US to extend Investment Tax Credit for solar to 2024
The solar Investment Tax Credit will remain at 26% for projects that begin construction in 2021 and 2022, but will fall to 22% in 2023, and down to 10% in 2024 for commercial projects.
Oxford PV retakes tandem cell efficiency record
Perovskite developer Oxford PV has set a new world record for perovskite-silicon tandem cell efficiency at 29.52%, edging out the previous record set less than a year ago by Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. The new record has been certified by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Solar claims all the 700 MW allocated in Poland’s latest small-scale renewables auction
Once again, solar was the only technology competing in the procurement exercise for renewables not exceeding 1 MW in size. The ERO reported a minimum price of PLN228.7/MWh ($61.2), which compares to PLN269.0 a year earlier.
Canada joins hydrogen race with dedicated strategy
The new hydrogen plans of the Canadian government will be supported by a US$1.7 billion fund for low-carbon and zero-emission fuels.
Structural factors driving down PV prices in India
An analysis by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) says improvements in PV panel designs and costs, lower financing costs and state-specific sectors, such as the location’s solar potential and certain waivers, have driven the decline in Indian solar tariffs.
Germany’s tender for utility-scale PV concludes with lowest price of €0.0488/kWh
The German authorities allocated around 257 MW in the latest round of the tendering scheme for PV projects exceeding 750 kW in size.
Italy extends 110% fiscal break for rooftop PV linked to building renovations to 2022
The so-called “super bonus” for building renovation projects has been extended until the end of 2022. The Italian government has established a maximum price of €2,400 per kilowatt installed for PV systems and €1,000/kWh for storage systems.
BIPV windows viable only if they add soft value to buildings
Solar windows are only likely to reach commercial maturity when manufacturers consider how they can add “soft” value to buildings, as required by the construction industry. In order to increase this value, increasing their conversion efficiency will become less important, while understanding how to blend them into the existing value chain in the real estate business will be crucial.
Vanadium redox flow battery integrating CIGS modules
Spanish and Finnish scientists have developed a solar vanadium redox flow battery paired with commercially available CIGS solar panels. The open-circuit voltage values were high enough to achieve unbiased photocharge, they said.
Sweden continues rooftop PV rebate scheme for businesses, municipalities
Sweden was set to replace its rebate scheme with unspecified tax breaks by the end of this year, but the government has instead decided to allocate another $31.5 million for 2021 – for enterprises and municipalities only.
