This is your SolarWakeup for May 15th, 2015
So SRP in Arizona, which created a $50/month fee for solar homeowners recently, spent $1.7million to ‘educate’ the community on the impacts of solar. Remember that SRP is a public entity, not an IOU, that is supposed to serve its members decided at the executive level to essentially lobby and create a level of rhetoric to drive the opinion of solar. It is mind boggling that this is allowed by the bylaws of the company let alone legal. I hope that the customers of SRP don’t let this happen.
News
1 AZ Central:
SRP ads, PR for solar rate hike topped $1 million
2 Utility Dive:
Utah high schoolers petition PSC to block Rocky Mountain Power solar fees
3 EDF:
Adding to the Clean Energy Chorus - Voices of Faith
4 Think Progress:
BREAKING - Duke Energy Pleads Guilty To Nine Environmental Crimes, Agrees To Pay $102 Million
5 Renew Economy:
Australia could reach 100% renewables by 2040
6 PV-Tech:
India plans 10GW solar allocation this year
7 PV-Magazine:
Deutsche Bank - yieldcos driving bullish solar outlook
8 Bloomberg:
Solar Market Suffering ‘Hangover’ After Brazil Currency Slumps
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
The Next Opportunity for Utility PV Cost Reductions - 1,500 Volts DC
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 14th, 2015
Here is how you can tell that solar is not quite mainstream yet. When Vivint Solar’s stock goes down 13% and the reaction is due to larger losses than expected. At the same time, installations and bookings grew. It is clear to me that the solar IPP model has not been understood quite yet. As SolarCity’s CFO used to say, we don’t view losses as a bad thing, we see them as the investment in assets we need to make. Meanwhile, SolarCity may be on plan to install 1GW of solar in 2015, just in time for the Buffalo manufacturing plant.
News
1 Clean Technica:
How & Why Utilities Make Solar Look Expensive
2 Solar Love:
SolarCity Could Install 1 GW Of Rooftop Solar In 2015
3 Marketwatch:
If more people go solar, what will happen to the grid?
4 Renewable Energy World:
From Finance to Customer Acquisition, Catalyst SunShot Finalists Compete to Launch Big
5 SC Now:
Duke Energy to offer customers more solar options, grow capacity
6 Utility Dive:
NV lawmaker wants PUC, not legislature, to have net metering reform authority
7 PV-Magazine:
Commercial rooftop sector gets unexpected budget boost
8 Salt Lake Tribune:
Proposed surcharge on Utahns with solar panels is back for Rocky Mountain Power customers
Opinions:
9 Motley Fool:
Why Vivint Solar Inc's Shares Plunged 13% Today
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 13th, 2015
Georgia passed and signed a law allowing third party solar financing. Interestingly, it had unanimous support in the legislature, which at times is more for show than anything else but nice enough. My question is what it means for Georgia? Does this open up a new segment that service agreements couldn’t serve? Are the economics good enough to make C&I work? Someone fill me in and explain please…
News
1 Business Journals:
Gov. Deal signs bill letting solar installers offer customers third-party financing
2 Grist:
Apple, Facebook, and Google are the greenest tech giants — but they still need to do a lot more
3 EDF:
Is 15% of the Global Clean Energy Market Good Enough?
4 PV-Magazine:
Germany - KfW subsidizes over 10,000 solar battery systems
5 NRDC:
Hawaii Is Leading the Nation on Clean Energy Goals to Become Fossil Free
6 PV-Tech:
EPIA forms task force to guide European solar O&M efforts
7 Utility Dive:
Minnesota solar company teeters as lawmakers debate pulling incentives
8 Times Union:
Though considered safe, solar panels offer challenges to firefighters
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
Germany’s Powerhouse Feels Pinch of Merkel’s Shift to Renewables
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 12th, 2015
Sitting in the office last week, we were discussing what the Tesla Powerwall was all about. Trying to put myself in Elon Musk’s shoes, I thought it seemed to point to wanting to build another gigafactory or expand the current one. What better way to ask investors for more capital or drive up the stock by introducing a product that creates yearlong demand for your manufactured goods. The man is always 3 moves ahead of others, driving his engineering and PR teams crazy I am sure. Someone on the inside needs to share how long of a lead time they get from idea to execution.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Musk mulls expanding Tesla's Gigafactory to meet battery demand
2 Greentech Media:
Why Rate Reform Is a Better Solution to Distributed Solar Than Eliminating Net Metering
3 Energy Collective:
Utilities, Cheap Batteries Won't Hurt You, You Have Much Worse Things to Worry About
4 Renewable Energy World:
The Fantasy of Electric Rates - Time to Educate Ratepayers
5 CleanTechnica:
The Relative Cost of Capital Of A YieldCo - Analyzing A Recent Transaction
6 Huffington Post:
How Solar Can Help Power Nepal's Relief and Recovery Efforts
7 Think Progress:
The World’s First Solar Road Is Producing More Energy Than Expected
8 CNN Money:
5 solar stocks that should be on your radar
Opinions:
9 AZ Central:
It's time to demand honesty from APS
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 11th, 2015
In the past week, there has been a lot of coverage around the latest part of MIT’s Future of series. With this edition, MIT looked at the Future of Solar Energy. I haven’t read the report in detail but there has been some headline baiting from pieces of it. You can read the report for yourself here. I do think that you can get an idea of what the content has to say by the authors and advisory committee. In this case, it appears to be mostly academic with a few advisors from the sector, and I use sector very loosely.
News
1 Climate Central:
MIT - ‘Massive’ Solar Expansion Critical for Climate
2 Bloomberg:
No Hydro? No Problem as California Plans to Run Off Solar
3 Grist:
People can’t get enough of Tesla’s new batteries
4 Renew Economy:
RET deal struck, but policy bastardry continues
5 PV-Magazine:
Clean energy from 'most polluted place in Israel'
6 Utility Dive:
Solar protesters disrupt Duke shareholder meeting
7 FastCo Exist:
Forget Desert Solar Farms - We Can Get More Than Enough Solar Energy From Cities
8 The Guardian:
UK electricity grid holds back renewable energy, solar trade body warns
Opinions:
9 Breaking Energy:
The Move From Contracted Assets to Managing Merchant Risk – Are You Ready to Capture the Upside?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Bloomberg:
Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar
2 Boston Globe:
Solar industry in limbo after task force’s divided report
3 Greentech Media:
Ditching Net Metering Is in the ‘Best Interest’ of Solar, Say MIT Economists
4 Forbes:
Solar Power Poll Illustrates Industry's Desperation
5 24/7 Wall Street:
Why First Solar YieldCo Will Dominate
6 Huffington Post:
Adding Solar Panels to Your Home
7 Washington Post:
Why the best place for solar panels may not be on your roof
8 Bloomberg:
Musk’s SolarCity First in Line for Tesla Batteries
9 Daily Beast:
The Hidden Star of Obama’s Cabinet
10 Reuters:
Solar energy enjoys a glowing outlook
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 8th, 2015
Last year when the Mass. Solar bill proposal came out that eliminated the NEM cap, it was one of the stories that created the most pitching that came my way. Lobbying for this editorial space happens but the debate was intense and most likely very focused within the solar industry. For once the conversation didn’t really involve the outside world and I still don’t know who the winner was. Now with a new State Governor, let’s see how the NEM cap gets resolved going forward.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Mass. grapples with policy options as it hits solar net metering cap
2 Think Progress:
Hawaii Will Soon Get All Of Its Electricity From Renewable Sources
3 Renewable Energy World:
Shared Solar Could Open Path to 100 Percent PV Market Penetration
4 PV-Magazine:
5 takeaways from 2015 SNEC
5 Bloomberg:
Rooftop Solar in Brazil Can Reach 2 Gigawatts If Tax Is Dropped
6 EDF:
Creative Utility Accounting - Estimating the True Cost of a Subsidy
7 Washington Post:
Why the best place for solar panels may not be on your roof
8 USA Today:
Tesla home batteries could boost rooftop solar
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
Move Over, Mandates - Can a New ‘Personal Energy Independence’ Bill Entice Congress?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 7th, 2015
Money and deals, the chase to attach one to the other is never ending in solar. Money looks for deals, deals look for money though most of the time the deals aren’t without issues and the money may not be 100% available. Let’s not bring up the requirements needed to get tax equity comfortable with solar deals. So what keeps the two sides from getting together? Is it a lack of communication or too little marketing? How can the local entities find the right partners that help make the deals move forward.
News
1 Renewable Energy World:
Unraveling Accelerates for EU-China Solar Tariff Deal
2 Charlotte Observer:
Duke Energy should stop fighting solar as a choice
3 Energy Collective:
Is the Future of Electricity Generation Really Distributed?
4 PV-Magazine:
Japan solar poised for cost-revenue parity, says JREF
5 Bloomberg:
Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar
6 Huffington Post:
Hawaii Legislature Passes $26 Billion Budget, 100% Renewable Energy Goal
7 Utility Dive:
Maine senator unveils unprecedented federal distributed energy bill
8 Wall Street Journal:
Chinese Solar Firm’s Stellar Rise Mints Millionaires
Opinions:
9 NY Times:
Germany, the Green Superpower
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 6th, 2015
Almost every day I hear from someone looking to buy or invest in projects. It goes hand in hand with the notion that there is much more capital than developed pipeline that isn’t bragawatts. That being said, having money is not everything for a solar deal. How to get the offtaker and tax equity comfortable with the development team and installing at the right price makes all the difference as well. I have a new rule that every project can get done, the variables just need to line up with the other inputs. Next week, we can discuss the new funding source of development capital.
News
1 Bloomberg:
EU Solar-Panel Industry Wins Review of China Price Pact
2 24/7 Wall Street:
Why First Solar YieldCo Will Dominate
3 Above The Law:
Electricity War Goes To The Supreme Court
4 Renew Economy:
Australia’s big fail on climate and energy policies
5 PV-Magazine:
Solar becoming 'least-cost option' for US utilities
6 E&E News:
Clean tech seen as game changer for women in energy sector
7 Greentech Media:
Ditching Net Metering Is in the ‘Best Interest’ of Solar, Say MIT Economists
8 Forbes:
Solar Power Poll Illustrates Industry's Desperation
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
Are We Sunk? The Electric Utility’s Titanic Problem
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for May 5th, 2015
Here we go again, the dreaded IPP earnings call. As SolarCity goes to the conference call it can speak to the various cash flow products that are now active in solar, all of which go to extend the length of the contracts. They can be in the lease, the PPA, loan, and now the Powerwall lease but it all comes together that the companies need investors to look past the earnings loss. The reason for that is you can’t be a for profit EPC and owner of SPVs at the same time. You have to pick your desired valuation metric
News
1 Investors Business Daily:
SolarCity To Announce Q1 Results Tuesday
2 Boston Globe:
Solar industry in limbo after task force’s divided report
3 Reuters:
Solar energy enjoys a glowing outlook
4 PV-Magazine:
Australia- Stars aligning for RET compromise
5 Greentech Media:
Developers Upset With Xcel’s Decision to Limit Community Solar Projects in Minnesota
6 Huffington Post:
Adding Solar Panels to Your Home
7 Solar Novus:
Nine NEC Code Updates for Solar Installations
8 Nasdaq:
Is Solar Energy Ready To Compete With Oil And Other Fossil Fuels?
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Matching Veterans with Solar Jobs
Have a great day!
Yann
