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
This is your SolarWakeup for February 10th 2025
Opinion
News
1 US News:
Markets React to Trump's Tariffs on Steel and Aluminium Imports
2 New York Times:
Markets React to Trump's Tariffs on Steel and Aluminium Imports
3 Utility Dive:
EPA funding freeze endangers $7B Solar For All program
4 Bloomberg:
BP Faces Pivotal Moment as Activist Investor Elliott Enters Fray
5 Reuters:
India's Modi to meet Trump with planned tariff concessions
6 PV-Tech:
Tata Power subsidiary commissions 4.3GW solar cell and module plant in India
7 Solar Power World:
Solar accounts for 81.5% of new electricity sources added to US grid in 2024
8 PV-Magazine:
The solar bowl
Opinions:
9 Energy Storage News:
Meeting US power demands of the hyperscale data centre boom with energy storage
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 7th 2025
Opinion
News
1 PV-Tech:
SEIA - US annual module manufacturing capacity passes 50GW
2 Reuters:
TPG to buy solar firm Altus Power for $2.2 billion
3 Axios:
New DOE boss Chris Wright lays down a marker
4 Bloomberg:
TotalEnergies Hails Power Profit as Rivals Pull Back on Renewables
5 Utility Dive:
Electricity is the next energy crisis
6 Renewable Energy World:
Virtual power plant company Leap recognizes opportunity in the PJM market
7 Solar Power World:
Enphase VPP programs now available in Puerto Rico and Colorado
8 Energy Storage News:
New German BESS revenue indexes shed light on market and trading strategies
9 Canary Media:
US solar manufacturing is finally thriving. Will Trump derail it?
Opinions:
10 PV-Magazine:
U.S. energy storage market thrives despite political and market uncertainty
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 6th 2025
Opinion
News
1 Washington Post:
In the Trump era, renewable energy isn’t green — it’s ‘dominant’
2 PV-Magazine:
Energy groups head to Washington in lobbying blitz
3 Utility Dive:
Utilities await clarity on DOE loans as decisive court battle looms
4 BLoomberg:
Green Investment Defies the Gravity of Trump’s Anti-ESG Era
5 Axios:
January surprises with a global temperature record
6 Reuters:
Equinor cuts renewable energy target due to industry headwinds
7 PV-Tech:
Trump 2.0 energy policies
8 Energy Storage News:
BrightNight and Cordelio sign PPA with Arizona Public Service for 1,200MWh BESS facility
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
Here’s every Biden-era energy loan — now all under threat from Trump
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 5th 2025
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Senate handily confirms Chris Wright as Energy secretary
2 PV-Magazine:
Sunnova to integrate OpenSolar AI design tool
3 Bloomberg:
Trump Mulls Revoking Loans From $400 Billion Clean-Energy Office
4 Utility Dive:
Energy Storage Eensure Grid Reliability Seia
5 Reuters:
Enphase forecasts Q1 revenue above expectations, shares rise
6 PV-Tech:
Goldman Sachs spin-out MN8 Energy bags US$612 million for US PV portfolio
7 Energy Storage News:
US BESS startup KORE Power no longer building Arizona cell gigafactory
8 Canary Media:
Want larger transmission lines? Fix this regulatory gap, experts say.
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
How Trump’s Trade War Could Affect Climate Change
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 4th 2025
Opinion
News
1 New York Times:
Europe Grapples With Energy Crisis, Three Years After Ukraine Invasion
2 Bloomberg:
Wild Cards for the Green Transition
3 PV-Magazine:
Rural Energy for America grantee reports federal non-payment for 2024 work
4 Axios:
What to watch as Trump's energy tariffs arrive
5 Utility Dive:
Texas eyes 765-kV transmission lines in regional ‘transmission race’
6 PV-Tech:
Indian budget offers boost to domestic PV manufacturing
7 Energy Storage News:
Solar Energy Industries Association recommends US reach 700GWh of energy storage capacity by 2030
Opinions:
8 Reuters:
Engie still sees strong US appetite for renewables
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 3rd 2025
Here We Go. Promises made were promises kept over the weekend as the new administration struck hard at major trade partners with tariffs, promptly reciprocated by Canada and likely have a response from Mexico shortly. China has not yet indicated what the response could be. As someone that runs a business and looks at what is coming our way, we likely are all taking shorter time spans of knowledge, because anything could happen. For solar, it feels like many of the supply chain changes over the past decade have mitigated what the impacts of this would be, for now. I’d love your take on how you’re managing through regulatory changes.
News
1 Bloomberg:
The Products Trump’s Tariff Blitz Could Make More Costly, From Avocados to Cars
2 New York Times:
The Products Trump’s Tariff Blitz Could Make More Costly, From Avocados to Cars
3 PV-Magazine:
Battery anode AD/CVD case moves forward, threatening to double U.S. battery costs
4 Axios:
Senate easily confirms Burgum as Interior secretary
5 Reuters:
US Democratic lawmakers question Trump's blockage of clean energy federal grants
6 PV-Tech:
New York Power Authority approves 3GW renewables plan
7 Solar Power World:
Vote Solar and other groups file lawsuit challenging Arizona solar fee
8 Energy Storage News:
Tesla deployed 31GWh of storage in 2024, segment benefited from US$756 million tax credits
Opinions:
10 UTility Dive:
New MISO demand response rules could bar resources from capacity auction
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 31st 2025
Opinion
News
1 E&E News:
EPA cuts off IRA solar money already under contract
2 Utility Dive:
Trump’s executive orders cause hesitation, confusion for clean energy developers
3 PV-Magazine:
Global clean energy investment surpassed $2 trillion in 2024
4 Bloomberg:
A Shaky Time for Global Climate Diplomacy
5 Axios:
Exclusive — Advisory firm Teneo goes big on energy
6 Reuters:
Macquarie Asset owned Blueleaf to invest $400 mln in Jakson Green's India solar assets
7 PV-Tech:
Growing risk appetite is ‘very rational’ in solar investment, says Santander
8 Renewable Energy World:
Backing Texas grid resilience, investment firm acquires nearly 1 GWh battery energy storage portfolio
9 Energy Storage News:
Departing Washington governor Inslee approves solar-storage project; new bill proposed giving local authorities more say on approvals
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
Trump wants to end the $7.5B bipartisan EV charger buildout. Can he?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 30th 2025
Big Storage Goals. SEIA released their goal for energy storage additions based on the market opportunity and grid need, totaling a target of 700GWh by 2030. In an effort that spans over a year with some minor help by yours truly, I commend the SEIA team to continue the mission of expanding the solar market by leveraging an increasing capability set of energy storage. Building storage for resilience, time of use/production arbitrage and as grid assets allows for a smarter grid to serve consumers across the Country. I’ve always said that eventually we will see batteries at every point of interconnect from generation to substations, homes and businesses. We are on that track!
News
1 PV-Magazine:
SEIA calls for 700 GWh of U.S. energy storage by 2030
2 NPR:
Re-imagining the energy grid ... through batteries (Two Indicators)
3 Energy Storage News:
Year in Review - ‘Consistent, reliable operation,’ the true measure of BESS value, says FlexGen
4 Bloomberg:
Brookfield Invests $389 Million in Vermont Developer Encore
5 Reuters:
Plan to get electricity to more Africans wins $8 billion in new pledges
6 PV-Tech:
JA Solar UFLPA factory ‘ceased production in 2018’, SSI claims after investigation
7 Renewable Energy World:
White House rescinds memo freezing government spending
Opinions:
8 Axios:
Energy sector surveys the DeepSeek fallout
Have a great day!
Yann
