By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

As more businesses decide to pursue 100% clean energy goals, they often need people to help them get there. CleanChoice Energy has launched a new service in several states designed to do just that. The announcement comes on the heels of solar's own national association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, signing an agreement with WGL Energy Services to offset its employees' travel with 373 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) from two solar projects in Virginia and Maryland, respectively. The move is an effort for the association to practice what it preaches to become carbon neutral. It didn't get the positive press it deserved for its decision, and it deserved it. SEIA's move showed that businesses of all sizes and types can move to 100% clean energy given the proper driving spirit - and it shows the way for other associations in the space to do the same. Leadership like this is what will accelerate business decisions to go solar. The CleanChoice Energy program is designed to accelerate the clear trend the solar industry is seeing as businesses transition from a fossil-fuel to a clean-energy future. Each year, big corporations like Wal-Mart, Target and others vie for the honor of being the company to have the largest installed solar capacity in the country as highlighted in SEIA's Solar Means Business Report. While those large companies have their own teams dedicated to making the transition, smaller companies need guidance, which is the niche CleanChoice Energy is trying to fill. The new CleanChoice program will initially be available to partners serving Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C., who want to bring their businesses and nonprofits into the 100% clean energy revolution. “Commercial businesses and large nonprofits are eager to choose 100% renewable energy, and we’re excited to be able to work with brokers to help them make the switch,” said Tom Matzzie, Founder and CEO of CleanChoice Energy. “With CleanChoice Energy’s 100% renewable energy products, businesses and large nonprofits can purchase 100% solar and wind from the region in which they operate.” According to their release, CleanChoice Energy’s Broker Program offers a dedicated team to provide personalized service to our partners which includes both custom and matrix pricing options, as well as exceptional account management services. The company maintains a Net Promoter Score that far exceeds industry standards. The new program will also provide brokers and consultants access to innovative energy products such as CleanChoice Energy Community Solar. Additional CleanChoice Energy Broker Program benefits include: ● Quarterly review of account portfolios; ● Post service account management including environmental impact statements; ● Customer promotional materials to share their renewable power purchase; ● Flexible commission plans with timely and accurate reporting.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Privately owned solar arrays in Pima County, New Mexico, have saved the county $220,000 since 2015, according to a report by Arizona Public Media's Zachary Ziegler. The irony is that the savings could even be higher than reported, but three of the arrays haven't provided savings yet because of some issues with a rebate program from Tucson Electric Power, facilities management Director Lisa Josker told Ziegler. The news comes as the county considers entering into 15 more deals to purchase electricity at lower rates from privately owned solar arrays than the rates they would receive from traditional utility-owned fossil-fuel plants. Ziegler says the county expects the savings to increase as electricity prices continue to increase through more traditional generation methods, while the county will continue to purchase electricity at the flat rate of a 20-year power-purchase agreement with the private arrays. Josker told Ziegler the savings are only one portion of the advantages the county receives from the arrays:

A lot of the solar installations provide covered parking for employees and visitors, so there's more advantages than just the savings, of course the savings is the main thing."

While the evidence is anecdotal, it's stories like these that are likely to influence voters when they go to the polls this fall to consider a ballot initiative, sponsored by progressive billionaire Tom Steyer, to move the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 50% by 2030. When stories like the savings in Pima County get out, that has the potential to sway voters to put their energies behind the measure - if it isn't headed off by the Arizona Corporation Commission, which is considering a measure to push the RPS to 80% by 2050. The primary difference between the two proposals is that the ACC's considers nuclear power clean energy, while the ballot initiative does not. As solar continues to prove its success in saving taxpayer money, it will be interesting to see if that peels off any votes in favor of the former and build support for the latter. Only time will tell. More: Pima County: Solar Savings $220,000 Since 2015 Arizona Regulator Wants To Get Ahead Of The Voters (And That May Be OK)

Thank You! You are all too kind and I promise I will respond to everyone. Day 1 in the books and I can feel that (solar) energy already. Lots of coffee plans in the future and of course you are all welcome to visit me in Walnut Creek, especially given the co-located Calicraft Brewery at the office.
Build More Solar. Some good questions today for you to ponder. What would be a better way to get industry, solar in our case, to grow domestically, especially in manufacturing, without imposing the tariffs that try to do one size fits all. One way would be for the Government to do more purchasing and understand where the products come from. This would also save the Government money aside from creating volume for the domestic manufacturers, lawyers, and developers that house the jobs in the industry. Question for the crowd, how much solar would it take to offset the Government’s usage?
Good Question. If Congress is looking into the question of what energy storage policy should look like, then I ask myself that same question. Storage is a bit more complicated, for behind the meter for example, who should have the ability to dispatch the batteries. If a third party, what is the compensation and what are the parameters for operating the system? For central storage, is there an RPS that can take advantage of federal policy? Should the storage industry push for an ITC as well, adding ‘and energy storage’ to the solar tax credit or create its own PTC version.
US Assembly. The auto industry could be an interesting partner for the solar industry. They have campuses around the Country, mainly in the Southeast, assembling cars with parts that come from across the world. Shipping is an enormous cost in supply chain and shipping parts often gives an advantage to suppliers that are more local. Look at the Ontario parts manufacturing sector that services Detroit as an example. With VW announcing EV assembly in Tennessee, do the motor manufacturers start retraining workforce to build or assembly battery packs? The important takeaway is that the final assembly and ecosystem is a big part of the process. Tariffs hurt all of the supply chain and cause less of the final product to be made which results in job losses in the places you least hope to impact.
APS Continues, Learns Limited Lessons. This is incredibly similar to the anti-solar campaign in Florida. APS is spending, $11million thus far, to stop the RPS increase ballot initiative that Tom Steyer is backing. Honestly, it eludes me that the utility companies don’t take advantage of these circumstances. Instead of blocking the RPS, push for giant rate base initiatives, billions in EV infrastructure, colocating storage at the edge, substation and neighborhood levels amongst a few ideas. I get that being the APS CEO is tough when you only operate on 3-month increments but maybe there is a better way to run APS and Pinnacle West should let someone else try.

Have a great day!

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Have a great day!
Yann

SolarWakeup Is Now Pacific Time. Yesterday I took the one way flight to SF to be here full time. I appreciate the many notes of welcome and look forward to being within the hub of the solar industry. I’ll start most mornings right here in Walnut Creek at the Quick Mount manufacturing facility to serve the residential solar market. These are exciting times and I’m glad to play my part in this role. I look forward to working with many readers and hopefully do some business together along the way.
Political Reality Of Corporate America. Much has been written and said about Elon Musk’s political donations. Most of the comments I’ve received come from outside the solar industry but even within the industry, people are whispering. Yes, Elon gives to the republican party including PACs. The numbers released are in the 10’s of thousands, hardly a dent for a billionaire that has two companies, both of which require legislative action and funding. Just with SpaceX you can imagine the tens of millions that the Government pays to shuttle satellites on top of the access to locations like Cape Canaveral. This is a long way to say that donating to politicians is part of the game and one that even Elon has no choice in participating in. The solar industry isn’t immune, from hiring former republican Senators to lobby or handing out solar champion awards to GOP congressmen.
Blockchain Docket In Arizona. Transactive energy, seems like a fancy way to say that net metering or its equivalent can be handled by a blockchain protocol similar to our discussion with LO3 Energy during SolarWakeup Live! New York. I’m interested to see how the providers engage this discussion and if a pilot program is implemented.
Undermining Net Metering. There is going to be an urgency to change net metering programs across the Country. Infrastructure investments by utilities have a way of stacking on top of each other in a way that the value of solar and solar plus storage increased over time. More solar means less infrastructure spending needed which results in bigger and bigger savings to all energy consumers. The cost shift argument is a talking point, I haven’t heard of utilities trying to ban LED lightbulbs or more efficient refrigerators. Net metering is simple and it gives consumers comfort to make investments, the simplicity is what opponents want to disrupt.
Presented by ENGIE. ENGIE (formerly SoCore Energy) is a market leader in commercial, industrial, and distributed solar and storage portfolio development with installations across some 25 states. ENGIE offers commercial and industrial companies, electric cooperatives, and communities solar and storage solutions that provide energy cost savings, increased resiliency and carbon reduction opportunities.

Have a great day!

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Have a great day!
Yann