This is your SolarWakeup for April 1st, 2015
This summer will mark 3 years that SolarWakeup will be running. Started with a list of 30 recipients and now thousands of readers. Doing the Wakeup every morning is a lot of work but moreover a cumbersome task which gets in the way of the work of my day job at Conergy. As such we will be launching SolarSunset, in line with the 2016 sunset of the ITC, and sending you the email every evening instead. I hope that this will not cause too much issue with your reading and your understanding is greatly appreciated!
News
1 AZ Central:
A rooftop solar proposal that should end the debate
2 PV-Magazine:
Canadian Solar completes acquisition of Recurrent Energy
3 News & Observer:
Don’t derail North Carolina’s clean energy boom
4 PV-Tech:
Conergy launches Turkish solar JV
5 Renew Economy:
Cheap oil vs wind and solar - fight for future of energy
6 Utility Dive:
Inside the new approach to finding the true value of solar
7 RE World:
Is Community Solar Coming to Maryland?
8 Forbes:
Solar Power To Become Cheapest Source Of Energy In Many Regions By 2025, German Experts Say
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
New U.S. Climate Target Is Achievable and Sends an Important Signal to the World
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 31st, 2015
The art of the headline. It’s happening all over media and there is no shortage of it around the headlines on solar. Some are meant to get you to click (see yesterday’s “It’s Okay To Hate Solar”) and some are factual but it sounds so far fetched you may think it’s a joke. The overhyping of solar’s impact on energy grid is at times impressive, if only our grid operators were engineers of some thought that understood the impacts of technology on the grid…But most of all let’s make sure that politicians have to decide how much solar gets installed so that we can keep creating jobs and getting clean energy into our portfolio for future generations’ benefit.
News
1 Boston Globe:
Mass. solar projects could soon reach a limit
2 PV-Magazine:
California grid operator envisions 50% renewables
3 Venture Beat:
Elon Musk’s SpaceX buying $90 million of Elon Musk’s Solar City solar bonds
4 PV-Tech:
Georgia to allow third-party leasing for solar homes and businesses
5 RE World:
US Vote-a-Rama Reveals Senators’ Environmental Agenda
6 Utility Dive:
HECO clears PV interconnection queues in Maui, Hawaii Islands
7 Slate:
Renewable energy doesn’t have to be a luxury purchase.
8 BBC:
Solar Impulse plane lands in China
Opinions:
9 Greentech Media:
The Rise of Choices and the End of Natural Monopolies
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 30th, 2015
On my way back to California, this time to SFO for some company meetings but it’s a reminder that California is so far ahead of the rest of the Country when it comes to solar. Looking at financial models and costs of solar installations, it reminds me how crucial an ITC extension is for our industry and the Country. Listening to the GTM podcast on Thursday, it is amazing to hear that losing 100k jobs is okay for some, but let us reiterate that those that want the ITC to go away or are OK with it is a very small minority. Don’t get caught up in the noise and get ready to be involved because your job quite literally could depend on it. And don’t hesitate to push back on those that speak haphazardly about the ITC.
News
1 Breaking Energy:
Opinion - Why it’s Okay to Hate Solar
2 CBS:
Report - LADWP’s Rooftop Solar Energy Program Failed To Meet Goals
3 Tea Party Tribune:
NV Energy Places Miraclebets On Solar
4 Fortune:
How Apple is making money off of its landmark solar deal
5 Seeking Alpha:
Busting The Myth Of Grid Parity - The Residential Solar PPA/Lease Death Spiral
6 NY Times:
Israel Installs Solar Panels at Parliament to Save Energy
7 Public Radio Int'l:
Natural gas and solar power have been growing together. Can that last?
8 Motley Fool:
Why the Solar Industry Is Its Own Worst Enemy
Opinions:
9 Post & Courier:
Would solar panels make financial sense for your home?
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 LA Times:
Leased solar panels can complicate — or kill — a home sale
2 Think Progress:
Smithsonian Stands By Wildly Misleading Climate Change Exhibit Paid For By Kochs
3 Venture Beat:
Sunrun’s journey shows that there is rarely a straight line to success
4 Bloomberg:
See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil
5 Las Vegas Review Journal:
Rooftop solar power grows despite waning incentives
6 24/7 Wall Street:
SolarEdge Shines Incredibly Bright in Its IPO Debut
7 Hartford Courant:
What's Solar Really Worth? A New Report Floats Some Numbers
8 PV-Magazine:
Package of pro-solar measures for Illinois
9 Think Progress:
Neil DeGrasse Tyson Has Some Choice Words For Anyone Who Votes For A Climate Denier
10 Bloomberg:
California Just Had a Stunning Increase in Solar
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 27 th, 2015
Back in Florida, this week was a bit eye opening at the solar finance conference. For one, it was great to see how many of you were there and to meet you in person. This event was symbolic of the types of jobs that solar creates and jobs that cannot be outsourced to another Country, so it was great to hear a fellow panelist bring up the headwind of tariffs for 400 jobs in Oregon. For comparison, there were 547 people registered for this event. Also a great day yesterday for solar, with Solar Edge successfully listing on NASDAQ, selling for $18, first trade around $20 and then closing above $21. Congrats to $SEDG!
News
1 Venture Beat:
Sunrun’s journey shows that there is rarely a straight line to success
2 24/7 Wall Street:
SolarEdge Shines Incredibly Bright In Its IPO Debut
3 Bloomberg:
California Just Had a Stunning Increase in Solar
4 Recharge News:
PG&E claims US utility lead with rooftop solar
5 Utility Dive:
New Hampshire bill would remove barriers for utility-owned rooftop solar
6 Hartford Courant:
What's Solar Really Worth? A New Report Floats Some Numbers
7 PV-Magazine:
Europe's solar market declined 36% in 2014, says EPIA
8 Think Progress:
Thanks To Conservatives, Florida Is Now One Step Closer To Making Solar Energy More Accessible
Opinions:
9 RE World:
Lifting State Limits on Local Power
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 26 th, 2015
How much is the ITC extension worth to your business? At the conference I've been attending over the last two days, everything revolves around "before the deadline" or "post 2016". It's a bit tiring that all of the highly paid smart people in solar give up so easily. So I ask it in a different way, if someone asked you to write a check that could extend the ITC, how much would your company write? Reply to this email and let me know (if you care about the ITC).
News
1 PV-Magazine:
FT examines curious trading pattern of Hanergy shares
2 CleanTechnica:
4% Of UK Electricity Could Come From Solar By 2020
3 Oregon Live:
DOJ investigating subsidies for solar projects - Oregon environment news
4 FastCo Exist:
Solar Power From Space Is Closer To Reality Than You Might Think (Still Very Far Away)
5 PV-Tech:
Australia nears solar anti-dumping decision
6 Breaking Energy:
Why California Solar Was Even Better Than You Thought
7 AZ Daily Star:
TEP would slice rooftop solar rate benefits
8 Bloomberg:
Yingli Slips to Second Among Solar Panel Makers Behind Trina
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Pope Puts Climate Heat on GOP
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 25 th, 2015
After the first day at Infocast in San Diego, I have some initial thoughts. 1. There is no better place to catch up with people than these conferences, regardless if it is always the same people. Seeing people again is great and you end up seeing new opportunities. 2. You discover new buzzwords, like “the fourth pillar” which apparently refers to Community Solar (h/t to SunShare). 3. Solar has A LOT of service providers, engineers, lawyers and accountants primarily. 4. I wish there was more time to listen to the panels, I really enjoy learning the random thought I hadn’t heard before and I get that urge to challenge the speakers on many of their topics.
News
1 Politifact:
Koch-backed group says Georgia solar policies cost more
2 Think Progress:
Neil DeGrasse Tyson Has Some Choice Words For Anyone Who Votes For A Climate Denier
3 Business Journals:
Survey - People love solar power — if it does not cost them extra
4 Renew Economy:
WA to go solar – may be the only way out of energy mess
5 Fortune:
California is first state with 5% of its electricity from solar
6 Solar Server:
Egypt Solar Industry Association releases solar PV report on the nation’s FiT program
7 PV-Tech:
Government report - US$17.6 billion invested in UK solar since 2010
8 Utility Dive:
North Carolina - The next big utility-solar showdown?
Opinions:
9 Scientific American:
How Solar Heavy Europe Avoided a Blackout during Total Eclipse
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 24 th, 2015
Today’s top story is symbolic of some recent things we have seen in the news and in social media. One group, Solar Secrets, made its rounds in the solar circles on Facebook after having some door canvassers knock on the wrong door. That group is part of the conservative, anti-solar movement funded by Koch Bros and their allies. Interestingly, not all conservatives are anti-solar, some are very much pro-solar given free-market principles that resonate with them. A hire in solar that hasn’t become too public is a recent addition at Sunrun in the policy team. The team (which is A+) added Tyson Grinstead who comes to Sunrun as the former political director for Senator Lindsey Graham, a politician not entirely known for his ties to clean energy. Welcome to solar Tyson!
News
1 Think Progress:
Smithsonian Stands By Wildly Misleading Climate Change Exhibit Paid For By Kochs
2 RE World:
Building On a Strong Foundation - The Critical Need for Updated Interconnection Policies
3 Business Journals:
Sun block - D.C. bill would require compensation when solar access obstructed
4 EDF:
In Austin, Clean Energy Innovators Are Helping to Alleviate Energy Poverty
5 Huffington Post:
The Emergence and Importance of President Obama's Climate Policy
6 Bloomberg:
See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil
7 PV-Magazine:
Energy Union - Germany, Norway to link grids
8 Utility Dive:
If the center doesn't hold - Why the electric power industry could one day collapse
Opinions:
9 Clean Technica:
What Are Washington Legislators Smoking?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 23rd, 2015
On my way to San Diego today for the Solar Finance and Investment Summit where I will be on a panel on Thursday. I can already forecast a week of talk regarding post-2017 and how grim things look (particularly for my panel on large scale solar farms). On the other hand, it will be a great event for matchmaking between projects (I want some) and money. So the question to start off your Monday, what part of the capital stack is most needed for you and how can it be fixed?
News
1 Las Vegas Journal:
Rooftop solar power grows despite waning incentives
2 LA Times:
Leased solar panels can complicate — or kill — a home sale
3 NY Times:
California First to Feel Hydro-Power Crunch of Drought
4 Think Progress:
France Says New Roofs Must Be Covered In Plants Or Solar Panels
5 RE World:
Who’s on First, What’s on Second and Why It Does and Does Not Matter
6 NPR:
How President Obama Wants To Shrink The Government's Carbon Footprint
7 Motley Fool:
China's New Solar Target Could Set the Stage for a Solar Boom
8 PV Magazine:
Package of pro-solar measures for Illinois
Opinions:
9 Forbes:
Dirty Energy Taxes And Clean Energy Innovation
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 NY Times:
Outlook for Solar Gets a Bit Brighter
2 Wall Street Journal:
Solar-Energy Company Sunrun Preparing for Potential IPO
3 PV-Magazine:
Congress debates distributed solar ahead of new legislation
4 NY Times:
SolarCity, a Vocal Critic of the Utility Industry, Joins It
5 SolarLove:
Solar Panels Can Cause Neighborhood Arguments
6 AZ Capitol Times:
APS expected to seek 400% solar fee increase
7 The Week:
Can Google bring solar power to the masses?
8 CNN:
Obama targets greenhouse gases, to tour solar panels
9 Gizmodo:
Our Cities Could Become High-Density Solar Power Plants
10 RE World:
Solar Must Support ITC Extension or Face Potentially Dire Consequences
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
