This is your SolarWakeup for April 14th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Vox:
The death of the gas station
2 Time:
In Search of Funding, Tribal Communities Are Turning to Corporate Investment to Embrace Solar Power
3 PV-Magazine:
To speed interconnection, consider public control of grid operators, says law professor
4 Canary Media:
Contract prices for renewable power are up 30%. What’s going on?
5 GreenBiz:
Stripe, Shopify, Alphabet, Meta and McKinsey will spend almost $1 billion on carbon removal
6 Axios:
First look - Climate, environment shape Gen Z life decisions
7 RMI:
Introducing Community Solar+ - the Next Generation of Community Solar
8 Energy Storage News:
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and renewables bodies ask EU to recognise storage’s ‘crucial role’ in energy security
Opinions:
9 Philadelphia Inquirer:
The case for renewing the solar tax credit | Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 13th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Grist:
As utility-scale renewables expand, some Midwest farmers are pushing back
2 Reuters:
U.S. natgas on track for 13-year high on output cut, cold forecast
3 New York Times:
Amid Soaring Demand for Warehouses, an Effort to Make Them Greener
4 Axios:
Pandemic recovery is slightly greener
5 Solar Power World:
Virginia governor signs solar property tax exemption into law
6 PV-Magazine:
Next-gen community solar characterized by resilience, equity, EV charging co-location
7 Energy Storage News:
UK’s latest frequency regulation grid service launched
8 Canary Media:
Maryland just passed one of the most aggressive climate laws in the US
Opinions:
9 RMI:
The SEC Wants More Climate Data. Digital Solutions Can Build on That Goal.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 12th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Here come the EVs
2 New York Times:
Truck Makers Face a Tech Dilemma
3 Bloomberg:
Solar Power Is Winning From the Energy Crisis. Wind Is Losing
4 Utility Dive:
Reliability concerns drive need for energy market design reforms, but regions diverge in FERC proceeding
5 PV-Tech:
Invenergy receives approval for 300MW solar, 165MW battery storage project in Wisconsin
6 Solar Power World:
Origis Energy purchases 750 MW of solar panels direct from First Solar
Opinions:
7 Canary Media:
Putin’s war will drive a faster shift to clean energy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 11th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
McConnell - Biden needs to "take the shackles" off U.S. energy production
2 New York Times:
We Are Wasting Time on These Climate Debates. The Next Steps are Clear.
3 Utility Dive:
Clean energy sector eyes window for passing federal tax breaks amid challenge of high energy prices
4 PV-Magazine:
Solar anti-circ investigation may not be determined by Commerce until late August, said ROTH
5 Reuters:
Tesla, Block and Blockstream to mine bitcoin off solar power in Texas
6 Solar Power World:
New Florida milestone highlights the value of apprenticeships for the solar industry
7 Energy Storage News:
Redwood Materials already gets 6GWh of lithium batteries per year for recycling
Opinions:
8 RMI:
If Washington Is Serious About US Competitiveness, It Needs to Go on Offense
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 8th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Earth's CO2 levels to hit alarming milestone
2 Reuters:
Special Report - U.S. solar expansion stalled by rural land-use protests
3 New York Times:
Britain bets on nuclear power in its plan to boost energy independence.
4 Utility Dive:
MISO finds broad benefits to building $10.4B of transmission projects to support 53 GW of clean energy
5 PV-Tech:
Engie North America bolsters US solar pipeline by acquiring Photosol assets
6 Energy Storage News:
SDG&E’s 2045 decarbonisation roadmap - California needs 40GW of BESS and 4x electricity capacity
7 PV-Magazine:
250MW solar project planned for former West Virginia coal mine
Opinions:
8 RMI:
Ten Climate Fixes to Catch Up in the Race to Cut Emissions
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 7th, 2022
DC Can’t Get Enough Tariffs. Each of the last three administrations sitting in the White House has added or reupped tariffs on solar, the addiction to the policy is bipartisan. The problem is twofold, first it doesn’t work. Second, the investigation and threat of tariff with an unknown cap is worse than the tariff itself in most cases. In all cases, the tariffs don’t do anything to actually create an industry like manufacturing and mostly harm those that need to use the product. In solar, the tariffs cost all taxpayers more through tax credits, slow the pace of job growth in every aspect of the ecosystem and hardly improve the assembly value chain. It’s easy to say that Biden has done nothing for solar when the last administration did far worse and had no expectation to be helpful. So let’s drop that talking point because it’s simply flawed and weak to argue. Instead let’s talk about what would help create the local ecosystem ripe for upstream manufacturing and that’s tax credits or expanded deductions. As the former CEO of a domestic manufacturer that was impacted by tariffed commodity in aluminum, the key incentive that would have helped us grow even more was a tax credit for direct factory labor. Instead of deducting the hourly wage for the business, let direct labor costs in the factory be a credit to the tax liability. And that’s an idea that goes beyond solar, it’s a driver that would help manufacturing in all sectors especially with shipping costs where they are today.
News
1 PV-Tech:
Nearly all US solar companies expecting ‘severe or devastating impact’ of anti-circumvention investigation
2 Axios:
White House climate adviser - "We can no longer wait" to cut emissions
3 New York Times:
The End of the (Pipe)line? Germany Scrambles to Wean Itself Off Russian Gas
4 Canary Media:
Carbon removal now ‘unavoidable’ part of fighting climate change, UN says
5 Reuters:
Britain plans nuclear power, offshore wind to boost energy independence
6 Energy Storage News:
European action plan to accelerate growth of battery value chain
Opinions:
7 PV-Magazine:
Could “hot carrier” solar cells break the theoretical efficiency limit?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 6th, 2022
HELLO FROM NORTH CAROLINA! I’m Ian Mason, VP of Business Development at Carolina Solar Services. Yann has graciously followed through on his promise of allowing whoever won the Solar Wakeup 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Bracket to author this morning’s issue, despite their credentials. I hate to say it, but I’m British, this was my first ever bracket, I have never played a competitive game of basketball, and my 6-year-old son recently beat me at a game of H.O.R.S.E. I guess the age-old adage, “it is better to be lucky than to be good”, has never been more apt…
IF YOU’RE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO 2022’s conference season has kicked off with a bang. The 8th edition of ‘Solarplaza Summit Asset Management North America’ starts this morning in sunny Oakland. All the key influencers from the Asset Management/O&M world will be there, including Carolina Solar Services’ very own Zack Hobbs (CEO) and Ajulo Othow, Esq. (Counsel). Ajulo will be joining a panel as they discuss DEI in Solar Asset Management on Thursday and we’re glad that CSS is leading on this important subject. Zack will be making connections and picking up on the latest trends. If you’re in town, and you want to learn what is going on from a leader in PV Operations and Maintenance, reach out to him on the handy conference app. If you want more in-depth O&M insight from a front-line, independent provider, reach out to me at BD@carolinasolar.services
THANK YOU YANN!I am super thankful to Yann for giving me the opportunity to author this morning’s edition. I thought there was no way I would win, and it was super close up to the finish (better luck next time SolarWarriors1!) Who doesn’t love curated industry news first thing in the morning?! Solar Wakeup does a great job of keeping the Carolina Solar Services Team up to date with all the trends, tariffs, and technology. We are incredibly grateful for all the effort that goes into it!
News
1 PV-Magazine:
SEIA speaks on potential devastation of the solar anticircumvention investigation
2 Utility Dive:
Lithium-ion roadblocks drive development of US-based alternatives for grid battery storage
3 Axios:
GM CEO says hybrid work helped speed up EV program
4 Vox:
What’s really holding the world back from stopping climate change
5 PV-Tech:
Renewables ready to ‘turn marathon into a sprint’ as IPCC report calls for acceleration
6 Solar Power World:
Solar developers are ready to meet U.S. clean energy goals. The grid isn’t.
7 Energy Storage News:
New York energy storage interconnection queue reaches 12GW, double the state’s 2030 target
Opinions:
8 New York Times:
Louis Head Has Options (Just Not as Many)
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 5th, 2022
It’s Kansas, Tourney Challenge. Leave it to the Brit amongst us for winning this year’s SolarWakeup bracket challenge. “BritishBasketballGuess” can step forward and claim their fame, of course you can also send me an email so we can coordinate your content. While none of us picked UNC as the ultimate winner, my good friend and rockstar solar/storage policy pro Allie Detrio would have won the challenge if UNC had won the game last night. Shout out to second place, “SolarWarriors”, for losing only on the fact that the score of the game was more closely guessed by the winner.
News
1 Politico:
'Swallowing a toad' - Progressives warm to Manchin's fossil fuel demands to clinch climate package
2 CNBC:
‘It’s now or never’
3 New York Times:
How the Recoil From Russian Gas Is Scrambling World Markets
4 Reuters:
Shift to clean energy must speed up to avoid worst of climate change, U.N. panel says
5 Solar Builder:
10 exhibit hall standouts from 2022 NABCEP CE conference
6 Energy Storage News:
BloombergNEF predicts 30% annual growth for global energy storage market to 2030
7 Canary Media:
A deeper dive into 24/7 carbon-free energy
8 PV-Magazine:
North Carolina court to rule whether HOAs can block rooftop solar
9 PV-Tech:
25GW by 2025 - How Lightsource bp is ‘building the machine’ to lead a global solar charge
Opinions:
10 Axios:
What direct air capture can achieve — in theory
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 4th, 2022
Opinion
News
1 CNN:
Democrats see hope for a clean energy bill, but Manchin is adding a new hurdle - More funding for fossil fuels
2 Bloomberg:
The Price for Europe to Wean Off Russian Gas Keeps Going Up
3 Utility Dive:
Connecticut regulators want grid pilots to 'fail fast' in new approach to energy innovation
4 New York Times:
Russia’s Aggression Prompts Calls to Rethink U.S. Uranium Imports
5 Axios:
Biden seeks a crosswalk between oil and clean energy
6 Reuters:
India's electricity output in March grows at fastest rate in 3 months
7 Solar Power World:
Commerce wants to know how much Chinese aluminum and glass are used in imported solar panels
8 Energy Storage News:
Biden invokes Defense act to boost US battery materials supply chain
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
Senator’s anti-solar state legislation fails, now targeting county zoning law
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 1st, 2022
Don’t Fall For It. It comes at you every year and every year so many of you fall for it. It’s April 1st, and for the last 10 years, I’ve given you a fib, 9 years ago I told you that SolarWakeup was acquired by an IOU and two years ago I was appointed to the PSC. This is the 10th year of SolarWakeup and I am out of ideas of how to catch you off guard. It remains an incredible honor to bring you this newsletter every day.
Go From Sale to Install at Least 2 Weeks Faster With Better Designs. How much time, effort, and money go into selling a homeowner on a new solar system—only to have the contract fall apart due to a change order? What if your design at the initial sale could be just as accurate as your final design? EagleView is launching a groundbreaking solution that bridges the gap between sales-ready and install-ready designs, reducing the risk of change orders that diminish the customer experience and lead to canceled contracts. Sign up for our webinar on Thursday, April 7th at 2 p.m. ET. to get an early sneak peek.
News
1 Reuters:
EU will do 'whatever it takes' to bring solar energy manufacturing back to Europe
2 PV-Magazine:
Manchin and the BBB, Intel+Microsoft and ESG, and SEIA in NYC
3 RMI:
How Putin’s War Marks the End of the Fossil Fuel Era
4 Bloomberg:
SunPower in Talks With First Solar on Panel Just for Home Rooftop
5 Axios:
Climate groups push together for greener bitcoin
6 Energy Storage News:
Hawaiian Electric launches Battery Bonus scheme’s 10-year programme
7 PV-Tech:
First Solar locks in local steel supply for Ohio module facility
Opinions:
8 Canary Media:
Can 24/7 carbon-free energy become a global standard?
Have a great day!
Yann
