This is your SolarWakeup for December 17th, 2014
Imagine that, the tariffs for solar modules are going up and the scope is expanding. So here we are, trying to drive the cost of solar down while expanding to new markets and we get a fake increase of costs. We have to reiterate that the lead advocate for the tariffs has some potentially skewed motives that we have covered in the past. I am disappointed but not surprised. The parties have shown a lack of capability to get things done. Reason aside, the best in the business figure out a way to execute, but only the best.
News
1 NY Times:
U.S. Imposes Steep Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels
2 Breaking Energy:
Where Does Solar Make Sense? New State Study Shows Big Differences and Surprises
3 RE World:
Japan's Prime Minister Re-Election Risks Undercutting Clean Energy Push
4 Solar Industry:
New York Raises Solar Net-Metering Caps As Part Of An Energy Initiative
5 Greentech Media:
Cleantech IPOs
6 CleanTechnica:
Asia Pacific Solar PV Market Set To Reach 10 GW Q4’14
7 E&E News:
Can S.C.'s groundbreaking net metering policy spread in the Southeast?
8 Reuters:
Solar upstarts and utilities head for uneasy truce
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
Decoupling and Distributed Energy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 16th, 2014
The team at Mercatus has some great insights. From their perspective they give us a glimpse at the competitive landscape of investing in solar assets. So it is great when they publish some of that information for all of us to see what happens in the back rooms of solar ownership. So with the rise of the famed yieldcos, REITs, hedge funds and pension funds looking at solar, will the new race to the bottom be on the ownership side? Everyone seems to be getting squeezed, but it’s all to the benefit of market expansion it appears.
News
1 Forbes:
Trends In The Solar Industry
2 RE World:
Spreading the Solar Cheer
3 Greentech Media:
5 Key Stats Reveal Latin America’s Breakthrough Year in Solar
4 CleanTechnica:
A $48 Billion Opportunity For US Electric Customers
5 Solar Love:
950 MW Of Solar For Austin, TX By 2025
6 Motley Fool:
Will Chinese Solar Stocks Go Boom or Bust?
7 Energy Collective:
Valuing Solar Energy
8 Solar Power World:
How Community Partnerships Can Help Get People Who Love Solar To Go Solar
Opinions:
9 AZ Central:
APS should embrace clean energy, shut Cholla
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 15th, 2014
The government appears to be averting a shutdown with the giant CRomnibus bill. Solar doesn’t appear to have received anything that it asked for based on talking to those that read these things but the bill made me think of just one more reason of why solar should get their tax credit extensions. The environment sounds like a big loser in this bill which is a shame considering that making sure the air and water my kids get to use is cleaner than what I had as a child. There’s got to come a time when legislators look out for those not lobbying but that’s not reality today.
News
1 24/7 Wall St:
4 Top Solar Stocks to Buy for 2015 as Demand and Installations Remain Strong
2 Bloomberg:
Solar Power Wins South Carolina on Agreement With Duke
3 PV Magazine:
New Mexican utility proposes rooftop solar tax
4 RE World:
Threatened by Renewable Energy, Fossil Fuel Companies Highlight Their Role in Alleviating Poverty
5 NY Times:
A Climate Accord Based on Global Peer Pressure
6 RenewEconomy:
Households to use solar + storage to trade electricity with grid
7 Think Progress:
Can A Pair Of Republican Congressmen Make The House Fold On Climate Change?
8 Venture Beat:
8 surprising energy stats to remember from 2014
Opinions:
9 Barry Goldwater:
SRP solar fees ruin its reputation
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Bloomberg:
Why Elon Musk's Batteries Scare the Hell Out of the Electric Company
2 NY Times:
Energy Firms in Secretive Alliance With Attorneys General
3 GTM:
Sharp Still Trying to Sell Solar Developer Recurrent Energy
4 CNBC:
No, cheap oil will not kill solar power
5 Nasdaq:
The Biggest Market in Solar Energy
6 WRAL:
Duke Energy plans to invest $500 million in solar
7 NPR:
Should Homeowners With Solar Panels Pay To Maintain Electrical Grid?
8 Motley Fool:
Solar Players Taking Very Different Paths to Success
9 PV Magazine:
Exxon chief strategist sticks boot in on solar
10 Solar Industry:
Utilities Face Significant Revenue Losses From Growth Of Solar
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 December 12th, 2014
David Roberts has a great post today about risk in power plants. While I did not go to business school, where I understand that the Alcoa business model is tonight early on, I am convinced that natural gas is "buying" long term ownership of baseload across America. What's going to happen when all of the drillers want to increase their margin? What will stop them from slowing their productive wells until prices rise? Most of all, who is on the hook for the volatility of fuel costs? I'm a strong believer that solar most important energy/financial attribute is the almost non-existent volatility in pricing for many years forward.
News
1 Grist:
Wind and solar are much less financially risky than other power projects
2 NPR:
Should Homeowners With Solar Panels Pay To Maintain Electrical Grid?
3 NY Times:
Solar Rises in Malaysia During Trade Wars Over Panels
4 Greentech Media:
PJM’s Capacity Market Reforms Could ‘Erase Revenue Streams’ for Utility-Scale Solar
5 Nasdaq:
The Biggest Market in Solar Energy
6 CleanTechnica:
Solar & Wind Power Are Changing Net Load Shapes In California
7 PV Solar Report:
USSMI 2014
8 World Coal:
Solar power at mine sites
Opinions:
9 PV Magazine:
Exxon chief strategist sticks boot in on solar
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 11th, 2014
"We all need to come together and fight for solar” is the message from NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton. I can’t agree more. One of the biggest takeaways from the great GTM conference this week is that success is leading some companies struggling to compete resorting to tactics of hoping for the death of the ITC. One company vowed to fight for a lower 10% of the ITC, with the help of the solar friendly Senator Ted Cruz. If you don’t like the ITC, get out of solar. If you can’t handle the tax equity market, admit the shortcoming and find a partner.
News
1 CNBC:
No, cheap oil will not kill solar power
2 PV Tech:
Xcel Colorado solar plan rejected
3 Gigaom:
Over one-third of new U.S. electricity came from solar this year
4 PV Magazine:
New strategies and portability may help PV-for-mining solutions cross financing hurdle
5 Greentech Media:
Off-Grid Solar Companies Closed $64M in 2014
6 Forbes:
First Solar Gives U.S. Residential Market Another Try
7 Solar Power World:
Solar Insurance
8 Huffington Post:
Climate Change and Investment in Fossil Fuel Companies
Opinions:
9 RE World:
‘Tis the Season for Winter Solar Marketing Info, Messaging, and Photos
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 10th, 2014
Solar is growing (adding another 1.3GW in Q3) and solar is disrupting the utilities (numbers seem overstated). But the best news in what may be the most ironic solar story of the year in 2014 is that the US Department of Commerce and US Department of Energy with BOTH Secretaries are leading a clean energy trade mission to…. (wait for it)…..CHINA! Are you kidding me? The US Government at the behest of select few is imposing tariffs on these guys and we’re going on a trade mission?
News
1 Greentech Media:
US Solar Growth Continues
2 Breaking Energy:
U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz Announce Business Development Mission to China
3 PV Magazine:
Cleantech disruption to reduce annual utility revenues by up to $123 billion
4 Forbes:
Solar Stocks Fall On Lower Crude Oil Prices, But Selloff Is Overdone
5 Oregonian:
Suppliers criticize proposed expansion of duties on Chinese solar panels
6 Solar Love:
Solar Power Could Replace Oil In The Middle East?
7 Motley Fool:
Solar Players Taking Very Different Paths to Success
8 NY Times:
Copenhagen Lighting the Way to Greener, More Efficient Cities
Opinions:
9 Adam Browning:
What Can Hawaii Expect From NextEra’s Purchase of Hawaiian Electric?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 9th, 2014
You all know how much I love talking solar. So let’s try a little solar crowdsourcing. Many of you know that I joined a new company, Conergy, a few months ago, to do some really great things. In the process of improving an already rockstar team, I am looking for someone to join my group. Focused on solar content and PR, we are redefining how solar talks to each other and customers. If you want to join, or know someone that is looking, and you/they are really good at what you’re doing, send me a note.
News
1 RE World:
ITC Hears Testimony on Expanded China Solar Dumping
2 PV Tech:
Hanwha to create 3GW cell giant with Q CELLS and SolarOne merger
3 Huff Post:
The DOE Loan Program Is a Winner
4 Think Progress:
Solar Technique Achieves Record-High 40% Efficiency
5 PV Magazine:
Global DG market to double by 2023, says Navigant Research
6 Solar Power Portal:
More than 60% of Brits unaware of solar subsidy support
7 Solar Industry:
Utilities Face Significant Revenue Losses From Growth Of Solar, Storage And Energy Efficiency
8 WRAL:
Duke Energy plans to invest $500 million in solar
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 NY Times:
Why More Solar Panels Should Be Facing West, Not South
2 Motley Fool:
The Best Solar Stock of 2014
3 Bloomberg:
NextEra Buys Hawaii’s Biggest Utility in Green Energy Test
4 Bloomberg:
George Shultz Gone Solar. Now That's a Sign in the U.S. Climate Debate
5 Energy Collective:
What Will Happen When the ITC is Reduced?
6 NPR:
Solar Energy's Popularity Increases As Rooftop Panels Get Less Expensive
7 NY Times:
The Next Tax Fight
8 CleanTechnica:
Dubai Shatters Solar Price Records Worldwide — Lowest Ever!
9 RE World:
Why Aren’t Rural Electric Cooperatives Champions of Local Clean Power?
10 Solar Industry:
IHS Predicts Reshuffling Of Top 10 Solar PV Module Suppliers
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 December 5th, 2014
Congress is debating a tax extenders package. The solar industry is pushing for a commence construction clause so that construction for solar projects doesn’t slow in early 2016. At some point we will have to start pushing for the ITC extension because solar is not ready for a drop to 10%. I fail to understand why every energy source should be propped up by development, mining and drilling tax credits while solar has to ‘grow up’. At the next conference, don’t let speakers get away with the thought that ITC could and should drop.
News
1 The Guardian:
Lawsuits, scams and whistleblowers
2 Breaking Energy:
Women Apply Here
3 Bloomberg:
Falling Oil Price Won’t Affect Solar Industry, SunPower CEO Says
4 NY Times:
The Next Tax Fight
5 Energy Collective:
What Will Happen When the ITC is Reduced?
6 CleanTechnica:
Animated Guide To The Solar Rooftop Revolution
7 PV Magazine:
One in five of all Australian households now using solar
8 RE World:
Preparing the Next Generation for Skilled Jobs in the Clean Energy Sector
Have a great day!
Yann
