This is your SolarWakeup for October 26th, 2015
There are many downsides of having electric monopolies. One of the only benefits is the quasi regulatory environment that the utilities have file many documents that are viewable publicly. In a recent CPUC filing, the California utility SCE disclosed its lobbying efforts. While they are allowed to fund up to $1million in lobbying, it appears that they could have exceeded this threshold. Questions arise and it could be that SCE helped fund the net metering disfunction in Arizona through some groups. Those questions need to be answered, Californians deserve to know. Solar also deserves to know how trade associations play into the utility lobbying. While EEI is openly against solar, many of these utilities also sit on solar trade associations. Be wary about the true motives.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
New York State quietly lifts the cap on net metering
2 The Hill:
Obama turns to climate deal
3 New York Times:
Ex-Im Bank Dispute Threatens G.E. Factory That Obama Praised
4 PV-Tech:
TASC challenges decision to end Hawaii’s net metering program
5 Renewable Energy World:
MEMC and SunEdison, a Tale of Two Companies
6 Greentech Media:
The Growth Rate of Rooftop Solar in Hawaii Hangs in Limbo
7 Rutland Herald:
Solar expansion pushing Vt. to metering cap
8 Philippine Star:
Can SMEs and homeowners save by adopting solar energy now?
Opinions:
9 Motley Fool:
How Utilities Are Profiting From Solar Energy
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 The Street:
SunEdison/Vivint Solar Deal Up in Smoke, Shares Choke
2 San Diego Union Tribune:
Solar dreams unravel in San Diego
3 Think Progress:
Florida Supreme Court Clears Hurdle Out Of The Way For Solar Power To Flourish
4 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Hawaii just ended net metering for solar. Now what?
5 Civil Beat:
PUC Commissioner Applies for Rooftop Solar Days Before PUC Cut the Credits
6 PV-Magazine:
Texas grid operator predicts 50-fold increase in solar by 2030
7 NBC Sacramento:
Fight over solar heating up in California
8 Forbes:
The Electric Energy Storage Industry Feels Like Solar Did Nine Years Ago
9 Greentech Media:
How Solar, Batteries and Time-of-Use Pricing Can Add Up to Value
10 ABC:
Corporation Commission dismisses APS request to raise rooftop solar fees, votes to hold solar review
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 23rd, 2015
Thanks to American Airlines and Texas weather for stranding me in wonderful San Antonio. So let's talk about solar in Texas. Besides the mega deals here and in Austin where solar is breaking cost records. With the open marketplace in ERCOT, what's ahead for consumers that get to choose their energy supply. Will more unilateral deals happen or partnerships with energy retailers? How about a Chile style merchant power plant? In the meantime I will be doing my best to get back to Florida.
News
1 Think Progress:
Florida Supreme Court Clears Hurdle Out Of The Way For Solar Power To Flourish
2 NBC Sacramento:
Fight over solar heating up in California
3 Huffington Post:
The Solar Entrepreneurs Emerging From Rural Kenya's Cellphone Revolution
4 Oilprice.com:
Is Solar Without Subsidies Now Viable?
5 Bloomberg:
Mexico's Abundant Sunshine No Help for Stalled Solar Industry
6 Business Journal:
Hawaii rooftop solar program could have ended a year ago, PUC chair says
7 New York Times:
Numerous States Prepare Lawsuits Against Obama’s Climate Policy
8 Forbes:
The Electric Energy Storage Industry Feels Like Solar Did Nine Years Ago
Opinions:
9 Breaking Energy:
Trudeau’s Election Victory Could Steer North American Energy In A New Direction
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 22nd, 2015
New York is a very big State and it uses a lot of energy. Its energy system is also very complicated, congested yet rural at the same time. There are some pending power plant reauthorizations that could significantly reshape the energy landscape in New York. One thing that is already working is the NY Green Bank. A brainchild of Richard Kauffman and led by Alfred Griffin, the NY Green Bank announced three separate transactions today. A warehouse facility, a credit security supplementing private capital and a construction revolver. Good for NY and a growing solar market.
News
1 Utility Dive:
NY regulators lift solar net metering caps until REV docket sets DER values
2 PV-Magazine:
UK - solar requires 50% less subsidy than Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, STA finds
3 Renew Economy:
Origin says it won’t fight against rooftop solar and storage
4 Breaking Energy:
Energy Department Authorizes Emera CNG, LLC’s Application To Export Compressed Natural Gas
5 Knoxville News Sentinel:
Study finds value of solar power less than what TVA pays
6 Greentech Media:
How Solar, Batteries and Time-of-Use Pricing Can Add Up to Value
7 San Diego Union Tribune:
Solar dreams unravel in San Diego
8 Washington Post:
Apple just announced dramatic new solar plans in China
Opinions:
9 IEEE:
A Tower of Molten Salt Will Deliver Solar Power After Sunset
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 21st, 2015
Maybe it's time to have a PUC soap opera. The amount of drama that encircles the solar proceedings at the different filings around the country. The Arizona commission had some temporary positive news around the fees APS is looking for but the better story comes from Hawaii. Just days before the PUC (out of the blue) changed and eliminated the rules for net metering, one of the commissioners applied to put more solar on their home. The rules changed for everyone that didn't already have or apply for the install. The second is the key note here, I wonder if the commissioner's timing was pure coincidence?
News
1 ABC:
Corporation Commission dismisses APS request to raise rooftop solar fees, votes to hold solar review
2 Civil Beat:
PUC Commissioner Applies for Rooftop Solar Days Before PUC Cut the Credits
3 The Guardian:
Energy minister 'open-minded' about UK solar subsidy cuts
4 PV-Magazine:
UK - Renewables brought down wholesale cost of electricity by GBP 1.55bn in 2014
5 The Street:
SunEdison/Vivint Solar Deal Up in Smoke, Shares Choke
6 Bloomberg:
China Solar Installations Double Despite Delay in Sales to Grid
7 Utility Dive:
Amid ITC concerns, Austin Energy approved for 450 MW of solar by 2019
8 Green Biz:
How China and the U.S. became unlikely climate allies
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
Can Liberals Reverse Canada’s Weakened Record on Clean Energy and Climate Action?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 20th, 2015
There are several future markets in solar. You naturally think of new geographies (just look at Chile) but I am more focused on financial innovation. You can’t help but smile at the President pitching a bunch of kids about science on the White House lawn. The unknown unknowns are the reason people pursue science. So applying the same research logic to solar, I like to ask why certain markets aren’t developing, what or who is the roadblock? As community solar continues to grow in demand and popularity, I am also interested to learn about how to make solar more of an energy participant. I will be speaking about the C&I segment as it relates to Utility Scale solar tomorrow in San Diego.
News
1 Los Angeles Times:
On White House science day, Obama displays his geek-in-chief side
2 Think Progress:
How Canada’s Election Could Change The Course Of The Country’s Climate Policy
3 Forbes:
Renewable Energy Is About To Boom In Africa, And We Need To Pay Attention To It
4 Natural Gas Intelligence:
Report - Solar Could Displace Up to 5 Bcf/d for Power Generation by 2020
5 Green Biz:
How clean energy aggregation empowers neighborhoods
6 The Hill:
Biden touts climate accomplishments
7 PV-Magazine:
2.1 GW-AC of solar PV under construction in Chile
8 PV-Tech:
UK sending ‘perverse’ signals on renewables ahead of COP21, says UN scientist
Opinions:
9 Grist:
Are India’s clean energy investments slowing the march of coal?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 19th, 2015
I am heading to the Utility Solar Summit later today in San Diego where once again the topic of the day will be the ITC. Plenty of subsidy talk in the news today from around the world but I will highlight the Texas story for you to read. I doubt anyone in ERCOT assumes a tax credit exists for solar in 2030 but the operator still sees an enormous growth of solar in the state. I continue to see interesting projects that we would invest in through the step down. The issue about calling the ITC a subsidy is that it assumes no other energy source gets a subsidy. Leaving solar without the ITC would make it the least subsidized energy source in my opinion.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Texas grid operator predicts 50-fold increase in solar by 2030
2 PV-Tech:
Californians reject roll back of solar net metering in poll
3 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Hawaii just ended net metering for solar. Now what?
4 Forbes:
Solar Trade Dispute Is Turning Nasty In Taiwan
5 Greentech Media:
Two Chinese Billionaires Plan $5B Investment in India’s Solar Market
6 NJ.com:
Stevens wins U.S. Solar Decathlon with hurricane-resistant shore house
7 Worcester Telegram:
Net metering cap slows solar installation for Central Mass. utility
8 Motley Fool:
Solar Subsidies Matter - Where Solar Companies Want Washington's Help
Opinions:
9 The Guardian:
Solar subsidies are slashed, but the sun always seems to shine on nuclear
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Greentech Media:
Sunrun - Conservative Support for Solar Puts ITC Deal Within Reach This Year
2 Motley Fool:
The Biggest Threat Residential Solar Has Ever Faced
3 PV-Magazine:
Hawaii shuts down net metering to new customers
4 New York Times:
Oil Exports Should Be Paired With Clean Energy Tax Breaks
5 The Guardian:
Leading solar entrepreneur to put business into liquidation
6 ABC:
The death of solar in Hawaii?
7 Huffington Post:
12 Special Interests Waging Shady Campaigns Against Solar
8 Greentech Media:
Getting to $1.00 per Watt - What Tricks Do Solar EPCs Have Left in the Bag?
9 Tech Insider:
The US is about to hit a big solar energy milestone
10 Rocky Mountain Institute:
The Economics of Battery Energy Storage
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 16th, 2015
Let’s review the politics of this week. The House passed a bill that would lift the ban of oil exports. Oil exploration can largely be rooted back to the oil fields of Bakersfield in California. Bakersfield is also the home of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader and almost Speaker of the House. Why is all of this important? Kevin McCarthy has more solar in his district than any other congressman. Farmers have been using solar to lower the cost of food for hard working American families. So I say, let’s make a deal. We need more solar, we can make it cheaper for all Americans by extending the ITC.
News
1 Solar Server:
Bakersfield is first U.S. city to pass resolution urging extension of Federal Solar Tax Credit
2 ABC:
The death of solar in Hawaii?
3 Texas Tribune:
Austin Council Votes to Boost Solar Power
4 Christian Science Monitor:
Making cheaper solar panels by making less waste
5 Think Progress:
Even Fossil Fuel Companies Support An International Climate Agreement
6 Renew Economy:
Solar fuels could be Australia’s biggest energy export
7 Breaking Energy:
California’s Clean Energy Bill Could Serve As A Template For National Energy Policy
8 The Guardian:
Government blamed as third UK solar power installer goes bust
Opinions:
9 Grist:
What would President Sanders or Clinton be able to do on climate?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 15th, 2015
First the great news. I will be speaking at the Solar Capital Markets conference today in New York and China is shooting for 20GW per year for the rest of the decade. But here’s the bad news. Regulators have done it again, this time in Hawaii. The Hawaii PUC, without as much as cost hearings with the public and industries, has decided to end net metering. It doesn’t take a genius to know why, the PUC has gone against the legislators and Governor to do what NextEra wants. Just this week, you had the Florida counterpart come out against solar net metering in a State that has no penetration. Time for solar to really get involved in the PUC elections.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Hawaii shuts down net metering to new customers
2 Huffington Post:
12 Special Interests Waging Shady Campaigns Against Solar
3 Renewable Energy World:
Chinese Solar to Jump Fourfold by 2020, Official Tells Xinhua
4 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Residential Energy+ and Transparency - Making value visible
5 Think Progress:
Want To Know How Sea Level Rise Will Impact Your Hometown? There’s A Map For That
6 Bloomberg:
Barclays to Follow Goldman in Arranging Solar Bonds in Japan
7 Tech Insider:
The US is about to hit a big solar energy milestone
8 Grist:
How solar power can make affordable housing more resilient
Opinions:
9 The Guardian:
Leading solar entrepreneur to put business into liquidation
Have a great day!
Yann
