QUICK NEWS, November 26: SECURITIZING SOLAR; WELLS FARGO BUYS COLORADO WIND; HUGE BOOM IN POWER ELECTRONICS FOR BUILDINGS

SECURITIZING SOLAR Bonds Backed by Solar Power Payments Get Nod

Diane Cardwell, November 14, 2013 (NY Times)

“…[I]n a milestone of sorts for the emerging solar industry, the finance wizards are embracing a new kind of security, this one backed by solar electricity payments…Standard & Poor’s has given its preliminary blessing to the first offering of this kind, rating a set of notes intended to raise $54.4 million for the fast-growing installation company SolarCity…[I]t gave a rating of BBB+, a low investment-grade designation, to the notes. SolarCity plans to sell the bonds, which are secured by a bundle of residential and commercial power contracts, privately this month…The bonds are expected to have a yield of around 4.8 percent, which, in a time of low interest rates, is a relatively high rate that compensates investors for buying such an untested security. The offering is also relatively small and will be sold only to select institutional investors…[and] will help finance the rapid expansion of SolarCity…” click here for more

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WELLS FARGO BUYS COLORADO WIND Wells Fargo Wind to acquire interests in 91-MW Colorado wind facility

Kristine Esperacion, November 18, 2013 (SNL)

"Colorado Highlands Wind LLC on Nov. 12 applied with FERC to sell Wells Fargo & Co. affiliate Wells Fargo Wind Holdings 100% of the noncontrolling class A interests in the 91-MW Colorado Highlands project…Alliance Power Inc. owns 100% of the class B membership interests in Colorado Highlands Wind while General Electric Capital Corp. subsidiary EFS CHW owns 100% of the class A membership interests…All of the electrical output of the facility is committed to Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association Inc. under a long-term power purchase agreement…” click here for more

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HUGE BOOM IN POWER ELECTRONICS FOR BUILDINGS DC Power for Commercial Buildings; DC Building Power Supply Equipment, Building Controls and Functionality, Lighting, Plug Loads, and Building Microgrid Infrastructure: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

4Q 2013 (Navigant Research)

“Public electric utilities deliver alternating current (AC) power exclusively. However, electronics, LED lighting, and certain other common devices operate on direct current (DC) power. These devices must convert power from AC to DC and step down voltage…When using renewable wind or PV energy, additional AC/DC transformations are needed…[O]ver many AC/DC conversions and voltage changes, total power losses can surpass 20% in some systems…Navigant Research forecasts that the global market value for DC power building technologies will grow from $609.1 million in 2013 to $9.7 billion in 2020…” click here for more

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