Subsidy

An international team of scientists has assessed different strategies for volume-based and fixed-amount subsidy auctions for large-scale wind and solar projects. They have found that higher subsidy levels in auctions lead to lower final prices.

Even when taken in the context of the growing pessimism that has gripped China’s PV industry regarding 2019 demand since the middle of the year, the latest figures from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) are astonishing. More optimistic forecasts from earlier in the year have been downwardly revised, with installations headed for a “cliff edge” decline that could see demand fall by as much as 50% year on year. So, what exactly has taken place?

The South Australian government has inaugurated its landmark $100 million Home Battery Scheme, which will subsidize the cost of buying a home energy storage system for up to 40,000 South Australian households. A nine-week priority period has been given to locally made battery systems, with Germany’s sonnen as the first provider to enjoy this benefit.

The draft Uttar Pradesh Solar Power Policy 2017 aims to encourage participation of the private sector and provide investment opportunities in India’s most populous state.

In addition to the Green Savings Programe, the Czech government has now started to provide solar incentives through the Operational Program for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Competitiveness (OPPIK).

Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the development bank owned by the German government, today announced that it will restart subsidy payments for PV + storage applications within Germany.

Following the UK’s referendum result to exit the European Union, news from the country emerges at a speed that is hard to monitor and last week the energy community discussed EDF’s call for a final decision regarding a new U.K. nuclear plant. Adding to the Brexit gloom and the anticipation of EDF’s decision this week is the certainty the U.K. solar industry can expect nothing other than a zero subsidy future.

The Cypriot Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) announced on Friday 14 December the results of its recent application call for photovoltaic projects ranging from 20 KW to 150 KW. Overall, 18 applications were approved corresponding to a total capacity of 1.7 MW of solar power.