The forgotten GW. As I spoke to software vendors and service providers at the asset management show last week, I kept trying to figure out where all of the GW were. At most, vendors had a portfolio of 15GW or so depending on how it was counted. With global capacity well above this, I kept asking the same thing, where are the remaining GW as they have to be managed somehow. The answer is that utilities, which own a large amount of the global GW, are doing almost everything in house. From writing their own software to hiring their own field technicians, few utilities are outsourcing the asset management or O&M functions.
Help support SolarWakeup. If you are looking for investors or buyers of your projects, hit reply to this email and let us help you. Our expansive network is always looking to partner with you and helps us pay the bills to keep the newsletter free to you, as it has been for the past 4 years.
Metaphor of the week. The coal mine museum goes solar. Makes sense, that’s the future for coal miners across the Country. Elon Musk should have donated it to them and now IREC should offer free training at the museum, located at a technical college in Kentucky.
Make sure you listen to the latest episodes of EnergyWakeup. Google is now at 100% renewables, how do they do it and what is next? Sam Arons talks to SolarWakeup. We also speak with OSEIA Director about Oregon’s solarmarket.
The budget to nowhere. Congress doesn’t like the cuts to the EERE division of the DOE. Some solar people sat down with the Secretary of Oops Energy, Rich Perry. First public comments was all political fodder but I want to know how the meeting really went.

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Yann

Today’s opening paragraphs are courtesy of Vinyasun and Generate Capital. Two companies that took me up on my offer and donated $1,000 to Vote Solar for Equinox. Vote Solar is doing important work that keeps many of us employed. Imagine a solar industry without the regulatory and legislative rules that exist today. Lucky for us, this isn’t the case. Also thanks to Kristin Ashwood and Blair Kendall for sending their donations!
Florida Solar Wakeup – Our largest utility is self-promoting 2GW of rate-payer funded, self-build, “universal-solar” power plants without a transparent bidding process. They are so big league they convinced the FLPSC to let them run a half-baked voluntary green pricing program, funded by ratepayer donations, while in parallel running a $20+ million-dollar opposition campaign against its own customer. The result, the sleeping giant is awake. In August, 73% -- over 1.9 million votes were cast to remove tax barriers to commercial solar and that have prevented affordable solar leases to the state's aging and middle-income population. What you might not know is that constitutional amendment was placed on the ballot through the legislature, passed unanimously with bi-partisan support. PACE is now available to 40% of Floridians, zip codes where a large amount of this country’s wealth is concentrated and contains a population greater than that of Massachusetts. Right now, our republican legislature is in the process of doing the will of the voter, implementing language to remove taxes from solar leases and commercial ownership. The Solar Foundation reported that solar jobs in Florida grew by 31% in 2016. Make no mistake - Florida is open for business whether the utilities like it or not.
Justin Hoysradt is the Chief Executive and Dir. of Public Policy for Vinyasun. A primarily residential, rooftop solar installer, strategically driving scale to make Florida’s once impenetrable grid more modern, distributed, and flexible. This paragraph was brought to you through a contribution to Vote Solar, the grassroots, non-profit, organization that has significantly helped drive the policy change that you have been waiting for in Florida. Donate to Vote Solar today.
Help support SolarWakeup. If you are looking for investors or buyers of your projects, hit reply to this email and let us help you. Our expansive network is always looking to partner with you and helps us pay the bills to keep the newsletter free to you, as it has been for the past 4 years.
From Generate Capital. Generate Capital has announced a new facility to finance more than $250 million in energy storage and solar-plus-storage projects. As the largest private financier of behind-the-meter energy storage projects in North America, Generate Capital will initially focus on the upcoming SGIP rebate program in California with this innovative new facility. The groundbreaking program provides standard customer contracts for behind-the-meter storage and solar-plus-storage projects, offering project developers access to permanent, flexible capital in a burgeoning market. For more information about the facility or the SGIP program, contact Generate Capital at storage@generatecapital.com.
Make sure you listen to the latest episodes of EnergyWakeup. Google is now at 100% renewables, how do they do it and what is next? Sam Arons talks to SolarWakeup. We also speak with OSEIA Director about Oregon’s solar market.
First Solar Raising Money. Brookfield gets into the yieldco game and First Solar wants out. It is raising money to keep a decent cash position while replacing its manufacturing capacity and it also realizes that owning assets long term isn’t what the company is setup for.

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Yann

The State Tour. This week’s EnergyWakeup. I’ve always been intrigued about the State chapters of SEIA. They are political animals that sometimes have a hard time to get going but when they do and the cylinders are firing, watch out. It seems to me that Oregon is in that position right now. Budgets have been drastically increased, fundraising is going well and a new executive director has been hired. Now add a well thought out Oregon Solar Plan and 115MW of new solar development coming to the State. Our conversation is wide ranging including the intricacies of how OSEIA works with SEIA. Plus an awesome new intro song!
Help support SolarWakeup. If you are looking for investors or buyers of your projects, hit reply to this email and let us help you. Our expansive network is always looking to partner with you and helps us pay the bills to keep the newsletter free to you, as it has been for the past 4 years.
Winning over land owners. A Texas Tech Professor was on the Pod Save America podcast and she said something really interesting about her conversations with Texas land owners. Oil has been driving big revenues for them but it’s messy and intrusive to the property. Wind farms on the other hand are now bringing in $60million in revenues to land owners. Texas is on the edge of being a solar juggernaut and revenues will be interesting to watch.
Make sure you listen to the latest episodes of EnergyWakeup. Google is now at 100% renewables, how do they do it and what is next? Sam Arons talks to SolarWakeup. We also speak with OSEIA Director about Oregon’s solar market.
Going 100%. The content at Vox is quite good of late. David Roberts tackles the idea of going 100% renewables and if it can work. We work in this sector but what do the RPS’s really mean for our business, this is a great place to start.

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Yann

In this episode of EnergyWakeup, we speak to the executive director of Oregon’s Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA), Jeff Bissonnette. Jeff has been working for OSEIA for over a year and comes to the association with almost two decades worth of energy policy experience. OSEIA has dramatically increased its budget and operation to bring Oregon back to the top of the solar leaderboard. Oregon used to have a business tax credit that led companies like Nike and Prologis to go solar almost ten years ago. Today the group is fighting for the residential tax credit crucial to the sector and implementing new policies like community solar. Recently, OSEIA announced the Oregon Solar Plan which aims to have Oregon’s energy supply at 10% solar in a decade, something that is completely feasible. Solar development is also advancing in Oregon, with 115MW recently announced to multiple developers taking advantage of a $5/MWh adder for production. Companies like SolarCity and sPower took advantage of the process. Jeff and I discuss the local politics and priorities for this year’s legislative session. Net metering is not directly under attack and Jeff tells us how it is being addressed. We also talk about how OSEIA works with SEIA and what State’s need to be able to become more successful in their work to move solar forward. You can find this episode on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher Radio. Make sure to subscribe and review the podcast. [soundcloud id='316082874' height='false'] In this episode of EnergyWakeup, we speak to the executive director of Oregon’s Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA), Jeff Bissonnette. Jeff has been working for OSEIA for over a year and comes to the association with almost two decades worth of energy policy experience. OSEIA has dramatically increased its budget and operation to bring Oregon back to the top of the solar leaderboard. Oregon used to have a business tax credit that led companies like Nike and Prologis to go solar almost ten years ago. Today the group is fighting for the residential tax credit crucial to the sector and implementing new policies like community solar. Recently, OSEIA announced the Oregon Solar Plan which aims to have Oregon’s energy supply at 10% solar in a decade, something that is completely feasible. Solar development is also advancing in Oregon, with 115MW recently announced to multiple developers taking advantage of a $5/MWh adder for production. Companies like SolarCity and sPower took advantage of the process. Jeff and I discuss the local politics and priorities for this year’s legislative session. Net metering is not directly under attack and Jeff tells us how it is being addressed. We also talk about how OSEIA works with SEIA and what State’s need to be able to become more successful in their work to move solar forward. You can find this episode on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher Radio. Make sure to subscribe and review the podcast. [soundcloud id='316082874' height='false']