By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Washington D.C. is a city full of symbols. Monuments to leaders of the past abound, and as the seat of our national government it carries great symbolic power for the rest of the country. Which is why the fact that it's considering a resolution to move to a 100% renewable energy future as soon as 2032 could provide tangible gravity to the cause and encourage other cities to follow its lead, according to various local and national reports. Tony Clifford, chief development officer for Standard Solar, a D.C.-area national solar company, is thrilled that Washington D.C. is continuing its commitment to clean energy. After all, the company has installed more solar in the District than anyone else and helped the city earn the world's first LEED Platinum certification for a municipality. "For us, it's more than just another city going to 100% clean energy - it's personal for us," Clifford said. "Standard Solar has a number of employees who reside in the District of Columbia, and we have always taken great pride in helping the city be a clean-energy leader. "As longtime participants in the DC solar market, I can only applaud the DC City Council and Mayor Bowser for their continued renewable energy leadership," he added "Setting and attaining a goal of 100% renewables by 2032 will keep DC in the forefront of clean energy cities around the world." That D.C. would join an ever-growing list of cities to pledge a move to 100% clean energy is an enormous symbolic victory for the cause, given its special place in the hearts of many Americans. But as Utility Dive correctly points out, the decision is becoming more common, even at a statewide level. As they wrote:

Among aggressive carbon reduction goals, a 100% RPS may soon become common. While Hawaii was first to declare a 100% renewables goal, several states have considered it, including California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Washington and Pennsylvania.

The importance of having a nation's capital be 100% clean energy can't be underestimated, so we join Clifford in his congratulations to the council and Mayor for their leadership on this issue. Now it's time to get the resolution passed and move forward with putting in into practice.

Go Solar, Save Money. Now that the 5 tech companies make up 50% of the value in the S&P, you have to ask yourself what it takes for the remaining 495 companies to jump on the bandwagon. I know the idea is that those 5 companies make so much money that solar is a nice to have, but I assure you that on a portfolio basis that it is going to make them money. Retail energy companies have been an interest of mine for many years, that’s why I like to continue to highlight CleanChoice Energy. They come up all the time in my work and our customers overlap because they want solar on their house if they can and use renewable energy for everything else. Moreover, corporates want to have solar but it can’t be complicated which is a specialty of the solar industry. I’m interested to see how CleanChoice continues to innovate and how their competitors follow suit. Thus far the copycats have been scarce.
Use Credit To Drive Scale. It was just over a year ago that I had the opportunity to sit with the amazing solar ambassador, Bill Walton, at the PAC 12 Sustainability Summit. Together we spoke about the meaning and opportunity solar presented to the universities. My message was, as it is today, that entities with large usage and good credit can work backwards. Identify the sites (or even think offsite) and outline the energy price that works for the entity, then go big. It is hard to find an entity that has its data together, anywhere in America, that couldn’t save money with solar if they contracted for a large enough portfolio. As Vote Solar’s Thad Culley wisely said yesterday on Twitter (I’m paraphrasing), solar already makes financial sense, this is a question of morality!
Great Logic, Wrong Implementation. Utilities helping customers buy electric cars is the right idea, helps the ecosystem and increases demand, but it is the wrong policy and use of funds for utilities. Consumers already want electric cars but their fear is not knowing where to charge the cars. This isn’t range anxiety, this is fear of the unknown and fear of the logistics required. How do I add a charger to my house? Who installs it? What do I install and where do I buy it? Where else can I charge? Those are the questions that go into the mind of someone that wants an EV but can’t get the answers. Utilities should have a hotline to answer that and if consumers want an EV, utilities should provide and install the charger in their home while at the same time drastically increasing the number of charging stations. Remove the fear and consumers will buy their own EVs.
Fix The AD/CVD. The impact on the silicon manufacturers is one of the worst parts of the overall solar trade war. These were amazing infrastructure investments made by companies in parts of the Country where solar still struggles to get off the ground. Instead of net metering being attacked in Michigan, silicon could be made there and sent around the world, the same is true for Tennessee. Removing the AD/CVD and replacing it with a domestic aid package funded by import fees is exactly the way we need to go. US made silicon would then travel the world once again.
Showing Off Resi Solar. Are you installing awesome systems across America? Let’s show off some pictures on this platform. Send me a picture with your logo and location (city and state) on the image and I’ll post it on the newsletter. Every homeowner is a solar advocate and let’s help them show off their investment in the future!

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

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)