Back in Florida, this week was a bit eye opening at the solar finance conference. For one, it was great to see how many of you were there and to meet you in person. This event was symbolic of the types of jobs that solar creates and jobs that cannot be outsourced to another Country, so it was great to hear a fellow panelist bring up the headwind of tariffs for 400 jobs in Oregon. For comparison, there were 547 people registered for this event. Also a great day yesterday for solar, with Solar Edge successfully listing on NASDAQ, selling for $18, first trade around $20 and then closing above $21. Congrats to $SEDG!
Yann
News
1 Venture Beat:
Sunrun’s journey shows that there is rarely a straight line to success
2 24/7 Wall Street:
SolarEdge Shines Incredibly Bright In Its IPO Debut
3 Bloomberg:
California Just Had a Stunning Increase in Solar
4 Recharge News:
PG&E claims US utility lead with rooftop solar
5 Utility Dive:
New Hampshire bill would remove barriers for utility-owned rooftop solar
6 Hartford Courant:
What's Solar Really Worth? A New Report Floats Some Numbers
7 PV-Magazine:
Europe's solar market declined 36% in 2014, says EPIA
8 Think Progress:
Thanks To Conservatives, Florida Is Now One Step Closer To Making Solar Energy More Accessible
Opinions:
9 RE World:
Lifting State Limits on Local Power
Have a great day!
Yann
How much is the ITC extension worth to your business? At the conference I've been attending over the last two days, everything revolves around "before the deadline" or "post 2016". It's a bit tiring that all of the highly paid smart people in solar give up so easily. So I ask it in a different way, if someone asked you to write a check that could extend the ITC, how much would your company write? Reply to this email and let me know (if you care about the ITC).
Yann
News
1 PV-Magazine:
FT examines curious trading pattern of Hanergy shares
2 CleanTechnica:
4% Of UK Electricity Could Come From Solar By 2020
3 Oregon Live:
DOJ investigating subsidies for solar projects - Oregon environment news
4 FastCo Exist:
Solar Power From Space Is Closer To Reality Than You Might Think (Still Very Far Away)
5 PV-Tech:
Australia nears solar anti-dumping decision
6 Breaking Energy:
Why California Solar Was Even Better Than You Thought
7 AZ Daily Star:
TEP would slice rooftop solar rate benefits
8 Bloomberg:
Yingli Slips to Second Among Solar Panel Makers Behind Trina
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Pope Puts Climate Heat on GOP
Have a great day!
Yann
After the first day at Infocast in San Diego, I have some initial thoughts. 1. There is no better place to catch up with people than these conferences, regardless if it is always the same people. Seeing people again is great and you end up seeing new opportunities. 2. You discover new buzzwords, like “the fourth pillar” which apparently refers to Community Solar (h/t to SunShare). 3. Solar has A LOT of service providers, engineers, lawyers and accountants primarily. 4. I wish there was more time to listen to the panels, I really enjoy learning the random thought I hadn’t heard before and I get that urge to challenge the speakers on many of their topics.
Yann
News
1 Politifact:
Koch-backed group says Georgia solar policies cost more
2 Think Progress:
Neil DeGrasse Tyson Has Some Choice Words For Anyone Who Votes For A Climate Denier
3 Business Journals:
Survey - People love solar power — if it does not cost them extra
4 Renew Economy:
WA to go solar – may be the only way out of energy mess
5 Fortune:
California is first state with 5% of its electricity from solar
6 Solar Server:
Egypt Solar Industry Association releases solar PV report on the nation’s FiT program
7 PV-Tech:
Government report - US$17.6 billion invested in UK solar since 2010
8 Utility Dive:
North Carolina - The next big utility-solar showdown?
Opinions:
9 Scientific American:
How Solar Heavy Europe Avoided a Blackout during Total Eclipse
Have a great day!
Yann
Today’s top story is symbolic of some recent things we have seen in the news and in social media. One group, Solar Secrets, made its rounds in the solar circles on Facebook after having some door canvassers knock on the wrong door. That group is part of the conservative, anti-solar movement funded by Koch Bros and their allies. Interestingly, not all conservatives are anti-solar, some are very much pro-solar given free-market principles that resonate with them. A hire in solar that hasn’t become too public is a recent addition at Sunrun in the policy team. The team (which is A+) added Tyson Grinstead who comes to Sunrun as the former political director for Senator Lindsey Graham, a politician not entirely known for his ties to clean energy. Welcome to solar Tyson!
Yann
News
1 Think Progress:
Smithsonian Stands By Wildly Misleading Climate Change Exhibit Paid For By Kochs
2 RE World:
Building On a Strong Foundation - The Critical Need for Updated Interconnection Policies
3 Business Journals:
Sun block - D.C. bill would require compensation when solar access obstructed
4 EDF:
In Austin, Clean Energy Innovators Are Helping to Alleviate Energy Poverty
5 Huffington Post:
The Emergence and Importance of President Obama's Climate Policy
6 Bloomberg:
See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil
7 PV-Magazine:
Energy Union - Germany, Norway to link grids
8 Utility Dive:
If the center doesn't hold - Why the electric power industry could one day collapse
Opinions:
9 Clean Technica:
What Are Washington Legislators Smoking?
Have a great day!
Yann
