“Miss Protectionist Policy, please meet our friend Mr. Market Forces, you two should make an entertaining couple.” Average commercial module prices in the US at end of 2017 were $0.45 per watt, decreasing 5-6% per year. Source: https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2017-q4 Tariffs on solar modules announced by the Trump administration in January went into effect Feb 7. They [...]
The success of an organization is based on the quality of women it attracts and retains. Everything else is posturing. This is most obvious in the solar industry where failures are frequent and where bankruptcies consistently reflect the poor management style and hubris of men with more ego than good sense… The first and [...]
Solar is getting smarter. The grid is structured on old business models which cannot deliver low cost electricity on the west coast. Entrenched interests prevent regulatory upgrades. The market is chipping away at the status quo. Battery software defines storage quality; better inverters synchronize production, usage and storage for their client while enabling the [...]
While the current President is threatening to slap tariffs on friend and foe alike, and crafting a bail out plan for the coal and nuclear industry at the expense of now cheaper renewables, Staten Solar believes it may be helpful to point out the following: Over the last year, France, the UK, China, Ireland, Scotland, [...]
Nothing spells well earned like permanent digs in Kauai. Goodbye Silicon Valley stress, adieu solar rollercoaster frights, ciao daily meetings, auf wiedersehen waiting lines and excitable drivers. But only for the worthy. For those who can plan and execute flawlessly. Like Manish Gupta did, starting more than 3 years ago and whose exit [...]
This June 13 is a big lobby day in Sacramento for clean energy proponents. It is the day selected to press lawmakers to pass SB 100 which sets a goal for California to reach 100% of its energy needs from clean sources. The lobbying effort starts June 11, online and through local action. And [...]
Overall, the transition out of fossil fuels and into electrification continues at a rapid pace and, for distributed solar in particular, the future looks bright. Not without clouds and daunting regulation obstacles, but shiny nonetheless. There will be pockets with temporary adjustments for residential and small commercial solar according to Paula Mints, founder and chief [...]
Not always represented by a stunning cantilever, or an elegant curve, it also shows in mysterious boxes and relays and well designed interconnections that power machines, devices, tools at the flick of a switch. Daily magic. At an unimaginably low price. Some large solar deals are now being signed for less than 2 cents per [...]
There are uncountable ways companies can fail, especially in new industries like renewables, but only a finite number of ways any company will succeed. There are plenty of tactics to find customers, some more efficient than others and some more expensive than others. Attracting the right customer is a strategic choice. A few companies prevail [...]
In what may now look like a signature Trump reversal, the Section 301 tariffs targeting $150 B in Chinese goods have been placed on hold. This hold relates to the Intellectual Property challenge raised by the administration, it is not about the steel and aluminum Tariffs. The tariffs placed on hold are separate from the [...]
