These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Utility Dive:
Democratic US rep. files bill to extend solar ITC for 5 years
2 Forbes:
The 5 Solar IT Startups You Should Know
3 Wall Street Journal:
The Hole in the Rooftop Solar-Panel Craze
4 Investopedia:
5 Thought-Provoking Statements From Solar City
5 Time:
This May Be the Future of Solar Power
6 CNBC:
Solar CEO - This is our next big growth area
7 NY Times:
What Do You Really Get for a $7,000 Tesla Home Battery?
8 Bloomberg:
Warren Buffett Is Sending Mixed Messages on Green Energy
9 Forbes:
Yingli In Trouble
10 Fusion:
Solar power advocates are ‘the enemy,’ says utility in America’s sunniest state
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 May 22nd, 2015
The ITC. One of the most important parts of the solar business and the reason we are here today as an industry. It created the basis for third-party ownership, lowered the cost of solar for ratepayers and solar homeowners around the Country, but most of all got us to 200k jobs. It essentially ends next year but an extension is 100% achievable. As an industry we can pass the extension by putting our voice, money and customers advocacy in front of Congress. It will not be easy but if you are ready to stand up and help move solar forward, let me know.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Democratic US rep. files bill to extend solar ITC for 5 years
2 Forbes:
Hanergy Solar Collapse - Looks Like A Tale Of Irrational Exuberance
3 News & Observer:
NC House votes to keep solar energy tax credits
4 Think Progress:
California Agriculture To Face Strict Mandatory Water Cuts, Officials Say
5 PV-Magazine:
Germany - First PV tender round closed
6 Bloomberg:
Yingli Set to Get Lifeline From Chinese State-Run Solar Partner
7 Greentech Media:
Strategies for Fairly Pricing Community Solar Programs
8 CleanTechnica:
Two Items Will Decide Where Solar Is In 2020
Opinions:
9 Harvard Business Review:
Is Rooftop Solar Finally Good Enough to Disrupt the Grid?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 21st, 2015
I’ve touched about the importance of water in the past. I want to make the financial case for solar on why we should never exclude water from our value proposition. Fossil fuel and nuclear power plants are very heavy users of water, in many cases using water that can also be used for drinking supply and possible near 1 gallon per kWh. Much of our bottled water comes from our aquifers and is sold to us for $3+ per gallon. My tap water costs me much less about $0.01 per gallon but alas significant from a solar standpoint. So it’s time that we start using firm values for water when we discuss solar, ratepayers are already using and paying for it.
News
1 Miami Herald:
FPL needs more water to run Turkey Point
2 Vox:
Nevada’s big utility is about to strangle the state’s rooftop solar program
3 PV-Magazine:
US - SEIA backs ITC extension proposal
4 US News:
Obama calls climate change an 'indisputable' reality that threatens American national security
5 EDF:
We Need to Support All Types of Solar - Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Community, and More
6 Renew Economy:
Morgan Stanley sees 2.4m Australia homes with battery storage
7 NY Times:
What Do You Really Get for a $7,000 Tesla Home Battery?
8 Bloomberg:
A 24-Minute, $19 Billion Wipeout Threatens a Chinese Company's Solar Dream
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
Why Texas Could Be Next In Electricity Market Reform
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 20th, 2015
Jobs, jobs, and jobs. 7.5million of them, 2.5million in solar which is absolutely amazing. Over 60% of those jobs are in China which lines up with the support of the central bank for projects and Province governments for manufacturing. At roughly $6billion dollars of ITC in 2015, I wonder why anyone in the US would question the math to support the 200,000 high paying solar jobs. Alternatively, I don’t understand how Solarworld can argue dumping when they took Oregon incentives for the factory when China is really doing the same thing. It’s all about the jobs!
News
1 PV-Tech:
Jobs in renewable energy reach 7.7 million worldwide
2 Greentech Media:
Edison Electric Institute - Utilities Are Eager for New Partnerships With Startups
3 PV-Magzine:
US - SEIA forecasts 25-50% solar market growth in 2016
4 Utility Dive:
Nevada senate unanimously passes bill to give PUC authority over solar rates, cap
5 NY Times:
'Sunshine State' or Not, Florida Badly Behind on Solar Power
6 The Guardian:
Solar industry attacks Coalition after bipartisan deal struck on RET scheme
7 Forbes:
Yingli In Trouble - The 'Number One' Curse In Solar Strikes Again
8 Bloomberg:
Get Ready for Solar Boom From China Plants as Asia Demand Swells
Opinions:
9 Baltimore Sun:
Now all Marylanders can have solar power
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 19th, 2015
Sometimes being big may not be good for business. While Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is out in the market acquiring solar and wind assets and outbidding the competition, it is making a long term bet on renewable energy. The holding company, NV Energy is now actively fighting solar and playing the rhetoric game to the extreme, some of the worst we may have seen to date. So the question for Mr. Buffett is, What side of the house are you going to stand with? Get the family in line!
News
1 Bloomberg:
Warren Buffett Is Sending Mixed Messages on Green Energy
2 Think Progress:
Nevada Solar Power Users Could Face New Fees This Summer
3 Greentech Media:
Facing Continued Losses, Yingli Solar Warns Investors About Its Ability to Operate
4 Investopedia:
5 Thought-Provoking Statements From Solar City
5 NY Times:
Shell Oil’s Cold Calculations for a Warming World
6 News & Observer:
Preventing solar power’s sunset in North Carolina
7 Breaking Energy:
Glass Coating Makes Solar Panels More Efficient
8 Time:
This May Be the Future of Solar Power
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
Why utilities should push for performance-based regulation
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 18th, 2015
While the ITC in DC discussion warms up, the battles for the future of solar remain in States. Take a look at the flat out rejection in New Mexico and today’s lead with the fight in Nevada. Outgoing Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, in a rare move is getting into the State policy and advocates for the raise in NEM cap. It goes to show that battles are won but the ongoing growth will only continue to drive the importance of public policy. The companies that invest in policy (it isn’t cheap) are seeing returns on that investment plus it is great marketing, given that ~80% of Americans love solar.
News
1 Las Vegas Sun:
Harry Reid - Raise the cap to allow more rooftop solar
2 Santa Fe New Mexican:
PRC rejects PNM rate-hike request
3 Forbes:
The 5 Solar IT Startups You Should Know
4 CNBC:
Solar CEO - This is our next big growth area
5 Utility Dive:
Messing with Texas - Can the state block the EPA's Clean Power Plan?
6 Fusion:
Solar power advocates are ‘the enemy,’ says utility in America’s sunniest state
7 WFTV:
9 Investigates - Solar energy debate casts shade on Sunshine State
8 Renew Economy:
Why Australia will lead the world in solar + storage
Opinions:
9 Wall Street Journal:
The Hole in the Rooftop Solar-Panel Craze
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 CleanTechnica:
How & Why Utilities Make Solar Look Expensive
2 Greentech Media:
Why Rate Reform Is a Better Solution to Distributed Solar Than Eliminating Net Metering
3 CNN Money:
5 solar stocks that should be on your radar
4 Renewable Energy World:
The Fantasy of Electric Rates - Time to Educate Ratepayers
5 Business Journals:
Gov. Deal signs bill letting solar installers offer customers third-party financing
6 Motley Fool:
Why Vivint Solar Inc's Shares Plunged 13% Today
7 FastCo Exist:
Forget Desert Solar Farms
8 Grist:
People can’t get enough of Tesla’s new batteries
9 CleanTechnica:
The Relative Cost of Capital Of A YieldCo - Analyzing A Recent Transaction
10 Climate Central:
‘Massive’ Solar Expansion Critical for Climate
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 May 15th, 2015
So SRP in Arizona, which created a $50/month fee for solar homeowners recently, spent $1.7million to ‘educate’ the community on the impacts of solar. Remember that SRP is a public entity, not an IOU, that is supposed to serve its members decided at the executive level to essentially lobby and create a level of rhetoric to drive the opinion of solar. It is mind boggling that this is allowed by the bylaws of the company let alone legal. I hope that the customers of SRP don’t let this happen.
News
1 AZ Central:
SRP ads, PR for solar rate hike topped $1 million
2 Utility Dive:
Utah high schoolers petition PSC to block Rocky Mountain Power solar fees
3 EDF:
Adding to the Clean Energy Chorus - Voices of Faith
4 Think Progress:
BREAKING - Duke Energy Pleads Guilty To Nine Environmental Crimes, Agrees To Pay $102 Million
5 Renew Economy:
Australia could reach 100% renewables by 2040
6 PV-Tech:
India plans 10GW solar allocation this year
7 PV-Magazine:
Deutsche Bank - yieldcos driving bullish solar outlook
8 Bloomberg:
Solar Market Suffering ‘Hangover’ After Brazil Currency Slumps
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
The Next Opportunity for Utility PV Cost Reductions - 1,500 Volts DC
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 14th, 2015
Here is how you can tell that solar is not quite mainstream yet. When Vivint Solar’s stock goes down 13% and the reaction is due to larger losses than expected. At the same time, installations and bookings grew. It is clear to me that the solar IPP model has not been understood quite yet. As SolarCity’s CFO used to say, we don’t view losses as a bad thing, we see them as the investment in assets we need to make. Meanwhile, SolarCity may be on plan to install 1GW of solar in 2015, just in time for the Buffalo manufacturing plant.
News
1 Clean Technica:
How & Why Utilities Make Solar Look Expensive
2 Solar Love:
SolarCity Could Install 1 GW Of Rooftop Solar In 2015
3 Marketwatch:
If more people go solar, what will happen to the grid?
4 Renewable Energy World:
From Finance to Customer Acquisition, Catalyst SunShot Finalists Compete to Launch Big
5 SC Now:
Duke Energy to offer customers more solar options, grow capacity
6 Utility Dive:
NV lawmaker wants PUC, not legislature, to have net metering reform authority
7 PV-Magazine:
Commercial rooftop sector gets unexpected budget boost
8 Salt Lake Tribune:
Proposed surcharge on Utahns with solar panels is back for Rocky Mountain Power customers
Opinions:
9 Motley Fool:
Why Vivint Solar Inc's Shares Plunged 13% Today
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 13th, 2015
Georgia passed and signed a law allowing third party solar financing. Interestingly, it had unanimous support in the legislature, which at times is more for show than anything else but nice enough. My question is what it means for Georgia? Does this open up a new segment that service agreements couldn’t serve? Are the economics good enough to make C&I work? Someone fill me in and explain please…
News
1 Business Journals:
Gov. Deal signs bill letting solar installers offer customers third-party financing
2 Grist:
Apple, Facebook, and Google are the greenest tech giants — but they still need to do a lot more
3 EDF:
Is 15% of the Global Clean Energy Market Good Enough?
4 PV-Magazine:
Germany - KfW subsidizes over 10,000 solar battery systems
5 NRDC:
Hawaii Is Leading the Nation on Clean Energy Goals to Become Fossil Free
6 PV-Tech:
EPIA forms task force to guide European solar O&M efforts
7 Utility Dive:
Minnesota solar company teeters as lawmakers debate pulling incentives
8 Times Union:
Though considered safe, solar panels offer challenges to firefighters
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
Germany’s Powerhouse Feels Pinch of Merkel’s Shift to Renewables
Have a great day!
Yann
