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This is your SolarWakeup for July 24th, 2015

Vacation brain got to me as I realized today that I put the wrong link for the Senator Hatch action alert. So let’s give you a recap. The Senate Finance committee has passed a tax extenders bill. In the next phase, amendmentsdaf will be made from the floor which usually need some level of approval by the Chair and Ranking member. As the Senate moves to recess, we have to speak up to Senator Hatch and Senator Wyden, the Senators from Utah and Oregon respectively. Solar doesn’t have the money that the utilities have and until ideas like today’s top story about leveling the playing field (never going to happen) get somewhere, solar has to use its voice and grassroots support

News

1 New York Times:

Jeb Bush Calls for an End to Energy Subsidies

2 Huffington Post:

Will Obama's Kenya Trip Salvage His 'Power Africa' Legacy?

3 Vox:

Want more wind and solar? We'll need to get rid of outdated grid rules.

4 Think Progress:

Have You Heard Of Solar Desalination? If Not, You Will Soon.

5 PV-Magazine:

China eyes further PV target increase in 13th five-year plan

6 Solar Power Portal:

Barker urges solar industry to ‘avoid hysteria and self-damaging doom mongering’

7 Utility Dive:

Report - Wait times for rooftop solar interconnection jumped 68% 2013-2014

8 Solar Industry Magazine:

Risk Assessment And Reduction Will Attract Capital To C&I Solar

Opinions:

9 Sun-Sentinel:

Bright side to suspicious 2nd solar measure

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 23rd, 2015

The Sunrun IPO is going to be happening soon as the prospectus was filed yesterday. The residential game is going strong this week. With Sunedison buying Vivint Solar for $2.2billion including $500million in debt giving the company a valuation of $1.7billion. Sunrun, which had 8 times the revenue of Vivint Solar in 2014, is trying to IPO at $13-$15 per share giving the company a valuation of $1.25-$1.45billion. Interestingly, Sunedison has increased guidance due to the Vivint Solar acquisition by an AMAZING 1.1-1.3GW. That means that the company expects 2016 to be 2x the cumulative lifetime. As a sidenote, will some reporters do some real work on their stories going forward? The GTM Residential Leaderboard is for pure play installers. Not residential marketshare as a whole. Vivint Solar can’t be the second largest with $25million in revenue in 2014 compared to SolarCity’s $250million and Sunrun’s $198million. Here is the prospectus for some fun reading

News

1 Fortune:

Solar company Sunrun sets terms to raise up to $309 million in IPO

2 Arizona Central:

AG's Office widens Arizona Corporation Commission investigation

3 Utility Dive:

For top utilities, customer satisfaction hinges on empowerment

4 Renewable Energy World:

How Solar Energy Zones and Easy Permitting Helped Create 3-cent Solar

5 Forbes:

Nuclear Almost As Good As Solar, Says Report Prepared For Nuclear Group

6 Grist:

James Hansen’s new climate study is terrifying, but he still has hope

7 Renew Economy:

Labor picks a winner with 50% renewable energy target

8 The Guardian:

How the solar panel subsidy cuts will affect you

Opinions:

9 Las Vegas Sun:

Limiting rooftop solar stifles Nevadans

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 22nd, 2015

Maybe you have been sitting out the ITC lobbying because it was too early or it didn’t impact you enough just yet. While the date seems far off, you have to remember that next year is a Presidential election year and nothing will get done. Case in point, a tax extender bill came out of Senate Finance Committee and solar ITC was not included. ALL IS NOT LOST, now is the time to get involved. The Chair of Senate Finance can still make a change by amendment. We need your voice. I need your help. Send Senator Hatch a note, Have your family send him a note. Your 2nd cousin? He should send a note too!

News

1 NY Times:

Dozens of Expired Tax Breaks Would Get Renewed Under Bill

2 Bloomberg:

KKR Buys Majority Stake in $1 Billion Spanish Solar Firm

3 Las Vegas Journal:

Solar company alleges cronyism between Sandoval administration, NV Energy

4 Solar Industry:

Los Angeles Assembling Solar Action Committee To Address PV Challenges

5 Mass Live:

Environmental activists urge state to lift cap on solar energy subsidy program

6 Think Progress:

Why The Pope Just Met With Dozens Of Mayors About Climate Change (And Human Trafficking)

7 Forbes:

Who Gets Bought Next In Solar After Vivint?

8 The Washington Post:

Study - Pepco is the country’s worst utility at connecting solar power

Opinions:

9 Utility Dive:

Why utility ownership of rooftop solar should be explored

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 21st, 2015

You have all heard the news by now. SunEdison is buying Vivint Solar, a story I covered in detail when they filed their S-1. The price tag, $2.2billion but let’s dig into that a bit. The development platform, SunEdison is buying the Vivint Solar platform for $777million and adding a $500million loan. This is most likely to pay off some of the debt that Vivint Solar had to Vivint. Terraform is acquiring the 2015 assets of Vivint Solar, a total of 523MW for $962million which equates to $1.84/watt for deals average $0.14/kWh. My first reaction is that this may be the largest addition of residential solar assets into a yieldco, at 9.5% cash on cash yield, a lucrative addition. Read the investor presentation here.

News

1 New York Times:

SunEdison to Buy Vivint Solar for About $2.2 Billion

2 Fortune:

Why SunEdison is buying Vivint Solar for $2.2 billion

3 PV-Tech:

Big UK solar support cuts imminent - reports

4 Utility Dive:

The Transportation Grid - How utilities can drive the future of transport

5 Renew Economy:

$1 trillion solar, wind finance to outstrip oil and gas industry

6 Think Progress:

Two Giant Israeli Solar Plants Will Soon Provide Nearly 2 Percent Of The Country’s Electricity

7 Clean Technica:

Utility Solar May Cost Less, But It’s Also Worth Less

8 Wall Street Journal:

Hanergy Cancels Deal with Parent Company to Buy Solar Panels

Opinions:

9 EDF:

How California is Getting Electricity Pricing Right and Bringing Clean Power to the People

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 20th, 2015

What is the point of net metering caps? They are a big subject currently in Nevada and Massachusetts. One side would say that it has to preserve the integrity of the grid that is used to provide service for consumers ‘when they hit their light switch’. The other side would simply say that it is used to keep solar growth from stagnation. It’s all a marketing scheme at the end of the day, a net metering cap is just that, a cap. A cap on solar, a cap on growth, a cap on creating sustainable businesses in our industry.

News

1 Berkshire Eagle:

Solar net metering caps put Williamstown solar farm project on hold

2 CNN:

Super-charge the solar power boom

3 Energy Collective:

19 Graphs That Explain Solar Panels for Home Owners (With Maps!)

4 Forbes:

More Smoke, More Mirrors For Solar Politics In Sunshine State

5 Bloomberg:

Californians, Love Thy Neighbor as One May Power Your Dryer

6 PV-Tech:

Industry concern over record low solar bids in India

7 NRDC:

Making the Case for the Clean Power Plan

8 Grist:

Arizona and California are ignoring the science on water

Opinions:

9 Motley Fool:

Energy Revolution? OPEC Countries Become the Biggest Fans of Solar Energy

Have a great day!
Yann

These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!

News

1 Forbes:

Why California Is A Natural Gas State

2 Boston Globe:

Could this billionaire environmentalist make or break the Democratic primary?

3 Think Progress:

This Massive Utility Wants More Renewable Energy Because Corporations Are Demanding It

4 Seeking Alpha:

U.S. Rooftop Solar Is Rapidly Gaining Support

5 FastCo Exist:

With This Airbnb For Energy, Now You Can Buy Solar Power From Your Neighbor

6 Think Progress:

Why Don’t Republicans Believe The Scientists On Climate Change?

7 The Hill:

A new business model for the electricity sector

8 Think Progress:

The Northeast’s Electricity Bills Have Dropped $460 Million Since They Started Paying For Carbon

9 The Hill:

A new business model for the electricity sector

10 Renewable Energy World:

FERC Removes Obstacles that Limit Distributed Renewable Energy in Colorado

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 July 17th, 2015

There’s an episode of the West Wing TV show that highlights how silly arguments in cleantech used to go. The episode shows advocates from wind, solar, ethanol and hydrogen pitching the value of their technology to senior White House staffers. Within minutes, the advocates are arguing with each other instead of making the case for the sector. Unfortunately, we are seeing EEI make headway with some solar players on this as well. Solar vs solar is a bad idea, don’t engage and don’t accept that this premise is needed. Here is the episode.

News

1 Think Progress:

This Massive Utility Wants More Renewable Energy Because Corporations Are Demanding It

2 Greentech Media:

Solar Owners Become More Satisfied With Their Utility

3 Seeking Alpha:

Utility-Scale Solar Is Unlikely To Remain Dominant

4 Huffington Post:

Bill Gates Is Funding Clean Energy Innovation -- That's Great

5 PV-Magazine:

Deutsche Bank - Global solar demand robust, despite disappointing tariff decision

6 Solar Industry Magazine:

IBM Boosts Accuracy Of DOE Solar Forecasts By 30%

7 Clean Technica:

Thailand In Midst Of Big Solar Boom

8 Bloomberg:

Californians, Love Thy Neighbor as One May Power Your Dryer Soon

Opinions:

9 LA Times:

Op-Ed Who should pay the price of clean energy?

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 16th, 2015

If you don’t think you make a difference in the fight to save the solar ITC, you are very much mistaken. Here are two things you can do right now and in a few weeks. While the ITC is not set to expire for over a year, the fight to extend will happen in the next two months. First, call your Senator, especially if they are on this list. If you know someone in a State that has a Senator on this list, ask them to call their Senator. Simply ask the person that answer the phone, “I am calling to ask Senator XYZ to extend the solar investment tax credit. I work/supper in solar and hope to get your support as well.” The second task comes during recess in a few weeks. Your Senator will have town hall meetings. Go to the meetings and ask “Will you support and fight to extend the solar investment tax credit.” More to come

News

1 Think Progress:

Lindsey Graham - Why Don’t Republicans Believe The Scientists On Climate Change?

2 Miami Herald:

Group attempts to undercut solar initiative with rival amendment

3 The Hill:

A new business model for the electricity sector

4 Solar Industry Magazine:

Solar Desalination Plant To Bring Freshwater To Calif.'s Central Valley

5 Deutsche Welle:

Powering the developing world with solar?

6 Newsweek:

Two Numbers - Solar Energy's Price Drop, Ahead of Schedule, Could Help Save the Planet

7 Bloomberg:

Solar Feels the Love in Australia as Wind Draws Attacks

8 Fast Co Exist:

With This Airbnb For Energy, Now You Can Buy Solar Power From Your Neighbor

Opinions:

9 Huffington Post:

Opening The Door To Solar Power For All

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 15th, 2015

Later today, in the basement of the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco we will be debating the C&I solar markets in the future. One topic that is bound to come is the difference between value and cost of solar in the space. There is no doubt that rooftop solar is more expensive than solar farms. That being said, what is the actual value created for the economy, ratepayers and grid operators. I don’t know the answer to it but I am sure that will be part of any response to the report that was published yesterday. See you all at InterSolar tomorrow if you are here!

News

1 Sun-Sentinel:

Fight shows solar power has bright future

2 Boston Globe:

Could this billionaire environmentalist make or break the Democratic primary?

3 Salon:

Australia’s climate-denying government is going after wind and rooftop solar

4 PV-Magazine:

Public solar market financing sees record Q2, despite overall corporate funding fall

5 Solar Industry Magazine:

Solar-To-Solar Study

6 Think Progress:

The Northeast’s Electricity Bills Have Dropped $460 Million

7 Utility Dive:

California struggles with gas capacity in summer heat

8 Clean Technica:

Solar Industry Innovations Abound At Intersolar North America 2015

Opinions:

9 Orlando Sentinel:

Goodwill turns to solar to help planet, people

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for July 14th, 2015

The topic at the top of everyone’s mind here at Intersolar is the ITC, not a big surprise here. Don’t be fooled by the many silly talking points that a few small minority has on how it adds cost and complexity, total nonsense. Something new came up on my panel yesterday which I want to ask you. Has solar financing been democratized sufficiently? Do we need solar to be allowed to be formed into MLPs in order to be sufficiently democratized or are loans, leases, PPAs and crowdsourcing sufficient to make the case? Lastly, come see me at our Miami themed happy hour from 3-5pm at the GTM booth today!

News

1 Forbes:

Report - The Ups And Downs Of U.S. Solar Investments

2 Utility Dive:

Inside California's rate restructuring plan and the battle for fixed charges looming over it

3 Time:

2 Ways to Make Going Solar More Affordable

4 NBC:

Solar Impulse Plane Grounded in Hawaii by 'Irreversible' Battery Damage

5 Energy Collective:

California Dreamin' of Distributed Energy Resources, as Utilities File Plans

6 Renewable Energy World:

Sandia Lab Program To Assist Small Clean Energy Companies

7 PV-Magazine:

Thai solar market on course to grow by around 1 GW in 2015

8 Renew Economy:

Solar PV providing 2.4% of Australian power generation in 2014

Opinions:

9 USA Today:

Battle over rooftop solar, clean-energy mandate brews in California

Have a great day!
Yann

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