This is your SolarWakeup for March 19th, 2015
A new CFO added to a top tier group of executives, best in class policy team and most importantly business success with happy customers. WSJ contemplates the possible Sunrun IPO which we all expected to be coming up but it may be here. I couldn't be happier for all the folks at the team that I know and have worked with. It also means that the trifecta of large residential finance providers would be public giving investors choice. I hope the article is right, but let's watch it play out.
News
1 The Wall Street Journal:
Solar-Energy Company Sunrun Preparing for Potential IPO
2 NY Times:
Outlook for Solar Gets a Bit Brighter
3 DW:
Will the solar eclipse leave Germany in the dark?
4 AFR:
Being governed by fools is not funny
5 PV-Magazine:
Energy storage, PV-hybrid systems offer huge potential for off-grid mining sector
6 CleanTechnica:
Technology That Makes The Solar Impulse 2 Fly
7 Renew Economy:
Greenmail - Abbott tables ‘final offer’ on renewable target
8 Breaking Energy:
A New Front Opens Up In The Arizona Solar Battle
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
Are rooftop solar installers fleecing customers? The industry responds
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 18th, 2015
Your last chance to take my advice and support Vote Solar by going or donating for the Equinox party on Thursday in San Francisco. Do your part! https://equinox2015.splashthat.com/
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Congress debates distributed solar ahead of new legislation
2 Utility Dive:
IHS - 9% of solar PV systems will have attached storage in 2018
3 Greentech Lead:
Italy to shut down above 100kW solar plants on Mar 20
4 PV-Tech:
Major fire hits JinkoSolar’s wafer production plant in Jianxi Province
5 CleanTechnica:
Dow Is Latest US Business To Throw Natural Gas Under The Bus
6 Solar Power Portal:
Commercial solar survey identifies familiar problems for the industry
7 RE World:
Trade Wars Push China Solar Offshore
8 Washington Post:
California could power itself three to five times over with solar
Opinions:
9 Gizmodo:
Our Cities Could Become High-Density Solar Power Plants
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 17th, 2015
Another amazing day in solar with yet another sign that our industry is mainstream. Germany utility giant, RWE, has take a minority equity position in Conergy (a great company with epic growth in my biased opinion). A significant departure from what other commercial solar/utility transactions has looked like in the past where most if not all where majority/acquisitions. But the important takeaway is that solar is part of the energy sector and here to stay, making it mainstream across the world from Asia to Europe and the Americas.
News
1 Reuters:
RWE takes minority stake in Conergy
2 Solar Love:
Solar Panels Can Cause Neighborhood Arguments
3 NY Times:
SolarCity, a Vocal Critic of the Utility Industry, Joins It
4 Hartford Courant:
Northeast Solar Groups Unite For Policy Push
5 PV-Magazine:
EU to raise minimum import price for Chinese solar modules
6 PV-Tech:
Dubai utility DEWA launches solar PV and net metering scheme
7 CleanTechnica:
West Virgina Governor Signs Restrictive Net Metering Bill
8 Utility Dive:
Southern CEO - Advanced storage could remake utility industry
Opinions:
9 RE World:
Truth - Rooftop Solar Capacity Benefits All Ratepayers
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 16th, 2015
Every day you hear my view point on the issues, which seems a bit boring. As you saw in the past 2 weekends, I want to give a summary and opinion about the top stories to everyone on the list (which is becoming quite large!). Let’s crowdsource the opinion about the stories this week, reply to this email with a opinion/summary about your favorite article today (<100words). You can make the Top 10 email if you do. Separately, nobody has sent me a receipt showing 5 tickets or $1,000 donated to Vote Solar for Equinox (this Friday), someone pony up and you get this paragraph for a day. Don’t be cheap, Vote Solar needs it more than you!
News
1 AZ Capitol Times:
APS expected to seek 400% solar fee increase
2 PV-Magazine:
Virginia lawmakers embrace solar
3 LA Times:
Readers React - Turn roofs and parking lots into clean-energy power plants
4 Charlotte Observer:
N.C. solar is bright, but for how long?
5 Greentech Media:
Solar PV Pricing Continues to Fall During a Record-Breaking 2014
6 Grist:
Big Oil’s business model is broken
7 Utility Dive:
Maine PUC study values solar at 33 cents/KWh, more than double the price of utility power
8 AZ Central:
Critics question SRP's solar-energy payments
Opinions:
9 RE World:
Bringing the Utility and Solar Markets Together — Peacefully
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Forbes:
How Fast And How Deep Will Utilities Venture Into The Solar Energy Craze?
2 ABC:
New Concept in Solar Energy Poised to Catch on Across US
3 Washington Post:
Utilities wage campaign against rooftop solar
4 Scientific American:
Solar Power Faces Uncertain Future in the U.S.
5 Grist:
New York’s new solar plan sets a high bar
6 RE World:
Solar Industry Must Support ITC Extension or Face Potentially Dire Consequences
7 Wall Street 24/:
Why First Solar and SunPower Had to Form 8point3
8 Renew Economy:
Developers to use storage to keep new housing estates off grid
9 Greentech Media:
A Comprehensive Guide to Rebates and Tax Credits Under the California Solar Initiative
10 NPR:
Tension From Utility Companies Casts A Shadow On Rooftop Solar Industry
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 March 13th, 2015
We all know that solar is getting cheaper, but how cheap is it really getting. We’ve heard about the sub 6 cent PPAs in Texas and California so what does it take to get that done. Many of these projects have single axis trackers and the norm was 1000V setups. Is there a new trend happening to go above 1000V? And how much premium on the install side does single axis tracking get you? If you have some insight on this, I’d love to hear your economics analysis on going after more sun hours.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Why SRP's controversial demand charge unlocks a huge opportunity for solar-plus-storage
2 Think Progress:
California Will Soon Be Home To The Country’s Largest Floating Solar Array
3 Energy Collective:
Money and Policy Now Support Renewables
4 CNBC:
Solar powered aircraft - A flight of fancy?
5 PV-Magazine:
SolarCity partners with DirecTV on marketing deal
6 RE World:
Is Solar Really Contagious or Is Persuasion Driving Neighborhood Solar Adoption?
7 Greentech Media:
The Challenge of Unlocking Solar Capacity in the Pacific Islands
8 KSAT:
CPS Energy program puts solar panels on customers' roofs
Opinions:
9 SEPA & PSEG:
Solar energy’s growing pains
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 12th, 2015
Earlier this week the Washington Post published a story outlining Edison Electric Institute’s game plan to come after distributed solar. The report isn’t a surprise and the financial backing from the industry participants is something we already knew. Thus far the solar industry has done well thanks to the financial support of some (but not all *cough*). The battle was temporarily lost in two instances in Wisconsin and Arizona with both decisions being challenged in court. Looking forward, we all know how it ends, it just depends on how long it takes.
News
1 The Cap Times:
Report - Wisconsin utilities lead in fighting solar energy
2 LA Times:
Op-Ed Renewable energy is a California success story
3 NPR:
Tension From Utility Companies Casts A Shadow On Rooftop Solar Industry
4 Renew Economy:
Commercial solar market surges, but still less than 3% businesses connected
5 PV-Tech:
Institutional investors plead for politicians to stop meddling with solar support
6 PV-Magazine:
Despite record loss, E.ON reports 20% earnings increase for renewables
7 Grist:
Bribing bloggers with free solar panels is apparently a thing now
8 Utility Dive:
SolarCity pushes into Texas market
Opinions:
9 IREC:
Technology Advancements Alone Won’t Bring Energy Storage to Market
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 11th, 2015
We all knew that 2014 would be the best year in US solar history, the data came out yesterday at 6.2GW. The question is whether we are satisfied with status quo and keep the current state of ITC talks. Everyone talks about end of 2016 as a deadline and I am afraid that our trade associations at SEIA and SEPA aren’t doing us much favor. There is no optimism being talked about except when I get into a conversation. When I started the #SolarPledge, it was clear that America wanted and would support the ITC extension. Be optimistic, be positive and put your money on the line, because your business depends on the ITC being extended.
News
1 Mother Jones:
2014 Was the Biggest Year For Solar Power Ever
2 Quartz:
Could solar power overtake natural gas in the US?
3 Breaking Energy:
Big Solar in US West Is Kicking Ass
4 PV-Magazine:
Dutch authorities investigating possible PV module import violations
5 Utility Dive:
Kansas utility Westar Energy seeks higher fixed charges
6 Forbes:
How Fast And How Deep Will Utilities Venture Into The Solar Energy Craze?
7 24/7 Wall Street:
Why First Solar and SunPower Had to Form 8point3
8 US News:
Solar-powered plane successfully lands in western India on 2nd leg of round-the-world trip
Opinions:
9 Renew Economy:
Communities take lead on renewable energy as big projects stall
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 10th, 2015
The first day at PV America was actually better than expected. As heads of SEPA and SEIA, Julia Hamm and Rhone Resch, made the rounds at the on and offsite events to promote the growth of solar in Massachusetts. While the exhibition hall is small you see the advantage of having the show within a great solar market as the lobby of the hall is bustling with deal making. I will be here again all day tomorrow and will report back any further progress. In the meantime I wish all the best to Katie Fehrenbacher from GigaOm, an often used source of solar news as the site shuts down due to lack of continued funding. Katie, you are welcome to publish here anytime!
News
1 RE World:
Solar Industry Must Support ITC Extension or Face Potentially Dire Consequences
2 Scientific American:
Solar Power Faces Uncertain Future in the U.S.
3 Bloomberg:
Hanergy Working With ‘Unproven’ Solar Technology, BNEF Says
4 Huffington Post:
Conservative Groups Battle Over Solar In Florida
5 Energy Collective:
EV's Plus Solar Equals Disruption
6 PV Magazine:
Three Chinese manufacturers to be removed from minimum price agreement
7 PV-Tech:
Energy Storage Europe-Regulatory reform, not funding needed for storage lift-off
8 Greentech Media:
A Comprehensive Guide to Rebates and Tax Credits Under the California Solar Initiative
Opinions:
9 EDF:
Here Comes the Sun- How California is Bringing More Renewables to the Grid
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 9th, 2015
On my way to Boston for PV America. A show that is small in scale but for once in a location where deals can get done especially for those that come with a checkbook. I’m interested to see and hear how big of a deal the Northeast markets are for the companies that aren’t getting a share of the California scale. The US marketplace continues to operate like a 50 Country market instead of one market that covers a big geography. If you are in Boston, let me know and say hello.
News
1 Washington Post:
Utilities wage campaign against rooftop solar
2 ABC News:
New Concept in Solar Energy Poised to Catch on Across US
3 Huffington Post:
Biden - Denying Climate Change 'Like Denying Gravity'
4 RE World:
What Business Are Electric Utilities In?
5 Grist:
New York’s new solar plan sets a high bar
6 PV-Magazine:
SPI Solar's $1.6bn credit line
7 NY Times:
Solar-Powered Plane Takes Off for Flight Around the World
8 Renew Economy:
Developers to use storage to keep new housing estates off grid
Opinions:
9 The Hill:
What if states just say ‘no’ to climate rule?
Have a great day!
Yann
