This is your SolarWakeup for May 12th, 2015
Sitting in the office last week, we were discussing what the Tesla Powerwall was all about. Trying to put myself in Elon Musk’s shoes, I thought it seemed to point to wanting to build another gigafactory or expand the current one. What better way to ask investors for more capital or drive up the stock by introducing a product that creates yearlong demand for your manufactured goods. The man is always 3 moves ahead of others, driving his engineering and PR teams crazy I am sure. Someone on the inside needs to share how long of a lead time they get from idea to execution.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Musk mulls expanding Tesla's Gigafactory to meet battery demand
2 Greentech Media:
Why Rate Reform Is a Better Solution to Distributed Solar Than Eliminating Net Metering
3 Energy Collective:
Utilities, Cheap Batteries Won't Hurt You, You Have Much Worse Things to Worry About
4 Renewable Energy World:
The Fantasy of Electric Rates - Time to Educate Ratepayers
5 CleanTechnica:
The Relative Cost of Capital Of A YieldCo - Analyzing A Recent Transaction
6 Huffington Post:
How Solar Can Help Power Nepal's Relief and Recovery Efforts
7 Think Progress:
The World’s First Solar Road Is Producing More Energy Than Expected
8 CNN Money:
5 solar stocks that should be on your radar
Opinions:
9 AZ Central:
It's time to demand honesty from APS
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 11th, 2015
In the past week, there has been a lot of coverage around the latest part of MIT’s Future of series. With this edition, MIT looked at the Future of Solar Energy. I haven’t read the report in detail but there has been some headline baiting from pieces of it. You can read the report for yourself here. I do think that you can get an idea of what the content has to say by the authors and advisory committee. In this case, it appears to be mostly academic with a few advisors from the sector, and I use sector very loosely.
News
1 Climate Central:
MIT - ‘Massive’ Solar Expansion Critical for Climate
2 Bloomberg:
No Hydro? No Problem as California Plans to Run Off Solar
3 Grist:
People can’t get enough of Tesla’s new batteries
4 Renew Economy:
RET deal struck, but policy bastardry continues
5 PV-Magazine:
Clean energy from 'most polluted place in Israel'
6 Utility Dive:
Solar protesters disrupt Duke shareholder meeting
7 FastCo Exist:
Forget Desert Solar Farms - We Can Get More Than Enough Solar Energy From Cities
8 The Guardian:
UK electricity grid holds back renewable energy, solar trade body warns
Opinions:
9 Breaking Energy:
The Move From Contracted Assets to Managing Merchant Risk – Are You Ready to Capture the Upside?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Bloomberg:
Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar
2 Boston Globe:
Solar industry in limbo after task force’s divided report
3 Greentech Media:
Ditching Net Metering Is in the ‘Best Interest’ of Solar, Say MIT Economists
4 Forbes:
Solar Power Poll Illustrates Industry's Desperation
5 24/7 Wall Street:
Why First Solar YieldCo Will Dominate
6 Huffington Post:
Adding Solar Panels to Your Home
7 Washington Post:
Why the best place for solar panels may not be on your roof
8 Bloomberg:
Musk’s SolarCity First in Line for Tesla Batteries
9 Daily Beast:
The Hidden Star of Obama’s Cabinet
10 Reuters:
Solar energy enjoys a glowing outlook
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 8th, 2015
Last year when the Mass. Solar bill proposal came out that eliminated the NEM cap, it was one of the stories that created the most pitching that came my way. Lobbying for this editorial space happens but the debate was intense and most likely very focused within the solar industry. For once the conversation didn’t really involve the outside world and I still don’t know who the winner was. Now with a new State Governor, let’s see how the NEM cap gets resolved going forward.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Mass. grapples with policy options as it hits solar net metering cap
2 Think Progress:
Hawaii Will Soon Get All Of Its Electricity From Renewable Sources
3 Renewable Energy World:
Shared Solar Could Open Path to 100 Percent PV Market Penetration
4 PV-Magazine:
5 takeaways from 2015 SNEC
5 Bloomberg:
Rooftop Solar in Brazil Can Reach 2 Gigawatts If Tax Is Dropped
6 EDF:
Creative Utility Accounting - Estimating the True Cost of a Subsidy
7 Washington Post:
Why the best place for solar panels may not be on your roof
8 USA Today:
Tesla home batteries could boost rooftop solar
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
Move Over, Mandates - Can a New ‘Personal Energy Independence’ Bill Entice Congress?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 7th, 2015
Money and deals, the chase to attach one to the other is never ending in solar. Money looks for deals, deals look for money though most of the time the deals aren’t without issues and the money may not be 100% available. Let’s not bring up the requirements needed to get tax equity comfortable with solar deals. So what keeps the two sides from getting together? Is it a lack of communication or too little marketing? How can the local entities find the right partners that help make the deals move forward.
News
1 Renewable Energy World:
Unraveling Accelerates for EU-China Solar Tariff Deal
2 Charlotte Observer:
Duke Energy should stop fighting solar as a choice
3 Energy Collective:
Is the Future of Electricity Generation Really Distributed?
4 PV-Magazine:
Japan solar poised for cost-revenue parity, says JREF
5 Bloomberg:
Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar
6 Huffington Post:
Hawaii Legislature Passes $26 Billion Budget, 100% Renewable Energy Goal
7 Utility Dive:
Maine senator unveils unprecedented federal distributed energy bill
8 Wall Street Journal:
Chinese Solar Firm’s Stellar Rise Mints Millionaires
Opinions:
9 NY Times:
Germany, the Green Superpower
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 6th, 2015
Almost every day I hear from someone looking to buy or invest in projects. It goes hand in hand with the notion that there is much more capital than developed pipeline that isn’t bragawatts. That being said, having money is not everything for a solar deal. How to get the offtaker and tax equity comfortable with the development team and installing at the right price makes all the difference as well. I have a new rule that every project can get done, the variables just need to line up with the other inputs. Next week, we can discuss the new funding source of development capital.
News
1 Bloomberg:
EU Solar-Panel Industry Wins Review of China Price Pact
2 24/7 Wall Street:
Why First Solar YieldCo Will Dominate
3 Above The Law:
Electricity War Goes To The Supreme Court
4 Renew Economy:
Australia’s big fail on climate and energy policies
5 PV-Magazine:
Solar becoming 'least-cost option' for US utilities
6 E&E News:
Clean tech seen as game changer for women in energy sector
7 Greentech Media:
Ditching Net Metering Is in the ‘Best Interest’ of Solar, Say MIT Economists
8 Forbes:
Solar Power Poll Illustrates Industry's Desperation
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
Are We Sunk? The Electric Utility’s Titanic Problem
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 5th, 2015
Here we go again, the dreaded IPP earnings call. As SolarCity goes to the conference call it can speak to the various cash flow products that are now active in solar, all of which go to extend the length of the contracts. They can be in the lease, the PPA, loan, and now the Powerwall lease but it all comes together that the companies need investors to look past the earnings loss. The reason for that is you can’t be a for profit EPC and owner of SPVs at the same time. You have to pick your desired valuation metric
News
1 Investors Business Daily:
SolarCity To Announce Q1 Results Tuesday
2 Boston Globe:
Solar industry in limbo after task force’s divided report
3 Reuters:
Solar energy enjoys a glowing outlook
4 PV-Magazine:
Australia- Stars aligning for RET compromise
5 Greentech Media:
Developers Upset With Xcel’s Decision to Limit Community Solar Projects in Minnesota
6 Huffington Post:
Adding Solar Panels to Your Home
7 Solar Novus:
Nine NEC Code Updates for Solar Installations
8 Nasdaq:
Is Solar Energy Ready To Compete With Oil And Other Fossil Fuels?
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Matching Veterans with Solar Jobs
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 4th, 2015
Lots of mainstream media attention about the Powerwall energy storage system manufactured by Tesla. It has been selling through SolarCity customers for quite some time but now has an Apple like look to it as well. Next steps include a customer facing payback calculation so that reporters that are clueless don’t keep saying it doesn’t pay for itself. With solar and a time of use energy plan, peak shifting will pay for itself many times over but it will not be for everyone right off the bat. The biggest question is how Tesla goes to market, I can already see the SunRun sales team fielding questions about the Powerwall…
News
1 Bloomberg:
Musk’s SolarCity Customers First in Line for Tesla Batteries
2 Daily Beast:
The Hidden Star of Obama’s Cabinet
3 Greentech Media:
First Solar and SunPower Post ‘Transitional’ Quarters Prepping for New YieldCo
4 Tech Co:
5 of the World’s Biggest Solar Energy Plants
5 PV-Magazine:
UK renewable jobs market grows faster than average
6 US News:
Swiss pilot anxious, excited to fly solar plane from China to Hawaii for 5 days, 5 nights
7 Utility Dive:
Xcel subsidiary Northern States Power tests community solar in Wisconsin
8 NRDC:
Experts Agree - Electric Grid Will Stay Ahead of the Curve on the Clean Power Plan
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Fossil fuels haven't lost the race, yet. Here's the full story.
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Seeking Alpha:
Vivint Solar And The Coming Onslaught Of New Entrants
2 Gizmodo:
California Farmers Without Water Are Installing Solar Panels Instead
3 Seeking Alpha:
The Impact Of California PUC Proposal On Solar Deployment In California
4 Vox:
A solar future isn't just likely — it's inevitable
5 Bloomberg:
Los Angeles Power Prices at Record April Low on Trapped Solar
6 Seeking Alpha:
The Solar Module Supply Shortage Trend Is Gaining Traction
7 Fox:
Tesla wants to reshape electric grid with combination of rooftop solar panels, home batteries
8 Grist:
Who should profit from solar energy?
9 Huffington Post:
Household Solar Is Becoming the New Normal -- and That Makes Some Utilities Uncomfortable
10 Oregonian:
Why SolarCity's university solar projects cost Oregon taxpayers $12 million
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 1st, 2015
The long awaited (not so surprise) announcement from Tesla came out yesterday that it will be entering distributed and utility scale energy storage helped with solar. Of course there is a strong perceived partnership with SolarCity but surely Tesla will also be going out on its own as it expands its stationary power division in addition to its mobile power units it has already been selling for a few years. Let’s see what other solar companies do as some have already come out with partnerships, but I want to see who figures out how to sell solar + storage most effectively, a not so easy task.
News
1 Fox:
Tesla wants to reshape electric grid with combination of rooftop solar panels, home batteries
2 AZ Central:
SolarCity relocating 85 Arizona workers, cites solar fees
3 PV-Magazine:
Institutional investors increasingly target solar assets
4 Bloomberg:
First Solar, SunPower Yieldco Drives Losses at Top Panel Makers
5 Solar Industry:
SEPA Unveils Rankings Of Top Solar Utilities In The U.S.
6 Utility Dive:
Why community shared solar is ready to be the 'great equalizer'
7 ABC:
North Carolina solar tax credit expanded for 1 year
8 Greentech Media:
4 Ways to Blunt the Solar Tax Cliff
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Electricity Pricing - The Times, they Might be A-Changing
Have a great day!
Yann
