America鈥檚 solar-energy enthusiasts could soon expect bigger green cheques in the mail. Both chambers of Congress passed bills last week granting a long-term extension 鈥� and expansion 鈥� to commercial and residential tax credits for solar power installations.
The legislation extends a 30 per cent rebate on the installation of solar technologies, including photovoltaic panels and solar water-heating systems. It also does away with the current $2000 cap in rebates for residential systems.
The extension will have a major impact on the adoption of solar power, according to a study by an independent firm called Navigant Consulting. It found that by 2016, the total amount of installed solar in the US would be more than three times as great with the extension than without it.
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The measures differ slightly from incentives now used in more than 30 countries, where the national grid purchases electricity generated from renewables at a premium, with rates locked in for as long as 20 years. Germany was one of the first to pioneer this 鈥渇eed-in tariff鈥� scheme in the early 1990s. It leads the world in photovoltaic installations, and boasts more than five times the US鈥檚 solar capacity.
As 快猫短视频 went to press, the House and Senate bills differed over whether or not to tie renewable-energy incentives to tax breaks for oil shale refineries in western states. The two chambers must reach a compromise, otherwise all tax credits for renewables will end on 31 December this year.
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