This is your SolarWakeup for November 10th, 2015
Great job by the California solar industry and its supporters. Over 130,000 signed petitions were delivered to make sure that the CPUC does not break net metering in California. Individuals, businesses, farmers, solar professionals and even municipalities voiced their opinions. The fight is not over, not on the net metering issues or the ITC, so keep up the pressure. With Paris happening at the end of the month, politicians from around the world will voice theirs for climate and clean energy.
News
1 Utility Dive:
California solar advocates bring wheelbarrows of petitions to net metering fight
2 PV-Magazine:
New York leads coalition of U.S. states in legal defense of Clean Power Plan
3 The Hill:
Clinton promises to expand climate efforts - 'There is no Planet B'
4 Fortune:
This is Why Solar Panels Will Boom Early Next Year
5 Energy Collective:
Putting the UNFCCC to the Test
6 Renewable Energy World:
2015 Supply Side Update of Shipments, Inventory, Defective Modules & Prices
7 Vox:
RECs, which put the "green" in green electricity, explained
8 Think Progress:
After Endorsement From Oil Industry, Vitter Calls For End To Solar Tax Credits
Opinions:
9 Fox Business:
Big Solar Fight Breaks Out Between Utilities, Homeowners
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 9th, 2015
Something good happened on Friday, President Obama said no to the Keystone XL pipeline. This is no panacea to solve climate change but it shows a shift in politics around something that just a few years ago was a given. Also a positive is the traction that bills are getting in the House of Representatives. The Highway bill passed the house and needs a Senate counterpart for a conference to start. This is a really good chance to push for some form of ITC extension. Time to pick up the phone and call your Senator and ask for support on the ITC!
News
1 New York Times:
Citing Climate Change, Obama Rejects Construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
2 PV-Magazine:
Solarcity lawsuit against Arizona utility to go forward
3 Forbes:
Solar + Storage May Be Energy's Holy Grail, But Will Regulators Aid The Quest?
4 PV-Tech:
Chinese FiT cuts won’t quell demand, says EnergyTrend
5 Renew Economy:
Solar energy costs continue to plunge across the world
6 Motley Fool:
Solar Energy Shakeup - What We Learned From This Quarter's Earnings
7 Solar Industry:
New York Makes $13M In Solar Incentives Available For Low- To Moderate-Income Homeowners
8 Tampa Tribune:
Tax credits, reduced costs make solar power options shine
Opinions:
9 USA Today:
Keystone pipeline obama rejection editorials debates
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Lawsuit threatens SolarWorld liquidity
2 Bloomberg:
Say Goodbye to Solar Power Subsidies
3 Forbes:
Solar's Future - Boom, Bust, Boom
4 PV-Tech:
SolarCity cuts cord on growth strategy as cost reduction becomes new mantra
5 Greentech Media:
Rhone Resch Outlines All the Ways the Solar Investment Tax Credit Could Be Extended
6 East Oregonian:
Wyden to address solar tax credit
7 Winston Salem Journal:
Duke Energy wants fines against Greensboro church's solar project
8 EDF:
These 3 States Have a Head Start on the Clean Power Plan. You'd Never Guess Who They Are.
9 Greentech Media:
Sunrun CEO - Saying the ITC Won’t Be Renewed Is a ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’
10 Forbes:
Utilities And Solar Companies Jockey For Position As Community Solar Blooms
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 November 6th, 2015
Crucial time to do what grassroot industries like ours do. Call Congressman, Senators and write op-eds. There is an unlimited support network to help you do this but we can’t do it for you. A small business meeting face to face with your Congressman has a legitimate affect on policy. You mean a vote and you provide meaning to the work that the representative does in DC. Here are the places you can use to help you push for this. Now is the time, because Congressional recess is the next few weeks. http://www.weareteamsolar.com and http://www.seia.org/support-seia-extend-itc
News
1 Fresno Bee:
Editorial - PUC shouldn’t blot out rooftop solar
2 Greentech Media:
Sunrun CEO - Saying the ITC Won’t Be Renewed Is a ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’
3 Bloomberg:
Say Goodbye to Solar Power Subsidies
4 Sacramento Bee:
Big Oil dirties California’s politics and air
5 EDF:
These 3 States Have a Head Start on the Clean Power Plan. You'd Never Guess Who They Are.
6 Rocky Mountain Institute:
New DOE Definition of Zero-Energy Buildings is a Base Hit, Not a Home Run
7 Grist:
Can something called the cleanweb help fight climate change?
8 Utility Dive:
Hawaii PUC allows public utility alternatives to be considered in NextEra merger case
Opinions:
9 Discovery:
Could Europe Be Powered by African Solar Energy?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 5th, 2015
Let’s clear up some common misconceptions about solar because there is a lot of confusing and misconstrued news currently. First, the shorts have taken on the solar stocks. Stocks are momentary valuations of companies that have to show quarterly results but in solar’s case have a life cycle of 20, 30, or 40 years. Assets have value and when the value is less than the companies market cap then the short squeeze isn’t far away. Add the positive movement on the ITC topic and short sellers will be getting out because an extension will remove a giant cloud from our sector. Also some interesting movement on the trade topic but that’ll have to wait for later.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Rhone Resch Outlines All the Ways the Solar Investment Tax Credit Could Be Extended
2 PV-Magazine:
Canadian Solar to hold yieldco IPO
3 New York Times:
The Tough Realities of the Paris Climate Talks
4 Bloomberg:
Exxon Predicted Today's Cheap Solar Boom Back in the 1980s
5 AL.com:
Alabama PSC bashes Obama while approving solar projects
6 Forbes:
Solar's Future - Boom, Bust, Boom
7 CleanTechnica:
Three Ways Data Centers Can Use Solar Energy
8 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Report Release - Renewable Microgrids
Opinions:
9 Los Angeles Times:
Readers React Edison wants a thriving market for solar energy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 4th, 2015
Today at 10:15 pacific time, you can find me talking about wholesale solar deals at the GTM Solar Summit. Livestream is available through GTM’s new premium content product online. Also, voting for SEIA’s board of directors is coming to a close, please remember to vote for me! Last but not least, check out the Solar Marketing Think Tank that Solar Fred has launched through Impress Labs, a great idea for collaborative discussions from within the solar sector.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Lawsuit threatens SolarWorld liquidity
2 Greentech Media:
New Research Shows Why Grid Defection Would Be a Bad Idea for the Average American
3 New York Times:
Obama Won’t Yield to Company’s Bid to Delay Keystone Pipeline Decision
4 PV-Tech:
Silver lining for Australian renewables despite steep drop in utility-scale investments
5 CleanTechnica:
Lancaster - The Leading Solar City? (Episode 23 of Local Energy Rules)
6 Bloomberg:
Contest to Cut Solar Cost Pits Companies Building Boxes of Wires
7 Vox:
Mitch McConnell's "just say no" strategy on the Clean Power Plan fizzles
8 Utility Dive:
The day after - How solar can thrive in the post-net metering era
Opinions:
9 San Francisco Chronicle:
New solar rates needed to modernize grid
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 3rd, 2015
More good news from DC today. Senator Wyden is bringing up the tax credit for the extenders bill that has been in discussion. Most likely this will be in the form of a commence constriction clause and will get investors appetite in US solar growing again. Thanks to a uniform chorus coming from the solar industry, Senator Wyden sees the merits of keeping the tax credit moving forward. The work is not done, together we have to keep pushing to get the language into the bill and passed.
News
1 East Oregonian:
Wyden to address solar tax credit
2 The Washington Post:
TransCanada asks U.S. to suspend Keystone pipeline application
3 Journal Now:
Duke Energy wants fines against Greensboro church's solar project
4 Technology Review:
Solar Thermal Power Heats Up Outside the U.S.
5 Orlando Sentinel:
Voters report confusion over solar amendment petitions
6 Utility Dive:
Arizona gears up for full cost-benefit solar value proceeding
7 Techcrunch:
Ev Williams’ Obvious Ventures Invests In Solar Software Company Sighten
8 PV-Magazine:
Indian solar tender to close with bids below 8 US cents per kWh
Opinions:
9 Forbes:
Next Gen Electric Vehicle Chargers Balance Solar, Home Power Demand
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 2nd, 2015
A year ago the Wisconsin PSC wanted to charge solar owners a fixed fee for net metering. The solar industry fought back and took the issue to court, with the decision coming back from the circuit court on Friday. The court struck down the charge due to insufficient justification for the charges. This is a big step for solar as the political fights from the regulators are going into the court system which should ultimately culminate in more case law. Good news to start the week!
News
1 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Judge rejects We Energies plan to assess solar panel owners extra fees
2 PV-Magazine:
Separate utility rates for solar owners defeated in New Mexico
3 PV-Tech:
SolarCity cuts cord on growth strategy as cost reduction becomes new mantra
4 Greentech Media:
The World’s Biggest Companies on Why They Buy Renewables - Very Clear Economic Issue’
5 Grist:
Getting warmer - More Republicans are starting to take climate change seriously
6 Huffington Post:
The Key to Alternative Energy's Future - Better Batteries
7 New York Times:
Exxon Mobil Accused of Misleading Public on Climate Change Risks
8 Forbes:
Utilities And Solar Companies Jockey For Position As Community Solar Blooms
Opinions:
9 National Geographic:
Could Solar Energy Be California's Next Cash Crop?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 SEPA:
What's Missing From Media Coverage Of Net Metering
2 Grist:
Elon Musk’s solar company used panels made by cheap prison labor for a big taxpayer-subsidized project
3 Renewable Energy World:
MEMC and SunEdison, a Tale of Two Companies
4 Miami Herald:
Mystery surrounds largest donor to Florida solar power ballot initiative
5 PV-Magazine:
New York State quietly lifts the cap on net metering
6 Media Matters:
Anti-Solar Op-Ed Writer Claims To Speak For Poor, Actually Works With Utilities
7 Seeking Alpha:
The End Of Investment Tax Credit For Solar Energy Will Not The Kill Solar Industry
8 Star Tribune:
State is set to make a big leap into solar
9 Lowell Sun:
House leaders preparing new solar-industry strategy
10 Motley Fool:
How Utilities Are Profiting From Solar Energy
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 October 30th, 2015
While there are deadlines around solar regulations, the business impact is much sooner. One such example is the SDG&E expectation to hit the net metering cap early next year, which means that ahead of the ITC cliff, sales could crater making it very risky for people looking to go solar with regard to the ITC. The same holds for the farmers in central valley, California who have to wait 9-10 months to get interconnection approvals from PG&E. Utilities are very aware and may be hoping to create enough uncertainty to kill solar companies by making their sales halt a full year before the tax credit reduces. Shame on them for nefarious corporate behavior.
News
1 San Francisco Chronicle:
Gov. Brown should take a stand on California’s solar investment
2 PV-Magazine:
San Diego utility expects to hit net metering caps in mid-2016
3 Scientific American:
Republican Frontrunners Avoid Climate Change
4 Bloomberg:
First Solar Warns of $40 Million Tax Matter as Profit Soars
5 Greentech Media:
Billionaire Tom Steyer Calls on Candidates to Push for a 50% Renewables Policy
6 Seeking Alpha:
Implications Of A Growing Distributed Solar Opposition
7 Fox News:
Taxpayer-backed solar plant actually a carbon polluter
8 Forbes:
Strong Demand Strains Solar Supply Chain, Potential Wafer Shortage In 2016
Opinions:
9 Wall Street Journal:
Solar Power Has a Role in Helping the Poor
Have a great day!
Yann
