Thank you to Pam Cargill of Chaolysti and Grant Draper from Browning and Associates for buying their Equinox Party Tickets. If you buy 5 tickets ($1,000) you get to write the column for a day. In today’s news you have the incoming tariffs in Canada on Chinese modules. A permanent ruling to come this summer but the preliminary numbers are rather high, Canadian Solar may be the winner here with good capacity in Ontario plus their great day on Wall Street with the pending yieldco announcement coming soon perhaps???
Yann
News
1 Globe and Mail:
Trade tribunal rules Chinese solar panels may be hurting Canada’s industry
2 Greentech Media:
Solar Advocates Launch a Targeted Campaign Attacking AEP
3 Giga Om:
SunEdison acquires battery project startup Solar Grid Storage
4 Midwest Energy:
Xcel seeks to put a brake on large community solar gardens
5 PV-Magazine:
Canadian Solar reports record-breaking year
6 NY Times:
Solairedirect Moves to File I.P.O. in Paris
7 Vox:
A major eclipse hits Europe this month — and it's a big test for solar power
8 WLTV:
Commissioner uses study to attack solar subsidies
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
What's behind solar price variability, and why utilities get the best deals
Have a great day!
Yann
Probably the best night in solar is Vote Solar’s Equinox Party. A star-studded affair every year and this time is no different so it is with pleasure that I ask you, the loyal readers, to do me a favor and buy a ticket to Vote Solar’s Equinox. It is happening on March 19th (in a few weeks) in San Francisco. If you can’t go, take this opportunity to make a donation to the group, they do the work to keep you in business so your salary/profits depend on them being able to do their job. If you use the link below to buy tickets, send me your receipt and I’ll give you a shoutout, if you buy or donate $1,000 or more, you get to write the column for a day. How’s that for a write-off!
Vote Solar’s Equinox (Click Here)
News
1 PV-Tech:
Trina Solar to spin-off downstream business
2 Giga Om:
Do you want to own a solar panel in a farm far away?
3 RE World:
5 Solar Asset Management Predictions for 2015
4 Breaking Energy:
The Race To 7-Day Solar Is On!
5 PV-Magazine:
Five percent growth for global BoS, reaching $21 billion in 2019
6 Solar Industry:
Solar Leaders Look Ahead At COSEIA's Solar Power Colorado 2015
7 Bloomberg:
Brazil to Reduce Taxes for Distributed Solar Energy Generation
8 The Guardian:
Can solar power help bring millions out of the dark?
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Why solar panels are becoming a middle-class commodity
Have a great day!
Yann
Another IPP goes the way of acquisition. With 60MW of assets and another 100MW under development, Main Street isn’t the biggest player on the market but significant enough to get AES’s attention. I reiterate my question from a few weeks ago when Duke took the majority of REC Solar, what is the root of all the majority investment/acquisitions of commercial development paltforms. Of note, AES CEO says the transaction size was $25million which (if accurate) seems very small so something else was part of the deal, let’s see who digs into it.
Yann
News
1 PV-Magazine:
AES targets distributed PV, storage with purchase of Main Street
2 Giga Om:
SolarCity sues Arizona utility over solar anti-competitive practices
3 NY Times:
Japan’s Solar Power Growth Falters as Utilities Balk
4 Renew Economy:
Carbon crash, solar dawn - Deutsche Bank on why solar has already won
5 Energy Collective:
What is Prosumer Value to Utilities?
6 RE World:
To Shift Middle East Away from Nuclear Track, U.S. Should Invest in Solar Partnerships
7 Forbes:
Trina Solar Q4 Preview - Revenue Growth Will Continue, Margins Could Decline
8 Chicago Tribune:
Proposal would allow neighbors to share cost, credit for solar projects
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
Can Brussels Deliver An Energy Union For Europe?
Have a great day!
Yann
We often ask if solar has become mainstream and I can confidently say that it has. Wearing my daytime hat at Conergy, we proudly announced one of the best turnarounds in solar’s history this morning. With 300MW installed and nearly $500million in revenues, the team I get to work with every day brought profits back to a Company after many years of losses. The solar markets are flattening out especially for global companies reaching markets where solar is at parity and with investor’s appetite for more solar projects growing, we see a larger 2015 by continuing our partnerships with solar teams around the world.
Yann
News
1 Bloomberg:
Conergy Sees 450 Megawatts of Solar Installs in 2015, CEO Says
2 CNBC:
Solar energy's unexpected conservative backers
3 AZ Central:
Rooftop-solar billing issues far from settled
4 Seeking Alpha:
Vivint Solar - Increasing Focus On Downstream Integration
5 Utility Dive:
Beyond the substation - How 5 proactive states are transforming the grid edge
6 Ecowatch:
Solar-Powered Airplane Prepares for Groundbreaking Around-the-World Flight
7 Biz Journals:
Solar installer RGS Energy to cut 30% of staff, reorganize
8 Renew Economy:
Even at $10/barrel, oil can’t match solar on cost
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Energy Technology - Deploy What We Have vs. Build Something New
Have a great day!
Yann
