, homebuilders in California can offer multiple solar plans to homebuyers, who will have the opportunity to choose their preferred financing option. "In order to provide a best-in-class customer experience, we must continue to diversify the ways homeowners can go solar and save money on energy bills," said Vivint Solar CEO David Bywater. "This new solar plan introduces a simple, flexible option for embracing clean, renewable energy and gives new customers the assuredness that they will pay the same amount for solar energy in 2038 as they will in 2018." Vivint Solar expects to extend the fixed rate solar lease plan to additional states in the coming months.

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Happy Halloween. Like solar, it is clear that snickers and twix are the candy of choice for kids. Anyone that passes out something else loves fossil fuels. Regardless, a long evening of trick or treating means that there is no column today. More to come tomorrow. In the meantime, please support the gracious sponsors of SolarWakeup Live! by learning more about them on the links by clicking on their logos. 

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann