Feed in Tariffs

At the end of Vietnam’s solar gold rush, the Chinese power electronics maker can look back on a positive result. With the last glut of project announcements issued, Sunseap said it had finished a 168 MW installation featuring Longi’s Hi-Mo 1 modules.

The U.S. project developer and Chinese manufacturing giant have both moved to extend borrowing for Japanese operations as Sumitomo Mitsui has given another lift to its domestic PV market.

An energy finance consultant from the international thinktank has added his voice to demands Theresa May, or her successor, spell out exactly how the decarbonization target will be met, and cited failings on solar as a warning on how not to proceed.

For the past few years, Japan’s solar industry insiders have been eyeing 2019 as a year of transition in the residential rooftop market, as the original 10 year feed-in tariffs come to an end. So, what will this post-FIT landscape look like, and how are Japan’s leading PV suppliers preparing for the future? Hanwha Q Cells’ Japan Marketing Manager Junichi Katayama breaks down the main points.

With the transition to an auction procurement mechanism under way, Japan is this year set to expand the range of projects subject to the tender system from 2 MW-plus to 500 kW and above. With certain FIT cuts for projects with more than 2 MW capacity set to take effect in the second half of the year, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has now proposed reducing tariffs for 10-500 kW commercial PV systems.

Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Committee for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has released a comment indicating the discontent with which she views government plans to scrap export tariffs on 31 March 2019. The scheme remunerates small-scale generators, and its abolishment has been likened to theft and sparked a feud between the industry and politics. Last week, U.K. Energy Minister Claire Perry also said that forcing generators to export for free would be “wrong”.

Noting that it is close to reaching its 33% renewable energy target, Montenegro’s Ministry of Economy has said it will not issue any more licenses for renewable energy projects. It has, however, launched the third phase of deployment of solar PV systems for un-electrified households in secluded mountainous areas.

The FIT program, which is being developed with the support of the UNDP, is expected to encourage grid-connected renewable energy projects as well as off-grid generation.

Another decree issued by the French Ministry of the Environment, Energy and the Sea has set the new feed-in tariffs for residential and commercial PV projects up to 100 kW on the French mainland.

Hungary’s solar market could see its largest growth ever in 2017. Although the country’s FIT scheme was closed in mid-2016, 2 GW of projects approved under the program could still potentially be installed over the next two years.