By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent What Happened:  Since January 1, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has made moves that indicate it is considering wooing utilities to become part of its membership - a move that may be well-intentioned but are far more likely to be self-defeating.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent What Happened:  Since January 1, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has made moves that indicate it is considering wooing utilities to become part of its membership - a move that may be well-intentioned but are far more likely to be self-defeating.

• SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper told SolarWakeup last year that she was willing to talk to anyone (which apparently really does mean anyone) to expand the solar industry.
• In the past few months, SEIA floated the idea of bringing on utilities as members of the association to some board members.
• SEIA approached SEPA to acquire their ownership stake in the SPI production company, SETS, but instead renewed the joint venture .

SolarWakeup’s View:  Sometimes, the enemies of your enemies are still your enemies, too. While I have no doubt the intentions of Abigail Ross Hopper and the rest of the SEIA team are honorable, the idea of bringing utilities in as part of the national solar association makes me uneasy - and apparently I'm not the only one. Since the beginning of the year, the subject of allowing utilities to become members of the association has come up. In one instance, the executive team met with resistance from the board when utility membership was discussed. Dan Whitten, the association's vice president of communication, disputes that characterization of what happened at the meeting, though sources requesting to remain anonymous to discuss the plan freely outlined it as reported above. "A range of options with regard to utilities was discussed at our most recent board meeting," Whitten told SolarWakeup. "There was some pushback, and there was also interest in pursuing this further. The conversation is not over."Likewise, recent negotiations surrounding the co-sponsorship of Solar Power International with the Smart Electric Power Alliance also came under discussion. Sources tell SolarWakeup that SEIA tried to buy out SEPA's interest in the show but were rebuffed. An of the partnership was signed instead. SEPA, unlike SEIA, has investor-owned utilities on their board and takes in millions of profits from SPI and other shows produced by SETS (Solar Energy Trade Shows). Whitten again disputes that characterization as well. "It was among a full range of options that we have batted around including renewal, the one we landed on," he said. An extension under the previous agreement should concern any SEIA member, however. After all, most of the revenues from the show come from SEIA members and members' customers, but SEPA's annual budget is more than 50% funded by the SETS joint venture. The bottom line? SEIA's members - that's you - fund an organization with close ties to the utilities that are trying to mess with your business. In other words, SEPA needs you more than the other way around, but it's SEIA's members that get hurt in the process. "There is no question that we are looking at all opportunities to better represent the full solar industry from local installers, to providers of advanced technologies, to large-scale solar providers and sponsors," Whitten said. "We want a big tent, but we want to do it in a way that will keep the solar industry together. A solar industry divided is an industry with limited to no political power. [We want solar to become] one that can represent the entire $20 billion and growing industry can wield serious influence in Washington and in states." Look, I get it. For years - nay, decades - the national association has struggled to find ways to raise the necessary money to battle against a well-funded utility industry, a battle it knows it needs to fight. And I understand the temptation to go where the money is. After all, there is no question the utilities are well funded and have money to burn - just look at EEI and NEI. Look at all the cash they're spending trying to dismantle net metering - maybe the most effective pro-solar-penetration legislative policy in history - and the money they get from charging exhorbitant fees for interconnection access. But that's just it, isn't it? Can we ever trust the utilities to support the solar industry fully, given the threat it poses to most utilities' monopoly power on electricity generation? Wouldn't we essentially just be giving cover to a group that, if they don't want to destroy the solar industry entirely, at the very least want to slow it down long enough for utilities to figure out how to keep the power of solar for themselves? What would that mean to SEIA's position on ratepayer-funded solar within utilities' monopoly markets? But I'm a big believer in playing out the potential unintended consequences of any move before deciding on a final course of action. And the potentially devastating consequences of alliance between solar's national association and groups hellbent on hobbling solar's growth are bridge too far for me. They should be for you, too. More: The Solar Energy Industries Association What Is The Threat To The Utilities From The Solar Industry? Zombie Lie Returns; Time To Kill It Again APS Is Trying To Kill Steyer-Backed RPS Initiative South Carolina Solar Soul Under Attack Hey, California Utility: John Grisham Would Like His Latest Plot Back Bonus: It just seemed appropriate. https://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent What Happened:  Inverse talked to one of the earliest adapters of the Tesla solar roof to ask what she thought of it - and suffice to say the customer has liked it a lot so far.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent What Happened:  Inverse talked to one of the earliest adapters of the Tesla solar roof to ask what she thought of it - and suffice to say the customer has liked it a lot so far.

• “I’m thrilled to be an early adopter, and hope Tesla can find a way to streamline the process and price to make it available to the masses.”
• Ordered last May, the roof is now producing power - one of the first such installations in the country (but likely not the last).

SolarWakeup’s View:  Haven't we learned yet not to bet against Elon Musk? When Tesla's founder announced the Tesla solar roof last year, among those of us cynics in the industry rolled our eyes and said, "We've so heard this before. Don't tell me. Show me." After all, Dow's Solar Shingle was supposed to be the integrated solar roofing revolution almost a decade ago, and that fizzled without going much of anywhere. But Musk, ever the brilliant marketer (and, OK, product developer, I'm just jealous), bet that the Tesla solar roof would capture the imaginations of solar adapters in ways the Dow product didn't, and it looks like he was right.....again (damn it). San Jose, California, resident Amanda Tobler - she of the "early adopter" quote above - added that she's been thrilled with her experience so far, from the initial purchase through the installation and now into production. The only problem she's experienced is that there hasn't been a perfectly clear day yet, so Tobler hasn't been able to put the system fully through its paces yet. The price point seems a little steep to me at $50,000, including all the incentives, tax credits and other cost offsets. But I can't say I've paid overly close attention to solar installation prices on individual homes (as I've mentioned before, I live in Cleveland, Ohio, with a tree-shaded southern-facing roof - the only way I'm going to solar is through a community installation, which I'm pushing my city to do - but I digress). But you have to start somewhere, and Musk seems to have put a product in the field that has a chance to revolutionize the way we look at rooftop solar installations. Congratulations, Ms. Tobler - we're thrilled to have you become part of the Solar Revolution - here's to more people joining you sooner rather than later. More: Tesla Solar Roof Buyer Tells Us First Impressions of Elon Musk's Tiles

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent What Happened:  Casa Pueblo, an environmental nonprofit and community center in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, has kept its lights on continuously even after Hurricane Maria knocked out power to most of the rest of the island in September. How? A solar power system.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent What Happened:  Casa Pueblo, an environmental nonprofit and community center in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, has kept its lights on continuously even after Hurricane Maria knocked out power to most of the rest of the island in September. How? A solar power system.

• Arturo Massol Deya, president of Casa Pueblo, told Yale Climate Connections that the center has been running on solar power for more than 20 years.
• Let's be clear: While many of us on the mainland have been debating about whether solar power can replace the island's grid, there's actually a real-life case study proving that it can.

SolarWakeup’s View:  One of our longest running current national embarrassments is continuing in Puerto Rico, where many of our fellow American citizens (I need to emphasize that every time I write about because, well, so many Americans don't seem to understand or care about that) are still without power. But as the mainland powers that be dither and deflect about whether they should still be involved, environmental nonprofit and community center Casa Pueblo could light the way - literally - to the type of future the island could have if it changed its power system completely over to solar + storage. Here's another amazing fact I hadn't heard about before Massol mentioned it in the Yale Climate Connections story: According to him, there's a study conducted at the University of Puerto Rico established that 65 percent of all the roof areas in the islands was enough to produce 100 percent of the island's energy demand. To its great credit, the solar industry (most notably companies like SunPower, Sunnova, sonnen and others) have leapt into action to bring more solar to the island. But I did want to take a moment to highlight Project Power Puerto Rico, launched by Scott Sullivan and other industry veterans to follow Casa Pueblo's example and light the way to Puerto Rico's solar future. Throw them a few bucks if you can. There's a real-life electricity crisis going on in Puerto Rico nearly seven months after the hurricane hit - but thanks to Casa Pueblo, there is a potential light at the end of the tunnel - if only we can find the will. More: Puerto Rico's solar-powered energy oasis Project Power Puerto Rico Sunnova SunPower sonnen Bonus: Puerto Rico should be all our hearts' devotion. https://youtu.be/Qy6wo2wpT2k

CCAs Go Solar Shopping. I am looking forward to interviewing Lindsay Saxby from Marin Clean Energy. Marin Clean Energy is one of the largest CCAs and they are currently looking for more solar as part of their RFP. They are also looking for energy storage. These are some of the topics I plan on getting information on. If you want to hear the answers to these things, you need to be at SolarWakeup Live! in person because the recording will not be posted until after the RFP is due. Use APRIL40 for 40% off your ticket to our exclusive event in San Francisco. There’s a single sponsor interview slot left if you are looking to reach the SolarWakeup audience with your message. As anyone that has come to our previous events will say, this isn’t the biggest crowd but its the most influential. Again, use APRIL40 to get 40% off your tickets.

SolarWakeup Bracket Challenge. Congrats to the winner of the SolarWakeup March Madness bracket. Nathan Arbitman of DSM Advanced Solar takes the victory with the correct Villanova prediction. In second place comes Tom Matzzie of CleanChoice Energy who was just a few points behind. Hats off to the Allie Detrio of Engie for a correct championship game but picked the wrong victor. Thank you to all for playing.

Jacksonville Stunts Solar. Jacksonville enjoys the double entendre, spending millions to bring Jinko’s factory to the City while at the same time killing its net metering policy. So the 50 jobs at the factory will be lost 6x in the market. The Jacksonville area has 347 solar jobs according to The Solar Foundation which will be at risk. It also shows that the regulatory uncertainty may have caused Jinko to lower its employment estimates. This whole situation is indicative of Florida’s solar market where allowing competition could  create 10’s of thousands of jobs but instead the focus is on leaving solar to a monopoly.

What Consumers Want. A poll has hit the all-time low of consumers worrying about the cost of energy while wanting the best environmental benefits from their electricity at much higher rates. That means consumers are willing to pay more to get cleaner energy sources in a market where cheapest today often wins the race. I am surprised that in a head to head, republicans still split 51/49 on renewables versus fossil, likely in a poll shift based on what the respondent feels they should answer.

What Consumers Get. Now that we see what consumers want, it’s good to see that they are getting some of that. With the ramp up of clean energy, US carbon emissions are coming down. These are positive notes but we can do so much more, let’s keep pushing and accelerate!

DTE Fights Back. This could be an interesting start to the Vote Solar tactic of opposing the natural gas power plant. Now DTE is proposing a renewables plan likely in a way to win over the opposition. Keep watching to see how much farther it can go.

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Have a great day!
Yann