Hello? Anyone Watching CT? The CT Senate has passed the controversial net metering bill that will turn the NEM policy into a sell all scheme. It is now up to the CT House to do the right thing and kill this portion of the bill. One State Senator had the audacity to call solar “ugly” after speaking on solar’s behalf at the solar rally just a few weeks ago. This is becoming a frustrating situation given the lack of attention this is getting nationally with the local companies struggling to show the national outrage that this should cause. There is a press release issued by active solar companies and trade groups with notable entities missing from this release or having their own. I will repeat myself. Net metering is the most important issue for solar nationally, regardless of the market you participate in. If you develop PURPA or RPS deals, you want a net metering policy in place because that is the grassroots support for solar you need from customers.
Was It All For Nothing? There are several reports of Suniva asking the bankruptcy court to allow it to sell the equipment it owns. This essentially spells the end of the manufacturing entity that could have been acquired to make premium cells within the US. With a large need for tariff free cells, this was believed to be the avenue to relief for SQN. If anything, it now seems that interested buyers will be looking to buy the capability without the corporate entity. At this point it seems like none of those exits are going to happen and it will all have been for nothing except for causing heartache to the solar industry.
Solar On Every Home. California is implementing its new building energy codes which push the envelope on net zero homes. All new homes will have to include efficiency and solar features to push cumulative consumption to zero. Some builders had voiced concerns that on efficiency alone, the code could be met but alas the solar requirement will remain. As we pick up speed on residential solar, we must remember the key for installers and financiers and that is a happy homeowner. Positive reviews and customer referrals are the best marketing and if you install it improperly, causing roof leaks, you will not have a happy customer and you will spend money fixing the leak. Going cheap on the install will always come back to bite you, install the right products the right way and ensure no roof leaks.
Don’t Assume The Inevitable. It was long thought that net metering changes would drive value towards the fixed demand charge section of the energy bill. For years, the general thought was that if NEM changes are made, energy storage would become that much more cost effective. Of course that is much more nuanced now that storage is cost effective and NEM changes are either focused on non-bypassable charges or time shifts that require too much storage to make financial sense. The solar adversaries play a long game, don’t underestimate them.
The Florida Story. It’s not going away, there is a lot going on with multiple story lines that will intersect. If you have any documents or information about the various solar RFPs in Florida, please send me an email.
- CT Mirror: Energy bill sails through Senate over ferocious opposition by environmental, solar groups
- Greentech Media: Suniva Is Being Carved Up and Sold for Parts
- SolarWakeup: Could California Become The First State To Require Solar? Yes.
- Utility Dive: Solar has transformed into solar-plus-storage; What will net metering become?
- GreenBiz: Why Target and Amazon like onsite solar power
- E&E News: Steel town that voted for Trump banks on renewables
- Axios: A power primer for the Trump era
- Vox: What genuine, for real, no-bullshit ambition on climate change would look like
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann