This is your SolarWakeup for April 20th, 2022
Permitting Linked To Innovation. It was June of 2018 when I sat in a backyard in Alameda and Andrew Birch talked about the idea I called utopian, a standard permitting process that would allow for solar to get installed the next day. That’s the type of thinking Birchy has also brought to OpenSolar, because getting layouts and proposals to homeowners should be easy and free for installers. Now, 4 years later, 31MW of resi solar has been run through SolarAPP.
Focus On What Matters. As a solar installer there are two things that matter most to your bottom line, more approvals and lower dealer fees. Check out SolarWakeup’s preferred solar lending platform, CommonBond, to make sure you’re focused on the bottom line.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Automated solar permitting program sees 31 MW approved in first year of operation
2 Axios:
First look - The Business Roundtable's new energy agenda
3 The Hill:
Democrats prepare to take second run at Biden spending plan
4 Bloomberg:
Google’s Corio Says Grid Connections Jammed Up - BNEF Update
5 Los Angeles Times:
Angelenos are alarmed by air pollution and extreme heat. Poll finds they want action
6 Reuters:
National Grid announces plan to decarbonize by 2050
7 PV-Tech:
New York launches new framework for distributed solar
8 PV-Magazine:
Solar Superstar cities set the pace for solar development in the US
Opinions:
9 RMI:
You Might Be Paying for a Worthless Gas Plant
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 19th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Wall Street Journal:
Rivian CEO Warns of Looming Electric-Vehicle Battery Shortage
2 Utility Dive:
Capacity prices jump across MISO's central and northern regions, driven by supply shortfall
3 Bloomberg:
Australia Begins Long Road to Retraining Thousands of Coal Workers for Clean Energy Roles
4 Axios:
Biden expanding drilling leases despite climate goals
5 Vox:
How to build a better battery
6 Reuters:
U.S. natgas futures hit 13-year high on cold forecast
7 Canary Media:
DOE backs US battery materials production with $107M loan
Opinions:
8 PV-Magazine:
86% of Florida voters, regardless of political party, want Gov. DeSantis to veto anti-solar bill
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 18th, 2022
Focus On What Matters. As a solar installer there are two things that matter most to your bottom line, more approvals and lower dealer fees. Check out SolarWakeup’s preferred solar lending platform, CommonBond, to make sure you’re focused on the bottom line.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Batteries help solar connect, pricing still strong
2 GreenBiz:
Inside the new $100 million women-led climate tech fund
3 Utility Dive:
California unveils proposed pathway to reach 100% ZEVs by 2035
4 Politico:
How a Determined Congressional Aide Helped Break Open the Biggest Environmental Scandal in U.S. History
5 Albuquerque Journal:
PNM grid congestion locks thousands of New Mexico residents out of solar
6 Bloomberg:
Business Leaders Know the Climate Status Quo Is Untenable
7 Axios:
Study - Atmospheric rivers may cause next Antarctic ice shelf collapse
8 Reuters:
Eyeing green vote, Macron vows to exit oil, coal and gas
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
The hottest electric vehicles at New York’s auto show have two wheels
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 15th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
California Ran on Nearly 100% Clean Energy This Month
2 Reuters:
Analysis - Biden plan to aid Europe with LNG poses risk to US climate goals
3 Axios:
Study shows it's still feasible to hold global warming to 2°C
4 Reuters:
Le Pen's renewables ban plan is an 'aberration', Macron says
5 PV-Tech:
Raptor Maps closes US$22m Series B, funds used for hiring and product development
6 PV-Magazine:
NYSERDA launches energy advisory website for low- to moderate-income households
Opinions:
7 Energy Storage News:
Biden’s Defense Production Act intervention ‘won’t solve near term battery supply chain challenges’
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 14th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Vox:
The death of the gas station
2 Time:
In Search of Funding, Tribal Communities Are Turning to Corporate Investment to Embrace Solar Power
3 PV-Magazine:
To speed interconnection, consider public control of grid operators, says law professor
4 Canary Media:
Contract prices for renewable power are up 30%. What’s going on?
5 GreenBiz:
Stripe, Shopify, Alphabet, Meta and McKinsey will spend almost $1 billion on carbon removal
6 Axios:
First look - Climate, environment shape Gen Z life decisions
7 RMI:
Introducing Community Solar+ - the Next Generation of Community Solar
8 Energy Storage News:
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and renewables bodies ask EU to recognise storage’s ‘crucial role’ in energy security
Opinions:
9 Philadelphia Inquirer:
The case for renewing the solar tax credit | Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 13th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Grist:
As utility-scale renewables expand, some Midwest farmers are pushing back
2 Reuters:
U.S. natgas on track for 13-year high on output cut, cold forecast
3 New York Times:
Amid Soaring Demand for Warehouses, an Effort to Make Them Greener
4 Axios:
Pandemic recovery is slightly greener
5 Solar Power World:
Virginia governor signs solar property tax exemption into law
6 PV-Magazine:
Next-gen community solar characterized by resilience, equity, EV charging co-location
7 Energy Storage News:
UK’s latest frequency regulation grid service launched
8 Canary Media:
Maryland just passed one of the most aggressive climate laws in the US
Opinions:
9 RMI:
The SEC Wants More Climate Data. Digital Solutions Can Build on That Goal.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 12th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Here come the EVs
2 New York Times:
Truck Makers Face a Tech Dilemma
3 Bloomberg:
Solar Power Is Winning From the Energy Crisis. Wind Is Losing
4 Utility Dive:
Reliability concerns drive need for energy market design reforms, but regions diverge in FERC proceeding
5 PV-Tech:
Invenergy receives approval for 300MW solar, 165MW battery storage project in Wisconsin
6 Solar Power World:
Origis Energy purchases 750 MW of solar panels direct from First Solar
Opinions:
7 Canary Media:
Putin’s war will drive a faster shift to clean energy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 11th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
McConnell - Biden needs to "take the shackles" off U.S. energy production
2 New York Times:
We Are Wasting Time on These Climate Debates. The Next Steps are Clear.
3 Utility Dive:
Clean energy sector eyes window for passing federal tax breaks amid challenge of high energy prices
4 PV-Magazine:
Solar anti-circ investigation may not be determined by Commerce until late August, said ROTH
5 Reuters:
Tesla, Block and Blockstream to mine bitcoin off solar power in Texas
6 Solar Power World:
New Florida milestone highlights the value of apprenticeships for the solar industry
7 Energy Storage News:
Redwood Materials already gets 6GWh of lithium batteries per year for recycling
Opinions:
8 RMI:
If Washington Is Serious About US Competitiveness, It Needs to Go on Offense
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 8th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Earth's CO2 levels to hit alarming milestone
2 Reuters:
Special Report - U.S. solar expansion stalled by rural land-use protests
3 New York Times:
Britain bets on nuclear power in its plan to boost energy independence.
4 Utility Dive:
MISO finds broad benefits to building $10.4B of transmission projects to support 53 GW of clean energy
5 PV-Tech:
Engie North America bolsters US solar pipeline by acquiring Photosol assets
6 Energy Storage News:
SDG&E’s 2045 decarbonisation roadmap - California needs 40GW of BESS and 4x electricity capacity
7 PV-Magazine:
250MW solar project planned for former West Virginia coal mine
Opinions:
8 RMI:
Ten Climate Fixes to Catch Up in the Race to Cut Emissions
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 7th, 2022
DC Can’t Get Enough Tariffs. Each of the last three administrations sitting in the White House has added or reupped tariffs on solar, the addiction to the policy is bipartisan. The problem is twofold, first it doesn’t work. Second, the investigation and threat of tariff with an unknown cap is worse than the tariff itself in most cases. In all cases, the tariffs don’t do anything to actually create an industry like manufacturing and mostly harm those that need to use the product. In solar, the tariffs cost all taxpayers more through tax credits, slow the pace of job growth in every aspect of the ecosystem and hardly improve the assembly value chain. It’s easy to say that Biden has done nothing for solar when the last administration did far worse and had no expectation to be helpful. So let’s drop that talking point because it’s simply flawed and weak to argue. Instead let’s talk about what would help create the local ecosystem ripe for upstream manufacturing and that’s tax credits or expanded deductions. As the former CEO of a domestic manufacturer that was impacted by tariffed commodity in aluminum, the key incentive that would have helped us grow even more was a tax credit for direct factory labor. Instead of deducting the hourly wage for the business, let direct labor costs in the factory be a credit to the tax liability. And that’s an idea that goes beyond solar, it’s a driver that would help manufacturing in all sectors especially with shipping costs where they are today.
News
1 PV-Tech:
Nearly all US solar companies expecting ‘severe or devastating impact’ of anti-circumvention investigation
2 Axios:
White House climate adviser - "We can no longer wait" to cut emissions
3 New York Times:
The End of the (Pipe)line? Germany Scrambles to Wean Itself Off Russian Gas
4 Canary Media:
Carbon removal now ‘unavoidable’ part of fighting climate change, UN says
5 Reuters:
Britain plans nuclear power, offshore wind to boost energy independence
6 Energy Storage News:
European action plan to accelerate growth of battery value chain
Opinions:
7 PV-Magazine:
Could “hot carrier” solar cells break the theoretical efficiency limit?
Have a great day!
Yann
