There is a lot of discussion around the brewing EV battle. Apple confirmed a secret effort to build an EV that is self driving with 100s of people working on it. Meanwhile Tesla is delivering residential stationary storage in a few months. Note the name of the group, stationarystorage. That’s why I think Tesla is so much more than a car company. It defines the future where electric vehicles are the transmission lines connecting a distributed network. Elon may very well be working on an electric grid that leverages grid defection.
Yann
News
1 Washington Post:
Solar energy is playing surprisingly well in conservative parts of the U.S.
2 Utility Dive:
Elon Musk-Tesla home battery could be in production in 6 months
3 Motley Fool:
Can SolarCity's Business Survive Coming Solar Competition?
4 Breaking Energy:
Off the Well-Trodden Path – Where are the Hidden Solar PV Growth Markets?
5 Greentech Media:
The Carolinas Have Become Hot Spots for Solar Market Expansion
6 NBC:
Solar Project Fizzles, Could Cost Taxpayers Millions - Report
7 Huffington Post:
Is the Road to Solar a Solar Road?
8 Grist:
Kitzhaber is on his way out, but expect Oregon to keep being a green leader
Opinions:
9 USA Today:
Geoengineering won't solve climate change - Our view
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Bloomberg:
What Apple Just Did in Solar Is a Really Big Deal
2 Greentech Media:
Duke Energy Buys Major Stake in REC Solar, Aims to Invest $225M in Commercial PV
3 Mother Jones:
Are Solar Companies Ripping You Off?
4 LA Times:
Minority groups back energy companies in fight against solar power
5 NY Times:
An Incubator for Innovation
6 Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia House passes solar energy legislation, sends it to Senate
7 Forbes:
As Customers Disconnect From Grid, Wind And Solar Energy Are Threatened
8 NPR:
The Great Solar Panel Debate
9 RE World:
The Distributed Energy Storage Industry In One Chart
10 CleanTechnica:
Solar Jobs Boom Makes Keystone XL Pipeline Look Like A Tinker Toy
The Top 10 is ranked by the number of SolarWakeup.com readers that clicked on the news article during the previous week. It is the poll of the most relevant solar news of the week as judged by your colleagues and competitors.
Have a great day!
Yann
Happy Friday the 13th! Let’s go back to the question from yesterday. How does Apple’s 130MW procurement of a 280MW project end up with a $850million price tag? You responded with great possible reasons, some with more conspiracy than others. The most likely is that Apple actually bought all of the output from the 280MW system over 25 years with an LCOE of 7cents, quite possibly in a tax deal that would make the energy an asset to Apple’s balance sheet while reducing US taxable income? The other tax deal is that Apple is the offtaker and investor at the same time with unrelated entities causing a double cost perhaps? Unless Apple has a really really good tax equity team, it is unlikely that the company paid a basis of ~2.5/Wdc for the 280MWac project that has a cost basis of well under $1.50/watt.
Yann
News
1 CleanTechnica:
Solar Jobs Boom Makes Keystone XL Pipeline Look Like A Tinker Toy
2 PV-Magazine:
SolarCity's Hawaiian study reveals grid regulation potential of inverters
3 Utility Dive:
Battle brewing in South Carolina over utility's solar proposals
4 NY Times:
Nevada Leads US in Per-Capita Growth in Solar Jobs
5 Star Tribune:
Three Xcel projects will boost state's solar power tenfold
6 PV-Tech:
Japan’s solar grid connection impasse starts to bite
7 Breaking Energy:
Infographic - The World’s Top 10 Solar Power Countries
8 RE World:
The Top Ten PV Manufacturers in 2014 and Why This List Can Lack Meaning
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
Can the Electric Utility Industry Support Both Solar and Fossil Fuels?
Have a great day!
Yann
I love that Apple is buying solar energy for their stores and headquarters but let’s be realistic about this. Apple is buying solar because its likely the cheapest source of energy AND it makes them look really good. What I don’t understand is the $850million. All of the data refers to 130MW at a cost of $850million. The articles also mention a PPA, so even if Apple paid an exorbitant $0.07/kWh, the 25 year total would be in the low to mid $400millions. I’m not a fan of mismatching numbers, so will someone please fill me in.
Yann
News
1 Bloomberg:
What Apple Just Did in Solar Is a Really Big Deal
2 The State:
Questions raised about SCE&G’s renewable energy proposal
3 AZ Central:
SRP goes beyond eliminating the solar subsidy
4 Solar Foundation:
Get the state level solar jobs information and data, local data sets also included
5 Utility Dive:
Inside the deal - Why Duke Energy is buying one of the largest U.S. commercial solar developers
6 Renew Economy:
Utilities hold renewables to ransom over coal pay-outs
7 RE World:
The Distributed Energy Storage Industry In One Chart
8 Sun-Sentinel:
FPL to launch community-solar program in Davie
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
Spanish PV resurgence? Not on the horizon
Have a great day!
Yann
