The Solar Heist, or How I Got into the Solar Business, Parts 1-6

For those solar fiction fans who prefer the longer formats, we've
combined all six episodes of "The Solar Heist" into a single
two-hour version, including chapter headings.

Two neighbors meet unexpectedly at an Oakland, California coffee
shop specializing in dark, rich coffee. Mazz owns a trucking
business by day and is a thief at night. Charlie is a solar
project developer by day and a guy with an international solar
problem that can only be solved by Mazz. As the two grow to be
friends, Mazz realizes that Charlie may also have a dangerous
side gig that jeopardizes their friendship and their
lives...

True Solar Takeaways


The solar installation industry is made up of residential,
commercial, and utility-scale installers. 

There's a U.S. law against importing solar panels made with
forced labor.

Some solar developers hire quality assurance companies to
monitor the supply chains and factories.

All solar installations, regardless of size, can now receive
a  U.S. 30% tax credit. Big developers can also receive
other tax incentives.

Chinese solar panels still have import tariffs, as of 2022.

"Procurement" means sourcing, purchasing, and delivering
equipment.

Generally, large solar asset owners hire an experienced solar
developer to take care of building the product. The solar
developer may in turn hire an "EPC," which stands for
engineering, procurement, and construction.

Large-scale developers typically only buy solar panels that
are on a "Tier 1" list that's sold by Bloomberg. Even if the Tier
1 solar manufacturer is financially sound and honors the
warranty, if you have a huge project, the replacement time and
cost will be huge. 

With the passage of the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act of
2022), all solar projects, regardless of size, receive a 30%
Investment Tax Credit (ITC) if they pay prevailing wages.

Solar projects that are built on landfills, brownfields, and
EPA superfund sites can get bonus ITCs.

AHJ (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) are the permitting
authorities that review and approve the building of solar
projects

See all The True Solar Takeaways in the show notes of the
original episodes:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6  





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