Feed-in Tariffs Responsible for Three-Quarters of World’s Solar PV

A new report out by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) takes a close and deep look at feed-in tariff programs around the world.

Feed-in tariff programs exist in 75 countries, states and provinces around the world, and they are having a huge impact.

The 144-page report is titled “A Policymaker’s Guide to Feed-in Tariff Policy Design” and is clearly the biggest study on feed-in tariffs conducted by any U.S. government agency.

One interesting finding from the report is that, counter to what many have assumed and argued, FIT programs facilitate competition in the market rather than discouraging it:

The NREL report also destroys many of the myths surrounding feed-in tariffs. One myth, for example, is that FIT policies discourage competition. On the contrary, says NREL, the scramble for market share under feed-in tariff polices in Germany, France, and Spain has driven increased private sector research and development, spurring innovation and technological cost reductions.

Another big finding is that FITs are responsible for 75% of all solar PV and 45% of all wind development worldwide.

The report also discusses the need to differentiate tariffs by resource intensity, something that has worked very well in Germany and France and which is now being done in Switzerland.

Of course, there is a lot more in this huge FIT report. To find out more, visit the link above. You can also view a video of a roundtable discussion about the report on the NREL website.

For more on FITs, read:

1. UK Solar Market to Increase 5x This Year and 30x by 2015?

2. Australians Will Be Able to Earn $10,000 a Year Supplying Grid From Rooftop Solar

3. Hawaii Follows California with a Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff

Photo Credit: Trebosc via flickr