This is your SolarWakeup for February 27th 2025
Happy Tears. An end of an era in California solar policy as the amazing Bernadette Del Chiaro steps down from CALSSA. She has led the group for 12 years with so many stories to tell including 1million solar roofs then 2, then 3… I had the pleasure of working with Bernadette when I was elected to CALSSA board during my QuickMountPV tenure. Bernadette will be succeeded by Brad Heavner, who is a great fit and likely seamless transition into the executive director role. I want to wish the best of luck to Bernadette in her new role and I know you will join me in industry-wide support for Brad as he takes the helm at CALSSA.
News
1 New York Times:
Environmental Protection Agency Will Lose 65 Percent of Staff, Trump Says
2 Utility Dive:
Sempra announces $56B capital plan amid rapid Texas growth
3 Canary Media:
EU to unveil ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ to cut CO2, boost energy security
4 Bloomberg:
China Solar Lobby Sees Fewer Installations After Record Year
5 Axios:
German election keeps key climate player in the game
6 Reuters:
BP cuts renewable investment and boosts oil and gas in strategy shift
7 PV-Tech:
Dubai seeks up to 2GW solar PV with 1GW BESS in latest tender
8 Energy Storage News:
Virgina passes legislation to increase energy storage targets
9 PV-Magazine:
First Solar sues JinkoSolar for alleged TOPCon patent infringement
Opinions:
10 Renewable Energy World:
This Meta AI data center mega project demands $6 billion in electric infrastructure. Who will pay for it?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 26th 2025
Opinion
News
1 Politico:
House Republican still backs taking ‘scalpel’ to Biden’s climate law — despite machetes flying around DC
2 Axios:
German election keeps key climate player in the game
3 Reuters:
India must double renewable capacity additions to meet 2030 clean-energy targets, report says
4 PV-Tech:
Energy Infrastructure Partners acquires majority stake in BayWa r.e
5 Solar Power World:
New SPAN smart electric panels include double the breaker spaces
6 Energy Storage News:
LG ES to invest US$1.4 billion in US stationary storage cell manufacturing
7 Canary Media:
Connecticut cities and towns push for greener, less-expensive power
8 PV-Magazen:
U.S. leads countries where golf courses occupy more land than solar, wind plants
Opinions:
9 Bloomberg:
Will the Sun Shine on Solar Power in 2025?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 25th 2025
Something To Talk About. The US pays more than 2x per watt for solar modules compared to the Europe and more than that compared to other markets. And now it seems to me that we may be getting even less in some instances. I’m not saying that all solar panels are weaker and thinner than they were before or even what the spec sheet says, but I think it’s something people are saying and I’m hearing, and certainly something we need to talk about.
News
1 PV-Tech:
New tests needed to explain high breakage rates in thin PV module glass – report
2 The Hill:
In Texas, ‘energy dominance’ is the solar industry’s new motto
3 Bloomberg:
Brookfield Makes $1.7 Billion Bet on Power Needs by AI, Data
4 Axios:
How Russia's war on Ukraine reshaped the energy world
5 Reuters:
EIP takes majority stake in BayWa's renewable energy unit
6 Energy Storage News:
Ascend Analytics on the future of ancillary services in ERCOT
7 Canary Media:
Data centers are overwhelming the grid. Could they help it instead?
8 PV-Magazine:
Sunrise brief
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
Solar and battery storage will lead new generation in 2025
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 24th 2025
Helping In Solar. Loyal SolarWakeup readers have asked me to share with you the unfortunate and tragic news of the passing of Frederic Dross. A longtime solar pro, Frederic leaves behind a young family and a lifetime of passion for solar innovation. You can find a fundraising page at the bottom of the top story today.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Remembering Frédéric Dross
2 SF Chronicle:
California regulators suggest ending rooftop solar subsidies for homeowners
3 Bloomberg:
UK Urged to Ease Planning Rules to Get Power Grid Ready for 2030
4 New York Times:
The $20 Billion Controversy Over E.P.A. Climate Funds, Explained
6 Reuters:
US sets tariffs for solar panels from Southeast Asian nations
7 PV-Tech:
First Solar sells US$850 million 45X manufacturing credits
8 Energy Storage News:
ESS Inc CEO resigns, potential transaction explored to enable ‘new strategic direction’
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
Leveraging surplus interconnection could unleash 800 GW of energy the US needs today
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 21st 2025
Opinion
News
1 Reuters:
Texas power system set for new clean milestone as winds pick up
2 Solar Builder:
Sunnova lays off 300 employees, focuses on ‘high-margin business’
3 New York Times:
Why Trump’s Clean Energy Rollbacks Could Derail a Factory Boom
4 Utility Dive:
Indiana regulators approve ‘large load’ interconnection rules
5 Axios:
The energy transition took off in 2024, with a major caveat
6 Deutsche Welle:
How Europe is funding its solar boom
7 PV-Tech:
India advises co-location of energy storage with solar PV
8 Energy Storage News:
Modo
9 Canary Media:
States are moving forward with Buy Clean policies despite Trump reversal
10 PV-Magazine:
Solar generation grew by 30% in 2024, says IEA
Opinions:
11 Renewable Energy World:
The US grid has significant flexible load potential, finds Duke study
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 20th 2025
The Domestic Plan. There has been an increase of inbounds that I have gotten for information about domestic modules with and without cells that have volume for 2025. If you are a supplier in this category, let me know so I can stay up to speed.
News
1 PV-Tech:
Renewables and co-located storage exist as ‘two business units sharing an address’
2 Renewable Energy World:
MISO wants to fast track energy storage projects. Can participating states interconnect as quickly as CAISO and ERCOT?
3 PV-Magazine:
Massachusetts allows increased demand charges to drive energy storage
4 Bloomberg:
SolarEdge Climbs 40% as Revenue Beat Prompts Short Covering
5 Electrek:
FREYR rebrands after killing its $2.6B Georgia battery factory plans
6 Reuters:
Lightsource bp secured 10 power purchase deals totalling 1.3 GW last year
7 Energy Storage News:
Battery trade association BCI asks Congress to defend US energy storage supply chain
Opinions:
8 Canary Media:
How PJM can get the power that it needs — and fast
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 18th 2025
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
Why Power Prices Can Go Negative and What It Means
2 Axios:
Global electricity demand to rise 4% annually due to AI, other uses
3 UTility Dive:
New Jersey residential customers face 20% bill hikes, driven by PJM capacity prices
4 New York Times:
California’s Push for Electric Trucks Sputters Under Trump
5 PV-Tech:
Germany passes law to curb PV generation surpluses and negative pricing
6 Renewable Energy World:
How AI and an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach can empower power providers in an age of rapid load growth
7 Energy Storage News:
Germany
Opinions:
8 Solar Power World:
Net-metering changes are sweeping the country. Here’s how solar companies can prepare
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 17th 2025
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro sues Trump administration, citing frozen IRA funding
2 Reuters:
Meyer Burger secures extension on maturity of $40 million bridge facility
3 Bloomberg:
The Whole World Is Going to Use a Lot More Electricity, IEA Says
4 PV-Tech:
As Europe’s solar investment space matures, storage becomes a ‘necessity’
5 Renewable Energy World:
Renewables permitting has been ‘paralyzed’ by Trump – This Week in Cleantech
6 Solar Power World:
Iowa legislature advances community solar bill
7 Energy Storage News:
Fluence launches AC block BESS solution with ‘industry-leading’ energy density
8 PV-Magazine:
Enphase expands virtual power plant programs in U.S, Canada, Puerto Rico
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
Trump’s Funding Freeze Raises a New Question
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 13th 2025
What’s The Future Of Solar? People that know me well know that I live within the realm of what seems possible and adjust my outlook based on the variables changing. When real entrepreneurs have told me their innovative ideas, I usually can’t grasp the overlap of ‘sounds good’ and ‘possible’. But that’s why I scale businesses versus start them. I give you this background because I had the fun time of catching up with Andrew Birch (Birchy) this week as he gave me his latest view of his ‘solar model’ where he projects where the market is going. For background, for those that don’t know him, Birchy was a co-founder of Sungevity and is co-founder and CEO of OpenSolar. He’s still banging the drum for solving for automated permitting and removing half the installed cost, as the fundamental solution to unleash the US resi market (down 25% over the last few years and at risk again this year).Sounds like the market is off to a soft start to 2025.Globally he’s much more upbeat. I know he’s always kept a big model on the progress of the global solar industry, but he just decided to publish the results this month as he's projecting a stunning headline: if the solar industry continues to grow at 25%, solar will supply over half the world’s energy in the next decade. That’s half of all energy, not just electricity. Check out the 3min video here, take a look and let us know your thoughts.
News
1 New York Times:
Natural Gas Could Get Priority Over Renewable Energy in Largest U.S. Grid
2 Canary Media:
Trump’s clean energy attacks put manufacturing projects at risk
3 PV-Magazine:
Global utility-scale solar additions hit 182 GW in 2024
4 Reuters:
Australia’s AGL ramps up battery storage to drive green transition
5 PV-Tech:
The Nature Conservancy to develop 17 solar PV and storage projects on former Appalachian coal mines
6 Utility Dive:
Puerto Rico utility LUMA plans to add 1 GW renewables, 700 MW storage
7 Bloomberg:
Energy Manager E2 to Go Public Via SPAC at $500 Million Value
8 Energy Storage News:
Cordelio Power signs BESS deal with Fluence for ‘over 1GWh’ of equipment
Opinions:
9 Axios:
New hub tackles world energy transition, beginning with U.S. and India
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 12th 2025
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
Existing US grid can handle ‘significant’ new flexible load
2 Bloomberg:
Will the Sun Shine on Solar Power in 2025?
3 Renewable Energy World:
Utility industry trends to watch in 2025
4 PV-Tech:
Trump announces 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium
5 Reuters:
Indian non-bank lender Shriram Finance eyes 20-fold growth in green portfolio, exec says
6 Canary Media:
Illinois’ largest utility unveils $100M to spur EV adoption
7 PV-Magazine:
Trina Solar sues Canadian Solar over patents in $1.47 billion lawsuit
8 Energy Storage News:
Fluence lowers 2025 guidance due to ‘disappointing’ contract delays, competitive pressure
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
Fluence lowers 2025 guidance due to ‘disappointing’ contract delays, competitive pressure
Have a great day!
Yann
