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
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
