Home » Daily Rundown » Page 437

This is your SolarWakeup for October 24th, 2018

Presented By Conti Solar. Conti Solar, a national EPC, O&M, and energy storage company. Our attention to detail, flawless execution and collaborative culture has enabled us to successfully develop and install over 500 MW of solar projects since our early initiatives in 2008. We leverage established partnerships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers and landowners to streamline project development, design, construction and operations; drive down project costs and create value across all project stakeholders. Majority-owned by Ares EIF with a minority position retained by the Conti Group, Conti Solar is well positioned with a diversified network of industry experts and the financial resources to be a trusted, long-term partner. Learn more at www.contisolar.com.

The Future Of Corporate Solar. On the day that Walmart announces another 23MW with SunPower, I am also thinking about the continued focus on serving corporate load from afar. Last week Google announced the work they are doing to match load with generation. Facebook is securing energy through special utility rate schedules. DG will always be the most interested and visible way solar is integrated but the density and offset will never be 100%. Expect more to come on entities that match load and generation in innovative ways.

Making Solar A Debate Topic. On Sunday night during the Florida gubernatorial debate, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum made solar a focal point about jobs and climate change. This comes n the moves that Tallahassee Electric built a solar farm with Florida developer, Origis Energy, the same time that Trump was announcing the departure from the Paris climate accords. This is a smart move politically given where consumers stand in their support of the issue and a good pivot from climate change to the popular issue appealing to both sides with jobs and consumer choice.

Venture Nonsense. The often forward thinking venture accelerator, Y Combinator, has posted its request for startups in the seldom considered carbon removal technologies. I respect the initiative but why not focus on an established market and show the returns that one could make in the solar industry for example. Why not highlight and plan to invest in renewable startups to pick up the void that the SunShot initiative leaves after their shift to hardware?

Brazil Solar Turn Around. 3 years ago investing in Brazil was a non-starter. That has now changed which is the gentle reminder that some markets are one election or impeachment away from investment grade.

ISO Storage Preview. Like ISO-NE, PJM and the NJ BPU are looking at energy storage programs that will start the market. ISOs will be looking to integrate energy storage across their markets and solar developers will look to see how to take advantage of it. The key question for regulators is what problem do they want to solve and for developers the question is do they have the right money. All these questions will be asked during SolarWakeup Live! on November 6th.

Opinion

SolarWakeup: Department of Energy Unleashes $53 Milliion To Further Solar Research

Have a great day!

Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for October 23rd, 2018

Presented by Aten Solar. Your single source in adding value to your supply chain and procurement. Aten Solar is your go-to source for the best closeout pricing on new and surplus modules for your project needs.

Solar Roofs Are Better. I came across this video on Twitter showing the damage at the Tyndall Air Force Base housing community. After the drone pans across the worst damage there is a row of homes that have solar installed. The surprising images show roofs completely removed on the non-solar portions while the shingles are virtually intact on the solar areas. Not reading too much into this except to say that when solar is installed properly into the rafters with the right rail spans, they will withstand tremendous winds even when installed right near the ocean.

Facebook Must Do Better. It is good for solar that Facebook is using more of it, in this case adding a 100MW solar farm to its data center in New Mexico. Through its power and influence, Facebook was able to convince PNM to build the solar farm and sell it the clean solar energy through a special deal approved by regulators. The real way to drive change would be to require the utility to make the same available to local homeowners and businesses that don’t have the buying power and regulatory influence. What’s the advantage of Facebook being solar powered when the folks posting on the platform are doing so with fossil fuels.

NJ Market Worries. More sentiments of worry coming from the market in New Jersey. With the BPU docket open to create a new SREC program and the SREC program coming to an end, the market participants want to make sure the transition happens smoothly to avoid a Massachusetts situation. The market is correct to worry because these legislative changes take time and often they take longer than expected. The ups and downs of the solar market rules are sometimes the biggest obstacle to our market and it is important to be educated on the process.

Almost Sold Out. SolarWakeup Live! is almost sold out. With the regulatory changes and potential challenges, everyone active in the market is looking to get the upper hand or at least know what the competition does. Our interviews with the BPU President, SEIA CEO and power market traders will make sure you are up to speed. Head to SolarWakeuplive.com and get your registration today.

Opinion

SolarWakeup: Ohio Is One Step Closer To Get Large Appalachian Solar Farm

Have a great day!

Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for October 22nd, 2018

Presented by PV Pros. PV Pros provides nationwide technical services for investors and asset managers. We manage your technical needs while you focus on the financial aspects of development, acquisition, and ownership. Our team of professionals offer technical due diligence, inspections and testing, subject matter experts for disputes, preventative maintenance, repairs, and monitoring across the United States.

Insider Access, PSC Importance. Arizona is going through a big fight around the 50% RPS ballot initiative. Surprising to me, but not to dinosaur thinking, APS (the Arizona utility) is strongly opposed to the proposition. What it has been doing, now documented by internal emails, is using the regulatory body (ACC) to push out their talking points. One former regulator called is “regulatory capture” but I call it the status quo. In States where the utility regulator is elected, the only party that cares to invest in those campaign is the utility the body has to regulate. If you want to be a regulator in Arizona, the easiest way to the office was to align yourself and make yourself available to the government affairs teams. This is dangerous and bad for consumers. As an aside, I do find APS’s position on the RPS to be corporate negligence. A rebuild of the grid and change of generation in 10 years offers in incredible opportunity to rate base investments and charges to all consumers while greening the grid.

Learning Lesson. Here is the counterpoint to the ‘regulatory capture’ above. You lose 100% of the battles you stay out of and regulators will care 0% of all the arguments you never make to them. Moreover, regulators will never know your issue if you don’t spend telling them the talking points. They will surely ignore you and often won’t respond, but you need to keep them reading your message. Much of this is based on my personal experience writing this newsletter. I may not always respond to your emails but I almost always read them or see the headline. Some PR agencies send me press releases with little result but some PR experts know the audience, tell me the message and attach the link to the article. But most of all, you’d be surprised at how many companies, startups and advocates never reach out at all.

Electric Transportation. I am fascinated by the traction that electric vehicles are getting, more specifically those vehicles in fleets. UPS and FedEx always jump to the top of the last mile list. Walmart and JB Hunt are the long distance challenge. Mass transit and school buses are the local routes. There will be hundreds of billions in transaction value and integration challenges but nonetheless this is really exciting to think about.

How Solar Bills Become Law. Part 2 of my discussion with Brad Klein of ELPC centers around how the Illinois solar policy came to life. Through the needs of the utility which wanted to get subsidies for ailing nuclear plants arised the opportunity for the solar and environmental advocacy groups to coalesce and make an ask. Get the details by listening to the unedited interview here and join us for more of this type of conversation in a few weeks in New Jersey.

Opinion

Mass Live: Revaluation of commercial solar programs needed (Letters)

Have a great day!

Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for October 19th, 2018

Late newsletter today, thanks to the inflight wireless. Great to see so many of you last night!

Recapping Illinois. Enjoy this episode of SolarWakeup Podcast with Brad Klein from ELPC, the environmental law and policy center. Brad and I spoke in Chicago about the policies that are starting to grow the Illinois solar market. ELPC and some solar representatives worked for years to advance energy policy in Illinois, one of the most political State capitols in the Country. This is a detailed discussion of what happened behind the scenes and how the policy became a bill. Check out the podcast here or find it by searching for SolarWakeup on your favorite podcast app.

Will Promises Made Be Kept. Part of how the Illinois solar policy was passed sits in the promises that were made during the legislative process. Many times, policy relies on promises from the industry to individual legislators instead of writing more constraint into the language of the bill. That is definitely true in Illinois and solar promised to include union labor and low income families/job seekers in the market. If this does not happen for the benefit of shortterm gain, expect pushback and missing allies next time the policy needs to be updated.

New Jersey Concerns. Here is a flashback to MA policy implementation for you and highlighting why SolarWakeup Live! is a crucial event for you to attend. NJ opened the docket for the SREC replacement program this week and people are concerned. Their primary concern today is that there is likely to be a gap of time where the market certainty is gone while a new program is put in place, just like we saw with SMART in 2018. Losing a year in a market this important hurts solar companies in a really big way and will cause layoffs and closures. If you attended SolarWakeup Live! in Boston last year, you would have heard the information from a State Senator and the Director of the SMART program. Both were hesitant about where solar could go in 2018, and attendees told me in person afterwards that they would take things with great caution. In Jersey City, expect my conversations with folks in the know and the NJ BPU President to cover how the process will play out. You may now get the information about the result at the show but you will be educated about the process and the timing. And being right at the wrong time is bad in solar.

Lowering Rooftop Solar Costs. This is your reminder that rooftop solar can still lower costs in a big way starting with getting the cost of capital closer to that of mortgages. Solar is still 10% or more higher than the mortgage on your home when you take a solar loan. Second, the permit costs and speed represent close to $1/watt in cost that should be on track to getting absorbed by better regulatory policies. Some smart folks are working on it but we need more people to raise their hands to implement this.

Vote Solar DC. Last night, 150+ solar pros got together in DC to celebrate the amazing year that Vote Solar had. Imagine if this advocacy organization led by the amazing Adam Browning had another $10 or $100million in the bank. Our market would skyrocket. If you know someone that supports solar and wants to support this great cause financially in a big way, this is the way to do it. Have a great weekend!

Opinion

SolarWakeup: The Energy Show – Fuel Cells Are Making a Comeback

Have a great day!

Yann