solar_coaster

The guys jump into a exciting discussion on Solar and climate with Henk Rogers, 2018 HILT champion of the land. Henk dives into his four core goals for humanity.

Questions included:

What was the catalyst for your transition from video games to Energy and here in Hawaii?

We were able to visit you at the ranch in 2017. How did that build come about?

Tell us about your Four or Five? core goals or areas of vision.

What are your expectations for the future of renewable energy in the US? Short Term. Tarifs? SEIA Import License? ( Abby)

Do you think that the term Renewable Energy is clear in its application? Maui Energy Conference. Decarbonization. ( Doug)

What can you tell us about your decision to work with LIFEPO2 as a storage chemistry?

How do you feel about the hybridization of the grid? Emerge Alliance. Pika REBUS.(Brian Patterson)

We have a mutual friend that was also on the Coaster recently. Yoshioka Tatusya from Peaceboat and Ecoship. Is you’re BPE tech a possible candidate for storage? 17% Co2, Tesla of the Ocean. ( Yoshioka)

How about Tesla, Roofs, Storage, Cars? What say u?

We are interviewing the outgoing Mayor Alan Arakawa and the front runners for the ’18 mayoral race do you have any advice for them as it relates to RE/Solar?

What is your wish-list for solar throughout the USA and the world? We asked same Question to Abby president of SEIA.

What is happening at the LEM this week and upcoming month?

HILT event is pretty exciting. We have the press release here.

Lunar Base? What the hell is it?

Anything you would like to ad that we didn’t cover?

NEW & EVENTS

http://www.hilt.org/special-events-calendar/2018/buy-back-the-beach-maui

https://www.forbes.com/sites/augustrick/2018/01/18/why-a-solar-tariff-in-the-u-s-could-benefit-other-countries/#56c6382e5c8b

http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/368751-energy-department-is-seriously-underestimating-solar-power-abroad?amp

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/trump-says-solar-tariff-decision-is-coming-pretty-soon#gs.32yqzKM

Babcock Ranch

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americas-first-solar-powered-town-babcock-ranch/

http://m.hawaiinewsnow.com/hawaiinewsnow/pm_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=od:BXDztpor

Mayor Alan Arakawa joins Josh & Jay for a frank discussion. Coming to the end of his final term, The Mayor speaks candidly about both his long experience and future vision for renewable energies in Maui County. Everything from the utility’s (MECO) history with the county, the coming of electric autonomous vehicles, transitioning to 100% alternative energies, culminating with a heartfelt message to his successor.

Tune in this Friday, January 26th at 1:05pm HST on KAOI 1110AM radio for the Solar Coaster with both our take on the Mayor’s points, as well as the three main potential candidates for the upcoming mayoral race.

The guys take on the second show of the year and first in a series of high profile guests confirmed in the upcoming months. SEIA president Abigail Ross Hopper calls in and reviews her take on the Nations Renewable Energy direction from the front lines in Washington DC offering deep insights into where we are headed.

www.seia.org

Questions covered included:

1. Please tell us about SEIA and your background.

2. What is the general feeling or mood from both industry and government across the nation?

3. Tell us about your proposal to the white house for solar.

4. What are your expectations for the pending tariff issue?

5. What can you tell us about how the new tax code could affect solar if at all?

6. We are here in Maui, with a variety of progressive utility programs and technologies being deployed and tested (like rapid shutdown inverters, on-grid energy storage.) Do you have a message for our listeners?

7. Are you familiar with how our representatives from Hawaii are playing a role in the discussion in DC?

8. What is your wish-list for solar throughout the USA and the world?

9. Anything you would like to ad that we didn’t cover?

Additional areas of focus included:

• Community solar

• Abby's message to residents of Hawaii and Maui

• Where we will be in 5 years? Adoption rates nationally? Storage? EV’s

• What's happening to the industry and how are businesses changing

In post interview and future focus the fellas dig into some aspects of the tax plan that will negatively impact solar deployments: BEAT and reduced tax equity available for funded projects PPA's are core points to look at.

DOE begins rounds of funding for R&D into two key forecasting models that will help energy producers predict the total amount of energy available on the grid.

24-48 hour model for weather forecasting

0-6 hour model specifically focused on cloud cover and production availability

NEW & EVENTS

https://www.facebook.com/Teslarati/posts/1370421276396404

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-solar-theft-20180109-story,amp.html

https://www.greentechmedia.com/amp/article/panasonic-ramps-up-solar-cell-production-at-teslas-buffalo-gigafactory

https://www.mauielectric.com/Documents/clean_energy_hawaii/producing_clean_energy/DER_newsletter_Jan2018.pdf

FUTURE FOCUS

https://www.greentechmedia.com/amp/article/doe-invests-12-million-to-improve-solar-forecasting

TAXES

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2017/12/21/the-energy-202-the-gop-tax-plan-is-a-windfall-for-oil-and-gas-industry/5a3afa4d30fb0469e883fd40/?utm_term=.8a7635f2ae2d

The team welcomes Jon McEnroe the show. Smartflower Pacific has distribution rights throughout the Pacific of this Austrian designed all-in-one solar system. Smartflower is explored during the product section of this show and is revealed to be more than a solar energy system but also a statement of energy consciousness. With over 1600 units deployed throughout the globe smart flower looks poised to be a unique solution for NEM non export system expansion, CGS + and CSS HECO utility programs.

The guys wrestle through a host of news stories from climate change and extreme whether in Boston to solar industry solutions being put to the test in Puerto Rico.

Josh and Jay offer differing viewpoints on the an article lauding the benefit of the pending tariff.

Local news takes a critical look at the state energy office as auditors can't determine exactly what it is they do.

Future focus hones in on new energy storage approaches as well as a 32% efficiency hetero-junction cell under R&D at the US airforce.

GLOBAL NEWS

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28122017/sea-level-rise-coastal-cities-flooding-2017-year-review-miami-norfolk-seawall-cost

https://twitter.com/MBTATransitPD/status/949006234618925056?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

https://amp.businessinsider.com/noreaster-bomb-cyclone-boston-floods-2018-1

https://www.facebook.com/7NEWS/videos/10156932164593332/

https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-01-04/hurricanes-blew-away-puerto-ricos-power-grid-now-solar-power-rising-fill-void

NATIONAL NEWS

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregautry/2018/01/04/solar-power-capturing-the-fruits-for-our-labor/#4494ccb6d34f

HAWAII NEWS

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37184935/auditors-couldnt-figure-out-what-the-state-energy-office-does-or-what-it-plans-to-do?utm_content=buffer25880&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2017/12/400-kw-solarstorage-carport-project-completed-hawaii-spectrum-cable/

PRODUCT FOCUS / Smartflower Pop

https://electrek.co/2017/10/25/solar-smartflower-bring-sexy-premium-quality-dual-axis-tracking-to-your-front-yard/

Smartflower background

FUTURE FOCUS

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2017/12/three-ways-science-is-targeting-energy-storage-cost.html

http://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1408275/afrls-advanced-multi-junction-solar-cells-deliver-high-efficiency-reduced-costs/

The '17 year-end episode takes a call in from Mellisa Miyahsiro of Blue Planet Energy to discuss the just announced community solar program CBRE for Hawaii.

The team goes through the top ten quotes of the year encapsulating all the coolest stuff the guys have learned throughout the year.

TEN: Tabuchi – Owner /President

Episode #19 (42:36) - “We learned the lesson (about the dangers of too rapid growth of solar) because of the earthquake disaster in Fukushima”

NINE : Sonnen Battery / VP Marketing Greg smith

Episode #10 (35:55) - “If you go to the German website it shows a live update of the power that is being transferred real time.” -VP Marketing Greg smith

EIGHT: Blue Ion /VP --Engineering Kyle Bolger

EPISODE #28 (10:28) - “just like the fuel gauge in your car you don’t have to call your mechanic to figure out if your fuel tank is empty or full.. we have a huge level of clarity” VP --Engineering Kyle Bolger

SEVEN: " ONE SYSTEM - LG Full PV, Battery, and inverter"

EPISODE #27 (37:45) -"As LG Electronics, we are working on a energy storage solution, it's going to involve LG Chem's batteries, Inverter and PCS will be manufactured by LG Electronics, we'll have an integrated solution." - David Chang

SIX: Solar Edge

EPISODE 10 (29:18) - “It’s the first ever PV inverter with integrated EV charger. It’s kinda cool because it really gives you the fastest level 2 charger on the market and you can run your car on sunshine” - Lior Handelsman

FIVE: Doug Mceloud , Maui Renewable Energy Conference

EPISODE 26 (24:22) - “What were scared of is ending up like Germany, What we don’t want to have here in Hawaii is we spend all this money on something called renewable energy….and then uh oh what if that wasn’t dealing with climate change issues at all” - Doug Mcleoud

FOUR: - ECOSHIP

EPISODE 33 (32:00) - “Already in marine transportation, CO2 production is quite huge, the same as Germany, a whole country production of CO2 is the same.” Yoshioka, Tatsuya

THREE: Pika – Gerbil/ Dishwasher

Episode #30 (41:03) - “Yeah, the Tesla Dishwasher is the first thing we’ll be integrating” (it’s a joke). Bosh is working hard in collaboration with Pika to create DC Nano-grid lighting, and that will most likely be the first product line. Jeremy Niles/Jeff Mcandrew/Andrew HIckock, Pika Energy

TWO: “I’ve got this wonderful garden off smart technology growing I my home an I’m watering it with a fire hose” – Emerge Alliance

Episode #19 (19:20) - “I have this beautiful garden of smart technology growing (in my home), and I’m still trying to water it with a firehose” - Bryan Patterson Emerge Alliance

ONE: SUNDRUM - Michael Intieri Sundrum Solar Energy

Episode #31 (45:50) - "Pools are fantastic batteries." Take the heat from the house during the day, throw it in the pool, at night put the heat back in the house." - Michael Intieri, Sundrum Solar

Happy New Year form the SolarCoster

The guys review the news touching on solar roadways in China, Tesal's Solar Slump and how residential solar may b e changing. In local news Big Island of Hawaii sees Solar permits soar 78%!

Product focus for the day brings Yoshioka Tatsuya-san from Tokyo's Ecoship project to the Coaster. The fellas welcome this amazing technology to the which is launching to the forefront of the marine industry using renewables. It turns out the marine industry is booming and currently responsible for 17% of global CO2 emissions. Josh shares his experience with Peaceboat traveling the world in his twenties. Jason shows off some if his Osaka-ben! His Japanese is pretty solid! Yoshioka reviews the history of Peaceboat starting in 1983 and now nearing 100 global voyages. Ecoship is the future! Future focus digs into a bio-luminescent trees!

LINKS

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a14479240/china-is-building-a-solar-power-highway/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/teslas-solar-slump-is-there-a-better-model-for-sales_us_5a3b67d3e4b06cd2bd03d814

https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2017/12/19/solar-pv-permits-soar-74-on-hawaiis-big-island.html

http://ecoship-pb.com/

http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/11/technology/green-cruise-ship-ecoship/index.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5178531/MIT-creates-bioluminescent-trees-glow-like-fireflies.html

The guys tackle the concerning feeling that roofs are not quite as populated as years past. Why?

News suggests that installs are down nationally and various reasons are cited and they even go so far as to explore how one company could be responsible? Tesla/Solarcity? But the World bank has other plans ceasing all funding for upstream oil and gas projects moving forward seems to suggest that renewables squarely have a place at the energy table. Matt Egan of CNN also suggests that there are signs that renewables may continue to gain ground on fossil fuels, especially coal. "The seismic shift in renewables economics" will cause "large reductions in carbon intensity in the global power sector," Morgan Stanley wrote in a recent research report. Several major markets have reached an "inflection point where renewables are the "cheapest form of new power generation," Morgan Stanley wrote. It expects that trend to spread to "nearly every country we cover by 2020."

In local news Ensych and Holu Energy create a Solar plus storage PPA for the Cameron Center in Maui.

Today’s Product focus on Enphase Energy offers the guys a chance to review a Juggernaut in the renewable energies industry. Jay and Josh explore the rise of microinverters from the m175 all the way up to the current 6th gen IQ series. They are offered an interview with the founder of Enphase in an upcoming episode to explore the 8th generation microinverter coming in 2019 which is rumored to operate in backup mode during the day time without batteries!...yes without batteries….thats what I said without batteries.

https://electrek.co/2017/11/09/solar-inverter-enphase-to-works-without-batteries-grid/

The day’s future focus is about an amazing new tech coming out of NREL transparent photoelectric glass solar panels that achieve an astounding 11% efficiency.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nonprofit-incubator-signs-a-solar-plus-storage-ppa-with-ensync-energy-300571118.html

https://electrek.co/2017/12/15/egeb-us-solar-slowing/amp/

https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Tesla+largely+responsible+for+slide+in+U.S.+home+solar+sales/13604538.html

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/12/12/world-bank-group-announcements-at-one-planet-summit

https://electrek.co/2017/11/29/solar-smart-windows-11-percent-efficiency/

Jay and Josh take the plunge into a discussion about SEIA and their Make America First proposal.

S

The guys jump into a new product line with multiple guests both in studio and calling in. A new sponsor is announced in Pika Energy bringing the SolarCoaster stable of sponsors to four: MSP, Tabuchi, Sonnenbattery and Pika Energy. The team has broadened out to various podcasts sites including: Itunes, Iheart radio, Sticher and Tunein. In studio guests are announced including: Jonah Heller from MSP and Jibo, the first ever social robot on a renewable energy radio show!

News and events is chock full of great stuff including:

• http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42013625

• Charge-point 10 year anniversary - https://www.chargepoint.com/

• Tesla LA auto show: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-energy-house-of-the-future-la-auto-show/

• https://www.utilitydive.com/news/alexa-please-balance-the-distribution-grid/511678/

And in Local news covers:

• Costco update. Got the call. Article was accurate. 674kw in total!

• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/holu-energy-brings-solar-to-hawaii-organization-that-services-homeless-and-disabled-300564047.html

Our product focus section dug deep in to Pika Energy with Jeremy Niles calling in from New England:

o Hybridization of the grid and DC vs AC overall

o General overview of Pika, recapping in brief origin and present status with HECO and an intro of yourself.

o Core value points in the market relative to some competitors

o REbus rollout roadmap appliances etc. and partnerships

o How bout the generator input coming soon?

o Commercial three phase versus resi single phase.

o Cases of people that have weathered power outages.

o Solar AC in the schools out here? We hear its happening.

o Anything your stoked about yourself for Hawaii and Pika.

Future focus section dives into AI and the possibility of Jibo or Alexa balancing our electric grid in the future!

• https://www.utilitydive.com/news/with-artificial-intelligence-its-a-brave-new-world-for-utilities/511008/

The guys dig into global news with a 1.77c/kwh project coming on line in Mexico, Tesla's Powerpack install in Australia. The Semi Truck reveals it's price and business case at a surprisingly low $100-$150k. Costco Kahului gets a new Carport at 670kw's in size.

Dave on the roof makes his second appearance and describes recent MSP installs in Kapalua and Lanai.

Josh's American Sun Oven Turkey Bake takes a rain check literally!

SMA & LG announce new partnership of a AC coupled 6kw storage inverter paired with up to 3 X 10 H Resu battery banks. Possibly one of the most compelling new offerings for the NEM expansion arena. Lynh Tran of LG and Alehandro from SMA call in the show to give their expert report on these new technologies and when we can expect an appearance in the marketplace!

With a little Future Focus time available Jason brings up AI and machine learning's impact on Solar in the near future.