Tag Archives: Daily Rundown

This is your SolarWakeup for March 5th, 2020

Personal Update. For the third time since the start of this newsletter, I have a new day job. This time I am excited to be joining the rockstar team at FlexGen as CFO. You’ve heard me talk about FlexGen in the past because over the last decade FlexGen has been at the leading edge of integrating batteries. From the military battlefields to the oil wells and now the grid, FlexGen has earned the right to be the second largest integrator in the Country and the future is as bright as ever. If you want to read more about this, please check out the great reporting from Julian Spector at GTM. I will remain based in South Florida with our company based in Durham. This platform has never been my personal lead gen site but as many of you start thinking about how, where and what around energy storage, please reach out and I’d be happy to connect you with the team. I’ll do some more FlexGen background on Monday so you know where we play in the ecosystem. In my career I’ve been fortunate to work with great people that have become friends, all of the smartest things written here come from them. FlexGen follows a trend that has allowed me to enjoy my work as I join Kelcy Pegler in this venture who joins the company as CEO, you may remember him from his greatest hits at Sofdesk (acquired by Enphase) and Roof Diagnostics Solar (acquired by David Crane’s NRG). Fun trivia for you, it was none other than solar’s number 1 supporter, Bill Walton, that introduced me to Kelcy.

Why Storage, Why Now. For 10 years energy storage was a solution without a market, with niche and pilot opportunities driving any addressable market. As outlined by the record breaking year and hockey puck quarter, storage is now an integral part of the energy transition. None of this is a futuristic notion anymore and energy storage companies are prepped for hyper growth. Storage is also the ultimate climate tech story, where hardware and software meet to create an intelligent and resilient grid. There is a lot of maturity left to find in the market, especially around scope of work to drive down the price and eliminate multiple layers of margin. This maturation reminds me of solar and makes me feel like I have an edge given the experiences I had going EPC, EpC and Epcm scopes as module and hardware scopes continued to fluctuate during solar’s growth. Energy storage also changes the game for solar as a price maker not a price taker in the power markets which enhance every aspect of the market, particularly as storage costs continue to decrease faster than any estimates in the market. In a world where I look to hit a hole in one on every hole, this market opportunity feels like the best way to do just that.

It Continues. Yes, SolarWakeup will continue and I will never stop caring about all segments of the solar market. You will be able to email me back any morning I write something you disagree with or want to ask me questions. This platform will remain a central part of who I am as a professional in the space. Thank you all for the words of support and congratulations, I remain in awe of how many of you take the time to reach out and read this little newsletter that started with 40 readers. 

Opinion

Best, Yann

 

This is your SolarWakeup for March 4th, 2020

More Tomorrow. Meanwhile this. 

Opinion

Best, Yann

 

This is your SolarWakeup for March 3rd, 2020

Solar Market Webinar. At 10am eastern you can join me and Phil Shen from Roth Capital to talk about the solar market. This is also a great opportunity to subscribe to Phil’s mailing list, with his great coverage of the public companies in the industry.

DC Is Buzzing. Senator Manchin is throwing the doors open on the infrastructure debate, in concert with the White House perhaps? Meanwhile the White House climate team is both real and working.

Product Showcase, Virtual Edition. This is a free virtual product showcase for solar installers across the Country hosted by CALSSA. This two day event is the best thing since standing in a room with 10,000 of your solar friends. Check that out here.

Startup Jobs In Solar. Nevados is a tracker startup that is looking for a Supply Chain Manager and their CEO is doing great work. This company is going to do big things in a huge market. Check out the listing or let me know for an intro.

More news coming shortly, will recap that tomorrow. 

Opinion

Best, Yann

 

This is your SolarWakeup for March 2nd, 2020

Granholm Talks Grid. “Clearly the grid, its reliability and its capacity are a huge focus.” That’s the Secretary of Energy talking to the Washington Post about the things that need to happen to adapt to the new normal of stresses on the grid by climate as well as the transition to renewables currently happening. The secretary also teases the inclusion of smart grid and infrastructure investments in an upcoming bill being prepared by the White House.

Carbon Pricing Meets Oil. The American Petroleum Institute is preparing to endorse a carbon pricing policy. As the trade group for oil and gas industries, the move is likely to create a dialogue but unlikely to yield actual legislation. Count me in as skeptical.

Holding The Power Bag. One of the oldest electric cooperatives serving dozens of local distributors and 1.5million of consumers received a rather large bill from ERCOT. Instead of passing that bill along, Brazos decided to file for bankruptcy instead. Assuming the reporting is directionally correct, Brazos expects to have debts in the $5-$8billion range which it will seek to restructure. This means that ERCOT could have a financial shortfall given that they are in between a buyer and seller, assuming that they have or intend to pay the seller. All eyes on Texas legislators to see how they handle this.

A Book On Jobs. A solar executive and development professional, Eric Pasi, has written a book on one of the most important topics in the industry, jobs. Not on how we create or grow them but a guide to success in this incredible wealth opportunity that is the green recovery. Check it out at https://www.cleanwavebook.com/

Solar Market Webinar. On Wednesday at 10am you can join me and Phil Shen from Roth Capital to talk about the solar market. This is also a great opportunity to subscribe to Phil’s mailing list, with his great coverage of the public companies in the industry. 

Opinion

Best, Yann