This is your SolarWakeup for January 19th, 2016
The first I’ve seen in global estimates for solar installed in 2015. A few firsts that I can point out (not fact checked however, so point out if I missed some highlights). Over 50GW installed globally being led by China (15GW). China now has more solar than Germany with 43GW, a stunning reminder of how much solar Germany installed to push the global industry forward. The US beat out Europe 9.8GW versus 8.5GW and Europe was led by the UK with 4GW versus Germany’s 1.4GW. From where Germany was, it is great to see the Country still installing 1.4GW which beats out almost every US State besides California.
News
1 Solar Server:
PV Market Alliance estimates global photovoltaic installations of at least 51 GW in 2015
2 Greentech Media:
The Solar Tax Credit Extension Will Make Net Metering Battles Much More Intense
3 Think Progress:
Martin Luther King And The Call To Direct Action On Climate Change
4 Breaking Energy:
Obama’s Last Gasp Climate Proposals
5 Renewable Energy World:
Cook Islands On Target To Be 100 Percent Renewable
6 Solar Power Portal:
Mayor of London candidate Zac Goldsmith unveils solar pledge
7 Clean Technica:
Nevada PUC May Be Setting State On Path Toward Grid Defection
8 PV-Magazine:
Shunfeng warns of 90% profit decrease, completes Suniva acquisition
Opinions:
9 The News & Observer:
Solar panels permanently ‘ruin’ farmland, NC senator says
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 18th, 2016
It is clear to me that we need to stop mining for and using coal for electricity. This doesn’t mean that I am not empathetic for the 64,000 direct jobs in the coal mining industry in the US. What gives me hope however is that those jobs are clearly not in States we would consider solar hotbeds. I think the President was right in saying that we need to shift these jobs into the future, because I would rather the Government spend money creating new industries for them as opposed to letting them keep their current jobs. West Virginia and Kentucky can great solar markets, so I welcome the sight of the coal workers having the opportunity to work out in the sun and installing solar panels.
News
1 New York Times:
U.S. Pledges to Ease Pain of Closing Coal Mines in Shift to Cleaner Energy
2 Greentech Media:
Solar Customers Launch a Class Action Lawsuit Against NV Energy
3 CBC:
Solar energy set to shine in greener Alberta
4 Renew Economy:
Doubling of renewables will add $A1.9 trillion to global economy by 2030
5 The Energy Collective:
Economics of Batteries for Stabilizing and Storage on Distribution Grids
6 PV-Magazine:
EnergyTrend - 5 GW of new capacity will relieve multi-wafer shortage
7 Washington Post:
This technology may be the future of solar energy
8 Solar Industry:
Is Nevada PUC's Anti-Solar Ruling Devastating Local Solar Companies?
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Adapting to climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean means ending social disparity
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Las Vegas Sun:
Q+A - Hillary Clinton shares stances on Nevada solar shake-up
2 Bloomberg:
Nevada Solar-Law Author Concerned as Solar Companies Flee
3 Think Progress:
The Little-Known Reason Renewable Prices Are Dropping
4 ABC Las Vegas:
PUC votes to keep new rates for rooftop solar customers
5 PV-Magazine:
What does solar have to do with the bankruptcy of the second-largest U.S. coal miner?
6 Poughkeepsie Journal:
NY weighs rules that may limit rooftop solar panels
7 Greentech Media:
10 Solar Trends to Watch in 2016
8 Solar Novus:
Venture Capital Funding in Solar Sector Tops $1 Billion
9 Fortune:
Nevada's New Solar Fees Have People Furious
10 Renewable Energy World:
Fifteen Things to Watch Out for in 2016
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
This is your SolarWakeup for January 15th, 2016
BNEF came out with the 2015 analysis of clean energy investments. There is also some information about the global markets. In 2015, global solar saw $156Billion (with a B) of investments with the great majority of that in projects. Hard to ignore those kinds of numbers and a 7 year runway in the US will tempt a lot of investors to get off the bench. Remember that until about 2013, the solar numbers in the US were still quite small in comparison to other markets and by the time the numbers came up, the regulatory uncertainty made them sit out for good. Get in the game because the big money is in solar. Just figure out how to create some scale and standardize the process in a risk managed way.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
2015 - 57 GW of solar PV installed, clean energy investment hits highest ever levels
2 Fortune:
Nevada's New Solar Fees Have People Furious
3 Fast Co Exist:
Requiring Utilities To Use Renewables Saves Billions Of Dollars
4 Utility Dive:
Solar prices are stabilizing at new lower levels, but causation remains elusive
5 EDF:
State of the Union Recap - We can Afford Obama’s Clean Energy Legacy
6 NRDC:
Proposal to Charge Electric Cars in Southern California Gets the Green Light
7 Solar Power Portal:
UK solar investment fell in 2015 despite global upward trend, claims BNEF report
8 CNBC:
Harvesting solar, 6km in the air
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
NYU Study - Economics Of Climate Change Is A No-Brainer
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 14th, 2016
Hard to ignore thousands of people and a few celebrities standing outside your office. While last night showed the President taking a bit of a solar victory lap, the headlines today show what’s happening on the ground in Nevada once again. Keep in mind this is the headline in the news today but the definitely not alone in terms of policy fights happening. It’s one thing to have a discussion about issues but its another to make them a political fight that become retroactively damaging to consumers. NV has to fix this and do so fast.
News
1 ABC Las Vegas:
Actor Mark Ruffalo, others call out PUC at solar meeting
2 PV-Tech:
Obama flags solar achievements in final State of the Union address
3 Grist:
Rubio says he likes renewables, but he clearly likes oil and gas a lot more
4 Utility Dive:
How a new business model could get the Puerto Rico public utility out of debt
5 Reuters:
Solar investors join list of those smarting from $30 per barrel oil
6 Arizona Daily Star:
Arizona utility to study time-shifting rooftop solar power
7 Las Vegas Review Journal:
Utility regulators reject call to delay new rooftop-solar rates
8 USA Today:
Solar industry growing, with some setbacks
Opinions:
9 Think Progress:
How A Solar Decision In Nevada Could Shape The 2016 Presidential Results
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 13th, 2016
20% growth for the 3rd year in a row, 1 in 83 jobs created was in solar and now the solar industry has 209,000 professionals in it. This is exciting for me, because I remember when we were well under 100k and growth was an uncertainty. Moreover, there is strength in numbers and as we grow into a profitable industry, it will be difficult to fight the combined strength of grassroots support, employment and businesses. The President didn’t fail to mention solar and even gave a shout out to solar + storage. The Solar Foundation continues their great work and here is their full job census.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
U.S. solar industry surpasses 200,000 jobs
2 Bloomberg:
Nevada's Solar Power Fees Draw Ire of Silicon Valley Investors
3 New York Times:
Transcript of Obama’s 2016 State of the Union Address
4 PV-Tech:
Australia’s solar anti-dumping investigations resurrected
5 Vermont Public Radio:
Solar Companies Must Be Truthful In Marketing, Says AG
6 CleanTechnica:
Indonesia Plans To Set Up Renewable Energy Utility
7 Greentech Media:
10 Solar Trends to Watch in 2016
8 Utility Dive:
Solar moves ahead of wind, hydro in California fuel mix, toward 10% of state's power
Opinions:
9 Solar Server:
Oil price dumping improves mining companies’ position in long-term renewable energy contracts
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 12th, 2016
Solar may be a small part of the energy production but it’s already having the impacts. PV-Magazine in collaboration with GTM Research covered the bankruptcy filing by Arch Coal, the nation’s second largest coal miner. You can layer the regulatory headwind for Coal on top of each other but as reported, it is the cost of electricity production that is hurting coal the most. Running a plant and using the fuel has a cost before a return is made. If the value of the electron is too low, then the cost can’t be recovered which in turn creates bankruptcy situations. That’s in an open market however where generators have to compete (and consumers win) but the next step is for monopoly regulators to understand the same math.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
What does solar have to do with the bankruptcy of the second-largest U.S. coal miner?
2 Bloomberg:
Nevada Solar-Law Author Concerned as Solar Companies Flee
3 Gizmodo:
A Massive Solar Power Plant Is Taking Shape in the Sahara Desert
4 Baltimore Sun:
Green energy - Baltimore's next manufacturing industry?
5 Think Progress:
The Little-Known Reason Renewable Prices Are Dropping
6 Greentech Media:
What Energy Efficiency Can Learn From Solar, Uber and Spotify
7 Mother Nature Network:
Why one church's use of solar panels matters
8 Forbes:
Is Good Faith Enough To Bank Our Energy Future On Renewables?
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Is the Post-Fossil Fuel Era Now Inevitable?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 11th, 2016
To see the impact of solar on politics, take a look at the short first article today. Hillary Clinton met with the Las Vegas Sun to go over Nevada electoral issues and the solar net metering/PUC topic was first on the list. She dodged the question a bit but also entered some knowledge into the record. It appears that the Solar Foundation’s job census is now on every campaign manager’s desk (hats off to them) about the impact of solar jobs in each state. Based on my count, President Obama will invite a solar professional to the State of the Union for the second time and may drop some more research in this year’s speech.
News
1 Las Vegas Sun:
Q+A - Hillary Clinton shares stances on Nevada solar shake-up, Bundy saga and Yucca dumpsite
2 Greentech Media:
Nevada’s Solar Job Exodus Continues, Driven by Retroactive Net Metering Cuts
3 PV-Magazine:
Tax exemptions for solar components introduced in Brazil's legislature
4 Solar Novus:
Venture Capital Funding in Solar Sector Tops $1 Billion
5 Poughkeepsie Journal:
NY weighs rules that may limit rooftop solar panels
6 Quartz:
Pay-as-you-go solar power is bringing electricity to more people in rural East Africa
7 Renewable Energy World:
Fifteen Things to Watch Out for in 2016
8 Huffington Post:
"Obamas Invite Businessman Who Helps Low-Income Residents Afford Solar Panels"
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
What utilities need to know about solar growth after the ITC extension
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 New York Times:
The Conservative Case for Solar Subsidies
2 Forbes:
Why 2016 Will Be Solar's Year Again
3 Washington Post:
Wind, solar power soaring in spite of bargain prices for fossil fuels
4 PV-Tech:
Google expands online solar calculator to more US homeowners
5 Forbes:
What To Expect In Energy In 2016
6 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Top 12 Clean Energy Developments of 2015
7 PV-Magazine:
New York re-allocates $6 million in solar incentives
8 Renewable Energy World:
SunEdison Caps 2015 With Deals Boosting Balance Sheet
9 Las Vegas Review Journal:
Rooftop-solar company Sunrun says it is also exiting Nevada
10 Arizona Central:
Why we’re reaching out to the solar industry
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
This is your SolarWakeup for January 8th, 2016
Two big stories of the day. The first is Sunrun leaving Nevada shortly after SolarCity announced the same thing. There is a danger for a utility overstepping its powers because more likely than not, it will be temporary. Solar will eventually overcome regulatory burdens and instead of a market where companies coexist, it will require one to win and beat the other. The other story is the Sunedison stock fall yesterday. China fell on an awful stock day, being open just 29 minutes, but SUNE also announced a capital raise which was not perceived well. Let’s see what happens next.
News
1 Las Vegas Review Journal:
Rooftop-solar company Sunrun says it is also exiting Nevada
2 PV-Magazine:
SolarPower Europe welcomes UK's call for MIP suspension
3 Utility Dive:
Utility-backed Florida solar proposal appears headed for 2016 ballot
4 Treehugger:
High-flying solar balloons could produce clean electricity night and day
5 Forbes:
Tax Credits For Wind And Solar Will Deliver But Will Definitely Be Phased Out
6 Solar Power Portal:
MPs lambast perceived double standards in energy policy
7 NRDC:
State Renewable Energy Standards Cut Carbon, Save Consumers Billions, New Report Shows
8 Solar Industry:
New York To Participate In Solar Ready Vets Training Program
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Solar - Catalyst for Economic Growth & Improved Health in the World's Most Rural Locations
Have a great day!
Yann
