Financial, Legal, Professional

The first full year of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US has seen a flurry of transactions completed as solar developers and now manufacturers take advantage. Jonathan Tourino Jacobo looks at some of the emerging trends and future prospects in this lucrative new market.

Policies in the EU and US to impose a carbon price on imported materials and goods will inevitably hit solar manufacturers. Corrine Lin and Sherry Hsu assess where these costs will land and how the industry should be adapting in preparation.

The EU and US are leading efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of PV manufacturing through targeted import tariffs. As well as supporting decarbonisation efforts, such policies could also promote geographic diversification in the solar supply chain and greater supply resilience, writes Michael Parr of the Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance.

The rapid deployment of solar and other renewables is creating new pressures on the efficient operation of electricity markets. Stephen Woodhouse looks at whether a shift from national to locational pricing offers a solution to optimal market design as decarbonisation efforts gather

The co-location of renewable generation and energy storage demands new contractual arrangements to make such projects commercially viable. Jack Rankin, Miguel Valderrama and Brian Knowles of Pexapark explore how hybrid PPAs are becoming a favoured solution for structuring deals that capture the full value of both assets

PV Tech Power Editors JP Casey and John Lubbock and Reporter George Heynes caught up with several experts to talk about the skills shortage in the solar industry in the UK and abroad and how this growing industry is approaching the issue.

Maria Popova of the European Federation of Energy Traders makes the case for power purchase agreements from renewable sources, as the sheer volume of renewables growth required to reach Europe’s climate target means that public financial support is unlikely to be sufficient for the task, and market-based instruments and mechanisms need to be deployed alongside.

PV Tech Power Editor John Lubbock examines the challenges of reforming the UK’s electricity market in the face of the increased rollout of renewables in the country.

Lena Dias Martins explores the UK government’s Contracts for Difference scheme which supports the country’s move to a zero-carbon economy.

Tom Kenning looks at the rise of solar power in Texas, a US state better known for its role in the oil and gas industry, where a beneficial tax regime and an abundance of project land work in favour of building out solar power generation.