PG&E backup batteries, new community solar in New York: pvMB 10/24/19

PG&E backup batteries – “With PG&E’s wildfire-prevention outages blacking out a few million Californians this month — and another round of shut-offs expected to begin Wednesday — plenty of people are looking to off-the-grid options like solar-powered batteries to keep them going through what they fear is the new normal… San Francisco solar installer Sunrun saw visits to the portion of its website with information on home solar batteries increase by 1,500% in the days following the earlier power shut-off, and “we continue to see an overall increase in traffic to the site from before the first shut-off event,” the company said… At Solaria, an Oakland company that builds solar panels and related products, the latest blackouts have triggered a “continued surge in interest and demand for those systems,” said CEO Suvi Sharma. “In a way, there is almost no other event like that to spur interest in solar systems.” Source: San Francisco Chronicle 

U.S. Light Energy completes community 7 MW solar project –  U.S. Light Energy is celebrating the completion of the Sugar Hill Solar Farm, a 7 MW installation located on 40 acres of land on the Sugar-Hill/Sugar-View Farm on Sugar Hill Road in Clifton Park, New York.. It was developed by U.S. Light Energy, while Standard Solar will own and operate the community solar farm. The project encompasses nearly 20,000 solar modules and is expected to produce more than 8.6 million kWh annually, enough to power up to 600 homes and businesses. Source: Standard Solar

TerraForm notes update – On October 16, 2019, TerraForm Power, Inc., a Delaware corporation, completed the previously announced private offering by its wholly-owned subsidiary, TerraForm Power Operating, LLC, of $700 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2030 (the “notes”) at an issue price of 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes… The notes were offered and sold in a private transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to non-U.S. persons outside of the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws… The terms of the notes are governed by an indenture, dated as of the Closing Date (the “Indenture”), among the Issuer, the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”)…Interest and Maturity. The notes bear interest at a rate of 4.75% per annum and will mature on January 15, 2030. Interest is payable on the notes on January 15 and July 15 of each year, commencing on July 15, 2020. Source: Terraform Power

First ever LA area Contractor Day – The California Solar + Storage Association is hosting its first-ever LA area Contractor Day, a training event that brings together contractors, developers and EPCs, with thought leaders in the manufacturing, system development, and services sectors. It’ll be in Pasadena on November 12 at 130 West Union Street from 9 am to 5 pm. Topics include:

• Latest Market Trends in Solar & Storage 

• Customers Savings from Storage

• Grid Services & Smart Inverters

• Rates Update & Customer Savings

• Storage System Design

• Rapid Shutdown

Source: CALSSA

Cal SOMAH public forum Friday – T”he SOMAH Program Administration team is hosting the first SOMAH public forum this Friday, October 25, from 1-4:30pm (PST). The forum will be in San Diego and can be attended in person or remotely via GoToWebinar. The SOMAH team will share program updates and have time for attendee questions. In case you’re interested in attending, the full program and registration information can be found here.” Source: SOMAH