This is your SolarWakeup for August 7th, 2015
Look into every Governor’s mansion and then look at the most connected friends, advisors and lobbyists. In many, many instances, the closest to the Governors are also very close to the regulated utilities in the State. Nevada is a great example of it. Here is the greatest irony in energy today. When a regulated IOU asks to build a natural gas plant the present a cost study to build and operate the plant including a forward cost curve for the fuel costs that are expected. But who takes the fuel cost risk? Not the utility or the shareholders but the ratepayers. This, my friends, is likely the largest energy subsidy in the energy markets.
News
1 Greentech Media:
Conflict Over How to Value Solar Flares Up Again in Nevada
2 Bloomberg:
Israel Solar Industry on Hold While Awaiting Government Policies
3 Utility Dive:
The other death spiral utilities are beginning to deal with
4 News & Observer:
Unintended negative consequences of NC solar farms
5 Deseret News:
My view - It could be the beginning of solar boom in Utah
6 Forbes:
How Obama's Clean Power Plan Will Fuel The Solar Industry's Rapid Growth
7 Atlas Obscura:
From Above Solar Farms Look Like Tetris Pieces Left Behind By Giants
8 PV-Magazine:
Germany’s second PV tender oversubscribed three-fold
Opinions:
9 USA Today:
Obama’s power plan worth cost. But is it enough? #tellusatoday
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 6th, 2015
Sunrun goes public and SolarCity goes South of the border. Solar IPOs have been following a trend. From SolarCity’s last minute save by lowering the pricing to $8 per share (now trades over $50) to today’s IPO pricing in the middle of the range and then an early drop. What seems to be happening is that solar savvy investors understand solar while the retail market is still struggling with it. Remember that almost all solar companies show a loss per share due to increased investments in assets to put on balance sheet. Over time this will even out when companies are able to rephrase what is actually happening. It’s all about marketing at the end of the day.
News
1 New York Times:
Solar Deals Are Hot, but Investors Fret - Sunrun IPO Fizzles
2 Fortune:
SolarCity eyes global expansion with acquisition of Mexican solar company
3 NRDC:
10 Ways the Clean Power Plan Protects Electric Grid Reliability
4 EDF:
Lights will Stay on with New Power Plant Pollution Rules. Find out Why.
5 Renew Economy:
Networks propose compulsory fees for all – to stop grid defections
6 Energy Digital:
Step-by-step guide to understanding Obama’s Clean Power Plan
7 Utility Dive:
Rushing to bring solar online, Hawaii approves 4 utility scale projects
8 Texas Tribune:
New Law Will Help More Texans Go Solar
Opinions:
9 Los Angeles Times:
Editorial Obama's Clean Energy Plan doesn't go far enough
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 5th, 2015
Huge day for solar! At 9:30am, the team from Sunrun will be ringing the bell at the NASDAQ as the stock is expected to price at around $14 per share. The first trade will be expected around 10am under the ticker “RUN”. It’s not easy to get a solar company off the ground and take it public, huge shout out to Ed Fenster and Lynn Jurich for leading their team to this latest round of financing. The celebration will not last long as you can see in the remaining stories today, net metering attacks in California, Arizona, and Nevada continue, some of the largest markets for the company and residential solar.
News
1 Wall Street Journal:
Sunrun Inc. Prices IPO at $14 a Share
2 Greentech Media:
California Utilities Release New Plans to Replace Net Metering - Conflict to Come?
3 Crain’s Detroit Business:
DTE supports updating Michigan's solar power net metering rules
4 Arizona Central:
Ruling could delay APS request for higher solar-user fees
5 MIT:
Clinton vs. Obama on Renewables
6 Solar Industry Magazine:
New York's Shared Renewables Order Removes A Barrier To Community Solar
7 Utility Dive:
With $1M given, NextEra among largest donors to Jeb Bush Super PAC
8 Reno Gazette Journal:
Solar industry trying to get around legislative process, Farley says
Opinions:
9 Tampa Bay Times:
Trigaux - TECO pursuit of solar despite potential sale is curious timing
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 4th, 2015
As the President launched the final Clean Power Plan, opponents of the plan fell all over each other to make their case against it. Funny thing about the Plan. Page 637, highlighted thanks to Politico’s Mike Grunwald, says it best. “Consistent with what their [renewable generation] trends would be in absence of the rule”, the economic drivers of renewables are a factor so great that solar would reach its growth regardless. Tomorrow is another good day for solar as Sunrun will be heading to New York City to celebrate its IPO according to the NASDAQ website.
News
1 The White House:
Climate Change And President Obama's Action Plan
2 Bloomberg:
Wind, Solar Cheer as Coal Vows Battle on Obama’s Energy Plan
3 Grist:
Here’s what the presidential candidates think of Obama’s climate plan
4 PV-Magazine:
Residential solar market remains the most attractive, says Deutsche Bank
5 Utility Dive:
'Tipping point' for FL solar? Orlando utility buys at under fossil generation prices
6 Reno Gazette-Journal:
Net metering battle heats up as NV Energy proposes reduction in credits
7 PV-Tech:
TerraForm IPO price to generate US$675 million in proceeds
8 Washington Post:
Solar power gets attention in the oil kingdom
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
Are Small Changes Eating Away at Net Metering?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for August 3rd, 2015
The President will be launching the final Climate Plan tomorrow which will be more aggressive than the proposed plan. Tomorrow you will see where industries stand when it comes to the 21st Century Energy economy. Utilities often speak of their “responsibility to serve”, covered by the guaranteed rates of return in the double digits by providing sub par customer service to millions of customers. I think the “responsibility to serve” will have to transition to the “opportunity to serve” for the evolution of the energy sector. Just take a look at the EEI statement on the topic. More to come about EEI this week.
News
1 New York Times:
Obama to Unveil Tougher Climate Plan With His Legacy in Mind
2 Solar Love:
Clean Power Plan Will Lower Electric Bills, Study Says
3 Think Progress:
This Kind Of Electricity Provider Is Already Integrating Renewables
4 PV-Tech:
Saudi Electric Company project dips under five cents per kWh
5 PV-Magazine:
Germany - PV tender extended rooftops above 1 MW
6 Bloomberg:
Wind and Solar Cheer as Coal Vows Battle on Obama’s Energy Plan
7 Slate:
The Miracle of SolarCity
8 Solar Power Portal:
Solar Power Portal launches ‘Building a British Solar Future’ campaign
Opinions:
9 Motley Fool:
Are Utilities Finally Falling in Love With Solar?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Forbes:
3 Things To Know About SolarCity's Financial Health
2 Vox:
Hillary Clinton is calling for a 700% increase in solar power. Is that realistic?
3 Vox:
Rooftop solar is booming. But it may be more vulnerable than you think.
4 Huffington Post:
Senate Finance Committee Puts Wind and Solar On Short Leash
5 Motley Fool:
Berkshire Hathaway Leads in Solar - World's Largest Solar Plant Now Operational
6 Vox:
11 maps that explain energy in America
7 Los Angeles Times:
SolarCity launches plan to bring solar power to small and midsize firms
8 Huffington Post:
The Secret Network of Fossil Fuel and Utility Backed Groups Working to Stop Clean Energy
9 Denver Post:
Battle of solar pits rooftop against utility-scale systems
10 Massachusetts Live:
Gov. Charlie Baker plans to propose solar energy legislation
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 31st, 2015
I like to think that the SolarWakeup community is pretty successful, I mean you all wake up each day and read the solar news and maybe even glance at my thoughts. My guess is that every reader either has or would like a Tesla. So let’s put the community to the test. One of our readers has been a Tesla Model S driver for a few years, yesterday he received the email from Elon Musk saying that if he gets 10 people to buy a Model S, and is the first one to do so, he gets a free Model X. You get $1000 off your model S, which isn’t too bad as the car keeps getting more affordable with each new edition. Here is the landing page for the referral, let’s win a Tesla for a SolarWakeup friend
News
1 Wired:
Facebook Is About to Test Its Enormous Solar-Powered Drone
2 Massachusetts Live:
Gov. Charlie Baker plans to propose solar energy legislation
3 Star Tribune:
CEO of Xcel Energy says the utility supports large-scale solar projects
4 San Antonio Express-News:
Solar democracy, or CPS monopoly?
5 Utility Dive:
ConEd will enter NY rooftop solar market through unregulated subsidiary
6 Renewable Energy World:
US Clean Power Plan Could Include Carbon Trading
7 Huffington Post:
Solarizing Greece Is a Way Out of the Crisis
8 Solar Love:
Official Figures Show China Solar Only Reached 7.7 GW In First Half Of 2015
Opinions:
9 Breaking Energy:
Energy To Be Front And Center For Decision 2016
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 30th, 2015
A lot going on today that I want to tell you about. First, ever since the IPO of the SunPower/First Solar yieldco, the metric for solar IPPs has been CAFD (cash available for distribution). Yesterday, SolarCity went the non-GAAP route and released a memo on the topic. Second, look at large corporates to continue to be internally conflicted on solar and then trend to being pro-solar because it is good for business. Berkshire Hathaway is the biggest of them all, an owner of some of the worst utilities and coal transporting railroads it is also becoming one of the largest owners of solar asset owners including community solar.
News
1 Motley Fool:
Berkshire Hathaway Leads in Solar - World's Largest Solar Plant Now Operational
2 Forbes:
3 Things To Know About SolarCity's Financial Health
3 Greentech Media:
72% of US Residential Solar Installed in 2014 Was Third-Party Owned
4 Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Solar power sparks resistance from Ohio utilities
5 Vox:
11 maps that explain energy in America
6 Renew Economy:
US solar giant Sungevity quits Australia, expands in Europe
7 Renewable Energy World:
Why the Future of the Yieldco Is at Risk
8 Utility Dive:
NY regulators propose groundbreaking new utility models under landmark REV order
Opinions:
9 CNN:
Kofi Annan - 'Africa does little to pollute our world, but will pay the highest price'
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 29th, 2015
Growth comes in all shapes and sizes. For SolarCity it was the full stack of residential offerings and large corporates with public credit. Now comes the last remaining aspect of the US solar market, small and medium commercial. Reading between the lines, the company is looking to get into unrated and private credits. The press release is heavy on simpler technology and in-house crews but that’s only a cost item. The last SolarCity ABS still had a FICO average in the 700s and the strategy has to be more than lower costs and scale. SolarCity is planning something else to combat the financial structuring, let’s see where it goes.
News
1 Los Angeles Times:
SolarCity launches plan to bring solar power to small and midsize firms
2 Bloomberg:
SunPower Beats Estimates After Forming Solar Joint Venture
3 Charlotte Observer:
Let’s remember the benefits of N.C. renewables
4 Huffington Post:
The Secret Network of Fossil Fuel and Utility Backed Groups Working to Stop Clean Energy
5 Engadget:
Researchers boost solar energy by tapping infrared light
6 PV-Magazine:
China idled 9% of its solar capacity in H1 2015, NEA reports
7 Vox:
Yet another study finds that reducing carbon emissions saves Americans money
8 Christian Science Monitor:
For those without electricity solar is shining brighter
Opinions:
9 The Guardian:
Solar power – an array of misconceptions
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 28th, 2015
David Roberts from Vox has the right headline today. Solar (especially rooftop) is booming due to cost declines, more innovative financing structures and fair regulatory policies. With the ITC and net metering being attacked daily (see today’s “ratepayer advocate” from Arizona) you can see how quickly this could go sideways for solar. Just think about how much money is spent by solar companies on public policy and regulatory research. This money isn’t spent for the good of solar. It is spent for the good of the companies that lobby for the policies that drive their business model.
News
1 Vox:
Rooftop solar is booming. But it may be more vulnerable than you think.
2 Fortune:
Why Hillary Clinton could be the solar industry's new best friend
3 PV-Tech:
California utility SCE to procure 105MW of PV through auction and new ‘Green Rate’ programme
4 KFOR:
OG&E to offer customers solar energy
5 Renewable Energy World:
Major US Corporations Pledge To Increase Renewable Energy Usage
6 PV-Magazine:
Smart meters can jeopardize grid reliability
7 Utility Dive:
What's next for the NextEra-Hawaiian Electric deal?
8 Arizona Central:
Protect ratepayers by addressing solar cost shift now
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Clinton's Bold Clean Energy Plan Is Within Reach
Have a great day!
Yann
