The US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has recently released a report – prepared by the Brattle Group – on how Germany’s policies to support solar PV have made the country a world leader in deploying solar PV over the last decade. Most recent data from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) show… Keep reading →
Another axe has fallen in Europe over renewable energy subsidies. Just last month, Italy announced that it will cut its feed-in tariffs (FIT) for certain renewable energy plants – not only for future plants, but also for existing plants with valid FIT guarantees. German lawmakers also recently approved an extensive revision of the country’s renewable… Keep reading →
In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008-2009 the public learned that using a so-called “bad bank” concept can indeed work ‘nicely’ if a clear line between good and bad assets can be drawn. In this way, the severely impacted financial institutions were able to improve their financial strength – with toxic assets off… Keep reading →
Peak solar & wind power production in Germany are considerably lower than installed capacity The EU Commission recently unveiled new regulations for the period 2014 to 2020 to gradually phase out support for renewable energy technologies. In a press release the commission stated the guidelines are intended to “promote a gradual move to market-based support… Keep reading →
Spain’s recent history with solar power has been nothing if not tumultuous. Generous subsidies created a booming market in 2008, but the economic crisis brought a quick end to that. And now the country is pulling the rug out from under thousands of solar producers, many of them small, whose financing depended on the promise… Keep reading →
A timely question That is among the questions being asked not just in the US but nearly in any country where self-generation, in one form or another, already is or is likely to become cost-effective. It is also a key question in the context of the net energy metering (NEM) debate in the US or… Keep reading →
Quick Take: Bioenergy entrepreneur S. Michael Holly has posted on Energy Trends Insider to claim that special interests including electric power utilities and the wind industry are “misrepresenting wind power costs.” As a result, he claims, they are wrongfully rejecting renewables such as hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy that are actually lower in costs. – By… Keep reading →
An increasing number of businesses want to be seen as green; go figure. The demand for renewable energy is predominantly driven by mandatory targets such as renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in the US, lucrative feed-in-tariffs (FITs) in Europe, or other requirements such as renewable fuel obligations in the UK. Subsidies such as production tax credits (PTCs) are among… Keep reading →
