This is your SolarWakeup for October 10th, 2014
SolarCity has 7,500 employees! More than Facebook apparently, which is incredible. In a tale of two economies, SolarCity is growing and helping fight against the likes of ALEC and AFP while Walmart sits stagnant and continues to fight against solar (while being the largest corporate user of distributed solar to offset costs). So be clear, change is coming, solar can’t borrow at the same rates as utilities and take corporate monopolies but it can be a growth sector for employment while doing good for society. I’ll take the next generation of status quo over the clinging to the past.
News
1 Fortune:
Lyndon Rive thinks solar can overtake fossil fuels, one rooftop at a time
3 RE World:
Local, Lower Prices, 33% Renewable - Sonoma Power Has Launched
4 PV tech:
Battle lines drawn over Colorado net metering dispute
5 Solar Industry:
Volatility Creeping Into MA Solar, Shakes Up Larger Developers
6 Renew Economy:
China tariffs on coal could rebound on Australian solar industry
7 Bloomberg:
Solar’s $30 Billion Splurge Proves Too Much for Japan
8 PV magazine:
Russian solar expansion picks up speed
Opinions:
9 The Boston Globe:
Smart energy policy is a win for the world
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 9th, 2014
The lease the loan, it all comes down to a contract of ongoing cash flow. PPAs and power agreements on the commercial and utility scale are the same thing much like how developers always look for the “minority participation” so they can have long term reoccuring revenues. Yieldcos, securitizations and enterprise value also value this income and not so much the structure that allowed an entity to control that revenue. Clearly, residential solar isn’t focused so much on what the structure but that customers don’t pay cash!
News
1 Solar Love:
Vivint Solar IPO And CEO Interview
2 Mercury News:
SolarCity to offer loans to homeowners, which could juice market
3 PV tech:
Proposed US solar trade tariff changes ‘illegal’
4 RE World:
Electrifying Kenya
6 PV Magazine:
Ontario reduces feed-in tariffs 1-5% for solar PV
7 EDF:
North Carolina is well positioned for EPA’s Clean Power Plan
8 The Desert Sun:
California utilities crafting rooftop solar plans
Opinions:
9 Grist:
Hey, Paul Krugman
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 8th, 2014
I’ve been waiting for the moment that solar goes mainstream, maybe a signal of some sort. In Wisconsin that signal has appeared, former Green Bay Packer, Mark Tauscher, a 10 year vet of the team is coming out to support solar. Tauscher is also an owner of a Madison newspaper so his endorsement is local and important. Never underestimate the power of grassroots and in Wisconsin there is little that is more grassroots than the Packers.
News
1 JS Online:
Mark Tauscher to speak out for solar as utility rate hearings begin
2 Slate:
How do you sell customers on solar energy? Hawk it door-to-door.
4 RE World:
MA Raises Solar Net Metering Cap for Businesses and Municipalities
5 PV Magazine:
Wholesale grid parity for solar possible by 2020s, report finds
6 Energy Collective:
How to Value Distributed Solar Energy
7 CleanTechnica:
The Megawatt Block Program
8 Solar Industry:
Mercom Reports Strong Quarterly Solar Financing Activity
Opinions:
9 AL.com:
Let there be light
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 7th, 2014
Can we blame Apple for the bankruptcy of GT Advanced Technologies? Even all of the new solar manufacturing capacity is actually consolidating existing infrastructure in many cases. Especially given the ongoing fight against solar manufacturers by Solarworld, there is little certainty for investors. It seems that Solarworld is now asking to expand the duties even further.
News
1 PV Magazine:
GT Advanced Technologies files for chapter 11 bankruptcy
2 Breaking Energy:
What Modern Cities Want From Their Utilities. (It Ain’t Pretty.)
3 Think Progress:
Why Solar Power Is Taking Off At Airports Across The Country
4 PV-Tech:
Vivint Solar CEO hints at future expansion plans
5 Seeking Alpha:
10 Reasons Why SolarCity, Vivint Solar, And RGS Energy Are Destined To Fail
6 The Energy Collective:
Calibrating Solar Energy's Growth Potential
7 RE World:
Are UK Renewable Energy Contracts Hurting Consumers?
8 Solar Industry Mag:
Hawaiian Electric's Solar Plans Put New Focus On DG Interconnection
Opinions:
9 Huffingtonpost:
The Transition to Renewable Energy Is Difficult But Feasible
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 6th, 2014
Ignored most of the time are the regional op-eds about solar issues. I found the one from WV quite interesting because it shows how ingrained in our minds “fight any change” mentality really is. The problem with coal isn’t regulatory or even President Obama’s fake war on it. It is the fact that much like a consumer is normal to transition to Uber from a dirty taxi that doesn’t take credit cards, consumers are seeking a cleaner and less price volatile product like solar. Utilities are fighting in regulation but that too will change, because change always happens.
News
1 Reason:
Unlimited Free Solar Power?
2 RE World:
A Deeper Look into Yieldco Structuring
3 Renew Economy:
Citigroup
4 Xconomy:
Downstream Solar” Heats up, Consolidates with Pure Energies Buy
5 Bloomberg:
OneRoof Energy Getting $16.7 Million Financing for Rooftop Solar
6 Forbes:
A Light Bulb Shows How Solar And Wind Beat Coal
7 PV Magazine:
Energy Storage North America
8 Citizen Times:
Solar push a massive hit in North Carolina
Opinions:
9 Register Herald:
Obama's war is not coal's only problem
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 MIT:
A Promising Step Toward Round-the-Clock Solar Power
2 Renew Economy:
Solar costs heading to 4c/kWh, rooftop solar seen “unbeatable”
3 Forbes:
In Colorado, a New Solar Model Takes Root
4 Wash Post:
Benefits of solar panels clear after two years
5 Bloomberg:
Property Tycoon Reveals $20 Billion Solar-Led Portfolio
6 GTM:
How a Top Liberal State Is Creating a Market That Conservatives Should Love
7 Bloomberg:
Blackstone Scores $1.1 Billion Gain in Vivint Solar Debut
8 PV Magazine:
Sunrun announces expansion plans
9 Biz Journals:
RGS Energy to exit commercial solar, focus on residential
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 October 3rd, 2014
Let’s reiterate the point from yesterday. Game on in residential solar. Now NRG announces the acquisition of Pure Energies to grow the customer acquisition pipeline. The new frontiers geographically will be another race as you can tell by the comments in the interview with $VSLR CEO. Some subtle news from the Vivint Solar roadshow, it appears that the company will be transitioning to string inverters from micro inverters. I’d love to take credit for that but I doubt the SWu article had anything to do with it.
News
1 Globe & Mail:
U.S. firm buys Toronto solar installer in push for residential
2 Fortune:
Vivint Solar CEO talks IPO
3 Guardian:
UK renewable energy subsidy changes anger solar industry
4 Scientific American:
Power Companies in Japan Move to Restrict Solar
5 RE World:
The Six Principles of Distributed Solar Policy and Rate Design
6 PV-Tech:
China dominated US$55 billion of global clean energy investment in Q3
7 Think Progress:
How To Make Fighting Climate Change Work For Workers
8 Bloomberg:
Battery Storage Targeted by German State That Built Solar
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
Why Utilities Don’t Invest More In Solar (VIDEO)
Have a great day!
Yann
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
1 Bloomberg:
Blackstone Scores $1.1 Billion Gain in Vivint Solar Debut
2 PV-magazine:
Scatec Solar completes IPO after delay
3 Bizjournals:
RGS Energy to exit commercial solar power installation, focus on residential
5 PV-tech:
Japan government confirms end-of-year review for FiT
6 Reneweconomy:
Energy storage
7 Utilitydive:
California real-time market opens to outside systems
8 Forbes:
In Colorado, a New Solar Model Takes Root
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
A Bounty of Shared Solar
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
1 The Guardian:
Can Narendra Modi bring the solar power revolution to India?
2 Bloomberg:
Property Tycoon Reveals $20 Billion Solar-Led Portfolio
3 Midwest Energy:
Cost of solar permitting swings widely in Minnesota
4 Reneweconomy:
Solar costs heading to 4c/kWh, rooftop solar seen “unbeatable”
5 Pv-magazine:
Trina Solar issues $100 million convertible notes
6 Clean Technica:
Australian Leaders Begin Dancing Around Renewable Energy Talks
7 Pv-tech:
Dozens of developers show interest in Hawaii’s big storage proposal
8 EDF:
Is Global Clean Energy Investment at a Tipping Point?
Opinions:
9 Washington Post:
Benefits of solar panels clear after two years
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
1 SolarWakeup:
Top 10 Solar States to Watch
2 Vox:
Solar is growing so fast that older energy companies are trying to stop it
3 PV Magazine:
LATAM and Caribbean to install 9 GW PV within 5 years
4 Forbes:
IBM Teams With Swiss Startup For Solar 'Sunflower'
5 Bloomberg:
PSEG to Spend $247 Million Through 2016 on Solar Power
6 Think Progress:
New York’s Bold New Plan To Expand Solar Energy
7 PV Solar Report:
Why Referrals Are the New Old Solar Customer Acquisition Strategy
8 CleanTechnica:
Why Local Energy Ownership Matters
Opinions:
9 Energy Collective:
The Politics of Distributed Generation
Have a great day!
Yann
