This is your SolarWakeup for February 13th, 2015

Happy Friday the 13th! Let’s go back to the question from yesterday. How does Apple’s 130MW procurement of a 280MW project end up with a $850million price tag? You responded with great possible reasons, some with more conspiracy than others. The most likely is that Apple actually bought all of the output from the 280MW system over 25 years with an LCOE of 7cents, quite possibly in a tax deal that would make the energy an asset to Apple’s balance sheet while reducing US taxable income? The other tax deal is that Apple is the offtaker and investor at the same time with unrelated entities causing a double cost perhaps? Unless Apple has a really really good tax equity team, it is unlikely that the company paid a basis of ~2.5/Wdc for the 280MWac project that has a cost basis of well under $1.50/watt.

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Have a great day!

Yann