This is your SolarWakeup for October 2nd, 2014
IPOs, funding and corporate development. Vivint Solar is now $VSLR and aims to be the second largest residential provider in a few years, I think I know a few good people on Market Street that will make sure that doesn’t happen. Another good IPO however that showed upside which could open the door for more and that may have been the underlying reason for a $15mm raise by Verengo. Real Good also shifting to pure residential…game on!
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 1st, 2014
The new Prime-Minister from India was in the US this week. For many years, there has been whispers about the scale of the India solar market. Those news continue and some like Sunedison and First Solar appear to be partaking in the market. Others swear that they will have nothing to do with the market. Chasing new markets is also true in the US, so I want to know from you, what makes up your decision tree about looking into new markets?
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 30th, 2014
Data is what makes an article interesting, especially when it is proprietary data. We all have it, but we always covet it so much and refuse to share. That sentiment, being secretive, is counterproductive to your business. You get far more for your brand and thought leadership if you open up and share your insight and data.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 29th, 2014
As we enter the final stretch before SPI, it is apparent to me and others that solar is very global and very flat. (sorry for those that aren’t Thomas Friedman fans) We are brought together by technology into a large but tight community of solar professionals but it is the similar financial product by market segment that makes us flat. Each geography has its gold rush, most of the time focused on a segment like utility scale or residential. In the US those gold rushes have turned into markets, sustainable ones. What is left in the US? Small and medium commercial rooftops, that is where the next gold rush will be, who will be there first?
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
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 September 26th, 2014
I believe in the circle of solar policy. Essentially it starts with utilities saying no to anything. Then after some battles it ends with solar growing and becoming more prevalent in a market. The utility execs then go back to the core, which is to get rid of net metering. You see this happening in MN and Austin with the VOST debate. Sounds pretty but it's a removal of net metering. NEM ensures that the generator owns the hedge provided by solar and provides consumers a choice in energy source. Don't be fooled by fancy new policies.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 25th, 2014
You have to give credit to Elon Musk. Right after getting massive economic development help for the Tesla gigafactory, New York is going to pony up for the SolarCity manufacturing plant in Buffalo. After the news of the package went public yesterday, it is interesting to see that the plant has already broken ground.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 24th, 2014
Solarworld is at it again. When the company isn’t busy trying to ruin solar with its trade wars, Solarworld has decided to go on a PR revisionist tour. While most manufacturers learned from past issues and saw great promise to get into projects downstream; Solarworld is busy warning about its earnings and selling product at little to no profit to grow volume. CEO Frank Asbeck may have a bronze lion on his desk but when it comes to being the king of solar, Asbeck and Solarworld are fooling nobody with their flawed sense of reality.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 22th, 2014
I’ve long thought that if the energy industry doesn’t adapt to the coming age of distributed energy, that grid defection would become a necessity for solar and others. Apparently the threat of grid defection has now overcome the “threat to growth” as Edison Electric Institute puts it. Why? Just this week, the Executive Vice President of EEI came up with a different talking point about solar. No longer is the group against cost shifting, just “unreasonable cost shifting”. There must be more to it and why the change in tune.
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 22th, 2014
Yesterday brought together upwards of 300,000 climate warriors to the streets of NYC. Some reports had the number closer to 600,000 marching for climate. The People’s Climate March included people of all walks of life and all ages. For most of us in solar, the environmental piece most always gets brushed aside but I wonder if that is about to change. Will homeowners and businesses make a climate decision to go solar? What do you think, let me know!
News
Opinions:
Have a great day!
Yann