Now Is The Time To Believe In Solar Energy

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs - Solar Energy


On May 9th the California Energy Commission approved a proposal to require most new homes built after January 1st, 2020 will be required to have solar panels installed on them. The new regulations will undoubtedly be a boom for an industry that had a rough time in 2017, the first-year installations declined.

The new ruling piggy-backs on a 2013 requirement that all new homes be “solar-ready.” The solar-ready rule indicated that new homes be built with a certain amount of roof space so that a future homeowner had the option to add solar panels at a later date.

The most recent rule will no longer give homeowners or builders the option to forgo the upfront cost of solar panels, which some estimate will be high as $30,000 per home. The most persuasive arguments against the new rule are just that, the additional costs of the home. California is by most measures already in a housing crisis regarding costs; many believe this will only compound the problem.

But, that also leads to some excellent investment opportunities. The solar panel industry is going to see a massive, built-in installation base. In 2017 California saw over 53,000 single family homes built and most would agree that number needs to be higher in a state with an ever-growing population.

On a very conservative basis, that number will grow to 55,000 in 2020. It is currently estimated that only about 600,000 homes in California currently have solar panels. So, to think that number of easily more than double in a few years when all new homes are required to have solar power, it's clear the investment opportunity in solar is huge. And remember, this is just California we are talking about, other states such as Arizona and Florida, (parts of Miami already have) also could pass similar regulations.

So, how do you cash in on this opportunity? Continue reading "Now Is The Time To Believe In Solar Energy"

Renewable Cash Flow

Adam Feik - INO.com Contributor - Energies


Having spent the lion's share of the last two weeks in Las Vegas and Denver, I've seen my share of solar panels lately. In fact, the express purpose of my Denver trip was to visit and tour a solar plant owned by Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company, a non-traded publicly-registered "YieldCo" investment available to qualified investors through advisors.

Want proof? Here's a dashing photo of me at Greenbacker's Denver International Airport Solar Farm, taken just this Wednesday:

Greenbacker Denver International Airport Solar Farm

The tour was very interesting, as was our group's educational seminar about Greenbacker (I was an attendee). Greenbacker currently owns 82 already-producing solar facilities in 7 states plus Ontario, Canada. Since the firm's goal is to provide its investors with steady, increasing cash distributions, Greenbacker has locked in contracts with an average of 16 years remaining to sell power to its "offtakers," including credit-worthy utilities, government entities, and corporations. Most contracts include some modest annual increase to account for inflation. Continue reading "Renewable Cash Flow"

Poll: Will You Buy Solar Stocks?

Shares of SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ:SCTY) jumped almost 18% yesterday on news that they would be acquiring solar module start-up Silevo for $200 million with another $150 million potential in earn-outs. This acquisition will be the company's first move into the solar panel manufacturing side of the business.

That leads me to the poll question today.....

Will you buy solar stocks?

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Please take a moment to vote and share your thoughts on this emerging market.

Every Success,
Jeremy Lutz
INO.com and MarketClub.com

The Solar Silver Thrust

By Jeff Clark, BIG GOLD

In early July, Japan set a premium price for solar energy that was three times the rate of conventional power. This meant utility companies would be paid three times more for electricity sourced from solar. It's widely expected that the premium will ignite the use of solar power – and solar uses a lot of silver.

Silver Demand from PV Panels

As you may know, silver is used in photovoltaic (PV) technology to generate solar power. A typical solar panel uses a fair amount of the metal – roughly two-thirds of an ounce (20 grams). To put that in perspective, a cellphone contains around 200 to 300 milligrams (a milligram weighs about as much as a grain of sand). A laptop contains 750 milligrams to 1.25 grams. Continue reading "The Solar Silver Thrust"