Solar Power World

From The Field: Of Mug-Me Badges, Session Attendance And More

DENVER: The first time I heard the term “mug-me” badges, I was a 25-year old trade editor attending a trade show in New York. I left the Jacob K. Javits Center still wearing my show badge. My editor at the time, a kindly gentleman whose only goal was to keep me alive, tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Take your badge off. If you don’t, you look like a... Read More

From The Field: Turn Right At The Big Blue Bear

“Turn right at the Big Blue Bear.” Those are the first words that greet you as you exit the parking garage at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver, where I am attending the World Renewable Energy Forum this week. Sure enough, as you walk down 14th St. to get to the front entrance of the facility, there is a 40-foot Blue Bear with its nose pressed up against... Read More

Solar Policy: It’s True: There IS A Right-Wing Conspiracy To Sabotage Solar

Two weeks ago, I wrote a piece suggesting that the clouds of war were gathering within the United States against its solar industry. I warned that opponents of the industry were gathering together, joining forces and were planning to wage war against the industry. I warned that they would fight us everywhere — from the national level, where they would cut funding, to introducing... Read More

Finally, We Have Bipartisan Support

In some of my past show recaps, you’ll sense my frustration with the dissent between parties over renewable energy decisions—particularly the PTC. One former member of FERC noted at a recent wind event that Democrats and Republicans used to agree on clean-energy policy until, basically, Solyndra. Even though this was a horrible loss of tax payer dollars and a crisis for... Read More

Solar Policy: This. Is. War. Will You Join Me In This Fight?

One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. — Sir Winston Churchill The storm clouds of war are starting to gather over solar policy. We are seeing the early skirmishes going on already on both the... Read More

An Insightful Discussion Of The German Solar Industry, Past And Future

I posted a note on a LinkedIn asking what the heck is going on in Germany. If you follow me on Twitter or on Facebook (@SolarFrankA and @SolarPowerWrld, and Facebook), you know I’ve been a little perplexed about what exactly is going on in the German solar market. One day, I’ll see stories saying it’s up, and the next day there’s an article saying it’s... Read More

A Recap of ABB’s Automation and Power World 2012

I learned something new today. The George Brown Convention Center in Houston is huge! Seriously, it’s ginormous. I know this because I practically walked the entire two miles around the whole thing looking for the door. Once I approached the loading center, I figured it was time to ask for help. Shout out to the member of the cleaning staff who helped me find my way, and... Read More

A Really Cool Solar Story From Austin, Texas

I follow the solar industry across the world pretty closely (Google Alerts and LinkedIn are great at delivering the news directly to my inbox), and as much as I’m a solar policy wonk (which is typically what I focus on), occasionally a story crosses my desk that has nothing to do with policy that I feel compelled to share with you. In this article, Andrea Ball outlines the... Read More

Taxes, Taxes Everywhere (Why Are States Trying To Kill Solar?)

On this Tax Day, when your federal, state and local taxes are due, the time has come to address the taxes on the solar industry. I’m perplexed why some states, including California (CALIFORNIA, for crying out loud), seem to be hellbent on throttling the nascent solar industry in its crib. (I apologize in advance for my rant. It is Tax Day, after all, and I just wrote a huge... Read More

The Solar “News” Story That The Media Got Wrong

Unless we stand up and make sure our voices are heard by anyone who makes false and/or misleading attacks on the industry, misperceptions about solar will continue to fester — doing lasting damage to the industry we all know and love. I suppose it’s easy to get a story like this wrong if you don’t understand the solar industry at all (or, for that matter, the way new... Read More

Solar Project Financing: Where We’ve Been And Where We’re Going

The financing of solar projects has gotten more complicated in the post-1603 Treasury Program and with the uncertainty surrounding the solar investment tax credit. Tuan Pham, Managing Director at PowerFin Partners, and Kristian Hanelt, Senior Vice President, Renewable Capital Markets, Clean Power Finance, offer participants insights into where project financing has been — and... Read More

The First Word: Let’s Not Fight Amongst Ourselves

For those of you who follow my blog (and if you don’t, shame on you), you already know that the debate over the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing’s (CASM) trade complaint against Chinese panel manufacturers fascinates me . Not a day went by during the past five months where I didn’t receive a press release from people weighing in on the conflict. It was usually... Read More

See What Solar (People) Power Can Do?

What a great way to start the day. I just received this email from our friends at MDV-SEIA president Francis Hodsoll: Yesterday, the Maryland Senate passed the MD 10,000 Solar Jobs Bill, S.B. 791: 37 to 9. The bill is now moving swiftly through the House once more, and is expected to pass the 3rd reader shortly (a procedural issue required that the bill go back over to the House).... Read More

The Switch Looks To Lower Energy Cost

As wind and solar compete as serious contenders in generating more energy, energy produced must be as cheap, if not cheaper, than that of fossil-based sources, and the quality of energy equally as high, says The Switch in recent news. The company says the formula for lowering the cost of energy from any source is ultimately simple: Lower overall capital investment costs, equipment... Read More

The Rank Hypocrisy Of Congressional Republicans On Solar Subsides

A few weeks ago, after I posted a commentary blasting Rush Limbaugh for his foolishness (earning me derision from my anonymous friends at The Free Republic — hi, guys!), one reader posted this comment in response: Frank, you’ve gone in the ditch on this one. Please don’t follow the lead of the mainstream news networks in making every cause a partisan issue. I’m... Read More