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On April 6, the Ontario Power Authorities released a review of the draft microFiT and FiT 2.0 rules and contract documents in order to implement revised feed-in tariff stipulations. Last week, Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), submitted its recommendations for amendments in order for the government and the industry to reach a mutually beneficial feed-in tariff. The government has proposed to cut the microFiT by 31.5% with rooftop installations earning CAD$0.549 and ground-mounted CAD$0.445.
On April 25, chairperson of the Purchase Price Calculation Committee, Professor Kazhiro Ueda, announced proposals for the new FiT program expected to start in July. Jefferies, global securities and investment banking group, has released a report in support of the government’s proposals to develop solar PV on a grander scale. However, the report also highlights that many manufacturers, too much involved with Europe, may lose out on investment opportunities in the emerging market in Asia.
As Phase 1 of India’s National Solar Mission reaches half way, India stops to take stock of its progress with an independent report conducted by the National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEQ). The report has been drawn from extensive discussions with stakeholders and research and analysis of national, state and international programs, with the aim of aiding the government in overcoming obstacles to achieving the Mission’s goal of 20GW by 2022.
Following its deliberations on April 19, the French Commission for Energy Regulation published the new feed-in tariffs for solar PV installations up to 100kW this week. The rate is dependant on the number of applications to the CRE in the previous trimester. Residential BIPV applications amounted to 37.4MW and non-residential applications were 102.4MW resulting in a decrease to the FiT of 4.5% and 9.5% respectively.
Citing high energy bills as a result of the colossal cost of importing electricity, the Jamaica Energy Council assembled on April 20 to discuss the implementation of an energy policy, reported the Jamaica Information Service. The focus of the council, comprised of bi-partisan and stakeholder members and chaired by the minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell, alongside opposition energy spokesman, Gregory Mair, set the agenda with renewable and indigenous energy source development for energy security, energy conservation and efficiency as well as opportunities to achieve and sustain price competitiveness as the priority.
Finally taking positive steps to distance itself from the Fukishima disaster, the sixth Purchase Price Calculation Committee tasked with deciding the new feed-in tariff, has finally laid the foundations at a press conference earlier this week. The new rates will be effective from July 2012.
A CAD$10 million solar development capital fund has been launched across Ontario, Canada by JSM Capital. The investment will leverage the province’s current feed-in tariff program to finance early-stage PV projects installed on large commercial and industrial buildings.
A Japanese government panel is said to be on its way to setting a feed-in tariff of ¥42 per kilowatt hour (approximately US$0.51), according to a Reuters report that in turn cited the Nikkei business daily. The new subsidy scheme is to come into play from July and is a response to the global disapproval of the country’s handling of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in March 2011.
This weekend, Spain will be following in the footsteps of its European cousins, having organised a demonstration against cuts to its solar incentive scheme and energy moratorium. April 22, Earth Day, at noon, Spaniards will march from Santo Domingo Opera Dos de Mayo in the hope their government will take heed of their warning even though similar events in Germany and Italy fell on deaf ears. The UK is currently the only European country to have had any success against curtailing feed-in tariff cuts, no matter how short term the result may be.
Italian integrated security systems provider Urmet Engineering is planning on taking advantage of Bulgaria’s newly implemented feed-in tariff policy with a 3MW plant destined for the south of the country. According to PHOTON, the company intends to invest €6.5 million into the project, due to be built in the municipality of Plovdi.
