This is your SolarWakeup for November 22nd, 2024
The Module Evolution. I have never been a module expert but have recently gone down a bit of a rabbit hole to understand what it takes to get our supply chain built up but also ensure its longevity. Seems like there’s some noise around the Topcon technologies and possible patent cases while there’s certainly some buzz around the heterojunction (HJT) technology. One of my colleagues chairs one of those factories and it’s quite impressive how this is coming along and how much further solar tech could go. My first SolarWorld ~200W quote was for $4/watt back in the day, wouldn’t have thought we’d be here today. What do I need to learn about modules?
News
1 PV-Tech:
Fraunhofer ISE study uncovers ‘critical degradation’ in TOPCon modules
2 New York Times:
The Clean Energy Boom in Republican Districts
3 Reuters:
Global climate funds set for first annual outflows, Morningstar says
4 Bloomberg:
Meet the World’s Most Controversial Climate Capitalist
5 PV-Magazine:
Enphase introduces portable off-grid battery
6 Solar Power World:
Public Power NY pushes leaders for 15 GW of new renewable energy
7 Energy Storage News:
Larger, 1MW/100MWh ‘Sand Battery’ set for commissioning in 2025
8 Canary Media:
The biggest grid storage project using old batteries is online in Texas
9 Utility Dive:
What do Trump’s picks to head Energy and Interior signal for renewables?
Opinions:
10 Renewable Energy World:
Interconnection is a $100 billion problem
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 21st, 2024
The Matchmaking, Part 2. Impressive how many folks reached out yesterday and it feels like there are more mega projects looking for capital than I’ve seen in a long time. I’m curious as to what it takes to connect folks given that so many of you in the IPP world are always complaining that there aren’t enough projects and delays on delays. We’ll do our best to move some relationships forward and align. If you’re a buyer of projects, reach out.
News
1 Utility Dive:
IRS finalizes direct pay rules, increasing access to IRA’s clean energy tax credits
2 Renewable Energy World:
Meta, Amazon, and Google lead the way in corporate clean energy procurement
3 Axios:
UN climate summit starts week two with uphill battle
4 Reuters:
Europe's economic woes may worsen as key power prices rise
5 Economist:
Casey Handmer says solar power is changing the economics of energy
6 PV-Tech:
China to decrease export tax rebate rate for some PV products to 9%
7 Energy Storage News:
Increased emphasis on domestic content since US election, but storage still lags behind solar
8 Canary Media:
Voters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, create a local clean energy utility
9 PV-Magazine:
United States on track to install 0.7 GW of floating solar by 2033
Opinions:
10 Bloomberg:
Biden Climate Czar - Abandoning Green Transition Is ‘Economic Malpractice’
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 20th, 2024
The Matchmaking. Now that I’ve been back in solar for three months it’s time to revive one of the original successes of SolarWakeup which was to open the communication dialogue and connect capital with project pipeline. There’s an insatiable need for energy and to deploy capital, so let me know what you’re looking for. Do you have a project ready for capital? Do you have capital looking for a home? Hit reply to this email and I’ll do my best alongside my team to connect the dots between you.
News
1 Reuters:
Spain's Endesa bolsters three-year investment plan to $10 billion, focus on grids
2 PV-Magazine:
A fast interconnection process like that used in Texas is widely supported
3 PV-Tech:
Trump presidency ‘unlikely’ to derail energy transition – WoodMac
4 Utility Dive:
New Jersey proposes incentives for grid-connected, distributed energy storage
5 Bloomberg:
Trump’s DOE Pick Wants to Live With Climate Change — Not Fix It
6 New York Times:
The United States has burned more fossil fuels than anywhere else in history.
7 Energy Storage News:
Gore Street gets US$80 million financing increase for California BESS project, global pipeline
8 Canary Media:
Google Nest spinout picks Texas for 1GW virtual power plant
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
A theory emerges explaining Maxeon’s ongoing problems with customs
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 19th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Reuters:
European oil giants step back from renewables path
2 Utility Dive:
Trump taps North Dakota Gov. Burgum to run Interior, new national energy council
3 Axios:
Early reads on Trump's new energy team
4 Solar Builder:
Compass Group Equity Partners invests in Baja Carports
5 Renewable Energy World:
MISO’s DER affected systems studies are delaying interconnections
6 PV-Tech:
Massachusetts passes climate bill, includes siting and permitting reform
7 PV-Magazine:
Californian lithium sulfur battery maker lightens the load for Northvolt
Opinions:
8 Canary Media:
Move over, data centers. US steel mills need lots of clean power too.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 18th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Canary Media:
California’s rooftop solar is a benefit, not a cost, to the state
2 Reuters:
Trump picks oil-industry CEO Chris Wright as energy secretary nominee
3 New York Times:
At COP29, Climate ‘Optimism Has Been Dampened’
4 Bloomberg:
Asset Managers Bet Grid Stocks Will Soar in Trump’s Anti-ESG Era
5 Utility Dive:
Natural gas supply is a bulk power reliability risk this winter - NERC
6 Axios:
Biden on Amazon visit says "nobody can reverse" clean energy progress
7 PV-Tech:
Brazil increases import tariffs on solar modules to 25%
8 Solar Power World:
Intersolar & Energy Storage North America acquires Midwest Solar Expo
9 PV-Magazine:
Polysilicon prices decline amid rising inventories, weak demand
Opinions:
10 Energy Storage News:
Irresponsible to turn back on LPO-enabled clean energy investments now, says DOE spokesperson
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 15th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 New York Times:
A Big Climate Goal Is Getting Further Out of Reach
2 Reuters:
Exclusive - Trump's transition team aims to kill Biden EV tax credit
3 Bloomberg:
Germany’s Energy Transition Delayed by Scholz’s Snap Election
5 PV-Tech:
3GW single-site PV project goes online in China
6 Energy Storage News:
Strata Clean Energy signs another RFP-driven BESS tolling agreement with Arizona Public Service
7 Canary Media:
Can clean energy manufacturing survive under Trump?
8 PV-Magazine:
Maxeon solar panels shipped from Mexico denied entry to U.S.
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
Curtailment and costs
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 14th, 2024
Director of DOGE. Here’s Elon’s tweet from yesterday, relevant to most of you…
News
1 Utility Dive:
Demand response programs can help boost reliability, cut emissions in New York, advocates say
2 Bloomberg:
AI Power Demand Complicates Low-Carbon Goals, Dominion CEO Says
3 Reuters:
Germany's SMA Solar to slash 1,100 jobs, lowers full-year outlook
4 PV-Magazine:
Solar stocks plummet, market is “wildly emotional” about Trump
5 PV-Tech:
SOLV Energy remains top EPC contractor as US and Indian companies lead
6 Solar Power World:
SOLV Energy remains top EPC contractor as US and Indian companies lead
7 Fast Company:
This new solar-powered scooter is unlike anything you’ve seen before
8 Canary Media:
A new generation of cheaper batteries is sweeping the EV industry
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
Climate Change Is Losing Its Grip on Our Politics
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 13th, 2024
The Talking Points. Yesterday I hosted our (FTC Solar) earnings call. While most of my commentary that you can listen/read to on our investor page were centered around the amazing reception I have gotten from the solar community, I was certainly asked about the policy outlook given the election results. So I want to share with you what I said because I think the unknown is drowning out the things we do know.
News
1 New York Times:
Britain Sets Out to Be a Clean Energy Destination
2 Solar Builder:
Utility rate escalation is trending up according to new study
3 Renewable Energy World:
FERC allows PJM to delay capacity auctions by six months
4 Utility Dive:
PNM plans to join California ISO’s day-ahead market beginning in 2027
5 Bloomberg:
Indian State-Backed Firm's Unit Seeks $12 Billion Valuation in Green-Energy IPO
7 Reuters:
Indonesia to build 75 GW of renewable energy in the next 15 years, COP29 envoy says
8 PV-Tech:
Eastern European solar has ‘untapped potential’, says Trinasolar
9 Energy Storage News:
‘Establish national targets for energy storage,’ IRENA Coalition for Action says
10 Canary Media:
This DOE-backed software is helping to unclog the grid
11 PV-Magazine:
Two Wisconsin solar projects financed through asset purchase agreement
Opinions:
12 Environment America:
Why solar permitting needs to be modernized now
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 12th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
Duke Energy signs agreements for 2 GW of data centers in past month
2 Bloomberg:
Xcel CEO Says Flip the Grid Process and Build Power Lines First
3 Axios:
Wildfires burn across drought-hit U.S. Northeast
4 Reuters:
Vattenfall to invest 5 billion euros in Germany's clean energy market
5 Solar Builder:
ComEd updates capacity maps every month to drive more solar projects
6 PV-Tech:
Europe to install 110GW of solar in 2025 – S&P
7 Energy Storage News:
US utility Georgia Power completes first build-own-operate battery storage project
8 PV-Magazine:
SolarEdge posts $1.21 billion net loss in Q3
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
Trump’s Return Hangs Over U.N. Climate Negotiations
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for November 11th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 PV-Tech:
Sunrun grows installed solar and storage capacity by double-digits in Q3
2 Reuters:
Enphase Energy to lay off 17% of workforce, take up to $20 mln in charges
3 Energy storage News:
Grid-scale energy storage growth deemed ‘essential’ to Australia’s NEM by regulator
4 Wall Street Journal:
Tycoon Drives India’s Push Against China’s Solar-Energy Dominance
5 Utility Dive:
Transmission is ‘best low-risk, high-growth’ way to play the AI-energy boom, says Sempra CEO
6 Bloomberg:
How Three COP29 Attendees Got to Baku Without a Long-Haul Flight
7 Renewable Energy World:
Inside the plan for a 1 GW virtual power plant in Texas
8 PV-Magazine:
Higher inventories weaken demand across global solar module markets
9 Solar Power World:
Zeo Energy completes acquisition of residential solar company Lumio
Opinions:
10 New York Times:
Musk Believes in Global Warming. Trump Doesn’t. Will That Change?
Have a great day!
Yann
