This is your SolarWakeup for August 17th, 2015
Nevada is in the news today. Vivint Solar had plans to expand its presence in the State and create hundreds of news jobs to add to the 6,000 already in the State. The plan is now put on hold due to the anti-competitive behavior by NV Energy. To show that the debate is bi-partisan, the local GOP is trying to get Hillary Clinton to chime in since NV Energy is a Berkshire Hathaway company. All of these topics need answers and that is why I am flying to Las Vegas tomorrow to give the keynote address at the SOMO Conference. I will be going through the top stories in solar today and what the impact to solar contractors is today and in the future.
News
1 PV-Tech:
Vivint Solar halts Nevada expansion after one month citing net metering uncertainty
2 Las Vegas Review-Journal:
GOP dares Hillary to talk net metering in Las Vegas
3 Energy Collective:
Renewable Microgrid Value Creation - A Real Estate Development Example
4 Clean Technica:
Brazil Will Contract 2–3 GW Of New Solar Energy Projects During Auctions In 2015–2018
5 PV-Magazine:
EU doubles duty levels on solar glass from China
6 24/7 Wall Street:
Are Solar Energy Yieldcos Worth More Than Investors Think?
7 Reuters:
Solar is having a great year, except on Wall Street
8 Arizona Central:
New Arizona utility regulators to face first APS case on solar rates
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
How California Is Winning the Drought
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Clean Technica:
These 20 Cities Account For 6.5% Of US Solar PV Capacity
2 Architectural Digest:
These Colorful Solar Panels Could Be The Wave Of The Future
3 PV-Magazine:
USDA to invest $63 million in rural renewables
4 Las Vegas Sun:
Solar company Sunrun signals lawsuit against state for public records
5 Phys.org:
US distributed solar prices fell 10 to 20 percent in 2014, with trends continuing into 2015
6 Boston Globe:
Governor Baker files bill to encourage expansion of solar power
7 PV-Magazine:
Installed prices continue rapid descent
8 WWLP:
Critics argue Baker’s solar legislation will slow growth
9 Las Vegas Sun:
Reid says NV Energy ‘violating Sherman Antitrust Act,’ blasts Koch brothers and Donald Trump
10 Seeking Alpha:
MLM And Rooftop Solar Sales Abuses, Lessons In Regulatory Capture
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 August 14th, 2015
A non-solar story to start your day and it’s pretty scary. According to a US Study, 4,000 people die every day in China due to pollution. That’s an insane number! Makes me reconsider if yesterday’s acquisition of Suniva by Shunfeng wasn’t about US tariffs or US content but about lowering the carbon cost of solar modules that travel the world by cargo ship. Think about it. Silicon is manufactured on one continent. Cells are made on another. Then transported to the next Country to be assembled into modules and then sold into the final market.
News
1 NBC:
Air Pollution Killing 4,000 in China a Day, U.S. Study Finds
2 Solar Power Portal:
Planning appeal outcomes could offer final hope for large-scale UK RO deployment
3 Huffington Post:
The Clean Power Plan - Let the Litigation Games Begin
4 PV-Magazine:
Australian commercial market hits new high
5 Vox:
California's plan to let solar panels Voltron together into a "virtual power plant"
6 Bloomberg:
Theft and Sabotage Belie India’s Buzz Over Solar Power
7 Las Vegas Sun:
As solar cap nears limit, PUC denies solar industry’s petition
8 The Atlantic:
Coal's Devastation
Opinions:
9 CNBC:
Will Greece be saved by… solar?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 13th, 2015
Suniva sold a majority of its shares to Shunfeng Clean Energy. Shunfeng is the Hong Kong listed company that also purchased Suntech last year. Last summer, SolarWakeup broke the news that Suniva was opening a factory in Michigan making the modules very much US content compliant. With SolarWorld owned by Qatar, Suniva isn’t the first US solar module manufacturer that has an international owner but I think it is the first supplier with a Chinese owner. Let’s see how this evolves but congrats to the team and investors.
News
1 Reuters:
Shunfeng takes majority stake in U.S. solar manufacturer Suniva
2 Phys.org:
US distributed solar prices fell 10 to 20 percent in 2014, with trends continuing into 2015
3 Solar Power Portal:
RO uncertainty drives surge in solar farm planning applications
4 PV-Magazine:
US - Installed prices continue rapid descent
5 Vox:
Why Japan is bringing back nuclear power — four years after Fukushima
6 Las Vegas Sun:
Reid says NV Energy ‘violating Sherman Antitrust Act,’ blasts Koch brothers and Donald Trump
7 San Francisco Chronicle:
SolarCity lighting African schools with solar — free of charge
8 Economic Times:
SoftBank seeks major policy shift in global tenders for solar power
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
The Importance of “Switching Costs” to the US Residential Solar Industry
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 12th, 2015
No issue has driven more comment from readers than last year’s net metering debate in Massachusetts. It appears that this may be true again. The Senate and the Governor have proposed plans which include a proposal to come up with a new program to replace the SREC incentive. The ITC cliff is ahead and many are banking on the market mechanism of the SREC to save the MA market even in a downturn of the ITC. Last year came down to the wire, but I would be surprised that the legislation doesn’t get a long term outlook on the solar market this year.
News
1 WWLP:
Critics argue Baker’s solar legislation will slow growth
2 Orlando Sentinel:
Florida's rival solar-energy initiatives report funds for ballot proposals
3 Bloomberg:
China Advised to Double Solar Goal to Fill Nuclear, Hydro
4 Des Moines Register:
Alliant reverses stance that hindered solar projects in Iowa
5 Renew Economy:
AGL says still not enough policy certainty for large-scale renewables
6 PV-Tech:
MNRE urges Indian institutions and government ministries to take up rooftop solar
7 Clean Technica:
Australians Prefer Renewables - 84% Say Solar Their Ideal Energy Source, 69% Wind
8 PV-Magazine:
Japan - First nuclear reactor gets turned back on
Opinions:
9 NRDC:
Understanding the EPA's Clean Power Plan
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 11th, 2015
Next Tuesday I will be speaking with a few hundred solar installers and manufacturers in Las Vegas for the Somo Conference. Somo stands for solar mounting, an interest of mine from my days in the roofing industry. Having the talk in Vegas is great timing given the tactics of NV Energy to kill solar in the State. Nevada currently represents one of the largest residential markets in the Country and I look forward to speaking with the group about the impacts this and the many other NEM battles have on their businesses. Come meet me and the many other solar folks at the show.
News
1 Utility Dive:
How renewable energy can save utilities money
2 PV-Magazine:
USDA to invest $63 million in rural renewables
3 Reno Gazette-Journal:
Solar lobby in Darth Vader, other villain garb to protest NV Energy
4 Forbes:
Foxconn Could Make India Its Next Manufacturing Base After China, Investments Suggest
5 Architectural Digest:
These Colorful Solar Panels Could Be The Wave Of The Future
6 Journal News:
Bright idea? Clarkstown seeks solar regulations
7 Las Vegas Sun:
Solar company Sunrun signals lawsuit against state for public records
8 Clean Technica:
These 20 Cities Account For 6.5% Of US Solar PV Capacity
Opinions:
9 Seeking Alpha:
MLM And Rooftop Solar Sales Abuses, Lessons In Regulatory Capture
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 10th, 2015
With oil commodity pricing at some of the lowest numbers, the refineries are operating at some of the highest levels. I have been driving an electric car for the past 3 years, averaging 100 mpg with my 10kWh battery pack. Most days, I use all of the energy that I bought from my utility, FP&L. On the other hand I only visit the gas station every 6 to 8 weeks. The fact that refineries are operating at such a high level shows me that the utilities still don’t see the future. They can take market share from oil companies for the first time in history and drastically increase customer demand. Meanwhile EV owners are complaining that there are not charging stations in their neighborhoods.
News
1 Energy Collective:
U.S. Refineries are Running at Record-High Levels
2 Utility Dive:
Is New Hampshire solar racing toward a brick wall?
3 Solar Love:
Minas Gerais Implements Tax Exemption For Large Solar
4 Grist:
Climate and energy feature heavily in national debate — in Canada
5 Sydney Morning Herald:
Power networks accused of seeking to slow solar growth
6 Boston Globe:
Governor Baker files bill to encourage expansion of solar power
7 NRDC:
Power Companies Respond Positively to EPA's Final Carbon Pollution Standards
8 Clean Technica:
SunEdison + NASCAR = Solar Hi-Tech Teamup
Opinions:
9 Las Vegas Sun:
New plan for solar users needs careful, expert review
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 New York Times:
Solar Deals Are Hot, but Investors Fret; Sunrun IPO Fizzles
2 Slate:
The Miracle of SolarCity
3 Bloomberg:
Wind, Solar Cheer as Coal Vows Battle on Obama’s Energy Plan
4 Greentech Media:
California Utilities Release New Plans to Replace Net Metering - Conflict to Come?
5 New York Times:
Obama to Unveil Tougher Environmental Plan With His Legacy in Mind
6 News & Observer:
Unintended negative consequences of NC solar farms
7 Motley Fool:
Are Utilities Finally Falling in Love With Solar?
8 Think Progress:
This Kind Of Electricity Provider Is Already Integrating Renewables
9 Solar Love:
Clean Power Plan Will Lower Electric Bills, Study Says
10 Forbes:
3 Things To Know About SolarCity's Financial Health
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 August 7th, 2015
Look into every Governor’s mansion and then look at the most connected friends, advisors and lobbyists. In many, many instances, the closest to the Governors are also very close to the regulated utilities in the State. Nevada is a great example of it. Here is the greatest irony in energy today. When a regulated IOU asks to build a natural gas plant the present a cost study to build and operate the plant including a forward cost curve for the fuel costs that are expected. But who takes the fuel cost risk? Not the utility or the shareholders but the ratepayers. This, my friends, is likely the largest energy subsidy in the energy markets.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Conflict Over How to Value Solar Flares Up Again in Nevada
2 Bloomberg:
Israel Solar Industry on Hold While Awaiting Government Policies
3 Utility Dive:
The other death spiral utilities are beginning to deal with
4 News & Observer:
Unintended negative consequences of NC solar farms
5 Deseret News:
My view - It could be the beginning of solar boom in Utah
6 Forbes:
How Obama's Clean Power Plan Will Fuel The Solar Industry's Rapid Growth
7 Atlas Obscura:
From Above Solar Farms Look Like Tetris Pieces Left Behind By Giants
8 PV-Magazine:
Germany’s second PV tender oversubscribed three-fold
Opinions:
9 USA Today:
Obama’s power plan worth cost. But is it enough? #tellusatoday
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 6th, 2015
Sunrun goes public and SolarCity goes South of the border. Solar IPOs have been following a trend. From SolarCity’s last minute save by lowering the pricing to $8 per share (now trades over $50) to today’s IPO pricing in the middle of the range and then an early drop. What seems to be happening is that solar savvy investors understand solar while the retail market is still struggling with it. Remember that almost all solar companies show a loss per share due to increased investments in assets to put on balance sheet. Over time this will even out when companies are able to rephrase what is actually happening. It’s all about marketing at the end of the day.
News
1 New York Times:
Solar Deals Are Hot, but Investors Fret - Sunrun IPO Fizzles
2 Fortune:
SolarCity eyes global expansion with acquisition of Mexican solar company
3 NRDC:
10 Ways the Clean Power Plan Protects Electric Grid Reliability
4 EDF:
Lights will Stay on with New Power Plant Pollution Rules. Find out Why.
5 Renew Economy:
Networks propose compulsory fees for all – to stop grid defections
6 Energy Digital:
Step-by-step guide to understanding Obama’s Clean Power Plan
7 Utility Dive:
Rushing to bring solar online, Hawaii approves 4 utility scale projects
8 Texas Tribune:
New Law Will Help More Texans Go Solar
Opinions:
9 Los Angeles Times:
Editorial Obama's Clean Energy Plan doesn't go far enough
Have a great day!
Yann
