Markets & Policy

The price of polysilicon last week reached its highest level since 2011 and, according to Chinese module manufacturer JinkoSolar, there are no visible signs that it could drop this year, as predicted by several analysts.

The company posted a record year despite global supply shortages.

WiTricity unveiled plans for an aftermarket wireless charging station for select electric vehicle models.

In the United States, passage of the Build Back Better Act would extend
the solar Investment Tax Credit and offer other clean energy initiatives
that would boost the renewable energy momentum already underway in Senator Joe Manchin’s home state of West Virginia. This is good news for the state and is resulting in unlikely allies.

The Korean manufacturer said its solar module business will be closed by the end of June. It blamed uncertainties in the global solar industry for its decision.

Also on the rise: Equitable access to solar is part of DOE-backed plan. One to six million metric tons of lithium may lie beneath the Salton Sea. Adopting standards for EVs will accelerate the path for these vehicles. Solar tracker manufacturers can expect a boom in the US through 2025. Heliogen plans concentrated solar power manufacturing facility. IBM, ABB, and Worley team up to help energy companies build and operate green hydrogen facilities.

Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities, and energy transition finance.

The collaboration aims to offer a digitally enabled solution for facility owners to build green hydrogen assets more quickly, cheaply, and safely.

Ernst & Young’s 2021 report detailing transactions in power and utilities shows a higher focus on ESG initiatives and renewable deals across the country’s utilities.

Residential and commercial solar equity and inclusion plans will be developed by Solar Energy Innovation Network, which recently selected eight teams dispersed throughout underserved areas the US to develop community-level plans.