This is your SolarWakeup for June 10th, 2015
I am sitting here in NYC for some meetings and I can’t help to think of an old joke while reading the coverage of the EEI conference. The joke is about a man lost at sea who turns down a raft, boat and helicopter sent to save him because he believes that God will save him. I am not comparing Musk to God but imagine a room full of utility executives studying the future of the business. For the first time in history of electric utilities, the competitor isn’t solar or self generation, the competition is the gas station on the corner. Every home will have an electric car in 5-10 years, how utilities miss this is way beyond me, don’t pass up the helicopter!
News
1 Forbes:
Tesla's Battery May Not Destroy Utilities, But Utilities May Destroy Tesla
2 Utility Dive:
EEI 2015 - Why Elon Musk thinks the future is bright for utilities
3 PV-Magzine:
IRENA roadmap calls for 150 GW of battery storage by 2030
4 Fortune:
The U.S. solar industry is shifting toward consumers
5 Vox:
Here's what it would take for the US to run on 100% renewable energy
6 Think Progress:
BREAKING - Court Throws Out Challenge To Obama’s Climate Change Rule
7 The Guardian:
Record boost in new solar power continues massive industry growth
8 Politico:
Republican pledges $175 million to push party on climate
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Cracking the Code on California’s Clean Tech Leadership
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 9th, 2015
A shift in the tides perhaps? The G7 is making deals around climate change, particularly aiming to limit temperature rise to 2 degrees. Even better is when a mainstream republican Presidential candidate comes out in favor of climate change policies. No, this isn’t some joke. I am referring to Lindsey Graham, the senior Senator from South Carolina and is far from a lefty, saying that the science is clear around climate change being caused by humans. Good for you Senator Graham!
News
1 National Journal:
World Leaders At G-7 Summit Back 2 Degree Target To Fight Climate Change
2 Think Progress:
Lindsey Graham Calls Out Fellow Republican Candidates Over Climate Change Views
4 Energy Collective:
Can We Really Decouple Living Standards from Energy Consumption?
5 EDF:
Corporate Giants Use their Power to Protect North Carolina’s Renewable Portfolio Standard
6 Breaking Energy:
US Commercial Solar Sector has Lagged, but Now Looks Cleared for Takeoff
7 Clean Technica:
Why Haven’t Cities Covered Their Buildings in Solar?
8 Motley Fool:
Solar Boom - Why Residential Rooftops Are Only the Beginning
Opinions:
9 Grist:
This is crazy, but we actually have good news about climate change
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 8th, 2015
Do you believe in solar? Does Wall Street? To start your week, just read these words which summarize 60+ pages of research from banking giant UBS.
News
1 NY Times:
The Case for a Carbon Tax
2 Financial Times:
Solar panel theft on the rise in Germany
3 PV-Magazine:
Yingli pays off some debt, releases Q1 earnings
4 Bloomberg:
JA Solar Surges on CEO Proposal to Take Company Private
5 Energy Collective:
The IMF Just Destroyed the Best Argument Against Clean Energy
6 Utility Dive:
SDG&E forming coalition to back proposal for 550 car charging stations
7 Desert Sun:
California setting new solar records at rapid pace
8 Denver Post:
Cost of solar power vexing to Colorado system owners, electric coops
Opinions:
9 Vox:
Green living is often just for the wealthy. Portland wants to change that.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 5th, 2015
A special message to my dear friends who are current Public Service Commissioners reading this morning. Please read the op-ed from the APS regulatory affairs team about how “normal” it is for you to be texting with the representatives of the companies you oversee. It’s also fine to call and write each other. However, it is not okay for the messages to be saved for public records so they can be reviewed by the ratepayers you are supposed to represent. Let’s make it very clear, APS is going out on a limb and is preparing to bungee jump from a tiny little branch. A move that is bad for the company, the shareholders and anyone that buys this messaging while serving their community as a PSC member may want to look for a new way to serve.
News
1 AZ Central:
Solar companies only lash out because they're losing
2 PV-Tech:
China poised to cut list of solar companies in EU price undertaking
3 Renewable Energy World:
The Big Question - What Is the Most Frustrating Part about Working in Renewable Energy?
4 PV-Magazine:
SunPower files lawsuit against SunEdison, former employees for poaching trade secrets
5 Grist:
You’re obsessing about the wrong home energy uses
6 Solar Industry:
Community Solar Has Dropped Barriers For Energy Providers And Consumers
7 Utility Dive:
Inside Minnesota's legislative battle over utility rate structures and solar
8 Think Progress:
Georgetown University Votes To Divest From Coal
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
What’s Good for the EV Is Good for the Utility
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 4th, 2015
Hats off to the team at DNV for putting on an interesting and thought provoking forum about the Utility of the Future. During our panel two items were highlighted that need further discussion: whether the utility death spiral is nonsense and how solar on the grid provides data that may be valuable to utilities. Today, let’s have the talk about utility death spiral first, is it non-sense? Or is there a reality in which utilities can create irreparable harm to their business model? Let me know your thoughts.
News
1 Utility Dive:
SDG&E microgrid uses solar, storage to avoid outage in small town
2 PV-Tech:
Musk defends SolarCity and Tesla support after LA Times criticism
3 Renewable Energy World:
Understanding the Yieldco Structure for Renewable Energy Project Finance
4 PV-Magazine:
Ambitious interconnection plans could transform Europe
5 Fox News:
Fossil fuel split - Oil and gas companies 'demonize' coal as climate deal nears
6 Bloomberg:
At OPEC the Saudi Oil Minister Mainly Wants to Discuss Solar Power
7 NY Times:
California Lawmakers Advance Aggressive Climate Change Plans
8 Time:
Why You Should Think Seriously About Going Solar
Opinions:
9 Hugh McColl:
Don’t give up our solar advantage
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 3rd, 2015
Yesterday during the interview I was asked to list the markets in the US that were open to solar markets. From a fundamental standpoint, I had to answer that the list is more about the States that don’t want solar. With more solar and distributed generation coming online, it is clear that no matter how uneven the playing field may be, solar will be built. Tomorrow I join a panel to discuss how the advancement of solar affects the utilities of the future. I can only imagine that the utilities that don’t plan ahead will have trouble competing with solar, solar + storage, electric vehicles and the smart home.
News
1 Utility Dive:
How utilities can thrive through the 'all-encompassing evolution' of the grid
2 Good Magazine:
Pop Star Akon’s Ambitious Solar Plan Could Revolutionize Africa
3 Huffington Post:
Europe's Oil Giants Call For Carbon Pricing
4 PV-Magazine:
Hanergy delays release of info, SGM date
5 Denver Post:
The rooftops of municipal buildings could become solar power plants
6 NRDC:
Progress on Smart from the Start Solar in California and Nevada
7 Forbes:
Gizmo Cuts Cost Of Grid Interconnection For Rooftop Solar
8 Boston Globe:
Solar advocates fight to preserve incentives
Opinions:
9 Clean Technica:
Look Out Coal, Here Comes Fast-Track Solar
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June 2nd, 2015
I am on my way to Washington DC to speak on a panel about the future of solar in the future utility system. But before I get on the panel at the DNV/GL conference on Wednesday, I will be having a discussion about solar with Monica Trauzzi of E&ETV. So many times, the solar industry (myself included) preaches to the choir and fails to engage those in the wider energy sector about the successes that our industry has had. Send me the best stats you see about the solar industry and I will look to include them in my discussions.
News
1 Seeking Alpha:
Solar Investing After First-Quarter Results
2 USA Today:
Solar Impulse plane lands in Japan due to bad weather
3 Post & Courier:
SCE&G, Duke Energy propose new incentives for solar power
4 NBC:
Solar Energy Powered an Entire Community - SDG&E
5 Breaking Energy:
Energy Quote of the Day - Agencies Fail to Keep Up with Renewable Energy Growth, Cost Cutting
6 News & Observer:
How solar could make NC the next Silicon Valley
7 Utility Dive:
What's solar worth? Inside Arizona utilities' push to reform net metering rates
8 Christian Science Monitor:
In quake-prone Nepal, why solar power is an energy solution (+video)
Opinions:
9 Renew Economy:
AGL sees no mass market for battery storage before 2020s
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for June1st, 2015
Here we go again! Solarworld, under the auspices of competitive markets, is no longer okay with any Asian Country making solar panels. The EU is obliging and opening against Malaysia and Taiwan. Let’s talk about subsidies, specifically for the energy grid in the US, because that is what Solarworld uses but doesn’t want to talk about. Natural gas right of ways and drilling tax incentives, guaranteed infrastructure returns for the utilities and land incentives for hydro plants providing energy to the NW factories they use. Cheap panels are good for solar, let the market decide the price, not a company that can’t find its own value proposition.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
EU to extend solar trade investigation to Malaysia, Taiwan
2 Tampa Bay Times:
Utilities change their tune on solar power
3 CleanTechnica:
SolarCity’s Solar Panel “Gigafactory” Resembles Tesla’s Gigafactory So Far
4 Renew Economy:
Mega hybrid solar projects ready to take on baseload fossil fuels
5 Greentech Media:
Inside the Minds of Regulators - How Different States Are Dealing With Distributed Energy
6 Think Progress:
‘We’re Not Going To Fake It'
7 Reno Gazette:
Solar-NV Energy compromise heads to governor
8 CNN:
Sun-powered Solar Impulse plane begins marathon Pacific flight
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
Will Silicon Valley Take On Clean Energy Access?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 The Hill:
Obama administration pumps $32M into solar industry
2 NY Times:
Fire at Giant Apple Plant with Solar in Arizona Quickly Controlled
3 Solar Industry:
Companies Bring Third-Party Ownership To Commercial PACE
4 PV-Magazine:
NV Energy and The Alliance for Solar Choice announce net metering compromise
5 Renewable Energy World:
Quantifying Returns - Does Energy Storage Coupled with PV Offer Big Savings?
6 Renew Economy:
Solar energy needs smart solutions, not dumb economics
7 Huffington Post:
The Economics of Renewable Energy - Falling Costs and Rising Employment
8 Greentech Media:
California’s Major Residential Rate Reform - The Solar-Friendly Alternative
9 Gizmodo:
You Can Take this Little Wind and Solar Powered Home Anywhere
10 Good Magazine:
California Plans to Offer Free Solar Panels to Its Poorest Citizens
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 May 29th, 2015
Traditional energy systems are no longer just stranded assets they are potential financial liabilities. The Norwegian pension fund is divesting from coal and as such is planning on selling its stake in Duke Energy. In a vacuum, it may not be a drop in the bucket of a $52billion market cap, but imagine if more institutionals follow suit. AXA also gave fair warning last week, so the trend is starting to appear. The capital will have to flow somewhere, let’s bring it to solar and with new financing innovations (!!!) more markets will be available.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Creative Solar Finance Grows the Pool of PV Investors and Customers
2 New Republic:
Hillary Clinton Should Declare Her Own "War on Coal"
3 Business Journals:
Large Duke Energy investor to divest shares over coal
4 PV-Magazine:
EPIA rebrands as SolarPower Europe
5 Charlotte Observer:
Tech giants urge halt to green-energy freeze
6 Bloomberg:
Hong Kong Regulator Says Hanergy Under Probe After Li Denial
7 Utility Dive:
Georgia Power moving into rooftop solar market this summer
8 Clean Technica:
Insane Solar Jobs Boom About To Get $32 Million More Insane
Opinions:
9 San Diego Union-Tribune:
CA struggles to compute value of solar
Have a great day!
Yann
