Let’s face it, utilities are the central part of today’s energy system and play a vital role to make sure that the light turns on when I flip the switch. So while every home installing solar is clearly a goal of mine, I see the need to recognize that a decrease in sales slows investment growth. Like a solar yieldco, growth in investments is how most IOUs make money. Peter Rive points out DSM which may require high levels of trading capability. I think that EV charging stations offer the most upward potential for demand growth. So let’s once again propose an EV charging station for every home that goes solar.
Yann
News
1 Greentech Media:
PG&E Seeks $654 Million to Build 25,000 EV Charging Stations
2 Utility Dive:
SolarCity CTO offers solutions to utilities losing revenue to solar
3 NPR:
The Great Solar Panel Debate - To Lease Or To Buy?
4 Giga Om:
Apple to spend $850M on solar energy from new solar farm in California
5 PV-Magazine:
Abengoa Yield and NextEnergy investment and equity news
6 CleanTechnica:
Utility-Scale Solar Outshines New GOP “Architecture of Abundance” Energy Plan
7 Star Tribune:
Xcel Energy says proposed giant solar gardens don't look like 'community' projects
8 Mother Jones:
Are Solar Companies Ripping You Off?
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
Studying Sustainable Finance
Have a great day!
Yann
News of the day comes in the majority investment of REC Solar by Duke Energy. This follows a long stream of commercial solar developers purchased or majority owned by other utilities; NextEra/Smart Energy, NRG/Solar Power Partners, Edison International/Socore to name a few. Also Total’s large investment in Sunpower Corp. The question is what is the motive? And why is it always a purchase or majority ownership? It definitely isn’t always a distressed purchase so the reason must be something else and is it the best move for the utility?
Yann
News
1 Greentech Media:
Duke Energy Buys Major Stake in REC Solar, Aims to Invest $225M in Commercial PV
2 LA Times:
Minority groups back energy companies in fight against solar power
3 Motley Fool:
SolarCity and NextEra Will Triple Hawaii's Solar Power
4 Utility Dive:
How utilities think they will make their money in the future
5 RE World:
Former FERC Chief Jon Wellinghoff Speaks Out on Grid Security and Distributed Generation
6 NY Times:
An Incubator for Innovation
7 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Renewable energy advocates win court case on utility solar changes
8 Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia House passes solar energy legislation, sends it to Senate
Opinions:
9 Forbes:
As Customers Disconnect From Grid, Wind And Solar Energy Are Threatened
Have a great day!
Yann
If you look back at the last 10 or so years in solar, you can see a ramp up of innovation followed by capital. The first phase was expensive capital into ‘risky’ ideas. The second phase was huge manufacturing plants funded by billions in venture capital, driven in large by the government policies that the capital was chasing. The third phase was the de-risking of solar and lower cost capital looking to invest in the sun. The next phase will be about solving the little problems, the problems we are largely ignoring because we have a status quo fixes for them. Part of what I hope to accomplish is finding the clean tech innovator that can improve my competitive edge.
Yann
News
1 RE World:
The Promise of Clean Energy Student Entrepreneurs
2 Greentech Media:
Solar Microinverter Startup Enecsys Now in Administration
3 Breaking Energy:
U.S. Solar Manufacturing Rising On The Horizon
4 Energy Collective:
Advanced Energy Technology of the Week - Utility-Scale Solar Energy
5 Solar Power Portal:
UK beats Germany’s solar installation record in 2014
6 India Times:
Drive for clean energy - Companies set to back 20,000 megawatts of solar expansion
7 Giga om:
Why Chile has emerged as a big solar market
8 CleanTechnica:
REsource - Get The Inside Scoop On Saudi Arabia Solar Power
Opinions:
9 USA Today:
Is solar poised for shale-like breakthrough?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 PV-Tech:
Obama proposes permanent extension of solar’s ITC
2 Motley Fool:
Why Solar Panel Efficiency Matters More Than You Think
3 Bloomberg:
Seven Reasons Cheap Oil Can't Stop Renewables Now
4 San Diego Union-Tribune:
Solar power shines on apartments, renters in California
5 Huffington Post:
How to Finance an Energy Revolution
6 Hartford Courant:
NRG Home Solar Buys Northeast Operations Of Verengo Solar
7 RE World:
How Community Solar Is Finally Addressing Clean Energy’s Equity Problem
8 Huffington Post:
New Generation of Investors, New Generation of Issues
9 AZ Central:
SRP solar critic hits the roof
10 Grist:
Here’s how to make sure renewables keep getting cheaper
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
