ACC Insider Dealing Throws Shade on Arizona Solar Market

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent The invaluable Ryan Randazzo at AZCentral.com revealed today that the executive director of the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), which oversees public utilities in the state, has had to resign because his wife worked for the lobbying firm that represents – wait for it – the state’s largest utility, Arizona Public Service. Although there is no evidence of direct influence, the scent of conflicted interests surrounding Executive Director Tom Vogt was so strong that he resigned ahead of an emergency meeting the commissioners had called to discuss whether he had in fact violated state law by … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for July 9th, 2018

Intersolar Happenings. If there was a doubt about attendance at ISNA, the schedule definitely doesn’t show a slowdown. Multiple events each evening and lots of people looking to figure out how to move their business forward with some dealmaking. I like the that the conference has been brought into Moscone, colocated with solar and storage into a single venue. If you are in town for the show, let me know how it goes for you.
Exciting Resi Times. All the noise doesn’t seem to really come down to the local installer level. Maybe it’s because you don’t find the time to devote worry to things you can’t control. I talk to a dozen installers a week, at minimum, and without fail your biggest concern is delivering installs to your customers faster and keeping more of your loan proceeds by lowering the dealer fees. I’d love to see more happening on the training side because installers need qualified labor to install solar, which is becoming one of the biggest constrictions to growth right now.
The Trump Trade War Starts. The mainstream media is all over the official start of the Trump trade war, and I’d love to see more solar in the news showing that this is the 4th or 5th level of consumer taxes in the solar industry. Module prices are dropping right now and developers are jumping at the opportunity to buy compliant inventory at lower costs. Reality remains that the uncertainty is paralyzing larger businesses that don’t buy product on a daily basis and need to get 6 months of certainty that allow for projects to be started, financed and built under a solid set of assumptions.
Lithium. EVs. China. VW’s announcement brings up the topic that I’ve warned about before, especially to legislators that read SolarWakeup. If the US wants to be in the game of manufacturing LiOn batteries, it needs to do so right now. The boat hasn’t left the harbor but it’s getting close. My operating assumption that this is likely a lost battle for the US but we will remain the global leader in executive platforms and dealmaking much like solar. The problem with that divergence is that the future probably mimics the trade fights unless the auto OEMs and utilities get together and make sure that politically that doesn’t happen.
Presented by Pfister Energy – Pfister Energy is a turnkey design-build renewable energy provider for commercial, industrial, utility, and community projects with an emphasis on energy efficiency and energy management. We possess 25 years of project experience with over 120 MW of solar installed on rooftops, carports and on unused land nationally. Clean energy is not limited to solar and as part of our smart building-integrated energy plan, we provide holistic solutions by stacking solar, LED lighting, wind, daylighting and other energy efficiency systems combined with storage.  Visit www.pfisterenergy.com for more information.

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Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 6th, 2018

Welcome to the second Friday of this week. See you next week in San Francisco, you can find me near the Quick Mount lounge or hit reply to this to say hello. Have a great weekend!
Scott Pruitt Becomes A Lobbyist. In between looking for chicken startups and buying used mattresses with his interns credit cards, Scott Pruitt did a really bad job protecting the environment. I said it in the past but his irrational behaviour put his regulatory policies on the front page of the news constantly. Can you name Obama’s EPA administrators? George W. Bush’s? Now we move to Scott Pruitt’s replacement, Andrew Wheeler, who knows the EPA well. He started his career there and learned how to apply the right pressure when he became a coal lobbyist. I expect Wheeler to be more manicured as administrator but just as bad at protecting the environment. Stay tuned because with FERC Commissioner Powelson resigning, a coal bailout could be coming soon.
Everyone Still Loves Solar. Another poll that takes solar to both sides of the aisle. In this case, a poll asked supporters of the NRA and Greenpeace how they feel about solar and businesses that use more solar energy. 75% of the respondents said that businesses that go solar should be rewarded.
That’s A Big Solar Rooftop. I’m not big on project announcements but a 40MW project that is built for self-consumption seems like a big deal. There’s a GM plant in Spain that has something around 13MW but this is more than three times that. Will be interesting to see if other large manufacturers will be doing the same since everyone wants them to according to the above poll.
Correcting Yesterday’s Note. Yesterday I made note that DeLeon wasn’t moving forward to the general election in November since he lost to Feinstein in the primary. While he was beaten in the primary by 1.5million votes, California has a top two process that results in DeLeon making it to the general in November. Apologies on the error.

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Yann

Scott Pruitt Out At EPA; Former Coal Lobbyist To Step In For Now

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent There’s always a creative tension about covering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a solar reporter. On the one hand, they don’t have anything directly to do with energy policy, so some solar reporters feel it’s not worth covering. On the other hand, as a solar reporter, it’s impossible to completely separate the environment and the Solar Revolution, since one of solar’s biggest selling points is that it helps reduce greenhouse gases and thereby helps the environment. Therefore, policy set by the EPA can have an indirect effect on the solar industry whether it wants … Read More →

NRA And Greenpeace Reach Historic Agreement: Solar Rocks

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent It’s our distinct pleasure to announce that the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Greenpeace have come to a historic agreement. And that historic agreement is this: Solar. Rocks. According to a new survey by Swytch, a blockchain platform that tracks, verifies and rewards those reducing the global carbon footprint, 75% of both NRA and Greenpeace members believe businesses that switch to clean energy should be rewarded – and NRA members are more than twice as likely to own solar electrical systems than the general public. [wds id=”3″] Those are the headlines from the new survey, … Read More →

The Energy Show: What Are The Best Solar Panels?

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The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon What are the best solar panels? That’s a question we are asked all the time. When customers look for the “best” solar panels they consider efficiency, reliability, quality and cost. Cost and efficiency are closely related – all solar panels generate the same amount of electricity (kwh) on a per watt basis. Your appliances can’t tell the difference if they get their electrons from super-efficient panels made in the USA, or the cheapest panels made somewhere in Asia. Nevertheless, there are clear cut differences among solar panels when it comes to aesthetics (all black … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for July 5th, 2018

I hope you all enjoyed your July 4^th holiday, played with sparklers and indulged in a parade. Now it’s back to work to kick off Q3 and get solar on some rooftops. If you are coming to Intersolar next week, please let me know. I always enjoy meeting you in person.
Growing Florida’s Solar Market. We can call it a double. From 2016 to 2017, the Florida market increased by 92% according to the just released net metering report issued by the PSC. This is very much felt on the ground here in the market but we are just scratching the surface. Florida will break 100,000 systems per year in 2019 and may do it in 2018 if companies are able to put the funding and labor plans in place to execute. I’ve spent 10 years working in solar while living in Florida and am now leaving just went the market picks up, but Walnut Creek is calling my name! See you next week at Intersolar!
Goldman Gets A New Solar Fund. South Jersey Industries, operating a solar portfolio under Marina Energy, went to market a few months ago. This wasn’t the first time it came to market but this time it transacted. Many investors participated in the process made complicated by the structure but the assets are largely desirable in a hot New Jersey market. Goldman Sachs ended up on top with their $350million bid for the ~200MW. This is a nice cornerstone for the fund that just recently put a great team together. Congrats the GS team.
The EV Infra Ratebase Is Going To Get Gotten. Utilities across America have asked themselves how to play in the EV space and owning charging infrastructure is the most obvious to me. I used to advocate to utility CEOs that shareholders should front the money to increase demand in the service area without putting the infrastructure into rate base. It seems that IOUs will get the best of both worlds, increase demand with EVs while also getting a return on the EV infrastructure. I expect that we will see a big rush to take advantage of this boon.
100% In California. The California Assembly will be starting their hearings on the 100% RPS bill, SB100, after passing it through committee. This came after receiving 38,000 letters from constituents to pass a clean bill on the issue. Last year, this came really close to getting done but politics in an election year probably got in the way. Now that De Leon is out of the general for the Senate, I can see him getting this work over the finish line. His leadership is remarkable, especially on this issue.
Presented by ENGIE. ENGIE (formerly SoCore Energy) is a market leader in commercial, industrial, and distributed solar and storage portfolio development with installations across some 25 states. ENGIE offers commercial and industrial companies, electric cooperatives, and communities solar and storage solutions that provide energy cost savings, increased resiliency and carbon reduction opportunities.

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Have a great day!
Yann

California Takes One Step Closer To Passing 100% RPS Bill

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent One. Step. Closer. Nearly a year after SB 100, the California bill that would mandate a 100% RPS by 2045, failed to make it out of committee, the bill is now on its way to a vote in the full Assembly after passing out of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee this afternoon. The measure had received 38,000 messages of support, delivered to lawmakers ahead of the vote by a broad coalition of solar, environmental and social justice activists. [wds id=”3″] In what would be a historic decision, the California Assembly could pass SB 100 … Read More →

Florida PV Installations Increase 92% In 2017

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent It’s not double, but it’s close. The new net-metering statistics are out in Florida, and the number of PV installations increased 92% from 2016 to 2017, from 4,365 to 8,434. It’s amazing what can happen when you rationalize your solar policy. [wds id=”3″] Needless to say, the state’s installers are thrilled with the news. “Florida’s solar growth has been explosive and it’s all due to the citizens who have been asking for solar for years,” said Michael Vergona, president of UrbanSolar. “Everyone wants another option for producing their own power and harnessing our abundant sun.” … Read More →

Just Call Him Nostradamus Brandt: He Predicted The Moss Landing Storage Deal Two Weeks Ago

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent You know how some people claim to have the gift of seeing the future? Well, I’m lucky enough to know someone who actually does see the future, and his name is Yann Brandt. OK, Yann won’t be doing palm readings at the Quick Mount PV booth at Intersolar next week or anything like that (note to Yann: a side business, perhaps?), but he was prescient enough to foresee the largest solar + storage deal announced yesterday at Moss Landing in California two weeks before it happened. [wds id=”3″] On June 19, Yann wrote: What if, … Read More →