This is your SolarWakeup for July 18th, 2014
There are good days in solar, today is a good day. SEIA jumped on the EIA study that says solar can take a leading role in the US Energy profile. Most importantly, SEIA has publicly stated the important need of the ITC extension something that has circulated quietly and privately in the past, now it is a stated policy and that is a great thing for everyone. An ITC extension should be required by all in DC, because a vote against solar is a vote against jobs.
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 17th, 2014
Florida is the 3rd largest electricity market in the Country. Investor owned utilities sell almost 80% of the load to their ratepayers. They send 1 lobbyist to the State capitol for almost every 2 legislators according to the Huffington Post (first article). Yet, solar is a very very small piece of the energy pie. Protectionism doesn't start or end with trade wars, it happens when dynasty corporations seek to protect the status quo instead of adapting...
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 16th, 2014
During Intersolar, I had the privilege of becoming the President of RISE and leading the Board for the next few years. RISE is an important complement to the work NABCEP and their Board have done for solar. With a shift towards rooftops, particularly commercial rooftops, doing solar installations properly is vital. Please take a moment and do the survey for distributed rooftop solar listed below.
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 15th, 2014
Solar is getting complicated for sure and it is apparent in the news trends. Today is a good example, you have trade issues, utilities & batteries, EV and solar collaboration and the State battles. That's why it was good to see and hear so many partnerships during my time at Intersolar (don't miss my story), because going it alone is almost impossible.
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 14th, 2014
Fantastic day! Germany is the world cup champion! It is my son's 4th birthday and I leave for vacation today. Not to worry, after a week at Intersolar, the SolarWakeup will continue on without too many interruptions from regular scheduling. If you want to contribute to make my work a bit easier while away, please feel free to send me articles that are SWu worthy!
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Yann
Top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week! #1 Toledo Blade: Solar-panel maker shuts down #2 NY Times: Activist Investor Helps a Solar Power Company Turn Itself Around #3 Motley Fool: Which of These 3 Solar Companies Can Make You Rich? #4 SF Gate: Sungevity shows how solar panels will look on your house #5 GTM: Critics Say MA New Solar Bill Would Create an Unfair Exchange #6 PV-Tech: Top US residential installers tighten grip on market #7 CleanTechnica: Florida Utilities Working To Crush Nascent Solar Industry #8 GTM: What You Need to Know About How Clean Energy YieldCos Work #9 CleanTechnica: SolarCity and SunRun vs Arizona Department Of Revenue #10 Vegas Journal: No significant … Read More
This is your SolarWakeup for July 11th, 2014
A great week in the books with Intersolar wrapping up. Some interesting news coming from the show which we will share with you next week. One overarching theme is apparent, solar is not alone anymore. We are interconnected within our own value chain and other industries like storage, home automation and efficiency. Above all, the energy sector remains a finance industry, with so many attendees once again wearing the suit and tie (except the team at Shoals!)
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 10th, 2014
I think we need to continue to look at the role of grid operators (utilities) play in the solar business. Intersolar is an interesting place to look at that because the show promoter is not directly tied to the money coming from utilities. I think EDF is right in today's opinion story that utilities need to change, mostly on the fact that solving their solar non-problem is to own solar (behind the meter) assets as ratepayer cost recovered. UOG (utility owned generation) HAS to be focused on centralized solar farms, controlling behind the meter assets means controlling the market growth and that is bad for everyone in solar, including the bands that battled tonight at Intersolar.
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 9th, 2014
The 1st day of Intersolar is behind us and things are looking good. Lots of news coming on partnerships, innovation and victories that will grow markets and opportunities for solar companies. More coverage coming from areas that currently have little solar like Florida and that worked to stop solar like Maine. Solar is working on a 50 State strategy and it will be in effect in no time at all.
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Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 8th, 2014
Lots of respect for GTM, but I can't agree in widening the tent for more utility involvement in distributed solar. As we gather at Intersolar, ongoing battles across the Country show that utilities will do anything to keep and grow their monopolies. In Arizona the utility will go to any length to buy political representation. Take a look at an impartial view of the situation in Arizona in the AZ Central article to see for yourself.
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Yann