This is your SolarWakeup for June 29th, 2015
Solar is a societal movement. If you doubt that, just take a look at the grassroots support that our industry gets every time we are challenged or attacked. On Friday, the Supreme Court moved an entire nation forward and it was amazing to see how corporate America responded, especially solar companies. For marketing and communication professionals it sometimes presents a dilemma of whether a company should comment on something outside of their industry. On Fridaysome of solar’s largest companies including Conergy, Sunedison, SunPower and NRG Home made social media comments. For a particularly proud moment for my amazing team, we got a shoutout from CNN for our post.
News
1 Motley Fool:
The Solar Energy Revolution - Past the Point of No Return
2 AZ Central:
200 flip-flops delivered to APS to protest solar fees
3 Fortune:
What Sunrun's IPO says about the solar industry and Silicon Valley
4 CleanTechnica:
Solar Net Metering A Subsidy To Utilities?
5 Solar Power Portal:
Why DECC struggles to keep up with solar PV capacity data…and why we don’t
6 Think Progress:
Scotland Got Half Its Electricity From Renewables In 2014
7 News & Record:
Freedom Act would allow third-party sales of solar power in N.C.
8 Toronto Star:
Ontario solar module makers say duties needed to survive cheap Chinese imports
Opinions:
9 Honolulu Beat:
Hawaii’s New Renewable Energy Law Is ‘Leading By Example’
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Fortune:
Sunrun sprints toward an IPO
2 USA Today:
SolarCity reaches out to rival utilities
3 Forbes:
After Decade Of Decline, Solar Panel Prices Are Rising In World's Biggest Solar Market
4 Vox:
Why wind and solar power are such a challenge for energy grids
5 Time:
Should You Put Solar Panels On Your House?
6 Salon:
The energy revolution that has 1 percenters shaking in their boots
7 Energy Collective:
Opening the Small Commercial Solar Market
8 Forbes:
$8B-$16B Investment Could Double Solar Market
9 Bloomberg:
First Solar and SunPower’s 8point3 Energy IPO Nets $420 Million
10 Oil Price:
Why Buffett Bet A Billion On 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 June 26th, 2015
With huge news out of solar yesterday, Sunrun announced it was going public with the release of the S-1 filing to the SEC. It had been filed privately as allowed by the JOBS Act, but now it is happening. The things you need to know: Sunrun is listing under the ticker “RUN” on the NASDAQ, which is the same as SolarCity. There are probably over 80,000 systems on the books and 430MW. Most interesting tidbit, currently being missed by all other reports. Sunrun has an impressive cash income stream from system sales, over $100mm in 2014. So while SolarCity does 137MW in Q4 of 2014, the annual revenue was $255million whereas Sunrun had $198million for the same time period. Let’s see if investors notice…
News
1 Fortune:
Sunrun sprints toward an IPO
2 SEC:
United States Securities And Exchange Commission
3 Breaking Energy:
Energy Storage Will Likely Follow Renewable Energy’s Rapid Growth Path
4 Renewable Energy World:
Australian Renewable Energy Law Paves Way for $11 Billion in Projects
5 PV-Magazine:
Europe - High renewables production leads to plunging power prices
6 Boston Herald:
Report shines light on solar benefits
7 Midwest Energy News:
Xcel, developers reach agreement on Minnesota community solar program
8 Vox:
Here's how to get solar power if you don't own a roof
Opinions:
9 Quartz:
Why India’s solar sector has turned into a $100 billion investment magnet
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 25th, 2015
The first day at REFF had plenty of coverage of what happens in 2017. With a few folks commenting that it has yet to be determined and Bank of America coming out to say that the solar revolution will continue on without problem. What is apparent is that the people in the know and those with policy teams understand that the ability of solar ITC extension is very likely. Keep in the loop and let me know if you're connected to your congressman or Senator!
News
1 Time:
Should You Put Solar Panels On Your House?
2 IREC:
Is Adding Solar Batteries Worth it?
3 Forbes:
After Decade Of Decline, Solar Panel Prices Are Rising In World's Biggest Solar Market
4 Vox:
The economic limitations of wind and solar power
5 CNBC:
Big step toward solar power for small electronic devices
6 Nasdaq:
Why Trina Solar Is Building Manufacturing Capacity In India
7 WAMC:
Environmentalists Fear Massachusetts Solar Growth In Jeopardy
8 Oil Price:
Why Buffett Bet A Billion On Solar
Opinions:
9 Saint Petersblog:
Solar amendment proposal continues to roil Florida conservatives
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 24th, 2015
I'm here in NYC for the REFF conference. Solar plus storage will surely be a topic of discussion as brought up by the Washington Post today. I don't see storage being much different than solar, as we currently sit in the phase to drive price down. With Tesla leading the charge alongside Samsung to drive price down, the next step will be to grow pipeline and building the right software platforms. For our team, we look a your global pipeline and figure out how to add it. Solar plus storage will be a great market and we will see how the financing markets react.
News
1 The Washington Post:
Why the solar-plus-battery revolution may be closer than you think
2 CNN:
Solar is growing fast, but coal will continue to dominate
3 Star Tribune:
Utility regulators set to decide scope of Minnesota community solar garden program
4 Fortune:
Why Cisco is buying solar energy
5 PV-Magazine:
Scotland considers waiving commercial solar rooftop planning permission
6 PV Tech:
UK government ‘does not want large-scale solar’
7 NY Times:
Solar Plane Departure From Japan for Hawaii Postponed
8 Utility Dive:
TEP drops net metering reform push, will wait for rate case
Opinions:
9 Conergy:
Pope’s Encyclical on Climate Change Could Change the World
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 23rd, 2015
I am really enjoying what Senator Bernie Sanders is up to. He is making climate change an issue but more importantly he is showing that it is an issue that candidates can get the valuable young voters with. He may even be drawing some conservatives with whom the Pope’s message is resonating with. I don’t know if Senator Sanders has the ability to get into the polls against Hillary Clinton but I can almost guarantee you that he is helping John Podesta getting the topic into issue meetings and I would not be surprised if GOP polling is showing that climate change isn’t just a lefty issue. Tom Steyer may have been 2 years early with the push for climate change as an election issue but 2016 will definitely show the signs of what is to come.
News
1 Utility Dive:
America's Power Plan - The top 5 trends in the US energy transformation
2 MarketWatch:
What it’s like to use an off-grid solar-and-battery system in your home
3 PV-Tech:
UK installed more than 2.5GW of solar in Q1 2015
4 Renew Economy:
Abbott’s big push for solar as Coalition blows hard against wind
5 Energy Collective:
Opening the Small Commercial Solar Market
6 Grist:
Bernie Sanders tells Bill Maher - Climate change is young people’s issue, and mine, too
7 CleanTechnica:
A Public Rooftop Revolution In Pictures
8 PV-Magazine:
SoftBank to launch USD20 billion SBG Cleantech
Opinions:
9 David Crane:
A Spiritual Awakening About Climate Change
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 22nd, 2015
News
1 Bloomberg:
First Solar and SunPower’s 8point3 Energy IPO Nets $420 Million
2 Vox:
Why wind and solar power are such a challenge for energy grids
3 Forbes:
$8B-$16B Investment Could Double Solar Market
4 USA Today:
SolarCity reaches out to rival utilities
5 Salon:
The energy revolution that has 1 percenters shaking in their boots
6 Utility Dive:
North Carolina solar activists file TPO financing test case with state regulators
7 Motley Fool:
Solar Boom-Global Solar Market Could Triple in 5 Years
8 Topeka Capital-Journal:
Solar advocates concerned about Westar Energy plan
Opinions:
9 Billy Parish:
Why We Launched #PutSolarOnIt
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 CNBC:
The sleeping giant of the solar industry - Florida
2 Slate:
The Real Solyndra Scandal
3 Wall Street Journal:
Filed Sunrun IPO Plans Close to Emerging Publicly
4 Forbes:
Minnesota Is Where You Will Find The New Solar Gold Rush
5 IREC:
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back for North Carolina Solar
6 Marketwatch:
High-tech solar projects fail to deliver
7 Business Journal:
Tesla snaps up former Solyndra building in huge Fremont expansion
8 Clean Technica:
Dear Hawaii - Read Your Mail Before Your Utility Sells Out
9 The Vatican:
Encyclical Letter, Laudato-Si, of the Holy Father Francis
10 Jim Rogers:
Making the business case for solar in NC
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 June 19th, 2015
The Pope has come out with Laudato Si, the encyclical calling for care of our common home. It is an impressive document rooted in reality of our times. I highlight the most relevant items related to energy but I recommend a read.
News
1 The Vatican:
Encyclical Letter Laudato SI' Of The Holy Father Francis On Care For Our Common Home
2 Huffington Post:
Laudato Si' and Water - The Vatican's Encyclical Letter and Global Water Challenges
3 Fortune:
China is utterly and totally dominating solar panels
4 The National:
Dewa set to award consultancy contract for latest solar park phase
5 Utility Dive:
Inside the renewable energy battles shaping North Carolina's future
6 Renew Economy:
Rooftop solar to cut total grid demand to zero in South Australia
7 PV-Magazine:
Mercom tips 2016 global PV market to reach 57.4 MW
8 Huffington Post:
Wind and Solar Power Are Taking the Lead
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Pennsylvania Gives Clean Energy Not One, but Two Boosts
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 18th, 2015
We knew it was coming and it’s big news. The Sunrun S-1 IPO filing has found its way into the hands of the Wall Street Journal. It was confidentially filed earlier this year and now the 2nd largest residential solar company will make its rounds to the investors that will buy the company stock when it goes public. With almost twice as many contracts as Vivint Solar, Sunrun makes the case for an ever expanding residential solar market, most recently announcing its entry into South Carolina. Notably, SolarCity and Sunrun have the most amazing public policy teams and can be credited for many of the net metering victories that keep solar alive around the Country. Best of luck to the Sunrun team and stay tuned for more as the news comes out
News
1 Wall Street Journal:
Filed Sunrun IPO Plans Close to Emerging Publicly
2 Breaking Energy:
Mobilizing $4 Billion In Private-Sector Support For Clean Energy Innovation
3 IREC:
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back for North Carolina Solar
4 Utility Dive:
Report - Telecoms investing heavily in distributed energy
5 Forbes:
Minnesota Is Where You Will Find The New Solar Gold Rush
6 Energy Collective:
6 Reasons Why Penetrations of Renewable Resources are Becoming Attainable
7 Grand Forks Herald:
N.D. utility regulators reject Xcel Energy’s solar energy application
8 Think Progress:
India Just Upped Its Solar Target Five-Fold, Will Install More Solar This Year Than Germany
Opinions:
9 Arizona Daily Star:
TEP’s solar plan hurts working class
Have a great day!
Yann
