By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Solar power is expanding its reach throughout the country rapidly - so rapidly, in fact, that some communities are struggling with issues like permitting, siting and other ancillary-but-essential parts of the project process. In some states, that confusion is causing communities to reject solar out of hand as being too complicated to do. A group of researchers out of Emory University in Atlanta, seeing the problems that were arising as its own state moved speedily to a solar future, decided to do something to mitigate the struggles by publishing a sample zoning ordinance for municipalities thinking about going solar, which includes a Georgia Model Solar Zoning Ordinance and accompanying educational guide. Publicity for the guide kicked off today with an Op-Ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The authors, Caroline Reiser and Mindy Goldstein, write:

We’re started down the right path in Georgia. But to make sure we don’t get misdirected, clear land use standards and good information about solar development are necessary. The Georgia Model Solar Zoning Ordinance we just published paves the way.

These are not just issues in Georgia, of course. But the guide comes only a few days after Georgia Power announced it was soliciting 100 MW worth of distributed generation projects, which means more projects in small towns around the state. The guide is an effort to head of NIMBY-ism and help everyone understand best practices when it comes to siting solar projects in the state. As the authors put it in their AJC piece:

We’ve already seen communities push back against solar development planned in inappropriate locations. The question is what comes next. ... Georgia may be running down the right path, but it still can get tripped up. If Georgia wants it keep up the pace, it has to get smart.

More states need to come up with similar guidelines because solar is coming soon to your town - and it's best that you be prepared rather than let it take you by surprise.

8minute View On Solar. Frank interviews the CEO of 8minutenergy to discuss how one of the most successful developers views the solar market today. The conversation covers all of the topics that you would think about as a solar pro. It doesn’t matter what segment of solar you cover, you are worried about many of the same things.
Free Market Means Solar For Puerto Rico. I had to read the coverage several times but watching the members of Congress ask questions of the DOE Assistant Secretary on the topic of PREPA and energy in Puerto Rico. The questions are politically motivated and the answers are rooted in truth unable to be wrapped in the normal tone of partisanship.
Helping Grow Credit Unions And Community Banks. I had the pleasure of speaking with the team heading up the Clean Energy Federal Credit Union at the COSEIA conference and the mechanics of the credit union may be complicated but the benefits to the solar industry are immense. The interest alignment and the community benefit fit the vision of most credit unions and someone should find a way to make that deal flow access the local capital more efficient.
Flawed View Of Storage. I try not to be biased by the corporate donor ship to some university think tanks because the money should, in theory, be separated by those academics seeking their truth. As I read the view of the California market and the role that batteries will play, I can’t help but think (at almost every paragraph) who skewed the view of the future for the author. Storage is going to play a massive role in California and it will enable much more solar to be built. EVs and distributed generation will also do a great deal of good for the future but there is no doubt that storage is a massive opportunity for a clean energy future.
SunPower Updates On Impact Of Tariffs. After announcing Q2 earnings, SunPower held their call and some interviews to talk about their views of the solar market. Always great insight from the SunPower call as they are active in many geographies and market segments. The company continues to reduce exposure to large scale solar to focus on DG, announcing Fortune 50 portfolios that added SunPower systems. If you ever wonder where SunPower will be focusing, look at their EBITDA breakdown. Residential solar is where you want to be!

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

At Intersolar North America two weeks ago, I sat down with Martin Hermann, founder and CEO of 8minutenergy on the heels of their announcement of their Eagle Shadow Mountain project, which was signed at a flat rate of $23.76 per megawatt-hour throughout its 25-year PPA term, or 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour. In Part 1 of our discussions, Martin Hermann and I talked about just how low he thinks module prices can go. In Part II, which will be posted later this week, Martin Hermann discussed the tariffs and their overall effect on the U.S. solar industry. Here is what he had to say in Part II of our discussions. Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent: (FA): Storage is another big topic of conversation in the industry. Where do you see energy storage right now and how does it help the market mature? Martin Hermann (MH): The headline is that the future of dispatchable solar is here. The value is here right now for dispatchable utility-scale solar to replace gas peaker plants and even combined cycle plants in the sunnier parts of the country. I am optimistic about where we are as an industry and where we are going with batteries, although I’m not as strong an advocate for distributed generation as some others in the industry. We calculated how much it would cost to run the California grid on only distributed renewables plus storage, and we discovered costs would be six times higher than they are now. So while solar-plus-storage is the future of electricity generation, I think it will be primarily on the utility-scale side of the ledger. You need to put the technology where it will work at its strength. FA:So what is going on with the tariff situation? What kind of impact do you think they will have on the MH: I think the good news is that our technology at this point is bigger than tariffs and it will continue to grow. At 8minutenergy, we are completely focused on the U.S. market, and are seeing some remarkable projects come to fruition, including our Eagle Shadow Mountain plant in Nevada that is leading the nation as the lowest-cost solar project. Now, the U.S. market overall might grow more slowly in the short-term than countries that are not putting tariffs on solar. India, for example, continues to move forward and they are the second-largest market behind China, so little blips here and there in other markets aren’t going to derail the global solar industry. Besides India, there are other markets that are starting to install massive amounts of solar, which I believe is just a testimony to the overwhelmingly strong fundamentals of the industry. FA:Do you think China's decision to stop building new projects in the second half of the year is going to have the effect of flooding the market with inexpensive modules and, if so, do you think it could end up having a positive effect on the U.S. market? MH: It is too early to tell. I’d be a little cautious about saying that a major policy change in China is going to have a significant effect on the U.S. market. It’s certainly true that there will be an oversupply of modules, but I see those going to markets much closer to China, like India, instead. There will be other countries that will benefit, too. I’m just not sure the U.S. market will be affected significantly by the recent decisions in China.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

It's a stretch to say these scientists sound shrill, but the Union of Concerned Scientists aren't pulling any punches when it comes to how they feel about energy-storage research in the United States. The Union of Concerns Scientists are begging the U.S. government to get its act together (haha) and fund energy storage research, not only for the good of the planet but for the good of the country. They say that only through adequate use of battery storage can the United States achieve true energy independence. They also argue in their blog post that America is falling behind in the technological race, leaving the door open to our competitors like Korea and China to fill the void - something that could threaten national security in the long-run.

This technology was developed right here in the good ole’ US of A, but unfortunately, the US is now falling behind other countries in this increasingly lucrative global market, and our outdated electric grid is growing more vulnerable to increasing threats like cyber-attacks and extreme weather. So how do we regain our leadership in this critical technology, and how can we increase the development and deployment of energy storage here at home? The answer is innovation.

How we get the innovation is clearly the main concern for the scientists. While they welcome a $10 billion increase in the budget for the Department of Energy's Energy Storage Program at the Office of Electricity, they point out (correctly) that such a small budget ($51 million with the increase) is not enough to compete with other countries, who are taking the technology we created here and making it even more effective. The also write:

We all want the US to be the country selling batteries instead of buying batteries in the 21st century. Increasing federal funding for energy storage research development and demonstration will pay big dividends for our economy and national security, while helping to make the US electricity grid cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable. We’re not doing enough; we’ve got to do more. Let’s hope congress seizes the opportunity in the FY19 budget.

Indeed. More: Energy Storage Should Be an Urgent National Priority