This is your SolarWakeup for February 8th, 2023

Opinion

Best, Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for February 7th, 2023

The Fundamental Dilemma. Europe is currently debating the basic issue between policy and capitalism. In solar’s case it’s the value of low priced solar panels and the ability to build super cheap solar farms that benefit the utilities and consumers with the energy cost that everyone wants. On the flip side, everyone also wants to have a local/domestic supply chain. The EU commission is warning regulators that additional tariffs will put solar targets at risk, since it will both increase the price and decrease the available supply of modules to the market given that the local supply chain is not there. I don’t have a good answer to this, I want to see local supply chains but I also worry that local supply chains created in momentary policy decisions are hard to maintain sustainably for the long term.

Opinion

Best, Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for February 6th, 2023

Opinion

Best, Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for February 5th, 2023

Local Trackers. The 45X credits are making a real impact to the supply chain in trackers, importantly partnering innovating tracker manufacturers with existing steel companies and allowing them to expand. This is allowing an even landscape between large incumbents and new entrants with innovative tech to benefit at the same level without massive capex disadvantages. Trackers have been on a 20 year innovation curve and it seems like it’s just beginning to gain hold.

The Oil Conundrum. How does a president that signed the largest clean energy infrastructure investment bill in history square the reality with the electorate that the United States is producing more oil than ever before. It seems that in this political era, you can’t do both things because you’re supposed to be all in on one side and against the other.

Pricing Reliability. I can tell you how many days I lost power during each hurricane but I can’t tell you how many days it’s been since I’ve last lost power. The point is that utilities obsess about reliability because that’s what causes the biggest headache for regulators, politicians and executives. We all know that the grid is changing with new forms of generations and new type of consumer and aging infrastructure but apparently now market operators are catching up and looking to send signals for additional reliability. Much more to be done but a start is a start…

Opinion

Best, Yann