Having delayed for years, the UK government is finally set to implement a financial incentive scheme for solar energy. Under the proposal, which is due to become law in the first quarter of 2010, electricity produced from solar energy will receive a guaranteed price per unit. This guaranteed price, called a feed-in tariff, aims to remove the uncertainty around price that has hampered growth in the industry for many years. By taking this step, Britain is finally following the example of other major European economies like Germany, France and Italy. At a solar energy conference in London later this year, UK and international experts will talk about the prospects of the solar PV industry in the UK. The conference, scheduled for 22 June 2010, will act as a platform, with networking opportunities for UK and international business executives. Major stakeholders, from regulators to industry experts and financiers, will be discussing their expectations.

While other European solar energy markets have been thriving in the last five years, the UK market for solar electricity (also known as photovoltaics, or simply PV) has remained small and is still in its infancy. But all this is about to change. The new feed-in tariffs are scheduled to come into effect by 1 April 2010. The photovoltaic industry expects growth to kick in quickly after that date. More than 50 solar companies around the UK are eagerly waiting for the law to be finally passed in the House of Commons in April 2010. "Other countries in Europe have shown how quickly clear framework conditions can translate into growth. We are now ready for growth in the UK as well, and hope that other stakeholders like the financial institutions will also see the opportunity," says Joachim Gerhard, a London-based solar energy consultant.

Tioga Energy (www.tiogaenergy.com), a leading supplier of renewable energy services to commercial, government, and non-profit institutions, is using @RISK from Palisade to illustrate to customers in California the potential financial benefits of signing up to a solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Tioga provides project financing through its SurePathSM Solar (PPAs), and maintains and operates solar systems on behalf of its customers. Tioga's offering delivers predictably priced power and enables organisations to to both 'green' their operations and reduce energy costs. In order to illustrate the benefits of solar, Tioga needs to estimate future electricity prices and make comparisons by showing the savings from a new solar system. To forecast possible price increases, Tioga Energy inputs California's historical electricity rate data into a model developed using Palisade's risk analysis software, @RISK. This generates a probability distribution for electricity rate rises over the 20-year PPA period, which shows that there is a 25 percent likelihood that price increases will be less than 4.8 percent, and a 25 percent chance that rate rises would be more than 8.7 percent.

India's photovoltaic solar energy market is emerging and set to show strong growth. It has the potential to become one of the largest markets in the world before too long. India already has the world's best solar resources, and solar energy could offer a solution to a country still struggling heavily with continuous electricity shortages. Late in 2009, India's government announced its National Solar Mission: an ambitious plan that aims to achieve 20,000 megawatts of cumulative installed solar power by 2022. This mission includes a feed-in tariff system comparable to incentives that boosted leading PV markets such as those of Germany, Spain, and Italy. This, combined with the country's remarkable solar irradiation, could lead to a quick boom in the Indian PV market. These are some of the conclusions published in a market report by Solarplaza. The report describes the current PV market situation, analyzes India's market potential and future prospects, and provides an extensive overview of all the relevant stakeholders in the Indian PV Market.

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Industry urges United States to permit solar development on federal lands

Section: News
Category: Solar Energy
2009-05-18 04:20:58

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) Manager of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Katherine Gensler today testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Subcommittee Chairman Jim Costa (D-CA) organized the field hearing at the University of California, Riverside, to discuss "Solar Energy Development on Federal Lands: The Road to Consensus."

"There is a broad consensus that developing the enormous potential of solar power on BLM lands should be a priority for the bureau," said Gensler. "Currently there are 199 solar projects waiting for permits from BLM, with some applications pending since 2005. Together, these proposed projects could power 20 million homes and could create 37,000 jobs in the region. Yet not a single permit for solar energy development has been issued by BLM. In comparison, there were approximately 7,100 oil and gas permits issued by BLM in 2007 alone."

Gensler raised one of SEIA's key recommendations for near-term growth in the solar energy industry by encouraging the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to expeditiously process pending applications for solar projects. A streamlined process will allow developers to meet the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act deadline of December 31, 2010, for beginning construction to receive Treasury Department grants.

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