Ready for some ramp up this year? Only 1.6GW of solar were installed in the first quarter of 2016, confirming the thoughts that things have been a bit slow to start the year. That doesn’t bode poorly for the rest of the year because we are still supposed to get to 14.5GW. In the 1.6GW you see an almost even split between residential and utility scale, a split that I don’t believe we have seen in years past. Time to get pushing towards the next 5 years and get projects into the ground.
Opinion
News
1 Greentech Media:
Solar Made Up 64% of New Electric Generating Capacity in the US in Q1 2016
2 Reuters:
GE starts production of solar power inverters in Brazil
3 PV-Magazine:
North American solar investors concerned about H2 oversupply
4 CleanTechnica:
Illinois Power Plant Closings Reveal Worldwide Nuclear Issues
5 PV-Tech:
11,493 rooftop solar systems in Hawaii still waiting to be installed, says report
6 Utility Dive:
Nevada officials to fund new rooftop solar study
7 Grist:
Solar panels don’t raise regular utility rates — and might even lower them
8 Portland Press-Herald:
Solar supporters urge Maine PUC to go slow on new rules
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
Seize The Day — Market Solar to Solidify the Future
Have a great day!
Yann
Some fun stuff today. The Business Journal in the Bay Area published the 20 highest paid under 40. Who knows the methodology for this but number 1 and 19 are from solar. The CEOs of Sunrun and SolarCity. I will let you scroll to number 1 but you will enjoy seeing Lyndon Rive's comp for 2015.
Opinion
News
1 Business Journal:
The 20 highest-paid Bay Area executives under 40 in 2016
2 Bloomberg:
Japanese Solar Summers May Trim Peak Fossil Fuel Power Costs
3 PV-Tech:
China sets 2016 solar cap at 18.1GW
4 CleanTechnica:
Australia Can Be Powered 100% By Renewables Without Fossil Fuel ‘Baseload’, Reports WWF
5 Renewable Energy World:
Industry Seeks Regulatory Clarity on Energy Storage Paired with Renewables
6 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Accelerating Sustainable Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa
7 Solar Industry:
Groups Call On N.Y. Regulators To ‘Put Community Solar Back On Track’
8 PV-Magazine:
Germany - Cabinet approves EEG draft
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
New PJM capacity rules challenge demand response aggregators
Have a great day!
Yann
At the risk of reversing the tremendous gains made in Paris, President Obama unveiled a $1.4billion market opportunity with Prime Minister Modi of India yesterday. Climate goals are not only about changing our electric profile but also a race on how we electrify the billion plus people around the world that have no access to electricity today. That is why this initiative is relevant, it doubles and triples down on the fact that solar is the cheapest, fastest and cleanest way to electrify the entire world. Electricity means internet and connectivity but it also means cleaner method for cooking and lighting to let children read after the sun goes down. Solar is so much more than a means to an end, its a means to the beginning.
Opinion
News
1 Think Progress:
A Million New Solar Homes Projected With India-U.S. Announcement
2 PV-Tech:
Recognising solar’s value key to NEM 3.0, says interim SEIA chief
3 Greentech Media:
Renewables Are Getting Cheaper. But That Doesn’t Mean We Should Eliminate Subsidies
4 Utility Dive:
APS rate case sparks concern beyond mandatory demand charge proposal
5 Forbes:
TVA Way Ahead Of The Pack With Nuclear And Solar
6 CBS:
How going solar can lighten your tax bill
7 The Guardian:
UK solar eclipses coal power over month for first time
8 Renewable Energy World:
Forget Red-Blue Divide - When It Comes To Clean-Energy Deployment, Both Sides Lead
Opinions:
9 Arizona Central:
Robb - The bigger electricity subsidy no one talks about
Have a great day!
Yann
If you get involved in markets outside of the US, as I have recently, you realize that complications in projects come of different shapes and sizes. In the US, tax equity creates the biggest complexity but with the right sponsor or sponsor partner, this can be solved. In other Countries you start thinking about other things like exchange rates and currency volatility. The volatility drives the cost of your financing if you are hedging (you probably should) so you have to think about events that cause issues. Brexit, the UK’s potential desire to leave the EU, has a vote coming up and such an event creates a lot of volatility and depending how the vote ends up, really changes the value of a project that was underwritten a few years ago with a feed in tariff.
Opinion
News
1 Greentech Media:
UK Solar Industry Split on How a British Exit From the EU Would Impact Business
2 PV-Magazine:
France - EDF embraces self-consumption and digitization
3 PV-Tech:
Yingli Green’s shipments in Q1 lead to profit claims
4 Think Progress:
Another Giant Pension Fund Divested From Oil, Coal, And Gas Companies
5 Utility Dive:
Minnesota court upheld size limits for Xcel community solar
6 Renewable Energy World:
What Size is the Global Solar PV Industry? Pick a Size, Any Size
7 New York Times:
Energy Bill Prospects Dim in Dispute Over Drilling, Drought
8 Bloomberg:
GE Ventures Buys Stake in German Sonnen to Boost Solar Storage
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Why the Next Five Years Will Determine Our Clean Energy Future
Have a great day!
Yann
