Jenny Chase
@solarchase.bsky.social
Solar analyst at BloombergNEF, goose keeper. Author of a book, "Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon". Opinions all my own.
Pinned
Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon
www.worldscientific.com
Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025.
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
Whole thread worth reading.
It's a terrible idea to hire Captain Ahab! He's clearly nuts!
November 11, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Whole thread worth reading.
Reposted by Jenny Chase
Ethiopia last year banned the import of new gasoline-powered cars. Nepal reduced import duties on EVs so much that they are now cheaper than cars with internal combustion engines. Brazil raised tariffs on car imports to compel Chinese automakers to set up plants inside Brazil. Etc
A Flood of Green Tech From China Is Upending Global Climate Politics
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Ethiopia last year banned the import of new gasoline-powered cars. Nepal reduced import duties on EVs so much that they are now cheaper than cars with internal combustion engines. Brazil raised tariffs on car imports to compel Chinese automakers to set up plants inside Brazil. Etc
Spicy perspective, worth following @roselund.bsky.social on US solar trade policy.
(I'm staying out of it.)
(I'm staying out of it.)
This sucks for these thousand #solar workers and their families.
As for QCells' leadership...
1) According to Customs data, they are getting nothing released under UFLPA.
2) They are participants in weaponizing trade policy to be part of an oligopoly. No tears. /1
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
As for QCells' leadership...
1) According to Customs data, they are getting nothing released under UFLPA.
2) They are participants in weaponizing trade policy to be part of an oligopoly. No tears. /1
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Spicy perspective, worth following @roselund.bsky.social on US solar trade policy.
(I'm staying out of it.)
(I'm staying out of it.)
Blowing my husband's mind with an old-fashioned solution to the problem "need to create a physical document, do not own a printer".
(We usually print at the office, but parental leave...)
(We usually print at the office, but parental leave...)
November 9, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Blowing my husband's mind with an old-fashioned solution to the problem "need to create a physical document, do not own a printer".
(We usually print at the office, but parental leave...)
(We usually print at the office, but parental leave...)
Reposted by Jenny Chase
Not an energy post, but FT has a very funny "page not found" message: answers to why the page wasn't found based on economic concepts. And you don't need a subscription to read it.
www.ft.com/content/1095...
www.ft.com/content/1095...
Client Challenge
Please enable JavaScript to proceed.
www.ft.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Not an energy post, but FT has a very funny "page not found" message: answers to why the page wasn't found based on economic concepts. And you don't need a subscription to read it.
www.ft.com/content/1095...
www.ft.com/content/1095...
Reposted by Jenny Chase
China has made cheap, clean energy available in huge quantities. The world should take the win econ.st/4oqFszB
Photo: Eyevine
Photo: Eyevine
November 7, 2025 at 7:00 AM
China has made cheap, clean energy available in huge quantities. The world should take the win econ.st/4oqFszB
Photo: Eyevine
Photo: Eyevine
Reposted by Jenny Chase
Reminder that 1) we need to cut fossil fuel emissions immediately and sharply and 2) even if fossil emissions were eliminated immediately, food system emissions could still prevent the world from keeping warming below 1.5-2C. So big changes to food production and consumption are also necessary.
Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets
Concerted efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from food production are necessary to limit increases in global temperature.
www.science.org
November 6, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reminder that 1) we need to cut fossil fuel emissions immediately and sharply and 2) even if fossil emissions were eliminated immediately, food system emissions could still prevent the world from keeping warming below 1.5-2C. So big changes to food production and consumption are also necessary.
Hmm, I have run a year's 15-minute solar production and house consumption through a very simple dispatch model to calculate whether we should buy a battery and if so, what size. (Only a year's data, because we have only had the electric car for a year).
November 6, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Hmm, I have run a year's 15-minute solar production and house consumption through a very simple dispatch model to calculate whether we should buy a battery and if so, what size. (Only a year's data, because we have only had the electric car for a year).
The problem is that it's very hard to make money from a hype bubble bursting (short selling is limited in scope), so the incentives are all in the direction of keeping it going.
(It's a good article whether you agree with the central premise or not).
(It's a good article whether you agree with the central premise or not).
"The people who are paying attention to this cycle are getting anxious. On a scale from one to 10, the AI-bubble concern is: people posting memes of Christian Bale’s character from The Big Short, squinting in disbelief at his computer monitor."
I mostly avoid The Atlantic's stories but there are three writers there that I always trust & read, and Charlie Warzel is one of them. This is a great piece.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
November 2, 2025 at 7:13 AM
The problem is that it's very hard to make money from a hype bubble bursting (short selling is limited in scope), so the incentives are all in the direction of keeping it going.
(It's a good article whether you agree with the central premise or not).
(It's a good article whether you agree with the central premise or not).
This is a phenomenal long read. The sort of article it's incredibly difficult to get permission and resources to write nowadays.
bloomberg ran an absolutely killer investigation this week into the Silicon Valley + Koch/Abundance forces running the show on nuclear deregulation this year:
The Risky Movement to Make America Nuclear Again
A Silicon Valley startup called Oklo is leading the charge to bring nuclear power back to the US with small reactors. Its backers have wealth and political connections that could undermine nuclear saf...
www.bloomberg.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:10 AM
This is a phenomenal long read. The sort of article it's incredibly difficult to get permission and resources to write nowadays.
This is the Marktecke in Olten, where one can buy unpackaged lentils, olive oil etc if you bring your own container.
I love this shop and if I bought Halloween treats here I would be the worst parent ever, even worse than the time I made flapjacks for summer camp.
I love this shop and if I bought Halloween treats here I would be the worst parent ever, even worse than the time I made flapjacks for summer camp.
October 31, 2025 at 2:01 PM
This is the Marktecke in Olten, where one can buy unpackaged lentils, olive oil etc if you bring your own container.
I love this shop and if I bought Halloween treats here I would be the worst parent ever, even worse than the time I made flapjacks for summer camp.
I love this shop and if I bought Halloween treats here I would be the worst parent ever, even worse than the time I made flapjacks for summer camp.
The baby (now 12 weeks) is the least trouble of my family, but sometimes he gets angry that he was offered milk when it wasn't wanted.
Then he remains angry until he gets hungry, which makes him angrier. Then he is too angry to eat. This state of impasse takes some time and screaming to resolve.
Then he remains angry until he gets hungry, which makes him angrier. Then he is too angry to eat. This state of impasse takes some time and screaming to resolve.
October 27, 2025 at 1:32 PM
The baby (now 12 weeks) is the least trouble of my family, but sometimes he gets angry that he was offered milk when it wasn't wanted.
Then he remains angry until he gets hungry, which makes him angrier. Then he is too angry to eat. This state of impasse takes some time and screaming to resolve.
Then he remains angry until he gets hungry, which makes him angrier. Then he is too angry to eat. This state of impasse takes some time and screaming to resolve.
Saudi Arabia has had big solar targets for a while (technically solar thermal and PV, but we always expected the solar thermal to end up being PV).
The build slowed down in 2022 when PV prices ticked up, and has now kicked off again 'cos PV panels got cheap.
The build slowed down in 2022 when PV prices ticked up, and has now kicked off again 'cos PV panels got cheap.
Saudi Arabia signed deals to build another 5 GW of renewables (3 GW of wind and 2 GW of solar) that will operate in 30 months!
Saudi Arabia will have 12.7 GW of RE operating by end of 2025 & 20 GW by 2026.
So, why is this Petrostate building RE?
www.pv-magazine.com/2025/10/17/c... #energysky
Saudi Arabia will have 12.7 GW of RE operating by end of 2025 & 20 GW by 2026.
So, why is this Petrostate building RE?
www.pv-magazine.com/2025/10/17/c... #energysky
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Energy China secures 5 GW EPC deal in Saudi Arabia
Energy China has signed three EPC contracts worth $2.7 billion for 5 GW of wind and solar projects in Saudi Arabia with partners including PIF and Aramco Power.
www.pv-magazine.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Saudi Arabia has had big solar targets for a while (technically solar thermal and PV, but we always expected the solar thermal to end up being PV).
The build slowed down in 2022 when PV prices ticked up, and has now kicked off again 'cos PV panels got cheap.
The build slowed down in 2022 when PV prices ticked up, and has now kicked off again 'cos PV panels got cheap.
A thread from 2021 in which I explained our solar build forecasts and why we have a buffer. Our actual forecast is much higher now, but many of the problems are the same.
Here's a little more about the buffer and BNEF's methodology, from the 2021 version of this thread. x.com/solar_chase/...
October 22, 2025 at 9:04 AM
A thread from 2021 in which I explained our solar build forecasts and why we have a buffer. Our actual forecast is much higher now, but many of the problems are the same.
This is a cool research project and all knowledge is worth having. But as it says, land is plentiful there, so the benefits for the crops would have to be meaningful for it to make sense on a larger scale.
(It's currently a research project subsidising kale giveaways...)
(It's currently a research project subsidising kale giveaways...)
October 22, 2025 at 8:50 AM
This is a cool research project and all knowledge is worth having. But as it says, land is plentiful there, so the benefits for the crops would have to be meaningful for it to make sense on a larger scale.
(It's currently a research project subsidising kale giveaways...)
(It's currently a research project subsidising kale giveaways...)
Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025.
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon
www.worldscientific.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025.
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
BNEF estimates that silver use in PV averages 8.96mg/W in 2025, compared with 11.2mg/W in 2024. This aligns directionally with The Silver Institute's estimate of PV silver demand being 195.7 million ounces in 2025 vs 197.6 in 2024.
www.bnef.com/insights/37529
www.bnef.com/insights/37529
October 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
BNEF estimates that silver use in PV averages 8.96mg/W in 2025, compared with 11.2mg/W in 2024. This aligns directionally with The Silver Institute's estimate of PV silver demand being 195.7 million ounces in 2025 vs 197.6 in 2024.
www.bnef.com/insights/37529
www.bnef.com/insights/37529
Good morning! The sun is shining, I have only one child to look after, and I fear nothing except climate change, physical and mental deterioration, social situations, and paperwork in German.
October 18, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Good morning! The sun is shining, I have only one child to look after, and I fear nothing except climate change, physical and mental deterioration, social situations, and paperwork in German.
It has been three weeks of Swiss school holidays, I have a 7-year-old child and a new baby (hence parental leave) and I admit I saw @mliebreich.bsky.social 's email "My Favourite Slide" and thought immediately of a different sort of slide.
open.substack.com/pub/mliebrei...
open.substack.com/pub/mliebrei...
My favourite slide
I'm sitting in the back of a board meeting in Valencia, shuffling charts for an upcoming keynote, and thought I would share my favourite slide of the moment...
open.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:14 PM
It has been three weeks of Swiss school holidays, I have a 7-year-old child and a new baby (hence parental leave) and I admit I saw @mliebreich.bsky.social 's email "My Favourite Slide" and thought immediately of a different sort of slide.
open.substack.com/pub/mliebrei...
open.substack.com/pub/mliebrei...
In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:
Project has no PPA.
Project has no PPA.
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:
Archives banned making copies.
Archives banned making copies.
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:
New library catalogue website.
New library catalogue website.
October 12, 2025 at 6:32 PM
In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:
Project has no PPA.
Project has no PPA.
Still on maternity leave. Baby fat? Yes, baby very fat.
October 8, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Still on maternity leave. Baby fat? Yes, baby very fat.
This article is just bollocks, isn't it? There are lots of good reasons not to eat many Doritos, but the carbon footprint of the corn going into them isn't one of them, because eating almost anything else would be worse.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The hidden cost of ultra-processed foods on the environment: ‘The whole industry should pay’
Industrially made foods involve several ingredients and processes to put together, making it difficult to examine their true cost
www.theguardian.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
This article is just bollocks, isn't it? There are lots of good reasons not to eat many Doritos, but the carbon footprint of the corn going into them isn't one of them, because eating almost anything else would be worse.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
... I mean, that's still not very much money per year. But Zurich is a prime example of a modern city where it makes sense for rich people to take public transport - for most journeys, just massively more convenient.
(This is somewhat true for the rest of Switzerland).
(This is somewhat true for the rest of Switzerland).
On Sunday, #Zürich residents voted 52.8% in favor of increasing parking fees for cars according to weight.
The owner of a BMW X2 (Diesel), which weighs 1,675 kilograms, will now pay equivalent of €717 Euros per year to park on a public street. (Before, about €321.)
Direct democracy!
The owner of a BMW X2 (Diesel), which weighs 1,675 kilograms, will now pay equivalent of €717 Euros per year to park on a public street. (Before, about €321.)
Direct democracy!
September 30, 2025 at 5:22 PM
... I mean, that's still not very much money per year. But Zurich is a prime example of a modern city where it makes sense for rich people to take public transport - for most journeys, just massively more convenient.
(This is somewhat true for the rest of Switzerland).
(This is somewhat true for the rest of Switzerland).
Reposted by Jenny Chase
On Sunday, #Zürich residents voted 52.8% in favor of increasing parking fees for cars according to weight.
The owner of a BMW X2 (Diesel), which weighs 1,675 kilograms, will now pay equivalent of €717 Euros per year to park on a public street. (Before, about €321.)
Direct democracy!
The owner of a BMW X2 (Diesel), which weighs 1,675 kilograms, will now pay equivalent of €717 Euros per year to park on a public street. (Before, about €321.)
Direct democracy!
September 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
On Sunday, #Zürich residents voted 52.8% in favor of increasing parking fees for cars according to weight.
The owner of a BMW X2 (Diesel), which weighs 1,675 kilograms, will now pay equivalent of €717 Euros per year to park on a public street. (Before, about €321.)
Direct democracy!
The owner of a BMW X2 (Diesel), which weighs 1,675 kilograms, will now pay equivalent of €717 Euros per year to park on a public street. (Before, about €321.)
Direct democracy!
Get a heat pump, get a job installing insulation or selling EVs, go to local council meetings in support of bike lanes or solar parks or dense housing near public transport. Run for political office, or at least vote. Recommend flight-free holiday destinations to others. (Delete as applicable).
my takeaway from climate week nyc is that "climate storytelling" is a little too much "we must reimagine our deepest souls in relationship to mother nature and the moral abyss of the polycrisis into which we must now stare" and not enough "ok but get a heat pump"
September 29, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Get a heat pump, get a job installing insulation or selling EVs, go to local council meetings in support of bike lanes or solar parks or dense housing near public transport. Run for political office, or at least vote. Recommend flight-free holiday destinations to others. (Delete as applicable).