Come Support Vote Solar – After All, They Support You

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Lobbying – and organizing lobbying – is often a thankless job. It requires hours of glad-handing, of having a phone of some sort permanently glued to your ear (well, not literally, but you know what I mean) and often without any recognition of what you are doing and/or accomplishing. That’s why it’s important to recognize those folks who do an amazing job at keeping solar moving forward at the state level, and that’s why this post is dedicated to the amazing team at Vote Solar who, as luck would have it, are having a fundraiser … Read More →

Regulatory Certainty Could Help Stabilize Michigan’s Market

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Stability and certainty. Those two elements are always critical to building and expanding a solar industry. And a third element is supporting the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (or PURPA, as it is most often known in the solar industry. Well, late last week Michigan decided to combine all three elements in their Public Service Commission (MPSC) finalized the rates and standard contract terms for Consumers Energy, one of Michigan’s biggest investor-owned utilities. In the ruling, they set the rates the utility must pay for energy and capacity from solar energy facilities and other independent … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for October 8th, 2018

NJ BPU President. The NJ BPU President, Joe Fiordaliso, is joining me at SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City on November 6th. He was appointed by Governor Murphy to the position earlier this year. President Fiordaliso has been on the BPU board since 2005. For more information and registration to the event go to solarwakeuplive.com, tickets are nearing capacity. 
Keeping Climate Change Contained. The IPCC is out with a report that should be taken seriously by everyone, and not just those in our industry. In order to keep the world at or below 1.5 degrees we need systemic change in our energy system which means we need wholesale change in our political system. This can be done if we have the will to have it be done. 
More Community Solar. Washington State is out with their first community solar rules and while not the home run market regulations you would want, it definitely sets the base for the market to start. I am a fan of community solar though I always thought that regional markets with clearing prices would be the method to this segment instead of a regulatory body. That being said, this may be the way to get it done in a way that consumers understand and trust. 
First Hand Notes. The clean energy retail company was founded when the CEO, Tom Matzzie, tried to put solar on his house and found it to be difficult. I recall putting solar on my home in 2011 and thought it was really hard as well. I know that things have gotten better but going through the consumer’s side of the deal gives us some perspective. This note about signing up for community solar highlights important lessons that can be improved on.
Wires R Us. Here’s a question for you, how long until today’s utilities are mostly wire companies and is this a future that is important to the solar market?
Solar Sentiment Survey. Don’t forget to have your voice included in the Q3 SolarWakeup Sentiment Survey. This takes less than 60 seconds and is anonymous. The results will be released at SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City. 

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Have a great day!
Yann

Washington Unveils Community Solar Rules Despite Concerns From Advocates

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Community solar is taking the United States by storm, and it’s increasingly being used by states to provide access to solar to non-traditional solar constituencies like low-income and communities of color. And as Utility Dive reported this week, Washington is the latest state to announce the rules it will use to govern these projects. To say they are a bit byzantine is an understatement, and solar advocates in the state told Utility Dive that they’re afraid the new regulations will have the opposite effect than the one intended. [wds id=”3″] …the regulation comes from a … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for October 5th, 2018

Feel Good Story From Illinois. A legislator helps pass legislation that makes solar in Illinois take off, creating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic development. Then he leads by example and puts solar on his home, with particularly good taste in mounting technology. Many thanks for the political leadership and leading by example for the neighbors. 
SunPower Takes Top Spot. Now that the acquisition is complete with SolarWorldUSA, it seems like the SolarWorld brand in the US will be eliminated by year’s end. SunPower will undoubtedly look to increase market share in residential solar while also having volume in the module manufacturing to keep the costs competitive. I look forward to seeing the next steps
Terminal Value Zero. At least one asset owner has decided that arguing the terminal value is annoying enough that giving away the energy is a better use. 
Q3 Sentiment Survey. Take the survey to help us get a pulse of the current mood in solar. This will take you less than 60 seconds to answer the survey
Sponsor SolarWakeup Live! Besides reading and passing this newsletter along, the best way to support the platform is to sponsor an event. In return you get amazing visibility to the email list and the live audience. Plus you ensure the continued operation of this platform. Check out solarwakeuplive.com on how you can get involved, no better market dollars to be spent in the industry these days. 

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Have a great day!
Yann

Organic Valley Launches Community Solar Projects In Six Communities

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent It’s nice to see companies start putting their money where their mouth is. Organic Valley, America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand, today announced details of the first-of-its-kind community solar partnership launched last year. The project enables Organic Valley to share the benefits of solar energy with its rural neighbors and become the largest food company in the world to be 100 percent renewably powered. In October 2017, the company ambitiously committed to achieve 100 percent renewable power at its corporate facilities. Since pioneering this new model of community solar development, … Read More →

Speaking Truth To Money: Fossil Fuels Are Dying Industries

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Let’s all take a moment to give a standing ovation to Amory Lovins, co-founder and chief scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute. On Sunday, he stood before a group of investors from around the world – who control approximately $8 trillion in assets – and told them it was time to stop investing in fossil fuels because those industries are “on their last legs.” That’s the news from the Fiduciary Investors Symposium at Stanford University, according to an article on Top1000Funds.com. Lovins not only delivered this hard truth to the investors, but told them they’d … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for October 4th, 2018

Much Awaited Community Solar Rules. Few people cover community solar better than ILSR’s John Farrell and with the new rules from New Jersey being proposed, he gives you the breakdown of the good and the needs improvement. Community solar in New Jersey could be one of the most desired market changes in the past few years, there is no doubt that developers and customer signup teams will be flocking to this market. This will be a central conversation topic at SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City, get your ticket at solarwakeuplive.com so we can all talk about the community solar market together.

Governors Matter To Solar. Virginia is planning a bold solar future with 5GW of wind and solar. This is the plan proposed by Ralph Northam, the Governor. Much like many net metering, RPS and other solar friendly policies across the Country, it takes a leader in the Governor’s mansion to make it happen. Without that it becomes much harder to get things done. Elections matter and advocacy is a lot simpler if there are willing participants on both sides. We still need to show up and make our point but without a veto threat, solar can be a big winner.

Are You Feeling Good? Time to check in on the industry sentiment with SolarWakeup’s Q3 sentiment index. While 2018 has been a crazy solar coaster ride, it seems like more of a market than ever and I want to see what you think. The results of the report will be shared first at SolarWakeup Live! Jersey City on November 6th. Take the survey today!

Inverters Must Adapt. Most of the inverter companies plan to transition their manufacturing capacity out of China given the latest tariffs by the Trump administration. This may cause a bit of a product supply constraint when the changeover happens and the price is very likely to increase to the installers across the market. Just another example of costs going into the solar market that could be avoided.

The Hill Piece. is total crap. Starting out the conversation about net metering by saying that no-one argues that there is a cost shift on solar value to non solar customers means that the author assumes that solar customers are providing uncompensated value to the other customers but of course we know that’s not the case.

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Have a great day!
Yann

The Energy Show: Cleaning Solar Panels

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The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon When a business or homeowner gets a new rooftop solar installation, the second question they always ask is “how often do I need to clean my solar panels.” We’ll answer that question on this week’s show — taking into account the different effects of rain, dust and electric rates. BTW, the first question people always ask is “how do I read my electric bill;” but that’s a topic for another show. Rooftop solar panels get dirty primarily from wind-blown dust and pollen. Birds are usually not a problem unless your last name is Hitchcock … Read More →

Bronx Community Solar Farm Starts Taking Subscriptions

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo has set lofty solar goals for his state as it tries to catch up to its Northeastern neighbors like Massachusetts and New Jersey. And in the Bronx, one organization is trying to help him meet them. CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company that provides wind and solar energy products to customers across the country, has opened subscriber enrollment for the Altus Bronx Community Solar Farm. The new Community Solar Farm is located on a commercial building in the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx. With space available to more than 150 … Read More →