This is your SolarWakeup for December 10th, 2018

2019. I’ve decided that you’re early Christmas present is a binging of the SolarWakeup Live Jersey City conversations which will drop at some point this week. All 7 conversations will be available on the SolarWakeup Live podcast this week. More importantly, in 2019 I will be mixing my day job and SolarWakeup a bit more by opening the studio for conversations at the Quick Mount offices. I’ve been spending the past 6 months inviting solar leaders to our manufacturing plant and many are coming in the new year. At the same time we plan on recording those conversations on site. This is an exciting combination of both of my passions and look forward to hearing about the good ideas you have to discuss. Come visit me in Walnut Creek, California!
You Are Not Welcome. The US joined Russia, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia not to join the UN climate report at COP24. This is a statement of the era we are in that is hoping to return to the 20th century as opposed to the reality that is required for the rest of the 21st Century. 
No Clean Air For You. Newly situated EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler, is doing the important work of lifting environmental regulations for coal plants. This is part of the Trump plan to bring coal back to life but in reality will do absolutely nothing to do such a thing given that the cost to operate coal plants is no longer viable. The EPA should ask this question to the VP’s staff with contacts in Indiana. 
GM Blowback. Trump tweeted last week that GM should lose its EV tax credits for closing the manufacturing plants. Last night, Elon Musk told 60 Minutes that he may be interested in acquiring those plants. Elon also spoke some hard truth to the SEC in this clip. 
PG&E Legislative Forecast. It is almost certain that PG&E will be in Sacramento this year asking for a bailout for the fires in Paradise/Chico which also caused my kids to visit the doctor. The more relevant question is what will the solar industry be asking for when PG&E advances their bailout bill. Our job isn’t to have a feeling for their ask but to put a price on the legislation for the solar industry. I have my price, would be interested to hear what you would ask for. 
Labor In Solar. Minnesota (and other States) solar companies are restricted in growth by their ability to hire qualified labor. It is a great opportunity to open the solar industry to others that are training or can be trained to be helpful to the solar industry. 
Facebook Not Building Community. Another sample of the corporate Facebook focus on their data center energy supply without growing the market where they are investing. More importantly, their employees aren’t increasing their ability to go solar while working at the local building either. 
Huawei Situation. Don’t under appreciate the impact of the Huawei CFO situation as it pertains to the trade negotiations between the US and China. There are very real tariffs on the table that are increasing the cost of your racking, inverter and modules supply. 
Diversify Now. Abby Hopper of SEIA is leaning in on diversity with good reason. While solar is doing a good job on diversity and veteran hiring, it could be doing so much better. More importantly, we are more open to being better than the status quo. I go back to the Vote Solar Equinox event in DC when a very non-diverse room welcomed speakers on the environmental justice topic. As the solar industry diversities it will also grow the market, both are undoubtedly linked. 

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Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for December 7th, 2018

Have a great weekend, no column today as I hosted a Hannukah party last night and Decoy won out! See you on Monday. 
Make sure to check out the Q&A from Frank about the California solar home mandate and some of the top stories of the day!

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Have a great day!
Yann

Q&A: What Does The California Solar Mandate Mean And Where Does It Go From Here?

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent California has been working for nearly seven months on a plan to mandate solar on the roofs of all new-build homes starting in 2020. While the initial fanfare surrounding the bill took place in May, it didn’t become, in the words of Kelly Knutsen, “officially official” until yesterday. Knutsen, Director of Technology Advancement for the California Solar & Storage Association, agreed to talk to SolarWakeup about the mandate: what it means and where the California solar industry will go from here. SolarWakeup: We thought this was a done deal. What was the vote about today? … Read More →

North Carolina Releases Study On Energy Storage

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Thanks to an aggressive utility (Duke Energy) and favorable laws, North Carolina has shot up the list of solar states in terms of overall capacity, at least according to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s calculations. Other states have taken notice and are starting to emulate some of North Carolina’s policies in an effort to catch up. Well now, the Tar Heel state is trying to lead again, this time on the subject of energy storage. And to that end, a group of experts just released a report for the state’s General Assembly to use as … Read More →

The Energy Show: Flow Batteries with Matt Harper from Avalon

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The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon It’s depressing that lithium batteries get almost all of the focus in the energy storage industry. Lithium batteries have a number of advantages, including high energy density, good longevity, declining costs and established integration with electronics, vehicles and stationary energy storage. Although ideal for residential and commercial storage applications, lithium ion chemistries are not great for long term and high capacity energy storage — which are the characteristics that many utility storage installations require. Flow batteries have the potential to meet these utility storage application needs. Flow batteries use two tanks of liquid electrolyte, … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for December 6th, 2018

Home Solar Moves Forward. California has moved the home solar mandate forward as they plan for the implementation. The Building Standards Commission has taken the necessary step to allow the rule to start on January 1, 2020. 
Carbon Free, Not Clean Energy. Looking at the Xcel Energy announcement, my first two thoughts. 100% carbon free doesn’t mean 100% clean energy, Vox should know better to distinguish this. Secondly, what is the plan to execute on this? Is the hope that Xcel will own all of the assets or create an environment for distributed generation to thrive?
Behind the Scenes. Frank goes behind the scenes on the SESA PR and SEIA coming together with a Q&A with PJ Wilson to discuss the news. 
Solar In DC. SEIA is hosting a summit in DC and interviewing members of Congress including Senator Whitehouse (D-RI). Reports from inside the room speak to the support that solar has at the baseline level across demographics and party lines. Many of the quotes do appear to make this a bit of the echo chamber except for the talk that solar should push for the ITC to be expanded to storage. I see this as a potential starting block for the ITC to be extended once again. More on that to come. 
Huawei Breaking News. The news broke late last night that the CFO of Huawei Technologies was detained in Canada, potentially at the request of the US. Reports have it that the US is considering Huawei as a national security risk and could create a sub plot to the tariff talks and newly found truce. This isn’t a solar direct story but has enough potential impact that is a regulatory risk for the solar market participants. 

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Have a great day!
Yann

Q&A With PJ Wilson of the Solar and Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Yesterday, the Solar and Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico (SESA-PR) joined the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) as an affiliate member. We wanted to find out what role solar electricity is playing in rebuilding the island’s electrical infrastructure after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria more than a year ago, and what inspired them to join SEIA as an affiliate. We talked with spokesman PJ Wilson to find out. SolarWakeu0 (SW): What role has solar played in restoring electricity on the island since Maria? PJ Wilson, SESA-PR (Wilson): Solar has played a role in … Read More →

Could Facebook Spread The Solar Gospel Throughout The South?

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Facebook has had some public relations setbacks lately, but one of the items on its long-term agenda that consistently gets it good press is the fact that it has started demanding clean energy – specifically solar – power its energy-intensive data centers. In Virginia, for example, Dominion Energy had to create an entirely new type of agreement and build several solar farms so the state would be considered as a potential site for one of the data centers. We’ve seen these developments across the country, and it’s one of the unalloyed goods that Facebook has … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for December 5th, 2018

SEIA Adds Affiliate. SEIA has joined forces with SESA-PR, the solar and storage association chapter in Puerto Rico, as an official affiliate. This is largely different than many State chapter SEIAs that are not actually affiliated with the national group. Some however have taken strides to get closer to SEIA for various reasons. It makes me wonder if there is a purposeful move to join forces given there has been criticism of the relationship the national SEIA has had with some State chapters. Largely the relationships are fruitful and mutually beneficial but there are outlier cases where an affiliate status would allow some disagreements to be handled internally instead of in a public domain or filing. 
Maersk Abandons Fossil Fuels. The shipping giant is out with a pledge to cut emissions to zero by 2050. This is a giant statement given they transport 20% (1 in 5) sea going containers. Hard to imaging how this will be executed but you could imagine electric ships of some sort cruising the world’s oceans. Maersk’s COO tells the Financial Times, “We will have to abandon fossil fuels. We will have to find a different type of fuel or a different way to power our assets. This is not just another cost-cutting exercise. It’s far from that. It’s an existential exercise, where we as a company need to set ourselves apart.”
Xcel Sets Own RPS. The midwest utility which is known for its major coverage in Colorado and Minnesota is looking to be 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. Short on details but highlighting the goal is intriguing given the potential for solar growth in Colorado and the hopes that Minnesota continues to grow. Becky Stanfield and Jessica Scott of Vote Solar react, “Showing the region and the nation that 100% carbon free is possible and the right choice for health, jobs and leaving a better world for our children. We look forward to working with Xcel and state regulators to help meet those bold but achievable targets in a way that is affordable, reliable and puts people first."
New Home Solar Means More Solar. Policies like California’s new home solar mandate would triple the residential solar market by 2045. The key is the customer acquisition and scale of construction. A home being built doesn’t have the same hurdle to sell through especially if the home is built with solar before anyone owns it. With homebuilders choosing top quality products and buying at scale, this drives the price down and makes the installation more efficient. Lastly, when the cost is put into a mortgage the payments are significantly lower than when solar is installed at a later date. 
Audi Joins EV Party. The company is investing $16billion to build out its electric and autonomous vehicle fleet. In other words, the company is ensuring survival by making cars that buyers/users will require from OEMs. I’m waiting for one of these firms to reach out of the auto market to invest in a solar type company, I think the day is coming. 

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Have a great day!
Yann

SEIA Welcomes Puerto Rico Into Affiliate Fold As Island Continues To Rebuild From Hurricane

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Lots of stories have been written in the past year about how solar energy has helped Puerto Rico come back from Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island’s electrical grid. Whether it’s companies like sonnen or Sunnova installing solar electrical systems for island residents or solar-powered community centers becoming the hub for neighborhoods still waiting for power to come back on, solar power has taken on a central role in the slow comeback of the island to some sense of normalcy. Often, this comeback has been slowed by inaction by their fellow citizens on the mainland … Read More →