This is your SolarWakeup for January 7th, 2016
Pointing out an interesting fact about the growth of Google’s Project Sunroof, the rooftop PV potential tool, that doubles as a lead gen business for Google. I am happy to see a Google support an engineer’s 20% project that involves solar. My preference would have been an acquisition of one of the several companies that does this. Solar startups like this are not crazy expensive and it would have been a moonshot for startups that look at the solar market. Imagine a Google acquisition of a startup in our space, it would have turned the tide for cleanweb companies that are already involved.
News
1 PV-Tech:
Google expands online solar calculator to more US homeowners
2 Solar Industry:
SolarCity Forced To Eliminate 550 Nevada Jobs, Following PUC Decision
3 Utility Dive:
Nevada regulators will consider delaying new net metering rates, monthly charges
4 Think Progress:
TransCanada Announces It Will Sue U.S. Over Keystone XL Denial
5 Solar Server:
New analysis finds sizable benefits from U.S. state Renewable Portfolio Standards
6 Phys.org:
New efficiency record set with dual-junction solar cell
7 Renewable Energy World:
German Solar Power Costs Drop 5.8 Percent in Government Auction
8 PV-Magazine:
Brazil doubles solar targets for utility-scale and distributed generation
Opinions:
9 EDF:
How Battery Technology and Crowd-Sourced Energy Can Save Our Aging Grid
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 6th, 2016
I enjoyed today’s top story, mostly because it makes too much sense. Think of the Republican party today, it’s all about free market and getting regulations out of the way. I can’t think of a sector more regulated and less free market that the electric utility monopolies. Imagine any other sector operated in this same fashion and the conservatives would be up in arms. I hope that regulators read this piece because what happened in Nevada is indicative of what could really fast track things against the system today. It’s one thing to change rules going forward like Hawaii and Arizona but Nevada went retroactive. That’s an overstep by the PUC and consumers will be up in arms about it.
News
1 New York Times:
The Conservative Case for Solar Subsidies
2 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Top 12 Clean Energy Developments of 2015
3 BBC:
CES 2016 - Clouds over Nevada’s solar revolution
4 Solar Love:
Community Energy Programs Presented At Paris Climate Change Conference
5 PV-Tech:
Hope remains in case against Spain’s solar cuts despite court ruling
6 Clean Technica:
Congress Gets Renewable Tax Credit Extension Right
7 PV-Magazine:
Germany - Frustration over wait for new PV storage subsidy announcement
8 Utility Dive:
Ontario turns to storage for renewables integration, grid services
Opinions:
9 Forbes:
What To Expect In Energy In 2016
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 5th, 2016
There will be lawyers and regulators which in some cases are both. Now that the Federal policies offer some certainty for the solar market, we have to keep our attention on State matters. The first Judge in Hawaii has upheld the PUC decision which is sure to be appealed by the solar sector. Arizona is pending a compromise which sounds like a gift horse of some sorts and Nevada has several shoes to drop. In the meantime, India is making deals with Russia so things are looking up for solar all over the world.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Hawaii court upholds PUC order ending retail rate net metering
2 PV-Tech:
India’s SECI signs MoU with Russian Energy Agency for large-scale PV and manufacturing in India
3 Greentech Media:
Australian Developer Aims to Put Entire Community Off-Grid
4 Bloomberg:
Canadian Solar Slides on Plan to Sell $100 Million in Shares
5 Renewable Energy World:
SunEdison Caps 2015 With Deals Boosting Balance Sheet
6 EDF:
A Sunny Future for Utility-Scale Solar
7 CleanTechnica:
Dubai Plans $7.3 Billion Renewable Energy Tenders
8 PV-Magazine:
India to install 4.2 GW of rooftop solar under increased budget
Opinions:
9 Arizona Central:
Forese - Why we’re reaching out to the solar industry
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 4th, 2016
Welcome to 2016 and the biggest solar year in the US. We should be on track to blow past 10GW this year which means a lot of work for everyone. As you get through your work, make sure to pull people along with you and help them out. It’s a small industry and we all need to be successful and this is the year to do just that. In the meantime, there will be some changes on SolarWakeup this month. Good for email subscribes as we will put the article links directly in the email so you don’t have to go to the website first. Enjoy the 2015 review articles today, hopefully the reporters will come back to work this week.
News
1 The Washington Post:
Wind, solar power soaring in spite of bargain prices for fossil fuels
2 Forbes:
Why 2016 Will Be Solar's Year Again
3 Las Vegas Sun:
Nevada should adopt, not marginalize, solar energy
4 EDF:
10 Clean Energy Trends that Prove 2015 was a Transformative Year
5 The National:
2015 in review - Solar power was region’s top alternative energy choice
6 Greentech Media:
Cleantech IPOs - Predictions Revisited, 2015 Winners, 2016 Picks
7 PV Magazine:
New York re-allocates $6 million in solar incentives
8 Grist:
Here’s why repealing the crude oil export ban wasn’t such a bad deal
Opinions:
9 Vox:
Electric car subsidies are hated by economists, loved by activists. Why?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 31st, 2015 – Happy New Year!
Here they are! As you go into your New Year's Eve celebration, you can make sure that you have the Top 9 stories of the year. The headlines are indicative of the big stories of the year, large M&A, ITC extension (and the PR war leading up to it), and big public solar company news. I want to thank you for being part of the growing group in solar that reads SolarWakeup. Have a Happy New Year!
News
1 The Street:
SunEdison/Vivint Solar Deal Up in Smoke, Shares Choke
2 Wall Street Journal:
Big Solar’s Subsidy Bubble
3 Forbes:
3 Things To Know About SolarCity's Financial Health
4 Politico:
Tax deal swelling into $800 billion blowout
5 Greentech Media:
Here’s What It Would Take for Solar Installers to Adapt to a World Without the ITC
6 New York Times:
Enemies of the Sun
7 CNBC:
The sleeping giant of the solar industry - Florida
8 PV-Tech:
ITC extension back on the cards, says Credit Suisse
Opinions:
9 Slate:
The Real Solyndra Scandal
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 28th, 2015
2015 was quite the year in solar, so this week let’s take a look back at the events that shaped our news. Over the year, we read some 2,000 articles and added over a thousand new readers. On Wednesday, I will publish the top 9 articles of the year. These articles aren’t my pick or that of the editors and publishers that are bound to advertisers. These are your choices and a small shout out to the editors ability to write good headlines. Enjoy the slow week!
News
1 Mother Jones:
The Solar Industry’s Christmas Miracle
2 Seeking Alpha:
Solar And Wind Are The Future Of Energy, And Fossil Fuels Are, Well, Fossils
3 Motley Fool:
Who Wins From the Solar Industry's $40 Billion Windfall?
4 PV-Tech:
SolarCity quits Nevada following ‘anti-solar’ decision
5 Energy Collective:
New York's Banner Year for Clean Energy and Climate
6 PV-Magazine:
Spain's Constitutional Tribunal gives a bitter Christmas gift to solar producers
7 Star Tribune:
Solar power boom in Chisago County creates winners and losers
8 Yahoo:
Morocco postpones opening of huge solar plant without explanation
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
How Hawaii Has Empowered Energy Storage and Forever Changed the U.S. Solar Industry
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 23rd, 2015
We don’t get good news everyday in solar, yesterday was one of them. Nevada PUC under the Governor’s appointment has come out with a complicated and unfair two-tier net metering replacement program. Recall that the Governor is already being sued for failing to release his text messages which fall under public record. The PUC also failed to follow the Nevada guidelines on pushing for more renewables and looking at the facts and evidence presented. Looks like Nevada will follow Wisconsin and have to defend its actions in court.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Nevada Regulators Eliminate Retail Rate Net Metering for New and Existing Solar Customers
2 ABC Nevada:
Public Utilities Commission Okays New Rate Structure for Rooftop Solar Owners
3 Politico:
Elon Musk vs Warren Buffet in solar title bout
4 PV-Magazine:
Vivint shareholders to vote on SunEdison acquisition
5 Reuters:
After Paris accord, most U.S. Republicans back action on climate
6 PV-Tech:
Public Utilities Commission Okays New Rate Structure for Rooftop Solar Owners
7 Investor’s Business Daily:
Appaloosa Demands SunEdison, Vivint Solar Books
8 Fortune:
Selling Solar to Rural Africa is Emerging as a Hot Market
Opinions:
9 Grist:
It’s hard out there for a clean energy startup
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 22nd, 2015
We are entering the weeks of Christmas and New Years. A full two weeks this year where nobody quite knows who is working and who is not. One thing is sure, reporters are writing less so SolarWakeup will enter a period of sporadic publication. If there are enough stories, I will get them to you, if things are slow, then I may skip a day. I hope you will enjoy this time off and get your 2016 planning in place. If you are like me, you are deep in business plan readjustment phase as we look into 2017 and beyond for plenty of growth. One thing is sure, stories like the one from Nevada will become hopefully not become a trend in 2016.
News
1 Bloomberg:
Buffett's Utility Wins as Sun Sets on Nevada Home Solar Subsidy
2 Las Vegas Review Journal:
PUC official opposes rooftop-solar change sought by NV Energy
3 Slate:
The Solar Industry’s Christmas Miracle
4 Renewable Energy World:
Obama Vetoes Resolutions Seeking to Block Climate Change Rules
5 Rocky Mountain Institute:
The Paris Agreement - 10 Key Takeaways for the Global
7 Renew Economy:
Ten big trends in solar, wind and storage to watch out for in 2016
8 PV-Magazine:
Australia reaches 4.59 GW of small-scale solar PV
9 Washington Post:
McAuliffe sets solar energy goal for Va. government
Opinions:
10 Miami Herald:
Sun setting on solar power campaign amid financial dispute
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 21st, 2015
As we enter the winter/holiday/christmas break, let’s take some time to reflect on why we do what we do. Foremost, we all think that solar is an industry where we can grow and take care of our families. Second, we have the opportunity to improve the planet for future generations by powering the planet with clean solar energy. A sustainable market is one where companies invest in their people and hope to attract new ones. One such was is the trend of holiday videos. I know of two this year that came from solar. The Conergy Corporate Holiday Video and SolarEdge Holiday Video
News
1 Las Vegas Sun:
State PUC chairman not a fan of solar energy
2 Greentech Media:
Congress Passes Tax Credits for Solar and Wind - ‘Sausage-Making at Its Most Intense’
3 CleanTechnica:
Boom Times Ahead For US Clean Power, Thanks To Oil Lobby
4 Think Progress:
The Surprising Winner Of Congress’ Budget Deal
5 Renew Economy:
UBS - Paris deal means most coal generation has to go
6 New York Times:
To Achieve Paris Climate Goals, U.S. Will Need New Laws
7 The Guardian:
Dark Christmas ahead for nearly 1,000 axed staff of solar panel company
8 Bloomberg:
How an Australian Mining Town Became a Solar Power Trailblazer
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
ITC Extension Levels the Playing Field
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Solar ITC extension approved in the U.S. Senate
2 Greentech Media:
Pelosi Questions Support for Deal to Extend Renewable Energy Tax Credits
3 New York Times:
Congress Inches Toward Completed Spending Bill
4 Bloomberg:
Solar, Wind Shares Jump as U.S. Nears Deal on Tax Credits
5 Tech Insider:
Elon Musk just made a very important point about solar energy
6 Greentech Media:
How the Paris Climate Agreement Could Impact the Global Solar Market
7 Bloomberg:
What Just Happened in Solar Is a Bigger Deal Than Oil Exports
8 The Hill:
Spending deal to lift oil export ban
9 Renew Economy:
How rooftop solar is causing big falls in peak demand
10 Bloomberg:
Big Oil, Make Way for Big Solar. The Winners and Losers in Paris
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
