This is your SolarWakeup for July 13th, 2015
Most of you have packed your bags and are heading to San Francisco today. I arrived late last night to take part of the annual get together at Intersolar. Speaking on a few panels this year focused on improving and expanding the C&I solar markets which is a market segment I find very important. As consumers around the Country put solar on their homes with various financial choices, the businesses still have limited opportunity (so they think) to put solar on their building. Today at 11am at the Intercontinental and tomorrow at 4pm come see me at the Marriott.
News
1 Seeking Alpha:
U.S. Rooftop Solar Is Rapidly Gaining Support
2 Energy Post:
The YieldCo - the solar revolution meets Wall Street
3 Renewable Energy World:
FERC Removes Obstacles that Limit Distributed Renewable Energy in Colorado
4 PV-Magazine:
Market volatility hits clean energy investment
5 Reuters:
Thailand ignites solar power investment in Southeast Asia
6 Forbes:
Why California Is A Natural Gas State
7 The Guardian:
Abbott government extends renewable energy investment ban to solar power
8 Keene Sentinel:
NH's solar boom faces uncertainty
Opinions:
9 Salt Lake Tribune:
Op-ed - PSC should weigh solar’s moral and health benefits despite Rocky Mountain’s plea
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Greentech Media:
Solar Bill Passed in Maine Sets the Stage for an Innovative Alternative to Net Metering
2 New York Times:
Obama Plan Would Give Poor Easier Access to Solar Energy
3 Think Progress:
Bernie Sanders’ Plan To Make Solar Power More Accessible
4 Greentech Media:
The Battle for Third Place in the US Residential Solar Installer Race
5 Clean Technica:
Could Third-Party Ownership of Solar Be Taking Root In The Southeast?
6 Huffington Post:
Ranking the Top 40 U.S. Metro Areas By Solar Systems Per Capita
7 PV-Tech:
California electricity rate changes suggest ‘net benefit’ for rooftop solar
8 Bloomberg:
U.S. Revises Tariffs and Duties on Chinese Solar Imports
9 Huffington Post:
4 Things to Know Before You Take the Solar Energy Plunge
10 SEIA:
Tell your Senator to support the solar ITC!
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 10th, 2015
Your push yesterday to the Senate Finance Committee was incredibly helpful. Don’t stop now! I mentioned to you that there may be an interesting story coming out and probably will on Monday that shows that the solar tariffs, which got some relief today, are a political play for natural gas. This same political ploy is at work again, this time trying to lobby against the ITC. Major utilities are pushing for ITC, other sources don’t want the debate of tax credits and here we are trying to pass something that makes all the sense in the world. Keep pushing and make the call/email to your senator. Here is the link again
News
1 Bloomberg:
U.S. Revises Tariffs and Duties on Chinese Solar Imports
2 PV-Tech:
Buffett project’s record low cost part of pricing ‘trend’, says First Solar
3 Solar Industry:
Master Limited Partnerships Could Attract New Capital To Solar - Someday
4 PV-Magazine:
Update - Reports of a halt in production at Yingli
5 Think Progress:
How Solar Power Is Learning To Share - The Rapid Growth Of Community Solar Gardens
6 Grist:
Fossil fuel companies have been lying about climate change for more than 30 years
7 Utility Dive:
Boulder files with regulators to acquire Xcel assets in bid to form municipal utility
8 Reno Gazette-Journal:
NV solar cap to be reached earlier than expected
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
President Obama Plans Empowering People With Solar -- Renewables Goal Still a Climate Fail
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 9th, 2015
In politics there are windows of opportunity. Solar has a window right now
to push members of congress especially members of the Senate Finance
committee to include solar in the tax extenders bill. So you need to act.
Click here and send a note to your representatives. Do you know your
Senator? Have you given them contributions? Let me know. There are talking
points of course and one story is coming out that isn't quite baked yet
but a certain member of solar may be trying to undermine the sector. So
it's that much more important for you to act now. Click here, tweet,
Facebook and ask your coworkers/employees to do so as well.
News
1 SEIA:
Tell your Senator to support the solar ITC!
2 Miami Herald:
Proposed solar energy amendment has cities feuding
3 Huffington Post:
Ranking the Top 40 U.S. Metro Areas By Solar Systems Per Capita
4 Greentech Media:
The Battle for Third Place in the US Residential Solar Installer Race
5 Energy Collective:
Do Residential Energy Efficiency Investments Deliver?
6 Clean Technica:
What The Smart Building Industry Can Learn From Wearable Fitness Tracker Trend
7 Business Journal:
Colorado power cooperative looks again at rates after jump in solar customers
8 Wall Street Journal:
Oman to Build Giant Solar Plant to Extract Oil
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
Is the Spanish Government Putting the Brakes on Solar PV?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 8th, 2015
The White House continues to push forward. In a timely move, meaning that the Government is jumping on community solar at a pace unknown to be usual for government, the administration pushes for more solar access to renters, low income and credit challenged Americans. Innovation in financing is an important topic, which I will be discussing on two panels next week in San Francisco during Intersolar. On Monday at the Sunspec panel on the innovations in C&I and on Tuesday at the PVMC moonshot event about how we can solve some of the issues around distributed solar. Great people coming together to teach me a few things, always a good time.
News
1 New York Times:
Obama Plan Would Give Poor Easier Access to Solar Energy
2 Think Progress:
Bernie Sanders’ Plan To Make Solar Power More Accessible
3 Greentech Media:
Solar Bill Passed in Maine Sets the Stage for an Innovative Alternative to Net Metering
4 PV-Tech:
Seismic shift - No new solar PV manufacturing expansion plans announced for China in 1H 2015
5 Solar Industry Magazine:
New York Looks To Well-Tuned Incentives To Sustain Solar Growth
6 Huffington Post:
4 Things to Know Before You Take the Solar Energy Plunge
7 Energy Collective:
California Grid Expected to Maintain Reliability despite Drought
8 Charlotte Observer:
Challenge of NC law aims to open solar markets
Opinions:
9 Forbes:
For Investors, India's Solar Push Could Signal A Gold Rush
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 7th, 2015
Last year I was asked by many readers to post more global news. In finding some interesting sites that cover other markets such as the UK and Australia, I have become interested in those market dynamics. With my work also taking me abroad, I usually find that the conservative political party in other Countries is still solar friendly (not always). The strangest of all politicians is Prime Minister Abbott in Australia. The headlines that come from his office are usually interesting but the today’s sarcasm tops it. I am sure a scientist somewhere will make it clear that taking all fossils out of the ground is a very, very bad idea for the earth.
News
1 Renew Economy:
Abbott imagines a fossil-free future …after it’s all been burnt
2 Quartz:
Japan is building solar energy plants on abandoned golf courses—and the idea is spreading
3 PV-Tech:
California electricity rate changes suggest ‘net benefit’ for rooftop solar
4 Breaking Energy:
New York Set To Revive Renewable Energy Industry
5 PV-Magazine:
Trina Solar refutes reports of Malaysian fab rejection
6 USA Today:
Calderon and Stern - Fight climate change, boost economy
7 Utility Dive:
Dominion questions solar, praises coal, decries carbon rules in IRP filing
8 Toronto Globe and Mail:
Ruling says Chinese solar panels pose risk to Canadian industry
Opinions:
9 NRDC:
Steady As She Goes - Lessons for the Clean Power Plan
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 6th, 2015
Today’s top story is about a man that lived off-grid using nothing but solar energy for nearly 118 hours. Not that impressive except for the fact that he flew an airplane from Japan to Hawaii for over 4400 miles. The irony comes that while Hawaii is a solar leader and looking to get to 100% renewables, HECO filed to revamp the net metering rules on the day that the plane lands showing what the future could look like. Old versus new, the status quo is changing.
News
1 New York Times:
Solar Plane Lands in Hawaii After Record-Breaking Flight
2 Utility Dive:
HECO files with regulators to cut solar net metering rates in half
3 Vox:
There's a lot more solar power in the US than we thought
4 PV-Tech:
Third-ranked Advanced Energy’s exit leaves 17% share to fight over in US inverter market
5 Clean Technica:
Could Third-Party Ownership of Solar Be Taking Root In The Southeast?
6 PV-Magazine:
Spain's solar tax 'almost complete'
7 Renewable Energy World:
California Power Bill Overhaul Threatens Home Solar Growth
8 Renew Economy:
Solar revolution can’t be stopped, but it can be slowed
Opinions:
9 Grist:
Talking about jobs isn’t the only way to lure voters into the climate movement
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 2nd, 2015
You’ve probably already heard all about it. Austin Energy went out for large scale solar and presented the results at an oversight hearing late last week. It’s worth a listen because it represents an interesting milestone in solar as some of the bids came in under $0.04/kWh. Many questions to be asked about the bids but Austin Energy calls them credible. Here is my fundamental takeaway. If $0.04/kWh works in Texas, where else does solar work or more importantly where doesn’t it? As you see utilities get more involved in solar, you can see why. The ‘solar is too expensive’ talking point is fading, quickly. Here is the presentation, around the 5 minute mark
News
1 Austin Energy:
City Council Committee Meeting
2 PV-Tech:
If you can’t beat them… US utility launches residential solar service
3 Business Journals:
Hawaii solar-energy industry leaders question HECO's cost-shift plan
4 Solar Server:
ENGIE acquires majority stake in Solairedirect, becomes French leader in PV industry
5 Renew Economy:
South Australia pushes battery storage in government buildings
6 PV-Magazine:
Sunrun to raise USD111 million in first residential securitization
7 Bloomberg:
China’s Climate Goal Calls for Aggressive Push on Solar, Wind
8 Vox:
Solar power still needs to get much cheaper. Are perovskites the answer?
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
Winners and Losers from Flattening Tiered Electricity Prices
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 1st, 2015
Bill Gates is making headlines again regarding renewables by looking to invest $2billion in new technologies through research and development. While the author of the article argues that we should invest in policy and not technology, I think another route would be more efficient. Bill Gates needs to invest in the deployment of technology that typical investors would not invest in. Moreover, Mr. Gates should invest in projects that are not investment grade to really make a difference. The cost of technology is the factor making the biggest impact today. A small solar panel connected to a lightbulb and cell phone charge do far more than some new revolutionary power plant in many areas around the world. I wrote about this last year here
News
1 Greentech Media:
US Solar Electricity Production 50% Higher Than Previously Thought
2 Renewable Energy World:
Behavioral Economics and the Solar PV Industry
3 PV-Tech:
UK solar subsidies could be hit by budget overspend, report warns
4 Think Progress:
Bill Gates Plans To Invest $2 Billion In New Renewable Technology. That’s Not A Great Idea.
5 New York Times:
Global Climate Pact Gains Momentum as China, U.S. and Brazil Detail Plans
6 Pacific Standard:
Why Millions of Chinese-Made Solar Panels Sat Unused in Southern California Warehouses
7 Utility Dive:
Despite declaring energy sales illegal, Duke will connect solar array owned by third party
8 Bangor Daily News:
State to study new way to reimburse small-scale solar power generators
Opinions:
9 Michael Bloomberg:
Why Cities Will Be Vital Players at Paris Climate Talks
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 30th, 2015
A full circle day for me. One of the very first days in solar, I made a deal with PVPowered to beta test a PVP30 inverter. I visited the PVPowered factory shortly thereafter in Bend, Oregon which was a small steel building, an office trailer and offices on the 2nd floor of a small building. The floor in the ‘factory’ had colored tape which was the result of optimization planning. I recall ordering a container of 30kW inverters in 2008 for about $0.50/watt. Fast forward past the acquisition by Advanced Energy, some really good people still represent the company. With inverters selling for $0.10/watt or so, it is sad to hear that Advanced Energy will be closing the division. My friends will surely land on their feet, I wish them all well.
News
1 Coloradoan:
AE dumps solar business - layoffs expected
2 New Yorker Magazine:
Power to the People
3 New York Times:
Supreme Court Blocks Obama’s Limits on Power Plants
4 Renewable Energy World:
What Is the Value of Solar Energy + Storage?
5 Renew Economy:
Three out of four new solar households to add battery storage
6 Motley Fool:
Upcoming Solar IPO Could Give Investors Another Residential Solar Play
7 Wall Street Journal:
Solar Boom Raises Doubts on Sale of Australia Power Assets
8 NPR:
Solar-Powered Airplane Begins Long Journey From Japan To Hawaii
Opinions:
9 Forbes:
Can it Get Worse for Spain's Solar Policy? It Just Did
Have a great day!
Yann
