Power Line: Tesla’s solar slide, and the top battery industries – Business Insider – Business Insider

Hello, and welcome to Power Line, a weekly clean-energy newsletter from Business Insider.

In two words: Not great.

But: Musk's firm saw a small bump in installations in the last three months of 2019.

So is the future bright for Tesla's solar business? We asked analysts for their perspective.

The good: "I think they have the opportunity to grow," Colin Rusch, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., said. He brought up the firm's brand strength and the potential advantage Tesla has through crossover sales (getting people who buy cars to also buy panels.)

The bad: "The likelihood that [Tesla's solar business] becomes as big as the EV business is difficult to see," Joe Osha, an analyst at JMP Securities, said. "I don't think anybody really thinks they can make a go for it in conventional panels." He also said the solar glass roof is "pie in the sky."

The worse: "The idea that they're going to explode in demand is, for lack of a better word, laughable," Gordon Johnson, an analyst at GLJ Research, said of Tesla's solar business.

Sunrun is the largest residential solar installer in the US. Sunrun

On Thursday, the rooftop solar giant Sunrun released its 2019 installation numbers, and they show the company's widening lead.

More than 90% of investors don't care about Tesla's solar business, Jeff Osborne, an analyst at Cowen, told me. They've got other interests namely, cars.

And that's good news, too, because

Who can even imagine that much money. It's larger than the GDP of Iran and Norway, for reference.

But it's coming, according to the research firm Lux Research. By 2035, the global battery market will grow to $546 billion in annual revenue.

We took a look at the six industries fueling that enormous growth.

You can see the full list here.

Shell is partnering with the Dutch gas company Gasunie and Groningen Seaports to build the world's largest green hydrogen plant. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

The company is Shell and the hydrogen is green.

The news: On Thursday, Shell and a couple of partners announced they're planning to build the world's largest green hydrogen plant.

What's "green" hydrogen? Hydrogen gas made with an electrolyzer that's powered by renewable energy.

Why do we care? Hydrogen is a widely used industrial feedstock, and it's a clean fuel source. The problem is that most of it comes from fossil fuels.

Get all the deets here.

These are the people who are set to transform the energy sector through their company, role, or research. You can find details and the link to submit nominations here.

FYI: We're looking for individuals, not companies.

That's it! Stay safe, and have a great weekend.

- Benji

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Power Line: Tesla's solar slide, and the top battery industries - Business Insider - Business Insider

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