This is your SolarWakeup for October 14th, 2015
Let’s share a secret amongst each other. Solar is supported by almost ALL Americans. It doesn’t matter if they are democrats, independents or republicans. An overwhelming portion of the citizens in the United States support solar. In a new poll, 83% of the GOP supports ramping up clean energy including solar. Putting solar on your home is a conservative step for families, it lowers their spending, exercises their property rights and only works because of market competition. So after a Democratic Debate that mentioned solar, I think it’s time for the GOP to go with its base on this issue and realize that solar represents their values as well.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Sunrun - Conservative Support for Solar Puts ITC Deal Within Reach This Year
2 Clean Technica:
California Ratepayer Advocates Pushing Failed Arizona Proposals That Could Kill Rooftop Solar
3 PV-Magazine:
Yingli pays off majority of medium-term notes due today
4 Bloomberg:
Chinese Solar to Jump Fourfold by 2020, Official Tells Xinhua
5 Solar Industry:
Attractive PPA Prices Will Keep U.S. Utility-Scale Solar Power Strong
6 Renewable Energy World:
Solar to Play ‘Lead Role’ in Vermont RE Standard Compliance
7 Renew Economy:
Australia’s energy future could be network of renewable micro-grids
8 Utility Dive:
Why battery storage is 'just about ready to take off'
Opinions:
9 Tom Steyer:
G.O.P. and Climate Change
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 SolarWakeup:
Solar Investment Executives, what your New Year’s resolution should be!
2 The Hill:
Let the sun set on the solar industry subsidy
3 PV-Magazine:
Analyst interview - The rise of distributed solar
4 CleanTechnica:
Largest-Ever Study Quantifies Value Of Rooftop Solar
5 Forbes:
Solar Plus Batteries Unlikely To Threaten Utilities Anytime Soon, Study Says
6 Think Progress:
Meet The New Chevy ‘Bolt' - An Electric Car For The Masses
7 PV-Tech:
Morgan Stanley deal nudges 2015 US residential solar investment towards US$800 million
8 PV-Magazine:
Solar and utilities can co-exist, says Elon Mus
9 Energy Collective:
Net Metering for Rooftop Solar - How to Fix the Problems
10 Greentech Media:
Solar Is Adding Jobs 20 Times Faster Than the Broader Economy, but ‘All Bets Are Off’ in 2017
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 13th, 2015
There has been an ongoing debate in Congress on a topic that few realized was even an issue. For the last 40 years, it has been illegal for US crude oil to be exported out of the Country. Of course, domestic producers would like to increase the available consumers for their dirty fuels and export it outside the borders. A bill to remove this ban has passed the US House of Representatives and could present the best opportunity for President Obama to write his climate change ticket including a permanent extension of the ITC. Some environmental movements are against this but let’s watch this closely. My personal opinion coming this week.
News
1 New York Times:
Oil Exports Should Be Paired With Clean Energy Tax Breaks
2 Forbes:
As California Rolls Out More Solar Power, Regulators Could Undercut The Industry
3 Greentech Media:
Getting to $1.00 per Watt - What Tricks Do Solar EPCs Have Left in the Bag?
4 Fast Co Exist:
Could Solar Panels Become The Next Ubiquitous Technology?
5 PV-Magazine:
Bosch exits PV with thin film closure
6 Business Journals:
Colorado power provider to bulk up on solar
7 Utility Dive:
How 'grid neutrality' can build the backbone for the modern grid
8 Consumer Reports:
Solar questions to ask
Opinions:
9 Renew Economy:
Should Australian households quit the electricity grid?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 12th, 2015
My homestate, Florida, is the 3rd largest energy user in the Country. Largely focused on tourism, agriculture and air conditioners, energy consumption per capita is probably the highest in the nation. I use over 3,000kWh per month on average thanks to my A/C running 12-18 hours per day. I have solar but I also have an EV but overall the adoption of both in Florida is essentially non-existent. But the war on solar is now public, CEO of FPL is now out with a tour on the supposed “cost-shift” caused by solar on homes. Instead the solar plants, he says, should be large scale (but only owned by the investor owned utilities). This will not play out well but we shall see.
News
1 St Augustine Record:
Eric Silagy, CEO of FPL, shares thoughts on solar power, emissions compliance
2 PV-Magazine:
New York State plans for solar on 150,000 homes and businesses by 2020
3 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Report Release - The Economics of Battery Energy Storage
4 Breaking Energy:
NREL Report Shows Big Potential For The Future Of Shared Solar
5 Greentech Media:
How Georgia Power’s Solar Service Could Foster a New Utility Business Model
6 Solar Industry Magazine:
Conergy's Move In Solar Asset Ownership Reflects Broader Search For Recurring Revenue
7 New York Times:
As British Solar Industry Loses Subsidies, Big U.S. Backer Pulls Back
8 Athens Herald:
Solar electric generation growing in Georgia, but not nearly fast enough, advocates say
Opinions:
9 Motley Fool:
The Biggest Threat Residential Solar Has Ever Faced
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 New York Times:
Enemies of the Sun
2 Greentech Media:
Layoffs at SunEdison as Investors Question the Renewable Energy Developer’s Strategy
3 Fortune:
Solar startup to build big factory in upstate New York
4 Forbes:
SolarCity Claims New Solar Efficiency Record, Here Is What That Means
5 Motley Fool:
5 Technologies That Could Drive Solar Energy Growth for Decades
6 CNBC:
Utilities’ newest solar battleground - California
7 Denver Post:
NREL cutting four percent of workforce, lays off solar researchers
8 IEEE:
Arizona Utility Blinks in Bitter Battle Over Rooftop Solar
9 PV-Tech:
SunEdison reduces project completions guidance by 20% and exits UK market
10 EDF:
A Stealth Tool to Modernize the Electric Grid
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 9th, 2015
Bill Gates has been pushing pretty hard on clean energy R&D. While I don’t think that is where a billionaire willing to spend it should focus, the news from NREL are disturbing to me. What is the cost of the 15 researchers at NREL to the Federal Government? Their reports and information is clearly NPV positive. Just recently, NREL focused on standardizing PPA contracts for solar which could be a driver towards lowering costs. So Bill Gates should think about funding the positions and more at NREL. Money well spent.
News
1 Washington Post:
The U.S. needs a solar energy revolution. But it’s laying off solar energy researchers
2 EDF:
Citibank - How Investments in Clean Energy can Save Trillions
3 Think Progress:
Now Is The Time For A Carbon Tax, IMF Chief Says
4 Renewable Energy World:
Investment Tax Credit, Clean Power Plan and What Solar Can Learn from Volkswagen
5 PV-Magazine:
UK - First round of solar job losses announced as FIT cuts bite
6 San Diego Union Tribune:
Solar workers rally at utility’s doorstep
7 Orange County Register:
Can a house charge an electric car? At Solar Decathlon it can, with rooftop solar power
8 Arizona Central:
APS estimate - Solar customers underpay significantly
Opinions:
9 Fresno Bee:
Larry Bettencourt - Solar benefits Valley farms
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 8th, 2015
Let's all take a breath. This talk about a global solar meltdown, emerging market collapse is a giant over reaction. SunEdison is leaving the UK not because of any internal problems. It is leaving because the Conservative party in the UK has decided to cater to fossil interests and eliminate all markets for solar. The stock price of solar stocks has come down because Wall Street operates on feeling and not reality. Who knows if the yieldco is the right strategy? But at the end of the day solar projects have cash flow and whether a cash flow comes from mortgages, airplane leases or solar plants, investors will want to own the cash flow stream.
News
1 PV-Tech:
SunEdison reduces project completions guidance by 20% and exits UK market
2 Fortune:
Solar startup to build big factory in upstate New York
3 Star Tribune:
Stalled Xcel solar garden program in Minnesota may end up in court
4 AZ Central:
Arizona utility regulators - We won't abstain from vote on APS solar fees
5 Denever Post:
NREL cutting 4% of workforce, lays off solar researchers
6 Seeking Alpha:
SolarCity's Threats Are Not A Huge Problem For Chinese Solar Companies
7 PV-Magazine:
Australia drops anti-dumping case against Chinese solar firms
8 Greentech Media:
SunEdison Seeks to Reassure Investors About Its Growth Path
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
3 Ways Public Dollars Can Embrace Risk, Catalyze Emerging Market Clean Energy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 7th, 2015
What is the price of a bond? The answer mostly depends on the underlying entity providing the guarantee. Corporates will sit in the 4-5% range. Utilities are significantly lower and Governments often beat that even more. What is the cost of a green bond? A solar bond? Clearly higher, in some cases 50% higher. I have no idea why that is except that the market clearly thinks there is some sort of risk integrated in this. So we need to figure out how to rebrand bonds from green bonds to safer bonds. GM, with a bankruptcy just a few years back, is trading bonds at 6.25% for 30 years. That’s lunacy.
News
1 Renewable Energy World:
EIB Links Green Bonds to Projects in Second Push for Climate
2 Utility Dive:
Updated-DC mayor, Exelon announce official settlement on Pepco merger
3 Washington Post:
Wind and solar keep getting cheaper and cheaper
4 Greentech Media:
The IRS Plans to Issue New Regulations for the Investment Tax Credit
5 PV-Tech:
JinkoSolar freezes plans for module assembly plant in Brazil
6 Breaking Energy:
3 Ways Our Manufacturing Institutes Are Changing The Clean Energy Game
7 Clean Technica:
Africa Could Quadruple Renewable Energy Capacity By 2030
8 PV-Magazine:
South Africa announces 1.5 GW solar park plan
Opinions:
9 Digital Trends:
Here’s how many solar panels we’d need to provide power for the entire planet
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 6th, 2015
I wrote an article about 3 years ago when I bought my first electric car which used 10kWh per day. While my solar install reduced my energy purchase by about 25kWh per day on average, I was still a net loss in energy for my utility (a regulated monopoly). Things have now changed. I have now transitioned to a full electric car which will use about 30kWh per day with my normal commute. I may be an outlier, but not much considering I am owner #101,111, but my solar is now completely neglected by my additional energy consumption. So here is my tip to utility execs (that may or may not have the ability to look ahead by more than a quarter), forget solar. It’s a minor blip in your growth in electric vehicles. Invest in the infrastructure that increases the amount of energy used in transportation so that you can compete with BP, Chevron, Exxon, et al for the first time in history.
News
1 New York Times:
Enemies of the Sun
2 CNBC:
Utilities’ newest solar battleground - California
3 EDF:
A Stealth Tool to Modernize the Electric Grid
4 NRDC:
Cuomo Tells Students and The World - New York Must Lead On Clean Energy
5 PV-Magazine:
Renewables could meet 22% of Africa’s energy needs by 2030, PV capacity to reach 55 GW
6 Bloomberg:
Merkel Pledges 1 Billion Euros to Fund Indian Solar Projects
7 Utility Dive:
Austin Energy approved for 300 MW utility solar buy under 4¢/kWh
8 Huffington Post:
How the Solar Decathlon Provides an Innovative Education
Opinions:
9 IEEE:
Arizona Utility Blinks in Bitter Battle Over Rooftop Solar
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 5th, 2015
There always seems to be some sort of hype in solar. Wall street has hit the solar stocks pretty hard recently causing some unnecessary commotion. Ask yourself what has changed in the last few months, has anything changed? Not really. Solar is trying to compete with trillion dollar fossil markets, utilities that have a guaranteed return on capital in the double digits (thank you anti-competitive market regulations); both of which have access to capital at below mortgage rates. Solar still pays double/triple that. So when you read about layoffs at SUNE, don’t buy the hype. They have bought several companies and surely there are duplicative roles; the headlines are lip service to day traders.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Layoffs at SunEdison as Investors Question the Renewable Energy Developer’s Strategy
2 Forbes:
SolarCity Claims New Solar Efficiency Record, Here Is What That Means
3 Energy Collective:
Community Solar - PV for the Rest of Us
4 PV-Magazine:
UK - 27,000 solar jobs could go if FIT cut proposals are enacted
5 New York Times:
A Big Boost for the Climate Summit
6 Motley Fool:
5 Technologies That Could Drive Solar Energy Growth for Decades
7 PV-Tech:
COP21 - Chile outlines ambitious ‘70% renewables by 2050’ pledge
8 Renewable Energy World:
Global Forecast - Solar Installation Capacity To Top 57 GW in 2015
Opinions:
9 Christian Science Monitor:
Are solar panels now as cheap as fossil fuels?
Have a great day!
Yann
