Today, I’m going to do a few round-ups to catch you all up on what I think were important stories in the cleantech arena. This first one is on cleantech policy. 1. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) have introduced the Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy … [continued]
Solar power subsidies are being cut in half in the UK. The change, which is supposed to solar panel installations completed after December 12, has outraged consumers and solar energy advocates. It also makes government policies in the UK a little less than trustworthy. At least one organization is now … [continued]
When it comes to solar policy in the U.S., there are three flavors: tax or cash incentives, long-term CLEAN Contracts, and solar renewable energy credit markets. Policy makers are often drawn to flavors that taste like markets, but unfortunately “market-based” and “cost-effective” aren’t synonyms in solar policy. Furthermore, by virtue … [continued]
A few years ago, a heated debate started within the U.S. solar industry about which was more cost-effective: Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) or Feed-in Tariffs (FITs). Now that we’ve had more experience with both policies, the question is again being asked. Researchers at the Institute for Local Self Reliance … [continued]
The U.S. has a hodge-podge of utility, state and federal tax-based incentives. The Germans have a comprehensive feed-in tariff, providing CLEAN contracts (in the U.S. parlance) to anyone who wants to go solar (or wind, or biogas, etc). What does that mean for the price of solar?
A serialized version of ILSR‘s new report, Democratizing the Electricity System, Part 4 of 5. Click for Part 1 or Part 2 or Part 3 or Part 4.
The Golden State has covered over 50,000 roofs with solar PV in the past decade, but could it also save 30% or more on its current solar costs? Renewable energy guru Paul Gipe wrote up a study last month that found that Californians pay much more per kilowatt-hour of solar power than Germans do (accounting for the difference in the solar resource). The following chart outlines the various ways Californians pay for solar, compared to the Germans (averaged over 20 years, per kilowatt-hour – kWh – produced).
The price of solar is dropping fast, opening new opportunities for community-scale renewable energy across the country. But despite the improving economics and tremendously sunnier skies, the United States lags far behind Germany in installing new solar power.
The biggest difference is policy. The U.S. has two major federal incentives (a 30% tax credit and accelerated depreciation) for solar power, and a few state programs for solar power. Germany and most other developed countries use a feed-in tariff for renewable energy, a policy responsible for three-quarters of the world’s solar power capacity.
A partnership created on the TV show “The Secret Millionaire” is setting up a new fund to assist rooftop solar power projects.
Freetricity is to provide up to £150,000 in funding for the installation of solar setups for both public and private businesses.
Private equity firm Blackstone is investing in offshore wind in Germany in a big way. The company announced it had secured a total of 1.2 billion euros of financing for the 288MW Meerwind North Sea wind farm project, as well as obtaining a permit for Nordlicher Grund, a 64-turbine, 1.3 billion euro North Sea wind farm. A group of seven banks will provide 822 million euros in debt financing with Blackstone supplying Meerwind’s equity. Supporting the financing is Germany’s feed-in tariff, which locks in rates for Meerwind’s electricity output.
