Solar Now

With utility bill spikes making inflation appear like it's going up at a snail's pace, sticking a bunch of solar panels on the roofs of electric vehicles (EVs) seems logical. However, solar energy and EVs aren't really "friendly" with one another. Just charging an EV with solar panels requires you to track down a backup energy source in order to provide a steady stream of juice — and that's for a stationary car.
So, why isn't there a solar-powered car? It's a combo of limitations in current solar energy tech and car size. Talking about real-world scenarios (one where you'd actually drive the car), the main problem with installing solar roofs on EVs is that the surface of the roof is relatively small, typically around 10 to 25 square feet. In the best conditions, which is the middle of the day, the sun is capable of delivering approximately 92 Watts per square foot.
It depends on the size of the roof and panel efficiency, but this setup will convert only about 20% to 25% of the power, meaning that you'd get maybe a couple of hundred watts. Considering that a run-of-the-mill EV is able to cover three to four miles per kilowatt-hour, solar panels would maybe give you an extra mile of range from an hour of charging — absolutely not enough for regular travel.
Read more: 5 Disadvantages Of Switching To Home Solar Power
While solar-powered EVs may seem far from feasible, they could be arriving faster than you'd expect. In fact, there is a solar-powered BMW EV prototype that may produce enough energy for regular driving. Designed by students from the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, the car is practically a solar panel on wheels that can collect 5.7 kWh per day. That's enough to cover about 12 miles, which expends approximately 1.6 kWh.
Another advancement on this front is Fuyao Group's solar car sunroof that is designed to charge an EV as it drives. It's not just a solar panel strapped to the top, but rather glass panels embedded with solar cells. The maximum output of 720 watts is too weak to get the car from point A to point B on its own. Nonetheless, it can power onboard electronics, which may give you an extra few miles on the highway.
Solar-powered EVs are not totally uncharted territory. Just these two advancements represent a step in the right direction towards a fully functioning electric car running on solar power. Until then, we can only cross our fingers and hope that this potentially revolutionary vehicle looks like a car worth driving instead of something designed in Roblox.
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Donald Trump agreed to buy diesel from Vladimir Putin after Volodymyr Zelensky ignored his requests to stop bombing Russian oil refineries, sources have said.
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Austrian company Sunbooster has obtained a European patent covering its vertical photovoltaic solution built for integration into fences, according to pv magazine. The protection now extends across 18 European Union member states, and the company is pursuing a broader presence in the French market.
The product consists of bifacial photovoltaic strips measuring 18.6 cm in height that slide into existing fence panels in place of conventional privacy slats. Each strip carries a rated output of 62 W at a 2-meter length or 79 W at a 2.5-meter length, with a reported conversion efficiency of 22.8%. The vertical orientation is intended to move part of the electricity generation toward the morning and late afternoon hours.
Yann Schremmer, who manages Sunbooster‘s operations in France, told pv magazine that the company is expanding its presence, especially in France, where it has already completed a first installation. That project involved a 20-meter section of solar fencing in Aix-en-Provence with a total capacity of 3.7 kW. A metalworking company supplied the system, which was integrated into the fence of a customer who wanted both privacy and electricity generation.
Pricing for residential customers is set at EUR619 for the 2-meter strip and EUR719 for the 2.5-meter version. Schremmer said the company deliberately set attractive prices for professionals so they can achieve high margins. Sunbooster plans to concentrate on building a distribution network made up of photovoltaic distributors, major retailers, and fence manufacturers.
The bifacial strips use p-type monocrystalline solar cells cut into quarters. They are designed for rigid double-wire mesh fences of 6/5/6 mm or 8/6/8 mm, inserted into the mesh and connected through MC4 connectors positioned on the bottom strip.
According to the manufacturer, the strips carry an IP67 protection rating and operate within a temperature range of -20 C to 60 C. Maximum system voltage is 50.16 V for the 2-meter version and 63.84 V for the 2.5-meter version.
This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Solar Panels market in Austria, covering market size, growth trajectory, demand structure, supply capability, trade flows, pricing, competitive landscape, and forecast to 2035.
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Stay on top of sector news with with Renewables Now. Get access to extra articles and insights with our subscription plans and set up your own focused newsletters and alerts.

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SunPower-REC Introduce Monolith II Solar Panel  GlobeNewswire
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Two MPs criticise approval of major solar farm  Yahoo
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It can also help some households go off grid for stretches, depending on the setup.
Photo Credit: iStock
Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) customers could soon access more affordable solar panels and backup battery storage systems as the utility seeks banking partners that can offer loans up to $65,000 with APRs between 0% and 3%.
To get the solar program off the ground, PWP plans to buy down the interest rate, allowing the selected lender to extend cheaper financing to residential electric customers, according to My News LA.
After PWP selects a financial institution, the loans would become available to its residential electric customers. Eligible borrowers could finance up to $65,000 and repay it over 10 to 15 years.
PWP also said it wants to prioritize customers already enrolled in its bill-assistance programs for lower-income residents, which could expand access to solar panels and backup battery storage for households facing high upfront costs.
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
For Pasadena homeowners weighing that future financing option, going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy. Before applying, homeowners can try EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
Pasadena Water and Power issued a request for proposals, Project No. 2026-RFP-0399, to find a lending partner. Any bank or credit union that applies must have a branch in Los Angeles County and experience with consumer lending and home energy financing.
The chosen lender will build a secure reporting system so Pasadena Water and Power staff can monitor applications and project progress in real time. The full project description, available through the Pasadena OpenGov Procurement Portal, lays out the scope of work, deadlines, and submission instructions.
For PWP customers comparing offers before taking on a solar loan, EnergySage can add another layer of savings. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. EnergySage’s solar map also shows the average cost of a home solar panel system by state, along with details on solar panel incentives for each state; together, these resources can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
Because Pasadena’s planned loans also cover backup batteries, adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages and save money on energy. Depending on the setup, it can also help some households go off-grid for stretches. Homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
To see how solar and battery access is expanding beyond Pasadena, these stories cover other incentives and financing that can lower installation costs, low-income solar programs in California, and changing utility policies.
• In California, rooftop solar is a relief for low-income homes as bills rise.
• A California homeowner says a utility could slash credits 75% for added panels.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
• New South Wales is offering interest-free loans for solar, batteries, and home upgrades.
• Federal and state incentives can still help you collect $9,000 for home solar.
• Many homeowners are still missing out on massive government rebates for installing rooftop solar.
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Genneia, an Argentina-based renewable energy company, has inaugurated the 129 MW San Juan Sur Solar Park, its fourth solar facility in Argentina’s San Juan province, with an investment of $110 million. The project features approximately 250,000 bifacial solar panels and is expected to generate electricity equivalent to the consumption of 90,000 households while avoiding 160,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. With this addition, Genneia’s installed renewable capacity in San Juan has reached 350 MW, supporting mining and industrial electricity demand. The company has invested over $2 billion in renewable energy projects during the past decade, increasing its operational capacity to more than 1.7 GW across nine Argentine provinces.
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Generally cloudy. High 72F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..
Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 63F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Updated: October 10, 2026 @ 4:45 am

Shenzhen, China – October 10, 2026 – At the recently concluded Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 conference, Dr. Kamel represented LAPLACE Renewable Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as LAPLACE) to deliver a keynote presentation addressing topics for domestic photovoltaic manufacturing across North America, covering flexible multi technology equipment portfolios and AI powered closed loop manufacturing control.
The presentation focused on the need to connect process technology with factory engineering, automation, supply-chain preparation, and operations from the earliest stages of a project. LAPLACE described this integrated approach as essential to helping manufacturers establish reliable production capacity and achieve a smoother ramp-up.

(Source: pv magazine)
Technology Breadth for Every Roadmap
LAPLACE offers comprehensive equipment and process solutions to support customers’ diversified technical roadmaps. The company’s portfolio covers TOPCon , back‑contact and pilot‑ready support for perovskite‑silicon tandem cells. From volume‑manufacturing platforms to next‑generation R&D pilot lines, LAPLACE empowers customers to follow their preferred pathways with flexible architecture well‑positioned to accommodate future technology upgrades.
LAPLACE AI: Turning Data into Manufacturing Advantage
LAPLACE leverages AI‑enabled closed‑loop process control to convert on‑site factory and metrology data into tangible manufacturing advantages. Through the full loop of measurement, analysis, optimization and execution with local‑data security guaranteed, its AI system detects process drift, predicts equipment anomalies, auto‑tunes recipes and drives continuous cross‑tool learning. This technology delivers higher process capability, boosted equipment uptime, shortened ramp‑up time and reduced engineering workload, helping customers achieve sustained production performance improvement.
The presentation also highlighted LAPLACE’s expanding U.S. capabilities in project engineering and on-site operations and maintenance. Combined with the company’s TOPCon and back-contact technology portfolio, LAPLACE supports customers through factory design, installation, ramp-up, and long-term production.
LAPLACE continues to develop localized capabilities to support solar manufacturers as they build and scale production in the United States.
About LAPLACE
LAPLACE Renewable Energy Technology Co., Ltd., established in 2016, is a global leader in renewable energy innovation. Founded by a team of experts with extensive experience in solar cell research, development, and manufacturing, LAPLACE specializes in core components, advanced equipment, and solutions for the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries.
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Austria opened its third and final funding round of the year for photovoltaic systems and battery storage on Thursday afternoon. Demand was even higher than in the previous round, according to an announcement issued Friday by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism.
Preliminary figures show that around 43,300 application tickets were issued within 10 minutes of the opening of the Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG) funding portal, operated by funding agency OeMAG. By comparison, the second funding round in the summer attracted 24,900 tickets in its first 10 minutes.
The ministry said it had anticipated strong demand based on previous funding rounds. The experience has also prompted the government to reconsider its approach to PV subsidies.
Earlier this week, the ministry presented initial proposals for a revised funding scheme following extensive consultations with representatives of the electrical engineering industry, electrical retailers and industry association PV&B Austria.
“We need to move away from a race against the clock and toward a subsidy system that allows individuals and businesses to plan effectively,” said Elisabeth Zehetner, Austria’s state secretary for energy.
Under the proposed scheme, applicants would be able to submit funding requests together with their final invoices after completing their projects, starting in 2027.
Applications would be accepted year-round, replacing the current system of three annual funding windows in which applicants compete to secure funding on a first-come, first-served basis.
The ministry also plans to replace conventional investment grants with a battery storage bonus. The new scheme would prioritize battery storage systems installed alongside new or existing PV arrays, provided they are connected to a smart energy management system.
Such systems would be mandatory to qualify for funding.
The ministry is still finalizing the details, including the storage bonus amount and technical eligibility requirements. It said the necessary legislative amendments are being prepared.
The changes would require a two-thirds majority in parliament, meaning the governing parties would need support from the opposition.
Austria introduced its current system of multiple annual funding rounds in 2021. Although the scheme has supported PV deployment, the ministry said it no longer meets market requirements.
It also pointed to organized efforts to improve applicants’ chances of securing funding, including dedicated training sessions and online courses.
“It is absurd that specific training courses and organized voucher campaigns are being set up just to access a subsidy,” Zehetner said. “This illustrates the grotesque extremes to which this subsidy logic has led. That is precisely why we are changing the rules of the game: subsidies must facilitate investment rather than turning into a race to see who can click the fastest.”
The proposed overhaul aims to give households and installers greater planning certainty while simplifying the application process. The government also wants the scheme to support European manufacturing.
“A ‘Made in Europe’ inverter will be mandatory for storage systems installed alongside new PV systems. An additional ‘Made in Europe’ bonus for storage systems retrofitted to existing PV systems will remain available,” the ministry said.
The proposed changes could also benefit applicants who missed out on funding this year.
According to the ministry, PV systems equipped with smart battery storage that are invoiced or commissioned on or after Nov. 1, 2026, would be eligible to apply for funding under the new scheme in 2027.
Herbert Paierl, CEO of PV&B Austria, welcomed the increased emphasis on battery storage but called for greater flexibility in the proposed European-content requirements.
“We welcome the fact that battery storage is becoming a greater focus of subsidy schemes,” Paierl said.
“Regarding the ‘Made in Europe’ requirement, we see room for a broader and more practical approach. The foundation has been laid. Now, the details must be shaped in a way that ensures planning certainty for businesses, allowing them to know well in advance what framework conditions will apply in 2027.”
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The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Monday, October 12, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead.
pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain.
Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine.
Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry.
Lunes, 19 de octubre de 2026
16:00 – 17:00 CEST, Berlín, París, Madrid
Friday, October 23, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, October 26, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid

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Austrian company Sunbooster has secured a European patent for its vertical photovoltaic solution designed for integration into fences.
The technology is now protected in 18 European Union member states, and the company aims to expand its presence in the French market.
Sunbooster’s solution consists of 18.6 cm-high bifacial PV strips that slide into existing fence panels, replacing conventional privacy slats. Each strip has a rated output of 62 W for a 2-meter length or 79 W for a 2.5-meter length, with a reported conversion efficiency of 22.8%. The vertical orientation is designed to shift a portion of electricity generation toward the morning and late afternoon hours.
“We are expanding our presence, particularly in France, where we have already completed our first installation,” Yann Schremmer, Sunbooster’s France manager, told pv magazine. The company has installed a 20-meter section of solar fencing in Aix-en-Provence, with a total capacity of 3.7 kW. The system was supplied by a metalworking company and integrated into the fence of a customer seeking both privacy and electricity generation.
The 2-meter strip is priced at €619 ($692.9( for residential customers, while the 2.5-meter version costs €719. “We have deliberately set very attractive prices for professionals, allowing them to achieve high margins,” said Schremmer. The company plans to focus on building a distribution network comprising PV distributors, major retailers, and fence manufacturers.
The bifacial PV strips use p-type monocrystalline solar cells cut into quarters. Designed for rigid double-wire mesh fences (6/5/6 mm or 8/6/8 mm), the strips are inserted into the mesh and connected using MC4 connectors located on the bottom strip.
According to the manufacturer, the strips have an IP67 protection rating and an operating temperature range of −20 C to 60 C. The maximum system voltage is 50.16 V for the 2-meter version and 63.84 V for the 2.5-meter version.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
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The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Monday, October 12, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead.
pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain.
Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine.
Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry.
Lunes, 19 de octubre de 2026
16:00 – 17:00 CEST, Berlín, París, Madrid
Friday, October 23, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, October 26, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid

You have no items in your basket.

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Once operational, the solar farm is projected to produce enough power for more than 200,000 UK homes annually.
The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has granted a development consent order for the Green Hill Solar Farm in Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.
The decision allows Island Green Power (IGP), the primary developer, to move forward with the next stages of the scheme, which include a 500MW ground-mounted solar array and a battery energy storage system (BESS) of equivalent capacity.
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Baroness Curran made the announcement on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, following the application submission by Green Hill Solar Farm on 23 May 2025 and its acceptance for examination on 19 June 2025.
The examination process spanned six months, providing opportunities for local residents, the councils of West Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, as well as other interested parties, to participate and give evidence.
Recommendations were forwarded to the Secretary of State on 8 July 2026 after the Examining Authority considered input from public consultation and statutory bodies.
The Green Hill project comprises nine areas of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, BESS, grid connection infrastructure and associated works.
Electricity generated at the site will connect to the national grid at the Grendon substation in Northamptonshire.
Once operational, the solar farm is projected to produce enough power for more than 200,000 UK homes annually.
As part of the development, IGP has pledged a minimum 47% biodiversity net gain in habitat units.
Planned improvements include more than 14.4 hectares of green corridors and woodland planting, 50.7km of new and improved hedgerows, and more than 18km of new permissive paths. A community fund will also be established for local benefit.
IGP CEO Bob Psaradellis commented: “As the company moves into our new era as an independent power producer, projects such as Green Hill will form the basis of a strong portfolio of solar generation and battery energy storage.
“And the benefits will be shared with communities, through a local benefit fund, and the wider country, through the increase in secure, clean and cheap homegrown power.”
Last month, IGP received consent from Scottish ministers to develop a 500MW BESS near New Deer, Aberdeenshire, UK.
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As free and abundant as sunlight may be, harnessing its power remains stubbornly difficult for homeowners. While the cost of solar energy has plummeted more than 90 percent in the last decade, panels remain a significant investment. And it’s not as easy as just slapping panels on a roof, as your home may need electrical upgrades too.
It doesn’t have to be this way, Grist reports. Countries like Germany have encouraged the proliferation of balcony solar, also known as plug-in solar: smaller, cheaper arrays that hook into a home’s electrical outlets. This offsets some of a residence’s energy use, saving users hundreds of dollars a year, and opens up solar energy to renters with balconies or backyards. As a bonus, the less power homes have to draw from the grid, the less stress they put on the system, especially during heat waves when everyone is running energy-hungry air conditioners.
On Sept. 30, California officially got in on the balcony-solar action as Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing residents of the nation’s most populous state to adopt the technology. It joins a handful of states, like Utah and Maine, in seeing the potential of the technology to generate clean electricity and save residents money as energy costs rise.
“This technology is very important and very powerful,” state Senator Scott Wiener, who authored the legislation, said during a press conference Oct. 1. “And what this bill does is eliminate the massive barrier to people using plug-in solar, which is that you’d have to go and negotiate an interconnection agreement with PG&E [Pacific Gas and Electric Company] or the other utility.”
The proliferation of plug-in solar marks a fundamental shift in how the electrical grid operates. Historically, utilities have generated electricity by burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. When demand rose, like when people returned home at the end of the day and switched on appliances, they’d just ramp up production. This kept the system in a sort of equilibrium, a constant balance of supply and demand.
That, though, doesn’t quite work the same with renewables like wind and solar. If demand is holding steady and the sun is setting, a utility isn’t generating as much electricity with its panels. Same with wind, if the skies suddenly calm. So in addition to building out wind and solar farms, utilities are deploying huge batteries to save that energy for later use. This creates a more flexible grid that can still hum with electricity when things are dark or calm.
This transformation is turning you, the consumer, into a more active participant in the grid. For years now, homes with solar have sent excess energy back to the grid. While plug-in solar might generate a fraction of what you’d get from a roof covered in panels, it can still help make the grid more flexible. Instead of feeding the system, it reduces the amount of electricity drawn from the grid. Scaled across a whole city, these small reductions can add up, offsetting some of the growth in demand from things like AI data centers and electrification. (Think induction stoves needing electricity instead of natural gas, and EVs charging instead of burning fuel.)
“This is one of the most immediate, concrete, tangible, real, and affordable things that we can do to start to get control of our high energy costs, but also save our planet,” Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president for California at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, said during the press conference. “So it’s really a twofer.”
Basically, plug-in solar could help reduce congestion in the system at peak times — when it’s hot out and everyone’s running their AC, there’s also plenty of sun to strike the panels. It’s turning homes and apartments into a distributed network of tiny power plants. “It’s really ideal to use renewable electricity exactly where it’s generated,” said Amanda Smith, a senior scientist focusing on the built environment at Project Drawdown, a climate solutions nonprofit.
This increased interactivity in the grid comes as utility bills continue to skyrocket. Basic plug-in solar systems will set you back a few hundred dollars, and you can potentially make back that money with energy savings in around four years. (The higher the energy costs in your state, the quicker you’d get that return on your investment.) Still, for a lot of households, that’s a major investment, so ideally a state also provides rebates for people to adopt the technology.
With California now aboard the plug-in solar train, your state may well follow. “The big reason this is a big deal really is because it’s the most affordable way for people to actually participate with solar PV,” Smith said. “Whatever happens in California is going to influence, I think, a lot of other future state markets. So it’s going to be a key one to watch.”
This story was produced by Grist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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“It’s a public health emergency, especially for our seniors and neighbors who rely on medical equipment.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A $23.6 million neighborhood battery initiative approved by the City Council could bring backup power to about 800 homes and more than 200 businesses, per the New Orleans City Council.
The plan reserves 40% of its upfront funding for low- and moderate-income households.
The unanimous City Council vote makes battery storage central to how New Orleans plans to prepare for power outages, heat waves, and periods of heavy grid strain.
Climate Change & Sustainability Committee Chair and District A Councilmember Aimee McCarron introduced Resolution R-26-421, and the Council approved it unanimously. 
City officials noted that the incentive package is meant to work with Community Solar incentives as part of a microgrid effort called the Neighborhood Power Plan.
Council Vice President Matthew Willard described it as “the largest per-capita investment in distributed battery storage in the nation.”
“I am so proud to author this transformative legislation, which will provide relief when the lights go out from storms, during heat waves, or when the grid is strained,” McCarron said.
Homeowners interested in comparing similar options can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage choices, including competitive installation estimates. 
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EnergySage has teamed up with the electrification brand Qmerit to guarantee you get the best price on home battery storage solutions.
The New Orleans City Council will pay the participation incentives with proceeds from a settlement involving Entergy New Orleans.
The batteries are intended to play two roles. They can keep power flowing to participating homes during outages while the larger system is repaired, and they can also be coordinated during times of grid stress to curb demand and supply capacity where it is most needed.
District B Councilmember Lesli Harris emphasized what is at stake. 
“When the grid goes down in August, it isn’t an inconvenience. It’s a public health emergency, especially for our seniors and neighbors who rely on medical equipment,” she began. 
“The Neighborhood Power Plan gives families a lifeline during outages and helps keep the whole grid stable when demand peaks. It’s a smart and practical investment.”
For households that want a smaller backup option, Pila is another company offering flexible, affordable systems. Its plug-and-play batteries cost a fraction of a whole-home backup system.
Rather than operating as isolated systems, the city’s plan would place batteries at homes and businesses throughout New Orleans and connect them into a larger virtual power plant. 
“This incentive package, paired with community solar, creates the nation’s most expansive virtual power plant. This is a new solution to these chronic problems, that is for the people and by the people,” McCarron observed.
City leaders stressed that the benefits were intended to reach low- and moderate-income households. 
“When the power goes out, families and businesses should not be left waiting for hours or days for relief,” said Council President Jean-Paul “JP” Morrell. 
“By putting battery storage directly in our neighborhoods, we are giving people another layer of protection while strengthening our entire electrical grid,” he continued. 
“As Utilities Chair, I’m especially proud that the Neighborhood Power Plan dedicates 40% of its upfront funding to low- and moderate-income households, helping make sure the communities that need this investment most can benefit from it.”
The New Orleans City Council developed the Neighborhood Power Plan in partnership with Together New Orleans, Alliance for Affordable Energy, and others.
“Our responsibility now is to make sure this program reaches the people it was designed to serve and delivers real results for New Orleanians,” Willard stated.
New Orleans’ plan is part of a broader push to use home batteries as neighborhood resilience tools. The articles below look at how the city and other entities are funding batteries and using them to steady the grid.
• New Orleans residents have tapped upfront incentives for residents to add home battery backups.
• As hurricane outages drag on, New Orleans homeowners are choosing solar batteries over generators.
• Companies like SunPower and Palmetto are removing upfront cost barriers to home backup batteries.
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The owner said the defect might have gone unnoticed at the time of purchase.
Photo Credit: Reddit
While preparing a homebuilt solar setup in Jamaica, a household discovered that one of the eight used panels it bought was barely functioning. In full sunlight, the panel reportedly read only about 11 volts and delivered 0 watts to the charge controller, leading the owner to suspect it had burned out.
What makes the situation harder is that replacing the bad unit may not be simple. The family said it has not been able to locate the same panel locally, so a cheap used panel purchase has led them to question whether a close substitute would even fit the system.
According to the Reddit post, the issue came to light only when the array was finally being installed. Testing the suspect module with a multimeter in full sun produced a reading of about 11 volts, despite the panel being labeled with a 37.95-volt open-circuit specification, and the charge controller registered no output.
The owner said the planned system used eight 265-watt panels with ratings of 37.95V Voc and 30.92V Vmp, and added that the seller had agreed to refund the faulty one.
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To solve the shortage, the buyer found a different used panel listed on a marketplace at 260 watts, 37.84V Voc, and 30.81V Vmp. Because that alternative was close in voltage and power but not identical, the poster asked if adding it in series with the current set would be safe.
When you’re looking to install solar panels, it’s vital to get trusted installers. That’s where it’s helpful to use a comparison shopping tool like EnergySage. You get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes before committing, helping you save money on your electrical bills.
The owner said the defect might have gone unnoticed at the time of purchase because the bad unit may have been buried in the stack, and described it as having “looked burned out.”
Another idea — using seven panels instead of eight — had already been raised. But the OP said someone familiar with DIY solar had warned against wiring the array as uneven three-panel and four-panel series strings.
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If neither a repair nor a compatible replacement works out, the family said they may have to use a six-panel configuration and leave one panel unused.
One part of the problem has at least been addressed: the seller has offered a refund for the failed panel. The harder decision now is whether a nearly matching replacement can be integrated or whether the array will need to be reconfigured around a smaller number of panels.
If a bad used panel turns an eight-panel plan into a six-panel compromise, it may be worth it to start your installation over. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar panel purchases and installations. EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state level, as well as details on solar panel incentives for each state. Together, these resources can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
For households building resilience with a solar setup like the one described in Jamaica, adding battery storage is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. Homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
If a bad or mismatched panel has you second-guessing a used solar buy, these stories tackle the same practical questions. They cover used panel deals, maintenance and repairs, how rooftop arrays work, solar shopping costs, and a major trust barrier for homeowners.
• Homeowners learned cleaning and repairs can restore rooftop panels that suddenly underperform.
• Rooftop arrays produce power only when solar panels work together within safe limits.
• EnergySage customers saw solar prices and installation choices shaped by several interconnected factors.
• In the Philippines, homeowners said trustworthiness of providers still slowed broader solar adoption.
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“Either way no, $4600 is not reasonable for that system.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A Reddit homeowner preparing for a roof replacement and solar upgrade said Tesla‘s automated buyout calculation put the fair-market value of the home’s aging solar array at roughly $4,600. But Tesla said they have to pay that amount before someone can remove the panels.
According to the Reddit thread, the house came with a solar PPA that was paid upfront, was installed near the end of 2011, and still has six years left. The system has 16 panels and a SE3800A-US inverter, and the agreement calls for about 4,000 units of annual production. The homeowner said Tesla sends a check in years when output misses that mark.
The owner said a major remodel and roof replacement mean the current array has to come off before adding on anything new.
But as the homeowner said, “Tesla says that the only way to remove the panels is by buying the equipment.” 
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Under the agreement, the payoff is whichever amount is greater — $2,700 or fair market value — and the first automated estimate came back at about $4,600. The homeowner added that the cheapest removal quote was $1,100.
One Reddit user said, “Whether $4,600 is a reasonable value matters less than what your clause lets the valuation count, because under a greater-of clause the $2,700 is only the floor and the valuation is the price. The contract states no ceiling on what a valuation returns.” 
For homeowners who inherit older solar agreements with a home, terms like that can leave roof space tied up until the contract is resolved.
Reddit users noted that paying in advance for the electricity does not automatically mean owning the solar equipment.
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“Either way no, $4600 is not reasonable for that system, which is worth effectively $0,” a commenter also said.
Another estimated the used equipment at around 10 cents per watt and said the panels, inverter, wiring, and racking together seemed closer to $2,000 than $4,600.
If you are starting from scratch and thinking about going solar, it’s a great way to save money on your home energy bills. Tools like EnergySage can help by offering free installation estimates and quote comparisons.
One Reddit user said the homeowner should check exactly how the valuation clause works, including who orders and pays for any appraisal and whether the final written payoff can include taxes or previously accrued charges. 
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Another person said their own PPA had a fixed $500 removal-and-reinstall charge for roof work.
Some people suggested treating the issue as part of a bigger solar project rather than as a stand-alone removal expense. A new installer might be willing to quote a job that includes buying out and removing the old system, which could reduce the price.
EnergySage is a useful tool for homeowners still browsing solar options. With its help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. EnergySage’s solar map also shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state level, along with solar incentives in each state, which can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available programs.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is also one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. Homeowners considering that route can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
These stories cover many of the same issues that homeowners with solar face.
• Some homeowners with Tesla Solar Roof systems now earn roughly $350 monthly from grid programs.
• Tesla and IronRidge introduced a lower-cost rooftop mounting system meant to trim residential solar expenses.
• In one neighborhood, an HOA blocked Tesla panels outright, leaving a homeowner frustrated.
• Tesla said builders have created more than 600 solar neighborhoods with rooftop systems included.
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Jackery, known for outdoor and home backup storage products, has revealed plans to move into the smart electric trailer sector through a partnership with Pebble, a California-based travel trailer manufacturer, as reported by ESS News. Under the arrangement, Jackery will provide custom solar panels and connections designed to boost power for the 2027 Pebble Flow, offered as an optional add-on for customers looking to gain greater energy independence via solar.
The two firms are calling the joint solution a new category of mobile off-grid energy, highlighting freedom of movement and power autonomy. By definition, an RV is a recreational vehicle, a broad category covering any motor vehicle or trailer fitted with space to stay, cook, and live, typically for travel and camping. A trailer may qualify as an RV, but not every RV is a trailer.
When the new Pebble Flow is parked and set up, the system provides roughly 2 kW of supplementary solar input. The panels link directly to the Pebble Flow’s all-electric microgrid, which combines a 45 kWh LFP battery with as much as 4 kW of total solar input and up to 12 kW of power export to a residence, another RV or an electric tow vehicle.
Responding to inquiries, Jackery told ESS News that it does not provide the 45 kWh battery, only the new solar add-on configuration.
Bingrui Yang, CEO and founder of Pebble, said the goal was not merely to place two logos on a product. Yang explained that Jackery has devoted years to building portable power that people rely on, at home and outdoors. Yang added that Jackery’s solar panels plug straight into the Pebble Flow’s own energy system, giving travelers the same dependable, simple power on the road that they enjoy at home, which he described as the concept behind Jackery’s Home on the Road, Power on the Go.
For the new Pebble, the Jackery-based add-in costs an additional $4,000 for the 2027 Pebble Flow’s Founder Edition of the trailer, on top of a list price of $189,000.
The package comprises four high-efficiency 500W solar panels, four matching 3-meter solar extension cables and a four-in-one solar connection junction. Additional configurations are offered.
Self-Powered Package hardware is scheduled to start shipping in December 2026.
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By Julian Spector, Canary Media Published: October 09, 2026
The soil in northwest Iowa is so fertile it’s referred to as ​“black gold.”
“It’s incredibly rich, wonderful topsoil from thousands of years of silty deposits from the Missouri River,” said Luke Seaberg, a researcher at Iowa State University’s extension program. So rich that some counties restrict development on land that scores especially high on the state’s official Corn Suitability Rating.
The Smith family has been farming that soil for six generations in Cherokee County, population 11,000. But the corn market has been depressed lately, prompting the three Smith brothers to consider other uses for a 160-acre parcel, 10% of their farmland. Looking at rising beef prices and the region’s ballooning energy demand, they landed on an idea: Graze cows amid rows of solar panels.
“We’re trying to diversify into another revenue stream. The cattle business is really good right now, and grain has been not as good,” Mark Smith told me over the phone, as he drove across the state for his son’s high school football game. ​“With solar, we can put cornfields back to pasture. Solar revenue plus cattle revenue makes it work.”
But to loft the solar panels up above the butting heads of grazing cattle costs more than a regular solar installation; indeed, this type of agrivoltaics only recently entered commercial-scale use, at a 40-acre, 3-megawatt site in Tennessee developed by Silicon Ranch. To mitigate the extra cost, the Smiths want to pair 30 megawatts of cattle-friendly solar capacity with a 25-megawatt/100-megawatt-hour battery composed of modular containerized units covering about an acre and a half.
The Smith brothers’ desire to install batteries on their land, though, set them on a collision course with local authorities. When the county supervisors heard of the plan, they approved an indefinite moratorium on March 24, blocking any battery projects in the county. Similar bans are popping up around the country as communities grapple with the real and perceived risks of lithium-ion batteries, which rose from obscurity over the last decade and now constitute the largest source of on-demand power getting built in the U.S.
In many counties, this story ends with the battery moratorium, stymieing new emissions-free power capacity at a time when everyone from climate advocates to AI giants to the Trump administration wants to see more batteries get built. But the Smiths found an ally in Supervisor Shane Bellefy, the lone vote against the moratorium.
Together, they set out to flip the county back to a place that lets landowners decide what to do on their acreage. Within just five months, they succeeded.
Iowa subscribes to the ​“home rule” philosophy, whereby the state constitution leaves many decisions up to city or county governments, Seaberg said. But even those local authorities typically take a hands-off approach. The state’s ​“right to farm” law blocks local governments from regulating what landowners choose to grow or raise on their farmland. Some rural counties don’t even have a zoning code.
“Your nearest neighbor might be 5 or 10 miles down the road,” Seaberg explained. ​“The general policy of county supervisors was, folks can do what they want to do with their land.”
That attitude started to shift after the onshore wind boom came to Iowa in the early 2000s. The state has since added 13 gigawatts and remains the nation’s top state for share of wind energy produced. But in some rural counties, the nonexistent zoning code enabled a frenzy of development that ​“left a bad taste in their mouths,” Seaberg said. Now some counties have added land use regulations — but only for wind and solar.
In Cherokee County, an earlier proposed 900-acre solar project prompted the supervisors to throw up a solar moratorium last year. But they subsequently worked through their concerns with the technology and adopted an ordinance allowing large-scale solar, with some restrictions.
The March 2026 battery moratorium, though, would block the Smiths’ project, jeopardizing tens of millions of dollars in financing that the developers had lined up from investment banks.
The Smiths might have had a case to challenge the moratorium on procedural grounds, since it passed without the usual multiple readings and lacked a specified time frame. But instead, they opted for persuasion.
After the moratorium was approved, it fell to the county zoning board to compose a long-term ordinance to govern battery development. That body held a public meeting in May where the Smiths testified about their plans. The family also invited Seaberg to answer the community’s questions about battery technology based on Iowa State University’s independent research.
The Smiths explained what they wanted to build on their land in partnership with energy developer Nomad Infrastructure. The Indiana-based firm has considerable experience constructing solar and battery projects, and one brother, Thomas Smith, works there as an engineer.
They had gotten permission from the local rural electric cooperative, Mark Smith noted, to transmit the generation over the wires and sell it in the broader regional grid, run by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. The MISO grid has very high rates of wind and solar production, but batteries are just starting to proliferate there. Meanwhile, data center expansion is driving up electricity demand in the region to never-before-seen heights, making for auspicious conditions to sell on-demand power from a battery.
Bellefy, who works as a banker, pitched his fellow supervisors on the economic potential of allowing the project to move forward. The Smith installation would involve investing upwards of $80 million, which could generate $60,000 to $80,000 in new county tax revenue annually, Bellefy estimated.
“Land in Iowa is our No. 1 asset. It’s a row-crop state, cow-calf operations — it’s what we do,” he said. ​“We don’t have the ability in certain areas, especially in rural Iowa, to just attract skyscrapers or 400-people housing developments.”
The zoning board initially proposed wide-ranging setbacks to limit where batteries could go. Bellefy explained that such rules would reduce the business prospects of such projects, which would, in turn, cut the expected tax revenue for the county. He also appealed for humility from his fellow supervisors when it came to passing judgment on something that other people might know more about.
“If the financial institution is fine with it, and the insurance institution is fine with insuring it, I know that their regulations are way heavier than ours,” he said. ​“If they’re OK with it, and they’re willing to put their skin on the line, how are we going to justify we’re smarter than them?”
In making his case, Bellefy leaned on the guidance of a conservative nonprofit group, the Private Property Rights Institute, which supports local leaders who protect landowners’ rights, particularly in efforts to build critical infrastructure and housing. The group launched in 2024 and supported 165 candidates in elections that year, including Bellefy, and is working on nearly 200 races in this year’s cycle.
“We want to get rid of regulations,” said Charlie Kolean, the conservative political strategist who serves as the group’s executive director. ​“If people own their property and they’re going to operate on it responsibly, they should be able to build what they want on their property.”
Kolean declined to name his funders but described them as ​“people who want to have this critical infrastructure built.”
Bellefy still had to assuage his colleagues’ concerns over battery safety. Grid batteries have burned in fires that are extremely difficult to put out once lithium-ion cells heat up and start a chain reaction. Most infamously, the massive battery plant that Vistra built in Moss Landing, California, forced a local evacuation during a lengthy conflagration in early 2025; a second fire sprang up there last month among the stranded battery packs that workers had been laboriously removing from the damaged structure.
Seaberg conducted a workshop on battery fundamentals for the board in February and returned for the May meeting, explaining how the battery industry’s safety standards — and failure rate — have improved since the era of the Moss Landing installation. Grid batteries today mostly use the safer lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry. They adhere to safety codes that did not exist when the first Moss Landing facility was installed. And they place batteries in modular containers to prevent fire from spreading if it does break out.
In running these informational workshops around the state, Seaberg said, he typically fields some fears that ​“stem from a misunderstanding of the material or easily debunkable misinformation.” But the vast majority of questions have to do with the local ramifications of a technology that hasn’t been seen yet in the vicinity — like what a plume of battery smoke could mean for a nearby hog-farming operation or whether local responders have the right tools to handle a fire.
The fire chief also dispelled some of the concerns that had been circulating, Bellefy said.
Ultimately, the supervisors got on board, approving a workable battery ordinance on Aug. 26 in a 5–0 vote.
It’s hard to overturn a moratorium like that, Kolean noted. But Bellefy’s engagement with the community and fellow supervisors helped produce ​“a very good success case” that ​“paved the way for something to be getting built.” Once they secure the necessary permissions, the Smiths hope to turn the parcel over to grass in the spring and start installing solar and batteries next fall.
Bellefy, for his part, was excited to see his community embracing an entrepreneurial spirit while maintaining their traditional values.
“We’re blue-collar people — we raise them up right, as we try to say, with good Christian values, and you know our work ethic is strong,” he said. ​“This started with family farms that have been around for hundreds of years, that have been handed down generation over generation. And to have that type of innovation, I think, is a really neat story in Cherokee County.”
Julian Spector is a senior reporter at Canary Media. He reports on batteries, long-duration energy storage, low-carbon hydrogen, and clean energy breakthroughs around the world.
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LGI Limited Acquires Maryborough and Chinchilla Solar Farms  SolarQuarter
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Australia is the first country to endorse a global plan to double the number of homes with rooftop solar by 2030 following its endorsement of the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration at the 2026 Pacific Pre-COP meeting in Fiji.
The Declaration is a roadmap for governments to make residential solar and battery systems easier and cheaper to install by cutting red tape, offering affordable finance, upgrading power grids and training local workers.
The Declaration underpins the 300 Million Solar Homes initiative, and its partners – including the Global Solar Council, Smart Energy Council (SEC) Australia and Solar Citizens – welcomed Australia’s endorsement and called on other governments at a national, regional and local level to follow.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President of Negotiations for COP31 Chris Bowen announced in Fiji the launch of the Global Rooftop Solar pledge.
“Australia has 35% of their houses with rooftop solar. We’re working to spread rooftop solar more around the world,” Bowen said.
SEC Australia Chief Executive Officer David McElrea the Australian government has shown it is prepared to take Australia’s global rooftop solar leadership to the world.
“Rooftop solar cuts power bills, gives countries greater control over their own energy and protects households and economies from volatile fuel costs and supply,” McElrea said.
Solar Citizens Chief Executive Officer Heidi Lee Douglas rooftop and home solar is the sleeping giant in global climate diplomacy, despite powering millions of homes.
“This pivotal Declaration provides a pathway to rapidly change that. We now call on national, state and local leaders around the world to sign onto the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration ahead of COP31 and help bring the benefits of home solar to millions more people,” Douglas said.
Global Solar Council Chief Executive Officer Sonia Dunlop added that it took the world around 30 years to reach the first 150 million solar homes.
“We want to add the next 150 million in just four years. Australia’s support and practical experience in implementation is exactly what we need to realise that ambition in every corner of the world,” Dunlop said.
Global Rooftop Solar Declaration
Signatories will support practical collaboration on city, state and regional delivery partnerships, rooftop solar policy design, finance models for households, grid integration and storage, consumer protection and safety, training and workforce standards, data and deployment tracking, and access models for low-income and underserved communities.
Rooftop solar, and battery storage, is one of the fastest-growing parts of the global energy system, expected to deliver 42% of solar growth and 34% of all renewable energy growth by 2030.

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The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
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Monday, October 12, 2026
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pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead.
pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain.
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Photo shows a solar power plant in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region. (Photo/Yuan Hongyan)
As of late July this year, China’s installed solar power capacity officially surpassed that of coal-fired generation for the first time, establishing solar as the country’s largest source of electricity-generating infrastructure.
This milestone stands in stark contrast to the industry’s struggles just over a decade ago. At that time, many small and medium-sized manufacturers were fighting for survival, while even leading firms reported substantial losses — forcing some to shutter operations entirely.
Today, however, China not only holds the world’s largest installed solar capacity year after year but has also cultivated the most comprehensive and globally competitive solar value chain.
How was such a dramatic transformation achieved in little more than ten years?
The journey began in the first decade of this century, when China’s fledgling solar sector experienced explosive growth. By the end of 2010, China’s output of solar cells had climbed to 8,000 megawatts, accounting for about half of the global total.
Yet rapid expansion masked deeper structural vulnerabilities.
First, the industry relied on overseas suppliers for raw materials and equipment, while its main markets were abroad: more than 90 percent of polysilicon was imported, more than 70 percent of products were exported to Europe and the United States, and foreign brands dominated production lines.
Second, the industry remained stuck at a relatively low level of development, relying largely on imitation, replication, and processing materials supplied by others, with excessive duplication of investment and limited technological capabilities.
These weaknesses were exposed starting in 2011, when several Western countries launched anti-dumping and countervailing investigations against Chinese solar products, dealing a major blow to the industry. Markets contracted sharply, and the industry entered a downturn.

Robotic arms manufacture solar modules in a workshop of an energy company in Fuyang, east China’s Anhui province. (Photo/Wang Biao)
Ultimately, overreliance on external inputs and downstream markets eroded industrial autonomy, while confinement to low-margin activities stifled competitiveness — the twin roots of the crisis.
Recognizing these challenges, Chinese policymakers responded with coordinated, forward-looking interventions. Beginning in 2012, central and local authorities rolled out a comprehensive policy framework spanning manufacturing standards, market deployment, fiscal incentives, and tax reforms.
Designed to accelerate the transition toward a modern energy system, these measures revitalized the sector and ushered in what industry observers have called a “second spring. ” On the demand side, the government deliberately expanded domestic consumption to absorb excess capacity.
In 2013, the State Council issued guidelines on promoting the sound development of the solar industry, calling for the wider application of distributed solar power and the development of solar power plants.
Starting in 2015, China launched a “top runner” program for solar power generation, accelerating the commercialization and wider application of technological advances. From 2021, large-scale renewable energy bases were developed in deserts and other arid areas, creating vast expanses of solar panels across the country’s deserts and wastelands.
These efforts supported the green transition while tapping domestic demand, leading solar power plants to spring up across the country and driving demand for solar equipment.
International markets broadened in parallel. Moving beyond traditional exports to Europe and North America, Chinese solar firms are increasingly engaged in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, shifting from simple product sales to integrated solutions encompassing project financing, engineering management, brand development, and long-term operations. This evolution has steadily expanded China’s network of global partners in the clean energy sector.
Simultaneously, the supply side underwent a rigorous push for technological self-reliance. Breakthroughs emerged across multiple areas of solar module manufacturing technology. The conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells has set new world records time and again. Research and development of next-generation technologies such as perovskite solar cells has accelerated. Technologies including new-type energy storage and ultra-high-voltage power transmission gradually matured, helping address the intermittency and volatility of solar power generation.

Solar panels are installed on top of factory buildings in Sihong county, Suqian, east China’s Jiangsu province. (Photo/Chen Yu)
Joint efforts by enterprises, universities, research institutes and the user end have driven continuous upgrades in China’s solar products and power generation technologies.
Backed by a complete industrial system and massive application scenarios, it fostered a virtuous cycle between supply and demand. The sector effectively reduced its heavy reliance on imported raw materials and equipment as well as overseas end markets, and its competitiveness grew steadily.
Today, China accounts for more than 90 percent of global polysilicon, wafer and solar cell production capacity and more than 80 percent of global module production capacity, while domestically made equipment has become the backbone of solar production lines. The average cost of solar power generation has fallen sharply.
Clean, cost-effective and reliable, solar power has built its competitiveness on solid technological and industrial capabilities. Its share of China’s total installed power capacity has risen from less than 0.2 percent in 2011 to 31.5 percent today.
Looking back at the development of China’s solar industry, one can see a clear path and valuable lessons for nurturing and growing emerging industries. It was the unwavering pursuit of high-quality development, the full and accurate implementation of the new development philosophy, and accelerated efforts to foster a new development paradigm that enabled China’s solar industry to turn challenges into opportunities and build up strength for sustained growth.
China is now at a critical stage of shifting from old growth drivers to new ones and upgrading its industrial structure, with businesses in some sectors facing new circumstances and challenges. The development of China’s solar industry shows that the challenges confronting an industry can also provide a valuable opportunity for adjustment and upgrading. As long as development continues to move toward higher quality and greater value, industries can weather cycles and keep moving forward under pressure.

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The Wayra Solar Project is expected to boost local clean energy supply and low-carbon green development.
The 96.9 MW Wayra Solar Project in Peru, built by POWERCHINA, achieved full-capacity grid-connected power generation ahead of schedule on Sept 19, marking the completion and commissioning of POWERCHINA's first renewable energy project in the country.
Located in the Marcona District of Nasca Province, Ica Region, the project has an installed capacity of 96.9 MW. It features more than 136,000 photovoltaic modules and 2,345 single-axis tracking brackets, alongside supporting infrastructure including seven 33 kV collector lines, a 220 kV step-up substation, and its transmission lines.
Once operational, the project is expected to generate approximately 250 million kWh of electricity annually, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 150,000 metric tons per year and boosting local clean energy supply and low-carbon green development.
The commissioning of the project further expands the company's business footprint in Peru's new energy sector. Moving forward, POWERCHINA will continue to handle subsequent project handover and related tasks, driving deeper and more practical green energy cooperation between China and Peru through high-quality project execution.
Add: Building 1, Courtyard 1, Linglongxiang Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100037, P.R.China
Powerchina Overseas Business Unit, Building 23, No.17 Xicui Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100036, P.R.China
https://en.powerchina.cn

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In Ohio, a free solar co-op could cut Duke Energy bills by about $1,000 a year  Yahoo
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For decades, the success of India’s renewable energy transition has largely been measured in gigawatts. That indicator remains relevant, but it is no longer sufficient. The more important question today is how effectively the electricity system can accommodate, coordinate, and derive value from the renewable capacity being added.
The scale is significant. As of Sept. 30, 2026 data, India had 299 GW of renewable energy generation capacity, including 171 GW from solar and 59 GW wind. Total non-fossil capacity stood at 308 GW, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). These numbers demonstrate the scale India has achieved. They also point to the operational challenge ahead.
Solar and wind cannot provide electricity on demand. Solar generation peaks during the day while electricity consumption can remain high in the evening. Wind generation varies with weather conditions and location. As variable renewable energy grows, the challenge is no longer only about expanding generation. It is about coordinating generation with consumption and making the power system increasingly responsive.
This challenge will become even more pronounced. The International Energy Agency sees India’s electricity demand increasing at an annual rate of 6.4% up to 2030, adding more than 570 TWh to annual electricity consumption. The agency also sees variable renewable energy accounting for 24% of India’s electricity generation in 2030, compared with 14% in 2025.
With demand growing alongside variable generation, flexibility becomes an imperative for India’s power grid, not just an option.
This is where Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) become critical. Yet conversations around BESS often begin and end with capacity. While capacity matters, it is far from the sole determinant of system value.
Consider a battery supporting a solar plant. Charging whenever excess solar is available may appear sensible. But what if a demand surge is anticipated later? What if the battery needs to maintain a minimum state of charge for ancillary services? What if committed schedules, market opportunities, or grid requirements change during the same operating period? What if aggressive cycling creates value today but reduces the battery’s useful life?
The value of storage therefore depends not only on how much energy a battery can store, but on the continuous decisions made around that stored energy.
This is where storage becomes an intelligence problem.
The magnitude of the requirement is evident in India’s planning documents. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), integrating 364 GW of solar and 121 GW of wind up to 2031-32 would require 73.93 GW/411.4 GWh of energy storage capacity. Of this, 47.24 GW/236.22 GWh would be BESS. As per end-of-2024 figures, India’s energy storage capacity stood at just 4.86 GW, of which 0.11 GW was BESS.
This shifts the purpose of the Energy Management System
An EMS can no longer be treated merely as a tool for monitoring assets or following pre-programmed schedules. In a renewable dominated environment, it has to become the decision-making system connecting generation, storage and grid requirements.
This requires bringing together multiple real time inputs: forecasted generation, demand, state of charge, committed schedules, grid conditions, deviation risk, market signals, charging and discharging limitations, and battery degradation.
The objective is not simply to ensure that the battery is charged and ready. It is to continuously determine when that stored energy will be most valuable and how it should be deployed without compromising technical, operational, or economic requirements.
In other words, the system must be able to sense, predict, decide, and execute.
That intelligence cannot exist through EMS alone. As renewable plants become more complex, SCADA, Power Plant Controllers, forecasting, optimisation and Energy Management Systems increasingly need to operate as parts of a coordinated control architecture.
A renewable or hybrid plant may contain multiple assets and systems, but the grid ultimately needs the plant to behave as one coordinated, predictable, and responsive entity.
That requires reliable visibility into what is happening, the ability to anticipate what is likely to happen, intelligence to determine the appropriate response and control systems capable of executing it.
The February 2025 Advisory issued by the CEA demonstrates this change in system requirements. It recognised the significance of storage for grid stability, reliability and effective utilisation of energy and recommended that future solar tenders include at least two hours of storage located alongside the solar farm, equal to 10% of solar capacity.
This takes the conversation beyond batteries and into the technology that manages and coordinates them.
India’s cleantech opportunity, therefore, is not only about the mass production of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. It is also about building the intelligence and control systems required to make these components work together.
Indigenous EMS, SCADA, PPC, forecasting and optimisation systems can acquire strategic significance as the grid becomes increasingly dynamic and storage assets are expected to perform multiple functions.
At Smart Grid Analytics, this is how we have approached the renewable energy control problem: not as a collection of isolated software systems, but as an intelligence layer connecting renewable generation, storage and the grid.
The underlying requirement is straightforward. The system needs to know what is happening across the plant, anticipate changing conditions, decide what should happen next, and translate that decision into coordinated action.
This becomes increasingly important as the number of assets, operating conditions, and decisions increases. Monitoring alone is no longer enough. A dashboard may show the state of charge, generation or grid condition, but creating value requires determining what action should follow from that information.
The opportunity for India is therefore larger than developing indigenous individual technologies. It is to build indigenous expertise in making sense of an increasingly complex flow of data about generation, storage and grid conditions, and turning that data into coordinated decisions.
This also indicates that the next wave of energy metrics needs to go beyond installed capacity numbers.
Gigawatts and gigawatt hours will continue to be important indicators of physical size, but they should increasingly be supplemented by utilisation, responsiveness, renewable energy accommodation, availability, provision of grid services and the value created from installed capacity.
India has proven that it can create renewable capacity at large volumes. The challenge ahead is determining whether that capacity can become increasingly responsive, coordinated, and efficient.
The next phase of the energy transition will therefore require more than generation and storage assets. It will require the intelligence layer that connects them.
The battery creates flexibility. The intelligence behind it determines how much of that flexibility the grid can harness.
The next clean energy benchmark for India, therefore, might not just be a new number of gigawatts.
It might be the ability to get the maximum out of every gigawatt.
(The author is the Founder of Smart Grid Analytics)

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.
“The solar co-op approach is a win-win for both solar energy buyers and system installers.”
Photo Credit: iStock
A new solar co-op in southwest Ohio is giving residents and small organizations a more affordable path to rooftop panels — and the potential savings could be substantial.
For a 5-kilowatt setup, Solar United Neighbors says a home or business could cut its Duke Energy bills by about $1,000 a year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Using a group-purchasing model, Cincinnati’s Office of Environment & Sustainability has rolled out the free Southwest Ohio 2026 Solar Co-op Program for residents, small businesses, and small nonprofits in 11 counties.
The program aims to help participants access rooftop solar at more competitive prices.
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
Solar United Neighbors, a nonprofit that expands access to solar, is partnering with the city to provide education, technical guidance, and support throughout the process. 
Eligible participants live in 11 counties: Clark, Miami, Darke, Preble, Greene, Brown, Clinton, Montgomery, Warren, Clermont, and Hamilton.
Even if you live outside those 11 counties, the right tools can make a difference. People interested in money-saving energy hacks can visit EnergySage for free solar installation estimates and to compare quotes.
The co-op is not limited to Cincinnati residents. 
FROM OUR PARTNER
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
By extending across multiple municipalities and counties in southwest Ohio, the program broadens access to solar for households and smaller organizations that may not have the time or buying power to negotiate on their own.
Interested building owners join the co-op as a group, and a competitively selected installer will work under pricing and service terms negotiated for everyone involved.
Lower upfront costs and clearer pricing can make rooftop solar more realistic for families, storefronts, and nonprofits. 
Solar can also provide more predictable energy costs and reduce reliance on electricity generated by expensive, damaging fossil fuels.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
Before deciding whether to move forward, participants can learn about solar technology, financing, incentives, and what installation involves. 
After selecting an installer, households and other building owners can choose to take part, but new members must join by Dec. 1.
For homeowners comparing offers beyond the co-op, EnergySage helps curate competitive bids from local installers without sharing your contact information unless you choose to move forward with one.
EnergySage is especially useful for people trying to lock in the best deal. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. 
And EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system by state, along with available local incentives, which together can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is also one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and even go off-grid. 
Homeowners who want to explore battery choices and compare competitive installation estimates can also learn about their home battery storage options through EnergySage.
Nikki Vandivort, the city’s clean energy & climate resilience manager, described the initiative as beneficial to households and local businesses alike.
“The solar co-op approach is a win-win for both solar energy buyers and system installers. Bulk purchasing helps to cut the costs of going solar, which is more important than ever as electricity prices continue to increase,” Vandivort explained.
These stories explore other ways people are cutting power costs and expanding access to solar. They cover community solar, neighborhood co-ops, and subscription-based systems that avoid upfront costs.
• Across the U.S., community solar programs save money for renters and homeowners without rooftop panels.
• Neighborhood Sun showed Maryland residents how banding together for solar can cut installation costs.
• Across the U.S., solar panel subscriptions are letting households generate power without upfront costs.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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Two Conservative MPs have criticised the approval of plans for one of the biggest solar farms in the country.
Stuart Andrew, the MP for Daventry and Sarah Bool, the MP for South Northamptonshire, claimed Green Hill Solar Farm would take up farmland and change the countryside.
The development, which was approved on Thursday, will go ahead across about 2,965 acres (1,200 hectares) of land south and west of Wellingborough, north of Northampton and parts of Buckinghamshire.
When speaking to Annabel Amos on BBC Northampton, Andrew said: "We're going to see villages in my constituency being surrounded by these huge solar farms and it will change the landscape and… we will lose good arable land."
Bool said in a statement she was "incredibly disappointed" and was "taking stock" of the decision to make "versatile land" not available to arable farming.
The size of the project meant that recommendations for the scheme were made by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than local planning authorities.
The inspectorate's examination stage took more than five months to complete, opening in October 2025 and closing in April.
More than 1,200 people and businesses sent comments about the plans.
Juliet Jarvis, from the Stop Green Hill Solar campaign group, said she was "pretty devastated" by the news.
She said the panels, which she compared in size to "double decker buses", would surround Grendon and Easton Maudit and cause "disruption during construction".
"Once the solar farm is in place, it will completely change the face of Northamptonshire countryside.
"We would like to see… appropriate brownfield sites covered with solar panels before we take up our best and most versatile agricultural land and risk destroying rural communities which is what we fear will happen here," Jarvis added.
Labour peer Baroness Curran, the parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said: "Solar power is crucial to delivering energy security for the country and financial security for communities, families and businesses.
"By securing more homegrown power we control, we are driving a generational opportunity to grow our economy and tackle the root cause of sky-high energy bills: our exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets."
Island Green Power, the company behind the scheme, "welcomed" the government's decision.
Chief executive Bob Psaradellis said: "This decision again confirms that Island Green Power produces high-quality nationally significant infrastructure proposals that will benefit Britain.
"The benefits will be shared with communities, through a local benefit fund, and the wider country, through the increase in secure, clean and cheap homegrown power."
Renewable energy expert Rhiannon De Wreede said she "sympathised" with campaigners but added that large solar farms were "needed" alongside more rooftop panels.
Green Hill Solar said the farm would "benefit Britain with clean, secure, low-cost energy".
It said the scheme could generate 500 megawatts of electricity to power about 200,000 homes.
It is hoped construction will begin in 2027, with the aim of providing electricity to homes by 2029, the company said.
Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The teenager is due to stand trial at Northampton Crown Court in October 2027.
Jake Newman receives a 12-month community order at Birmingham Crown Court.
A woman is ordered to pay costs and fines totalling more than £3,200 after a council prosecution.
The crematorium is planned for land next to a new secondary school and housing development.
The club's chair praises people's "phenomenal" generosity, which he says "makes it all worthwhile".
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Solar module manufacturer Heliene, Inc. has announced the release of its 108HC M10 SL All-Black solar module, engineered specifically for residential rooftop applications.  
The new framed glass-backsheet panel features 108 half-cut monocrystalline PERC cells based on the M10 wafer format, delivering peak power ratings ranging from 380 W to 410 W with a maximum module efficiency of 21.0%.  
The module utilizes split junction box technology to minimize cell-to-module losses and improve thermal management. Constructed with 3.2 mm low-iron, high-transmission solar glass featuring an anti-reflective coating, the panel is built into a 35 mm double-webbed anodized aluminum alloy frame.  
The panel measures 1,722 mm by 1,134 mm by 35 mm and weighs 21.5 kg. Electrical performance under standard test conditions ranges from 19.46% to 21.00% efficiency, with a maximum system voltage rating of 1,000 V and a 30 A maximum series fuse rating. For mechanical durability, the module is rated for a 5,400 Pa front load and 2,400 Pa back load, while offering hail resistance capable of withstanding impacts up to 55 mm.  
The IP-68 rated junction box houses three bypass diodes and comes equipped with standard 1.2-meter symmetrical 12 AWG cables featuring Stäubli MC4 connectors.  
The module is certified under UL 61215, UL 61730, and CSA C22.2 standards, with a Type 1 fire rating. Heliene backs the 108HC M10 SL All-Black with a 25-year product warranty and a 25-year linear performance guarantee covering a maximum first-year power degradation of 2.0% followed by an annual degradation rate of 0.5%, guaranteeing at least 86% of original nameplate output at year 25. 
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The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
Monday, October 12, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Friday, October 23, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, October 26, 2026
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Source: Dubai Government Media Office
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), announced the successful refinancing of the Noor Energy 1 project at USD 2.70 billion, well ahead of the target date, during a speech delivered at Al Sheraa Building, DEWA’s headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the lenders, sponsors, partners, and the Noor Energy 1 refinancing team.
A consortium led by DEWA and Acwa formed a project company, Noor Energy 1, to design, build, and operate the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
In his speech, His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: “I am honoured to announce the successful refinancing of Noor Energy 1 — the 950 MW Hybrid CSP+PT and PV Project — for USD 2.70 billion, achieved well ahead of schedule.”
He added: “This is more than a financial transaction. We are refinancing a national asset. It is the world’s largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power project, combining Photovoltaic and Concentrated Solar Power technologies with up to 15 hours of thermal energy storage — capable of delivering clean, dispatchable energy to Dubai, day and night. It is a first-of-its-kind project in the region and a cornerstone of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050.”
His Excellency reviewed the journey of the Noor Energy 1 project from ground-breaking, through execution, to full Commercial Operation, and now to its first refinancing. He described it as a demanding journey that tested the team’s resilience in the face of global market volatility, supply chain pressures, and the technological complexity of delivering a plant of this scale operating with a mix of solar energy technologies.
He expressed his deepest appreciation to all stakeholders, stressing that their unwavering commitment, professionalism, and belief in this vision were the key catalysts that made these achievements possible.
His Excellency explained that the USD 2.70 billion refinancing carries three powerful messages: First, it is a strong reaffirmation of the confidence that the international, regional, and local financial community places in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai, and in DEWA. Second, it reaffirms Dubai’s position as the most trusted and preferred destination for long-term sustainable investment. Third, it reflects the strength of the model built together — one based on transparency, delivery, and trust.
He thanked the lenders, noting that their proactive engagement and overwhelming support, in a market defined by liquidity concerns and interest rate volatility, represent a true vote of confidence — not only in this project, but also in the UAE economy and in the collective ability to deliver. He also thanked the Project Company for its continued commitment and its dedication to operational excellence at every stage.
His Excellency affirmed that the refinancing enabled the optimization of financing costs and the enhancement of the financial structure, generating substantial savings over the operational life of the project. He noted that the real value is not limited to financial optimization but extends to long-term resilience. He added that the plant now operates at world-class availability, supported by a financial structure that is equally reliable and sustainable, and designed to serve the project throughout its lifecycle.
His Excellency concluded by affirming that “this achievement ensures that Noor Energy 1 will continue to deliver clean energy efficiently and sustainably, and on a win-win basis for all — for our people, our partners, and our planet,” thanking all who contributed to making this landmark achievement possible.
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Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Localized flooding is possible..
Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Localized flooding is possible.
Updated: October 9, 2026 @ 11:07 pm

This school year, the Plainview Bears have been ranked first in the state in both football and volleyball. Wednesday, Plainview achieved another ranking of first, this one for an accomplishment that will have an impact for years to come.
Representatives from the school, the DeKalb County School System, and Schneider Electric were on hand at the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum late Wednesday morning to celebrate the completion of a project installing solar panels on the roof of the school. According to Superintendent Wayne Lyles and others present, with the installation of these solar panels, Plainview became the first school in the state of Alabama to have a grant-funded solar energy system installed on campus. Officials added that 771 panels were installed to generate electrical power for the school.
“This is an exciting day for us,” Lyles said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without Schneider Electric.”
Since the partnership between the DeKalb County School System and Schneider Electric began in 2018, there have been a wide range of projects the two have taken on and completed, according to Todd Smith with Schneider. The first project involved increasing security at school campuses throughout the county, with further work done to improve the HVAC systems across the county school system, among other projects. When it came to the solar panel project, Smith said Plainview was seen as the most optimal location in the county for the effort, while the company took on the work to obtain grants that would finance the project. With this project having been completed, Smith said he hoped that this effort became infectious, and that other schools across Alabama would pursue projects like this moving forward.
One major aspect of the project is the cost savings realized by having these panels installed at Plainview and generating electricity for the school. Lyles explained that, on average, the power bill for the Plainview campus totals approximately $15,000, with the central office taking care of paying the bill, as it does for all of the county schools. With the panels in place, he estimated this would cut energy costs by around 46 percent, or roughly $7,000 per month. This money could then be invested and dedicated to other needs throughout the school system.
Joining in the celebration were State Senator Steve Livingston and State Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter. Ledbetter said that, as a graduate of Plainview, this effort was meaningful to him in many ways, then expressed his deep appreciation for Lyles and the rest of the DeKalb County Board of Education. As the school system had to provide a certain amount of matching funds when the grant was received, and the central office chose to use some of its Advancement and Technology (A&T) money for this, Ledbetter said how beneficial this fund has been. He was proud to say that, over the past two years, the state legislature had approved more than $2 billion for the A&T fund.
“DeKalb County is on the map like never before,” Ledbetter said.
Livingston added how exiting it was for him to hear about all of the work that had been accomplished through this partnership, declaring this project to be part of the energy solution.
“This is a remarkable, monumental day,” he added.
At the conclusion of the celebration, Lyles and Smith were joined by Ledbetter, Livingston, members of the DeKalb County Board of Education, and representatives from Schneider Electric in front of the coliseum to flip a giant light switch, signaling the start of electrical energy generated by the solar panels at Plainview powering the school and the great deal of education taking place inside.
“To be a leader in our area and using clean energy, it’s a good feeling,” Lyles said after the ceremony concluded. “To be a good superintendent, you have to be a good steward, and this helps us do this.”
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Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Localized flooding is possible.
Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Localized flooding is possible.
Rain likely. High 67F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Chance of Rain: 100%
Sunrise: 06:43:50 AM
Sunset: 06:16:10 PM
Humidity: 92%
Wind: ENE @ 19 mph
UV Index: 0 Low
Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 59F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected. Localized flooding is possible.
Chance of Rain: 99%
Sunrise: 06:44:37 AM
Sunset: 06:14:50 PM
Humidity: 95%
Wind: E @ 18 mph
UV Index: 3 Moderate
Rain likely. Low 59F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Chance of Rain: 44%
Sunrise: 06:45:24 AM
Sunset: 06:13:31 PM
Humidity: 91%
Wind: W @ 12 mph
UV Index: 4 Moderate
Mostly clear. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable.
Chance of Rain: 8%
Sunrise: 06:46:11 AM
Sunset: 06:12:13 PM
Humidity: 66%
Wind: NW @ 8 mph
UV Index: 6 High
Clear skies. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.
Chance of Rain: 7%
Sunrise: 06:46:59 AM
Sunset: 06:10:55 PM
Humidity: 62%
Wind: WNW @ 8 mph
UV Index: 6 High
Clear skies. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.
Chance of Rain: 6%
Sunrise: 06:47:47 AM
Sunset: 06:09:38 PM
Humidity: 65%
Wind: NW @ 7 mph
UV Index: 6 High
A mostly clear sky. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
Chance of Rain: 20%
Sunrise: 06:48:35 AM
Sunset: 06:08:22 PM
Humidity: 67%
Wind: SW @ 7 mph
UV Index: 6 High
Partly cloudy. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
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A Colorado renewable energy developer is looking to build two massive utility-scale solar projects east of Reno.
Boulder-based Scout Clean Energy has submitted applications to build 2,000 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar across a mix of public and private land southeast of Pyramid Lake and east of Nixon.  
According to the power and data center tracker Cleanview, the projects would dwarf the 690 MW Gemini Project that went into service in Clark County in 2024, making them the largest utility-scale solar producers in the state.
The Juniper Peak project is proposed for the Little Valley along the western flank of the Truckee Range, southeast of Pyramid Lake and north of Interstate 80. It would include 1,000 MW of solar and a matching battery storage system on a parcel of land spanning Washoe, Churchill and Lyon counties. The nearly 17,700-acre site is roughly 9,700 acres of private land and nearly 8,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land (BLM).
The solar fields and battery storage would be in Washoe County, while the overhead tie-in line would travel through Washoe, Churchill and Lyon counties.
The Amber Flats Solar Farm would also be a 1,000 MW project, with accompanying battery storage, on 17,100 acres — roughly 8,900 acres of private land and 8,200 acres of public land. The project would be sited in North Valley, again on the eastern side of the Truckee Range southeast of Pyramid Lake.
Amber Flat’s solar fields would be in Churchill County, but the tie-in line would run through Washoe, Churchill and Lyon counties.
Both projects are listed as having target operational dates of 2030.
“The Project[s] would not have any adverse effects on the health, safety, or welfare of Nevada residents, but would instead provide economic benefits, including jobs and revenue, to the State of Nevada and Nevada’s residents,” according to documents filed by the applicant with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. “Because the Project[s] would be owned by the Applicant, which is not a public utility in Nevada and whose costs of the Project would not be passed down to Nevada’s ratepayers, this proceeding would have no effect on Nevada consumers.”
Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of conservation nonprofit Basin and Range Watch, criticized the project, saying it would affect native species such as the Greater sage grouse, consume excessive amounts of water and create a heat island effect.  
“The projects are so large, they would geoengineer the landscape and fundamentally change the natural processes that have shaped the area,” he said.
Scout’s website says the company has 1,600 MW of renewable projects in operation and under construction and that it has a “pipeline of over 19,000 MW of wind, solar and storage projects across 25 states,” including 188 MW of solar in Clark County under development.  
Scout representatives did not respond to an interview request by the time of publication.
Kris Cheney, Scout’s chief development officer, told The Nevada Independent via email that the company is “not planning to comment on these projects at this time.”

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The success of Ann Arbor’s Sustainable Energy Utility in the Bryant neighborhood has the city looking to expand the project.
There are already 80 homes in the Bryant neighborhood that have had solar panels installed or have signed up to do so. New enrollments are beginning to slow down in Bryant, but residents in other parts of Ann Arbor have expressed interest.
Grant funding is earmarked for Bryant. An amendment to the ordinance will allow that funding to go to other locations.
Council member Lisa Disch it’ll be great to expand the program.
Council member Travis Radina lives in the Bryant neighborhood and has seen the solar panels installation. He says he’s heard from neighbors who are very happy about having the panels have reduced their energy cost.
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‘The Government has set ambitious targets without first completing the dedicated national guidance for deciding where these developments belong and how they should be assessed,’ writes Tony Higgins. Picture: iStock
Ireland has pushed ahead with large solar farms while leaving important parts of the national planning framework unfinished.
On September 16, housing minister James Browne confirmed that Ireland still had no specific national planning guidelines for solar development and that a national planning statement was being prepared.
General planning law, environmental protections, and county development plans still apply. But the Government has set ambitious targets without first completing the dedicated national guidance for deciding where these developments belong and how they should be assessed.
Into that gap comes a best-practice guide prepared by the Irish Solar Energy Association and engineering consultants Fehily Timoney.
Guidelines only, from the industry itself.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) helped fund it, and public bodies were consulted. Nevertheless, it remains industry-produced guidance rather than binding government planning standards.
The State should take responsibility for setting the standards against which the industry’s applications are judged.
There is also a strategic problem. A national electricity target does not tell us how much development a particular rural area can reasonably accommodate.
Several projects concentrated around the same grid connection raise different questions from the same acreage spread across the country.

We need consistent decisions about productive farmland, water, landscape, nearby communities and the combined effects of neighbouring developments.
An Taisce raised this planning gap with the Oireachtas in November 2025, reporting that many counties lacked designated areas for solar development and that those with designations appeared to use different criteria.
And here we are, almost one year later, still waiting for the national guidance.
Other EU countries offer concrete examples we could learn from.
The Netherlands puts panels on buildings ahead of agricultural and nature land in its national preference hierarchy. Its regional energy strategies consider where, when, and how much renewable generation to develop, taking grid capacity into account.
France has specific legal rules for projects combining farming and solar generation. For crop-based projects in that category, the normal rule requires average yields above 90% of a comparable reference without panels, subject to specified exceptions. That makes the claim that farming will continue something that can actually be measured and checked.
Our electricity infrastructure is a significant issue too. The system already cannot handle all the renewable generation available to it.
EirGrid reported that 11.2% of available renewable generation was turned down in the first half of 2026. It identifies grid constraints, system-security requirements, and surplus generation as reasons.
That is wasted potential.
There are grid upgrades underway. But the Government is pushing ahead with more generation while the infrastructure needed to use it is still catching up.
Surely you make sure your infrastructure can handle what you want to produce before you create more waste?
Then there is community engagement.
In our community in Lackagh, Co Galway, we had no meaningful opportunity to influence the Blackthorn Solar Farm plans before submission.
The developer held an information evening on a Wednesday. By the following Friday morning, the site notices were up. What opportunity did that give residents to raise concerns and have them properly considered before the application went in?
Albert Dolan raised our community’s experience in the Dáil on September 30 and called for clear solar planning guidelines. We now have five weeks to work through the application, understand the technical reports, and prepare our submissions.
Ireland has introduced faster permitting under the EU’s RED III directive. Yet the ordinary five-week submission window remains for applications like ours.
The regulations did not introduce a general minimum period for developers to consult neighbours before submission.
These developments can remain for decades. It is absolutely shocking that communities can receive so little meaningful engagement beforehand.
We need clear national requirements. Developers should demonstrate that construction traffic can safely pass schools, that drainage will work in the actual ground conditions, and that they have properly assessed glare and effects on water and wildlife.
They should explain the impact on existing farming and secure restoration when the development ends.
And they should engage with communities early enough for local knowledge and concerns to influence the plans; that should be a basic expectation.
The Government needs to finish the rules, co-ordinate the infrastructure, and require meaningful community engagement before applications go in.
Tony Higgins, Lackagh, Co Galway

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Decline of the Irish pub
Alcohol Action Ireland CEO Sheila Gilheaney writes that excise is not the problem for rural pubs; off licences are — ‘Decline of rural pubs is not down to excise duties’ ( Irish Examiner, October 5).
All national discourse on the alcohol industry seems to shriek through a neo puritanical lens, yet once again the pubs are the whipping boy. We live in an era where pubs are closing, yet alcoholism and trauma-related coping are rising. While there might be a modicum of truth in what she says about the alcohol industry cannibalising itself, she offers an all too simplistic argument which must be rebutted.
What exactly is the alcohol industry?
Did rural pubs drive what the modern alcohol industry has become, did they ask for what was up to recently below-cost alcohol in supermarkets ? Did they sell their licences to facilitate the off trade because they could, or was it the crushing force of business over-compliance that brought them prostrate to the auctioneers hammer out of desperation?
To baldly state that a decent rural publican is part of the cannibalisation of his own trade shows scant understanding of the Irish pub. The truth of the matter is the rural pub has diverged so much from what Gilheaney calls the alcohol industry that it deserves special attention in an existential crisis not only for its social benefits but increasingly as vital national tourist infrastructure, the lack of which is becoming increasingly clear as the absence of pubs is rapidly becoming a negative for tourism and is a major talking point in the USA for potential visitors.
The VFI has asked for a €75 m excise rebate out of a total of €1.26bn. In years to come it will be seen as the cheapest way to support rural and provincial pubs. They are right to ask for it and government would be wise to listen.
Time must be called on those who are caught up solely in the dangers of alcohol at the expense of the positives of the pub. I may be a publican but I grew up with firsthand experience of addiction, all of which went on at home, not in the pub. I understand it all too well. Alcohol Action on the other hand must learn more of the public house for articles like these only serve to worsen the outcome that they work so hard to help avoid.
Benny McCabe, Sin É, Coburg St, Cork

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Hardship of living alone
Regarding social welfare changes in the budget: The politicians live in another world — ‘You get the pension on Friday and on Monday there isn’t too much of it left’ ( Irish Examiner, October 6).
I am 95 and live on my own as I lost my wife three years ago. I have to spend quite a lot on car fuel going to town shopping and hospital appointments, as well as car insurance, road tax, and household bills. I light a fire in the one room I use most as I cannot turn the central heating on as the oil is too expensive
Peter Finn, Claremorris, Co Mayo

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Commitment to neutrality
Senator Tom Clonan has written an excellent article explaining the triple lock issue — ‘Spin and misinformation around triple lock is eye-watering’ ( Irish Examiner, October 7).
As a former army captain and security correspondent, he knows his stuff. It is a pity the Government don’t know their stuff. Instead, they are being led by the nose by a rapidly re-arming EU as the world heads towards major conflicts.
As a neutral country, we should not be drawn into these military operations. Our military have a good record as UN blue helmet peacekeepers. And this commitment to neutrality is supported by several polls of voters.
The Government needs to listen to the people, not to out-of-sight influencers.
Tom O’Connor, Farney Park, Dublin

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Colombia’s Celsia puts US$26mn solar park before environmental authorities  BNamericas
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India is preparing a new production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for polysilicon, the high-purity silicon used to make solar cells. It is the part of the solar supply chain that India still buys almost entirely from abroad, mostly from China, and closing that gap has become a priority as the country pushes towards its aim of 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil power by 2030.
The ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi said last month that the government was aiming for at least 30 GW of domestic polysilicon capacity by 2030, an addition that could draw about ₹25,000 crore in investment.
A single gigawatt of polysilicon capacity, along with metallurgical-grade silicon, costs about ₹850 crore to build, Sarangi had said.
An earlier PLI round that covered polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules is expected to deliver only a small amount of upstream capacity, which is why a dedicated scheme is being drawn up, he said.
Also Read: Solar manufacturing at a critical juncture
India has built more than 200 GW of solar module capacity and over 32 GW of solar cell capacity, and another 100 GW of cell capacity is due within a year, Sarangi told a Confederation of Indian Industry event in New Delhi on August 7, according to a Reuters report. The government is also targeting at least 80 GW of ingot and wafer capacity by June 2028.
Wafers, ingots and polysilicon, the three stages that feed cell production, are still imported almost entirely from China. India’s polysilicon import dependence stands at close to 100%, and wafer import dependence at above 90%, according to a NITI Aayog report. That leaves the Atmanirbhar Bharat pitch for solar largely a downstream one.
India was the world’s second-largest solar growth market in 2025, adding 37 GW of capacity behind China’s 315 GW and ahead of the US’s 34 GW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). India’s installed solar capacity was 162 GW as of June 2026, MNRE data shows, making solar the country’s largest source of renewable power. That scale makes the upstream gap harder to ignore.
Also Read: Trying to diversify supply chains, reduce dependence on China: Ajay Mathur
Polysilicon is produced by refining ordinary quartz or silica sand through smelting and chemical vapour deposition, a capital-intensive process that runs on continuous electricity. The refined material is cast into solid ingots, sliced into thin wafers, processed into solar cells, and finally wired together into modules.
Progress on the domestic PLI has been slower at this upstream end because the chemistry is harder, the plants cost more to build, and they need very large, uninterrupted volumes of power. China’s share in the key manufacturing stages of solar panels — including polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells and modules — exceeds 80%, according to the International Energy Agency, with production clustered in provinces where power is cheap and continuous.
Also Read: Solar sustainability as a path to an energy independent future
A NITI Aayog report published on August 13, titled Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub, said China’s dominance of the polysilicon market poses both a supply-chain and a national-security risk for India, and that Chinese cost advantages make commercially viable Indian capacity difficult to build without government support. The report puts China’s 2024 share at 93–98% of installed and new polysilicon production capacity, 95% of wafer capacity, 91% of cell capacity and 82% of module capacity.
The government has already committed about ₹240 billion in PLI outlays for solar modules and cells. A 30 GW polysilicon build at ₹850 crore per GW would be of comparable scale.
Polysilicon has another use that strengthens the case for local production. It is also a feedstock for semiconductor manufacturing, a sector the government is separately pushing under its Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.
Krithika Iyer is a Senior Content Producer with the Explainer Desk at Hindustan Times, bringing a deep passion for rigorous, accessible journalism to every story. With a strong drive for breaking down complex topics, Krithika focuses on clear narratives that answer the critical questions of why stories matter and what happens next. Before joining Hindustan Times, she worked with the Reuters Dotcom team, navigating fast-paced global news environments with precision and speed, mainly covering US legal news. Krithika holds a Master's degree from the University of Westminster, combining rigorous academic grounding with international newsroom experience. Deeply curious and endlessly adaptable, Krithika loves exploring new beats and learning continuously, believing that growth comes from trying one's hand at everything. Outside the newsroom, she is an avid reader who also enjoys experimenting with cooking and expressing creativity through art as a way to unwind. Bringing curiosity, sharp editorial insight, and a commitment to clarity, Krithika continues to shape compelling digital narratives that resonate with audiences across platforms.Read More

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Global website
Regional websites
Oct. 5, 2026
News Release
AISIN Corporation will exhibit perovskite solar cells at the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) booth during the 26th ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF-26), to be held in Manila, the Philippines, from October 5 to 9, 2026.

The exhibit is part of an AZEC initiative by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan’s Ministry of Economy. AISIN will showcase its thin, lightweight perovskite solar cells, which can also be installed on curved surfaces, as a next-generation solar technology that can contribute to the local production and consumption of clean energy.
The perovskite solar cells currently under development use thin glass as solar cell substrate, achieving high performance as well as durability with reduced weight. AISIN’s spray-coating technology enables the formation of a uniform perovskite layer approximately one micrometer thick. By leveraging the low oxygen and water-vapor permeability of thin glass, AISIN is developing the cells with a target service life of more than 20 years. Since March 2025, AISIN has been conducting power-generation demonstration experiments at its own plant and at external sites, including an automobile dealership and public facilities. AISIN will continue to advance technological development toward the achievement of carbon neutrality.
AISIN will aim to promote the development of technologies to create a better environment and society, while realizing our management philosophy: ‘Inspiring “movement”,’ creating tomorrow.’
About AEBF
AEBF stands for the ASEAN Energy Business Forum. Held in conjunction with the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM), it is an international conference and exhibition that brings together policymakers, businesses, investors, research institutions, and other stakeholders to discuss cooperation regarding energy related initiatives and investment opportunities. Under the 2026 theme, “Clean Energy Unlocked: A Stronger ASEAN,” participants are expected to discuss expanding the adoption of clean energy across the ASEAN region and accelerating the transition to sustainable energy.
About AZEC
AZEC stands for the Asia Zero Emission Community, a cooperation framework proposed by Japan to achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions in Asia. Partner countries, including Japan, ASEAN countries, and Australia, participate in the framework, which aims to achieve both decarbonization and economic growth through diverse pathways tailored to each country’s circumstances.
<Related sites>
26th ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF-26) website
A thin, flexible coating to generate power! What is a perovskite solar cell? [5 minute read] | AI Think – Learning AISIN’s Now and Future
 

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House flipper buys home with solar panels, then a default notice exposes a hidden lease  Yahoo
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“Don’t assume the seller’s debt is now yours.”
Photo Credit: iStock
What seemed like a straightforward investment turned messy for one house flipper when a default notice exposed an undisclosed lease tied to rooftop solar panels.
According to the buyer, the problem did not surface until three months after closing, creating a costly obstacle with a home they had hoped to resell in the near future.
The homeowner said on Reddit that a default notice appeared after the sellers fell behind on a solar agreement the buyer said was never disclosed. 
“I recently purchased a house, and three months later I learn that there is an existing solar lease,” the original poster said. “No UCC filing was found hence title not catching it. Seller has told us the solar did not have any loans or liens.”
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
They said the transaction went through a wholesaler rather than a realtor and that the purchase agreement treated fixtures as part of the sale. “I have no interest or plans to transfer the lease or take on any financial obligations,” the OP also stated.
Solar can be one of the best ways to save money on home energy, and homeowners who want to own their systems can try EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
In the comments, one person said they abandoned a home purchase after the sellers claimed disclosures showed no solar lien or lease but they would not sign an agreement guaranteeing any such debt would be paid off at closing. 
That user said the remaining balance was “something like $65k.”
FROM OUR PARTNER
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
Another person cautioned that reselling the property could be difficult, warning that the OP may have “a tough time flipping it with panels that can’t be used.”
The buyer said they had contacted the solar lender “to try to get ahead of things” and that they had asked whether the company could remove the panels. They also questioned whether that was the best move since the panels could be enticing to a future buyer if they were no longer tied to a lease.
“Don’t assume the seller’s debt is now yours,” one user said. “Don’t acknowledge the debt or make any sort of payments.” 
Others suggested notifying the title insurer, leaving the panels alone, and bringing in a real estate attorney before attempting a removal that might damage the roof.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
For homeowners who are considering solar, comparison shopping can make a huge difference. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on a solar purchase and installation. EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system by state plus available incentives, which can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access savings they might otherwise miss.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is also one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. Homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
Here are a few similar cases involving homebuyers and homeowners who ran into solar lease problems during a sale or after closing.
• A first-time buyer hesitated after seller’s lawyer sent a contract with a hidden solar lease.
• Another buyer hit trouble after purchasing a house with leased solar panels an attorney missed.
• In Florida, a buyer faced a surprise $20,000 charge over solar panels before closing.
• A new homeowner got stuck with an inherited solar lease and questioned the panels’ output.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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The system is expected to produce about 317,000 kilowatt-hours a year, equal to one month of the plant’s on-peak power use.
The city of Miramar, Florida, has opened a solar energy system at its wastewater reclamation facility. It is the city’s first renewable energy project.
City officials and residents marked the launch with a ribbon-cutting Sept. 1. The project also included a full replacement of the facility’s aging roof.
The facility runs around the clock and spends about $1 million a year on energy, according to the city. Miramar’s long-term goal is to reduce the facility’s reliance on the electrical grid as it puts more renewable energy strategies in place.
The solar system is expected to generate about 317,000 kilowatt-hours a year. That equals one month of the facility’s on-peak electricity use. The city says the output is equivalent to avoiding 213 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Advanced Green Technologies, Siemens Energy and Florida Power & Light partnered with the city on the project.
One of the most significant construction challenges was routing electrical wiring from several roof areas underground to the main utility meter. The meter sits thousands of feet away in a separate building.
Ground-penetrating radar surveys were used across the facility to locate existing utilities and other buried infrastructure. Crews then dug trenches around those utilities, much of it by hand. According to the city, the approach lengthened the installation schedule, and the work was completed without damage to critical underground infrastructure.
City officials said the project is only the beginning. Miramar continues to look for renewable energy opportunities across its municipal facilities.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.

The system is expected to produce about 317,000 kilowatt-hours a year, equal to one month of the plant’s on-peak power use.
The American Chemistry Council is calling for changes to federal chemical safety reviews as lawmakers face a December deadline to address program funding.
Federal lawyers argue the law’s ban on taking protected animals covers only deliberate acts, such as hunting or killing.
Covered onshore facilities now have until June 1, 2030, instead of June 1, 2027, to submit worst-case discharge plans to EPA.
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This article is translated automatically.
From 2027, the feed-in tariff for new solar installations is set to be abolished. This is provided for in the draft amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act. The debate surrounding this raises the question of under what conditions tenant electricity schemes can continue to be run profitably by landlords.
Julius Pahmeier, founder and managing director of VREY, a Berlin-based company specialising in communal building services, says:
“The current debate on the cost-effectiveness of photovoltaic systems on blocks of flats raises an important point: installing solar power in this sector is still significantly more complex than in detached houses, and the removal or reduction of feed-in tariffs certainly does not improve the overall conditions. However, I believe it is too simplistic to conclude from this that photovoltaics on smaller blocks of flats are, in principle, hardly ever cost-effective any more.”
The key factor is the assumptions on which such a cost-benefit analysis is based. For a building with up to 15 residential units, our calculations show that the loss of income resulting from a lower feed-in tariff for electricity fed into the grid is often in the region of around 120 to 400 euros per year. Whilst this is economically significant, it does not fundamentally call into question the profitability of a PV system. Factors such as the actual installation and operating costs – and, in particular, the level of self-consumption – carry much greater weight.
In my view, this is precisely where the key lever lies. The aim of such energy supply concepts must be to use as much of the electricity generated as possible directly within the building, rather than feeding it into the public grid. If, for example, the self-consumption rate rises from 40 to 70 per cent – perhaps through a suitably sized storage system, a heat pump or other controllable loads within the building – the economic analysis changes significantly. At the same time, the level of the feed-in tariff becomes less important.
Even with smaller blocks of flats, annual cash flows of 5,000 to 6,000 euros or more can be achieved in this way. If, for example, a system costs around 60,000 euros, this can result in a payback period of around ten years – whilst the technical service life is significantly longer and may well reach 30 years. Under such conditions, we are not looking at returns of two or three per cent, but – depending on investment costs, self-consumption and performance over the entire term – returns can also be in the high single-digit or low double-digit range.
“In my view, the crucial question is therefore not whether installing a photovoltaic system on a block of flats is generally worthwhile. What matters is how the system and the energy supply plan are designed.”
After proving fairly resilient in 2024, we look at what the remainder of 2025 may have in store for digital infrastructure – including the potential impact of DeepSeek's* R1 model release.
Following the successful start of construction of the neighbouring Marina B office project, LBBW Immobilien is now also building 66 high-quality apartments and three townhouses with a total of around 6,200 m² of living space on Hafeninsel 1. Completion is scheduled for mid-2027.
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An Australian company focused on landfill gas and renewable energy, LGI, has reached an agreement to purchase two operational solar PV facilities in Queensland. The deal covers 42MW of export capacity and carries a price tag of AU$22 million, or US$15.3 million.
The ASX-listed firm also intends to increase its medium-term pipeline goal beyond 120MW, raising it from the 80MW figure it had disclosed earlier.
LGI captures biogas from landfill sites to produce electricity and carbon credits, and it runs battery storage as well. Its assets are dispatched via proprietary software called the Dynamic Asset Control System (DACS), which is designed to maximise returns across both energy and carbon markets.
The two solar PV plants are being acquired in full from IIG Solar Assets Pty Ltd, acting as trustee for the IIG Solar Asset Trust, and come with no debt attached. Settlement is anticipated on 9 October, shareholder approval is not needed, and the acquisition will be paid for using cash alongside LGI’s current debt facility.
Located near Baking Board, the Chinchilla solar PV facility has 19.9MWp of installed capacity and 14.7MW of export capacity. Operations began in 2019, and its land lease still has 31 years remaining.
The Brigalow solar PV plant at Yarranlea carries 34.5MWp installed and 27.3MW of export capacity. It started operating in 2021 and has 33 years left on its lease.
Combined, the generation facilities total 54MW installed versus 42MW of export capacity. In 2025 they produced 20,981MWh and 33,229MWh respectively, with all output sold at spot prices.
The acquisition price equates to roughly AU$0.5 million for each MW of export capacity, which LGI states is cheaper than building comparable assets from the ground up. The company noted it reviewed numerous solar assets over the past year as valuations declined in step with energy prices.
LGI projects the plants will contribute annual EBITDA of between AU$2.1 million and AU$4.0 million at prevailing electricity prices.
That range hinges on the pace at which it converts revenue and rolls out DACS, and the company anticipates roughly AU$1.6 million during the 2027 financial year, based on a nine-month contribution.
LGI intends to internalise operations and maintenance. Chief executive Jarryd Doran called the plants proven, operational assets acquired well below replacement cost.
Since installed capacity is greater than export capacity, LGI says the excess could be directed toward charging battery storage systems at either location. Early-stage studies into adding battery storage have commenced at both projects.
The revised target merges the 80MW pipeline with the 42MW of solar. LGI’s investor presentation breaks the total down as 26MW of biogas, 42MW of solar and 57MW of battery energy storage.
According to LGI, electricity demand in the National Electricity Market (NEM) is rising because of electric vehicles, industrial electrification and data centres, even as ageing thermal generation nears retirement. The company adds that distribution-connected projects sidestep transmission bottlenecks.
Solar output is already encountering grid constraints. Utility-scale solar curtailment dropped to approximately 22% in September from 26% the prior year, while Queensland recorded a September high of about 645GWh in utility solar output. Across all NEM states, spot prices averaged under AU$65/MWh during the month.
Data centre demand policy is still unresolved. In July, Queensland and the Northern Territory rejected a national agreement that would have obligated large new data centres to finance extra renewable generation.
Investor sentiment remains divided. A survey conducted for the Clean Energy Investor Group revealed that 65% of respondents believe Australia will fall short of its 82% renewable energy target for 2030, while 77% reported that the investment environment had deteriorated. Transmission delays were identified as the leading obstacle.
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Europe’s solar and battery storage industries together accounted for 982,000 jobs in 2025, as detailed in the EU Solar Jobs Report 2026 published by SolarPower Europe. Released on 7 October 2026, the study covers employment in both sectors and represents the first occasion that battery storage has been included alongside solar in this assessment.
Within the EU, solar alone was responsible for 874,000 positions in 2025, while battery storage provided an additional 108,000 roles. Combined, the two industries constitute a workforce approaching one million, highlighting the employment scale underpinning Europe’s shift to renewable energy.
In 2025, solar employment rose by 1%, double the 0.5% growth recorded for overall EU employment. This expansion occurred despite difficult market conditions and surpassed earlier projections, following EU solar installations reaching 69 GW in 2025, which beat previous market expectations.
The report’s broader scope now features a specific evaluation of battery storage employment, identifying 108,000 jobs spanning manufacturing, deployment, operations and maintenance, and end-of-life activities. Over the past four years, the EU’s battery storage capacity expanded twelve-fold to roughly 80 GWh, mirroring the swift growth of Europe’s battery sector. With batteries playing an ever-greater role in flexibility, resilience, and renewable energy integration, storage is becoming a significant source of renewable-energy employment alongside solar.
Deployment activities represented about 85% of all solar jobs in 2025, continuing as the core of Europe’s solar workforce. Operations and maintenance employment grew as the installed solar fleet expanded, whereas manufacturing endured another difficult year marked by factory closures, global overcapacity, and fierce international competition.
For the first time since the report series started, utility-scale solar employment marginally overtook rooftop solar employment, making up 50.2% of all solar jobs in 2025. This change signals the increasing importance of large-scale solar projects in Europe’s energy transition.
Germany stayed the EU’s top solar employer in 2025 with roughly 165,000 jobs, just ahead of Spain, which supported a comparable total overall. Italy came third with about 85,000 jobs. Combined, these three nations represented nearly half of Europe’s solar workforce. France, Romania and Poland also featured among the EU’s largest solar employment markets.
Although solar employment is still growing, the decelerating rate serves as a caution. Under the present market trajectory, solar employment is expected to fall by 2030 as deployment growth flattens, productivity improvements lower labour demand, and difficult investment conditions burden new projects. The report pinpoints rising curtailment, growing negative electricity prices, and inadequate deployment of flexibility solutions as escalating challenges for deployment, with direct consequences for Europe’s solar workforce.
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, remarked that approximately one million people now work in Europe’s solar and storage sectors, spanning rooftops, construction sites, engineering teams, control rooms, and the supply chain. She called this something to celebrate but not to take for granted, cautioning that if deployment slows and flexibility challenges stay unresolved, Europe risks undermining a key source of energy security and resilience as well as solar’s potential for job creation.
Christophe Lits, report author and Senior Market Analyst at SolarPower Europe, observed that this year’s report represents a milestone by evaluating solar and battery storage employment together for the first time. He suggested that as solar and storage become increasingly integrated technologies, more workers are anticipated to design, install and operate them side by side, reflecting the growing role of flexibility in Europe’s energy system. He added that this will not occur on its own, emphasizing that people need routes into these jobs, accessible training, and projects to work on, and that policymakers must convert Europe’s skills and electrification ambitions into action.
To tackle the risks, SolarPower Europe urges policymakers to put solar skills at the centre of Europe’s competitiveness and industrial agenda. The priority now is implementation: transforming the Union of Skills, Renewable Energy Directive III and the Electrification Action Plan into practical support for workers, training providers and employers. Europe must also speed up electrification and flexibility deployment, while broadening training, apprenticeships and reskilling pathways to secure the workforce required for the renewable energy transition.
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Largest solar cell & module producer globally.
World's largest monocrystalline wafer & module maker.
Major integrated solar manufacturer.
Leading producer of high-performance PV products.
Global manufacturer with production in Americas & Asia.
Major cell/module maker with US & Asian production.
Top-tier PV module and cell manufacturer.
Largest thin-film solar manufacturer globally.
Major LED chip & packaging for displays/lighting.
Pioneer and leading supplier of LED phosphors & chips.
Historically leading innovator in LED chips.
Major European LED & opto-semiconductor producer.
Producer of high-efficiency IBC solar cells.
World's largest producer of solar cell wafers.
Leading ABC cell (N-type) technology producer.
Rapidly growing solar cell and module manufacturer.
Integrated PV manufacturer under Chint Group.
Major global LED packaging and component supplier.
Leading supplier of LED components for automotive/lighting.
One of world's largest LED epitaxial wafer & chip makers.
Innovator in LED packaging (WICOP) and chip technology.
Major LED component supplier, part of LG Group.
Key LED epitaxy and chip manufacturer.
Historically significant in both PV and LED production.
Major PV manufacturer part of GCL Group.
Specialist in N-type TOPCon solar cells and modules.
Historic PV leader, continues manufacturing.
Leading LED chip manufacturer, part of Ennostar.
Major LED packaging company for lighting & display.
Leading Chinese LED packaging and component supplier.
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TOYO TOYO used its Solar Analyst Day in Humble, Texas, to outline its U.S. manufacturing expansion, discuss first-half financial results and describe plans for a proposed heterojunction, or HJT, solar-cell facility.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Takahiko Onozuka said the company has completed its second module line at its Houston-area site, bringing module capacity at the facility to 2 gigawatts. TOYO acquired the VSUN brand in September 2025, began operating its first Houston module line a month later and has now completed the second line, he said.
“We are not stopping at the modules here in Humble,” Onozuka said. TOYO plans a $357 million HJT cell facility at the site, with design work completed and permitting applications underway. The company is targeting ramp-up and pilot production during the first quarter of 2028, though executives said the timeline could change based on permitting and financing.
Focus shifts upstream in U.S. supply chain
Onozuka said the company sees a gap in the U.S. solar supply chain beyond module assembly. While the United States has about 75 GW of module capacity against annual solar installations of approximately 43 GW, he said domestic cell capacity is about 3 GW and wafer capacity is roughly 5 GW.
TOYO currently has 6 GW of cell capacity, including 4 GW in Ethiopia and 2 GW in Vietnam, according to Onozuka. The company manufactures cells in Ethiopia using non-Chinese polysilicon and wafers sourced from Indonesia, executives said. TOYO’s Vietnam production does not enter the U.S. market because of antidumping and countervailing-duty considerations, according to Chief Strategy Officer Rhone Resch.
Resch said the company’s strategy is to build a non-FEOC, or Foreign Entity of Concern, supply chain and ultimately increase U.S. content. He said TOYO currently sources 70% of its polysilicon for Ethiopian production from U.S. manufacturers and aims to increase that percentage to 100% over time.
The company’s longer-term vision includes expanding U.S. HJT capacity beyond the initially proposed 1.5 GW cell facility, potentially to 3 GW and eventually 8 GW. Resch also discussed a vision for 6 GW of U.S. ingot and wafer capacity, while emphasizing that the broader expansion plans were not public commitments and would depend on financing and other factors.
First-half revenue nearly doubles
Chief Financial Officer Yasunari Harada reported first-half revenue of $261 million, up 87.6% year over year. The company delivered 2.61 GW of solar cells and 191.85 megawatts of modules during the six-month period.
Cash stood at $103.5 million as of June 30, compared with $51.6 million at year-end, Harada said. Including restricted cash, total cash was $123.4 million. Shareholders’ equity increased to $209.8 million from $111.3 million, while total liabilities declined slightly to $327.8 million.
During the first half, TOYO raised approximately $52.6 million in net proceeds. That included about $47.1 million in net proceeds from a June registered direct offering and approximately $5.5 million from its at-the-market program through June 30.
Financing and trade-policy discussions continue
Harada said the proposed HJT facility is expected to be funded through a combination of Section 45X manufacturing tax credits, debt financing, operating cash flow and other non-dilutive financing sources. He said the plan remains preliminary and that no definitive debt-financing documents have been signed.
In response to an analyst question, Harada said TOYO has begun early-stage discussions with financial institutions in Japan and the U.S. regarding potential project financing.
Resch also discussed the company’s engagement with the Department of Commerce regarding the Section 232 program and a potential offset structure intended to encourage U.S. manufacturing. He said TOYO has submitted a draft term sheet describing its planned manufacturing investments and is seeking additional guidance from Commerce.
Regarding trade enforcement, Resch said four shipments of Ethiopian solar cells had been detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for admissibility reviews. He said the company submitted requested supply-chain documentation and hosted CBP personnel at its Texas facility. Ana Hinojosa, a former CBP executive now working with TOYO, said the company was optimistic about a resolution but noted that timing remained under government control.
HJT technology central to strategy
Executives positioned HJT technology as a central part of TOYO’s long-term growth strategy. Resch said HJT cells offer higher efficiency, improved performance in hot conditions, better bifaciality and lower degradation than conventional TOPCon cells, according to the company’s presentation.
TOYO also plans to develop research and development capabilities in Texas and sees future potential in combining HJT with perovskite technology. Resch said commercial perovskite applications are likely still two-and-a-half to three years away, though the company is in discussions with potential partners.
The existing 567,000-square-foot Humble manufacturing facility employs about 600 people across three shifts, Resch said. The planned cell expansion would add roughly 400 jobs, according to the company.
About TOYO TOYO
TOYO Co, Ltd. TOYO is a solar technology and renewable-energy company focused on the manufacture and supply of photovoltaic products. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company develops and produces solar cells and modules used in utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar-power systems.
TOYO's product portfolio includes high-efficiency solar cells and photovoltaic modules, with an emphasis on advanced technologies such as N-type TOPCon cells. The company has also pursued international manufacturing and expansion opportunities as it works to serve the growing global demand for solar-energy equipment.
TOYO is headquartered in Japan and has reported operations and development activities connected with solar manufacturing in international markets, including Vietnam and Ethiopia.
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Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2026 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2026, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC filings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.

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Exploring solar can unlock savings and get you started on a quick payback period.
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A Central New Jersey homeowner said a garage-mounted solar array with 30 panels recovered five-eighths of its upfront cost.
They happily reported to the r/solar subreddit that their electric bills had stayed in the single or double digits, with some statements even showing a negative balance.
Writing on Reddit, the homeowner said the garage was built and later outfitted with the system on a standing-seam roof. 
They paid cash, skipped battery storage, and used Exact Solar of Newtown, Pennsylvania, for the job at their home near Trenton.
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“I estimate I am at 5/8 of being paid back for the install price,” they said.
They shared a screenshot of a bill that showed a balance of minus-$51.32.
Going solar is one of the best ways to save, or even make, money on home energy. Using EnergySage can help homeowners get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes before committing.
The post drew a couple of upbeat responses, including, “Looks like it’s working!” and a joke from another commenter: “Your bill seems higher than usual this month.” 
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The original poster said the garage was built five years ago and the panels installed three years ago.
“It’s a shame what has happened to Exact after they sold out,” the first commenter wrote. “Seems like most good companies seem to go that way.”
Exploring solar can unlock savings and get you started on a quick payback period.
EnergySage can also add value before any contract is signed. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on a solar purchase and installation as well as make it easy to compare multiple offers.
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Shopping carefully can make a major difference in whether those numbers work out. With EnergySage’s solar map, homeowners can see the average cost of a home solar panel system by state along with solar incentives available in each state. Together, those resources can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. While the OP said they did not have a battery, shoppers who want that added resilience can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
This homeowner’s payoff timeline is one example of how solar can work out. 
• A homeowner snagged $10,000 in incentives for new panels and now saves $1,500 yearly.
• In Australia, a 20kW rooftop setup made blackouts invisible and delivered a $545 credit.
• EnergySage’s former COO broke down the mystery of solar costs and the factors driving quotes.
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China has secured a leading position in most mature green technologies, from solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to wind turbines, batteries and new energy vehicles (NEVs),¹ thanks to long-term policy support, scale across the value chain and innovations in these sectors. Yet these sectors also face a paradox: although they feature some of China’s most successful industries in global markets, they are mired by low profitability and a high number of loss-making firms. Many of the sector’s most innovative companies are unable to capitalize financially on the technological advances they have made.
This dynamic is part of a bigger problem: excessive domestic competition drives firms to prioritize holding onto or winning market share above all else. In China, this phenomenon affects a variety of critical sectors and is dubbed “involution”.² This term is used to describe fruitless competition in society as well as in industries. It represents a race to the bottom where all participants in a system work harder and spend more resources, but for no more gain. Chinese firms can pursue such a strategy for an extended period as public actors are incentivized to provide financing or subsidies regardless of their profitability, in the same way that structural overcapacity is made possible in China.³ 
Since 2024, Beijing has made combating this cutthroat competition and its negative impact on state finances and corporate profits a strategic priority. Green tech sectors, particularly the solar and NEV industries, are major targets in this campaign. This report investigates the factors that have caused hyper-competition in these two sectors, alongside the wind turbine sector, which has also experienced a degree of involution. It analyzes therestrained government response so far and the impact on corporate strategies, primarily in terms of cutting costs and expanding into foreign markets.
The results show that fostering a degree of excessive competition has become part and parcel of China’s industrial policy playbook in green tech sectors. The downward pressure on prices further enhances the competitiveness of Chinese firms vis-à-vis foreign companies. This means China’s dominance in green technologies is growing even stronger. In some ways, Europe could benefit from this process, as cheaper green technologies sourced from China would lower the costs for its energy transition. But it also risks increasing established and emerging dependencies, hindering Europe’s own industrial ambitions in green tech sectors, and by extension ceding the EU’s autonomy in its energy security and green transition.
When it comes to the production and installation of green technologies, China is in a league of its own. In 2025, Chinese firms supplied at least three-quarters of the solar modules, wind turbines, and electric vehicles sold worldwide, and China accounted for at least 57 percent of global demand for these products. The remarkable growth in both domestic sales as well as exports of green tech products since 2020 has been very significant not only for China’s decarbonization agenda, but also for economic growth, as other parts of the economy, such as the real estate sector, have floundered.
These industries are dominated by private firms, and their dynamism, coupled with the competitive pressure to innovate, has played a key role in their success. Yet fierce competition in recent years has also led to falling prices, profits, and in some cases falling revenue for the top firms in these sectors. Since 2022 or 2023, each sector has experienced a sustained period of price declines, triggered by a mix of regulatory changes and aggressive firm behavior. Exhibit 1 displays an overview of the varying degrees of involution over time for each sector (the details are explored in the second chapter):
While general traits of involution, such as deflation, an increased share of loss-making firms and lavish state support for industrial firms have been visible across the Chinese economy in recent years, the reasons why and to what degree an industry gets entangled in involution are specific to each sector. The mix of private and state-owned firms, fluctuations in domestic and foreign demand, changes in sectoral policies, the level of technical complexity, the degree of vertical integration and diversification of business portfolios, or the state of industrial development – be it an emerging industry or more mature – all play a role.
Depending on their prevalence or absence, these factors can either spur or hinder involution. For instance, more technologically advanced or design intensive products, such as wind turbines, have a higher barrier to entry than simpler products such as solar modules. This makes more sophisticated products less susceptible to competition based only on cost-cutting. The enforcement of higher technical standards can have the same effect, forcing producers of outdated technology to exit the market and thus limiting the ability of firms to compete primarily on cost.
The government’s efforts to combat involution in green tech sectors show that despite recognition of the negative impact of destructive competition, Beijing is not willing to tackle its root causes. Beginning in mid-2024, China’s leaders have repeatedly called for preventing vicious “involution-style” competition and curbing “low-price and disorderly competition” across the economy.⁴ Top-level government documents state that this will require managing the setting of prices in certain sectors, phasing out outdated and inefficient production capacity, eliminating local protectionism, as well as corporate self-regulation. New and forthcoming legislation, regulations, and closer scrutiny of corporate behavior have followed.⁵
Most of the measures implemented to date in China’s green tech sectors have been carried out via sector-specific regulations or actions taken by industry associations or individual firms themselves (see second chapter for details). Each sector has followed different pathways to managing destructive competition, from raising standards and reducing financial support in solar, to revising tender practices in wind, to publicly scolding the major players in NEVs. These measures have led to moderate improvements in the NEV and wind sectors but have failed to change the course of the solar industry.
Prolonged price wars in green tech and other sectors are still a risk because the political and economic system that makes them possible remains intact. Local officials are strongly incentivized to support firms in their province or city – particularly those in sectors deemed strategic by Beijing – even if they operate at a loss, since they contribute to GDP growth, jobs and tax revenue. These are important KPIs for officials and more likely to be prioritized than general directives from Beijing to limit protectionist policies.⁶ In addition, bankruptcy laws are often not enforced and allow firms to continue operating even if they default on payments.⁷
In many sectors, the intense competition generated by China’s decentralized system of industrial support has proven to be highly effective in building up capacity and has delivered rapid gains in efficiency, scale and quality. Green technologies are highly strategically relevant for both their economic importance and contribution to enhancing China’s energy security. Consequently, even as President Xi publicly laments the uncoordinated behavior of local officials, he has shown no sign of changing the system which pushes them to act in this way.⁸
So long as ruthless competition helps Chinese firms to acquire global market share and secure China’s position at the center of key industries, Beijing will view this policy approach as a success overall. That is despite the numerous costs involved. Persistent involution will hurt the fiscal position of local governments as they fuel their continued support for firms with additional debt. The money spent on industrial support also means less funds are available for social welfare and other public goods. Employment opportunities are made more precarious by the impulses of firms to expand aggressively and then cut their workforce when prices fall. 
The examples of the solar, NEV and wind sectors show that Beijing does not want to eliminate involution altogether but rather contain it. By extension, some degree of destructive competition could also emerge in the industries that the government has outlined as priority areas for the next five years and beyond, such as robots, legacy semiconductors and hydrogen technologies. 
The following case studies look at the different drivers of involution in the solar PV, NEV and wind turbine sectors in China. Differences in technical complexity, commoditization, production capacity and market structure determine the degree to which these green technologies are affected and their ability to extricate themselves from destructive competition. 
For Europe, each technology represents either an established dependence (solar), an emerging challenge (NEVs) or a future challenge (wind turbines). Understanding the domestic dynamics affecting each technology helps explain their technological competitivity and cost-effectiveness.
Long plagued by structural overcapacity, China’s solar sector has been ravaged by cutthroat competition since 2023, leading to heavy losses for its leading firms even as domestic and global demand for solar has grown strongly. Since 2020, manufacturing capacity utilization has not exceeded 56 percent and in 2025 China could have met global demand while leaving 40 percent of its available production capacity idle.¹⁰
Following China’s 2020 dual-carbon pledge, investment poured into the sector. Local governments offered varied financial incentives as they sought to align themselves with the central government priorities.¹¹ Producers further ramped up production following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, anticipating a spike in demand.¹² While exports in volume terms grew by 38 percent in 2023, the value of exports in CNY terms remained stable. Prices for solar products both within China and abroad (via exports) fell by over 50 percent between 2022 and 2025. Since 2024, over 150 solar firms have filed for bankruptcy or liquidation.¹³
Low technical barriers to entry make the solar sector more susceptible to overcapacity and hyper-competition. In the lower and mid-tier segments, solar panels are relatively simple and commoditized products that are easily scalable, so long as sufficient capital is available. Technology upgrades generally occur every two to three years, with old equipment often sold, allowing other players to continue producing less advanced products.¹⁴ Years of government support for the sector has led to an overcrowded market and manufacturing capacity far overshooting current demand levels. In addition, project developers usually favor the cheapest offer in their tenders, pressuring companies to compete on cost rather than quality.¹⁵
Government and corporate-led efforts to streamline capacity in the sector have so far not yielded any clear results. Corporate initiatives to reduce production and set price floors have failed, either due to a major player ignoring the price floor, or to regulatory intervention to prevent monopolistic behavior.¹⁶ Regulators have also removed export tax rebates for PV products and raised the threshold for financial strength, technology level and energy efficiency for PV manufacturing projects. In addition, recent change to the pricing for renewable energy projects could slow long-term demand for solar PV installations.¹⁷ This could prompt more market exits, help streamline some capacity, and eventually lead to a recovery.
At the start of 2023, larger NEV manufacturers in China initiated a price war to revive sales and expand market share following the removal of purchase subsidies in 2022. The smaller players followed in a race-to-the-bottom.¹⁸ While NEV sales have grown strongly in recent years – up 80 percent in 2023, 27 percent in 2024 and 23 percent in 2025 – prices have continued to trend downwards. Smaller NEV manufacturers, who are less capable of taking advantage of efficiencies of scale, and suppliers, facing intense pressures to reduce prices from OEMs, appear to have been most impacted by cost-cutting measures. 
The attractiveness of the auto sector to local officials, as well as China’s strengths in technologies related to electric vehicles, have all fueled the large number of players in the market and tendency towards excessive competition. For local governments, NEVs are a prestige product and potential creator of many jobs. Companies in the traditional auto sectors as well as in consumer electronics have used existing competencies to expand into the NEV sector. Technically speaking, electric vehicles are far simpler than internal combustion engine vehicles, making a successful foray into the market possible for more firms, but not guaranteed. By one estimate, as many as 500 NEV companies were active in 2018, and around 100 still existed in 2025.¹⁹
Regulators have intervened to prevent the worst cost-cutting excesses by major players, such as delayed supplier payments,²⁰ as well as the growing trade of barely driven vehicles sold abroad as second-hand cars to inflate sales figures and dodge export tariffs.²¹ Yet beyond this, regulators have taken few concrete measures. New regulatory scrutiny on safety and battery standards for NEVs, announced in mid-2026, could help limit the number of players in the market.²² On the corporate side, an appeal from the industry association appears to have been sufficient to temper the behavior of the market leader – BYD – and restore a degree of moderation to the competition in the industry.²³ But there have been no significant efforts to self-regulate.
Unpredictable demand cycles have fueled involution in the wind sector. The phasing out of feed-in tariff subsidies in 2021 led to surges in installations as developers rushed to complete projects. This front-loaded demand and fueled investment and manufacturing capacity.²⁴ When new wind installations then fell in 2022, producers were pushed to compete more aggressively on price to not cede market share. In 2023, prices for onshore wind turbines only stabilized, and those for offshore wind turbines continued to fall, even as installations doubled.²⁵
The combination of a limited number of suppliers and disciplined state buyers was crucial in coordinating action to restrain destructive competition in the wind sector. China’s twelve leading wind turbine firms – together accounting for 99 percent of the domestic market – pledged to cease below-cost pricing in a self-discipline pact signed in October 2024.²⁶ Wind project developers then began using a benchmark price for their tenders, to avoid bidders focusing excessively on price competition.²⁷ These measures led to a recovery of prices and slowed down falling profitability.²⁸
The technological characteristics of wind turbines primarily explain why the sector is not as contested and overcrowded as other green tech areas. Wind turbines are design-intensive and less commoditized than solar panels or NEVs. This limits the rapidity at which turbine production can be scaled and capacity can expand. The supply chain for a wind turbine also requires longer lead times and greater coordination with suppliers for each component. Consolidation has gradually occurred in the sector, with the number of manufacturers decreasing from nearly 80 in 2010 to only 10 by 2025.²⁹ 
While the profit margins of China’s leading wind turbine manufacturers are yet to return to their previous levels, they have avoided running at a loss. Companies are now looking to increase offshore wind turbine production and expand their overseas market sales to shore up margins.³⁰ In addition, changes to energy pricing regulations is expected by industry insiders to create more domestic demand for wind compared to solar in the years to come.³¹ This could shore up profitability for the sector.
As involution has heated up in China’s green tech sectors, firms have adopted numerous strategies to streamline their operations. Leading solar firms reduced their headcount by almost a third on average in 2024, as profits turned negative in that year, while in the NEV and broader auto sector, some firms also cut staff to reduce the burden of salary payments.³²
They have put pressure on suppliers to reduce their prices and delayed payments, causing involution to spread up the supply chain. State media in China has also reported some firms are cutting costs “covertly” by changing materials and production methods to cheaper alternatives, thus sacrificing product quality.³³
The shrinking of margins in China creates a strong incentive for firms to seek higher returns in foreign markets.³⁴ For instance, the price charged for the same NEV model exported to and sold in Europe is as much as twice as high as the price in China.³⁵ For larger firms that can afford to fund such an internationalization strategy, it may be considered a necessity, rather than an option. The slogan “If you don’t go abroad, you will exit the market” has gained traction among Chinese business leaders since 2024.³⁶
For instance, BYD – China’s leading NEV manufacturer – has made its expansion into Europe a priority. In 2025, over a fifth of BYD’s car sales were made overseas, while almost a third of the revenue from its automotive business was derived from overseas markets.³⁷ The company’s chairman and president, Wang Chuanfu, has highlighted that prices in overseas markets are relatively stable and significantly contribute to the company’s profitability.³⁸ Mingyang – a leading wind turbine maker – is another example of a Chinese clean tech firm with an explicit interest in expanding its business in Europe. While Chinese turbines account for a negligible share of those installed in Europe to date, Mingyang has been looking to invest in a local production facility to serve the market.³⁹
The increased pressure on Chinese green tech firms to tap foreign markets will be most felt in Europe. The continent has been the most important destination for Chinese green tech exports in recent years. In 2021, it surpassed Asia (excluding China), in particular for NEV exports. In the first half of 2026, China’s domestic installations and sales of solar, wind and NEV products slowed, while exports continued to grow apace.⁴⁰ European firms should expect competition with Chinese firms in third markets as well as in the EU to increase further.
The price gap between the offerings of European firms versus their Chinese competitors for products of comparable quality continues to grow. Today, it ranges from 30 percent to as much as 50 percent cheaper, depending on the technology in question. For many foreign firms, the only viable strategy appears to be to shift more of their own production to China, to tap into the same cost advantages as their competitors. This shows that China’s dominance in green tech sectors is growing ever stronger.
All of these issues related to involution directly challenge Europe’s ambitions in green tech. They threaten the viability of policies such as the Net Zero Industry Act, which seeks to ensure the EU’s position as a supplier of green technologies in the future. The lower the cost of sourcing directly from China, the higher the premium necessary to develop alternative supply chains, either in Europe or elsewhere.
China’s dominant position throughout the supply chain makes it very difficult for Europe to adopt clean technologies without sourcing a significant share of inputs or final products from China, leading to critical dependencies in some areas.⁴¹ Reversing these trends will require a ramping up of efforts to support local industries and protect them from Chinese competitors.
While the EU is currently working on related measures, like the Industrial Accelerator Act, their implementation will take years, and their impact will likely be moderate at best.
Policymakers face difficult choices regarding how to best balance the advantages of accelerating the energy transition via cheap imported products, against the risks of long-term dependencies and the security of critical infrastructure.
For European governments and companies, formulating strategies on how to engage with and manage pressures emanating from China now requires a clear understanding of the involution phenomenon, and the long-term consequence of current trends. Much like in China, governments and business will need to work together to achieve results.
Without coordination, any actions are likely to prove ineffective. A comprehensive response ought to:
1 | New energy vehicles (NEV, 新能源汽车) is the umbrella term for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plugin hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs). The dominant technology is the BEV, however Chinese policies usually address the entirety of NEVs, which is why this report uses the term NEV.
2 | This report uses destructive competition, excessive competition, cutthroat competition, fruitless competition and hyper-competition interchangeably to refer to involution.
3 | Structural overcapacity refers to firms in a sector maintaining or growing unused production capacity over several years, without concern for the impact on profits, due to the lack of pressure to operate efficiently. It is prevalent in China due to the ample state support afforded to firms. This report considers structural overcapacity and involution as related, but distinct phenomena.
4 | Xinhua, Central Economic Work Conference Held in Beijing; Xi Jinping Delivers Important Speech 中央经济工作会议在北京举行 习近平发表重要讲话, December 12, 2024, https://www.news.cn/politics/leaders/20241212/f47e778630ec4ff6b51c99d55cef6f43/c.html; Xinhua, The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Convened a Meeting to Analyze and Examine the Current Economic Situation and Economic Work, and to Review the ‘Provisions on Rectifying Formalism and Reducing the Burden on Grassroots Levels’ 中共中央政治局召开会议 分析研究当前经济形势和经济工作 审议《整治形式主义为基层减负若干规定》中共中央总书记习近平主持会议, July 30, 2024, https://www.news.cn/politics/leaders/20240730/4c72f-3d27e54447f9793c20d1d577ec2/c.html. Xinhua, Government Work Report 2025 两会受权发布丨政府工作报告 (2025), https://www.news.cn/politics/20250312/a71e63d66967404e8e644f9753c65fc9/c.html; Xinhua, Government Work Report 2026 两会受权发布丨政府工作报告 (2026), https://www.news.cn/politics/20260313/9e24773bf14649f59afe2d62550e48ce/c.html; Xinhua, The Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China 两会受权发布丨中华人民共和国国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划纲要 (2026), https://www.news.cn/politics/20260313/085af5de5a4b4268aa7d87d90817df2f/c.html.
5 | In 2025, revisions to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and Pricing Law were initiated, with the aim to prohibit below cost pricing to drive out competitors or monopolize the market. NPC, Anti-Unfair Competition Law (Revised in 2025) 中华人民共和国反不正当竞争法（2025年修订）(2026), https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2026/5/20/art_104_206437.html; Xinhua, Draft Amendments to the Pricing Law Open for Public Consultation: Regulating Market Price Order and Tackling ‘Involutionary’ Competition 价格法修正草案公开征求意见 规范市场价格秩序、治理“内卷式”竞争, July 24, 2025, https://www.xinhuanet.com/20250724/1c7a0a14d3124ad5b63f8ec3a0f5f116/c.html; NDRC, Notice on Matters Relating to the Cost Accounting for Unregulated Low-Price Competition in Key Industrial Products (National Development and Reform Commission Price [2026] No. 1303) 关于重要工业品低价无序竞争成本核算有关事项的通知(发改价格〔2026〕1303号) (2026), https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xxgk/zcfb/tz/202609/t20260910_1407524.html.
6 | China’s leadership is aware of the problem and promotes the development of “new productive forces according to local conditions”. This slogan advocates for each region to specialize in certain strategic sectors and avoid duplication of efforts. However, no clear mechanism has been implemented to facilitate coordination between local governments. Xi Jinping, Developing New Quality Productive Forces in Line with Local Conditions 因地制宜发展新质生产力 (Qiushi, 2025), https://www.qstheory.cn/20251114/1eaed05f562144a3948dd858f25bbcf7/c.html.
7 | Yi Xiong, Understanding China’s “Anti-Involution” Drive (Deutsche Bank Research Institute, 2025), https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/IE-PROD/PDFVIEWER.calias?pdfViewerPdfUrl=PROD0000000000603307&rwnode=REPORT.
8 | Xinhua, Industrial Development: The General Secretary Stresses That We Must Not Favor the New at the Expense of the Old 产业发展，总书记强调不能喜新厌旧, January 28, 2026, https://www.news.cn/politics/xxjxs/20260128/b55cbf2864fc4138b9ffeb6e6908f649/c.html; Genyuan Zhang, Finding a Path to High-Quality Development Suited to Our Own Circumstances (Ideological Perspectives) 找准切合自身实际的高质量发展路子（思想纵横）, December 24, 2025, http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2025/1224/c1003-40630703.html.
9 | The solar sector data covers LONGi, Jinko Solar, JA Solar, Trina Solar and Tongwei Solar. In 2025, these five firms accounted for 54.9 percent of the global PV module market, based on data collected by Enerdata. The wind sector data covers Goldwind, Mingyang, Windey, Sany and SEWPG. In 2025, these five firms accounted for 64.8 percent of the Chinese market for wind turbines, based on data published by CWEA. The NEV sector data covers BYD, mixed NEV and thermal engine car manufacturers labelled “NEV + ICE” (Geely, Chery, Great Wall, SAIC, Changan and Dongfeng) and a selection of smaller pure NEV car manufacturers labelled “NEV ex. BYD” (Leapmotor, Seres, Li Auto, Xpeng, and Nio). In 2025, BYD accounted for 27 percent of NEV passenger car sales in China (including both domestic sales and exports), based on data provided by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The “NEV + ICE” companies and “NEV ex. BYD” companies accounted for 33 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
10 | Capacity utilization rate calculated based on historic data on production capacity and output. Chinese Photovoltaic Industry Association. 
China Photovoltaic Industry Association, China’s PV Module Production Continued to Expand in 2024, but the Growth Rate Slowed Significantly 2024 年我国光伏组件产量进一步扩大，但增速显著放缓, July 7, 2025, https://www.chinapv.org.cn/StaticPage/Association/content_1655.html; China Photovoltaic Industry Association, In 2023, China’s Photovoltaic Module Production Exceeded 500 GW, Representing a Year-over-Year Increase of More than 75%! 2023 年我国光伏组件产量超过500GW 同比增长超过75%！, July 1, 2024, https://www.ne21.com/news/show-196910.html; China Photovoltaic Industry Association, In 2025, PV Module Production Declined Year-over-Year for the First Time, and the Industry’s Supply-Demand Restructuring Entered a Critical Phase. 2025 年，光伏组件产量首次同比下降，行业供需结构调整进入攻坚期, July 13, 2026, https://www.chinapv.org.cn/StaticPage/Association/content_1852.html; Shizhan Wang, In 2022, China’s Photovoltaic Module Exports Totaled $42.36 Billion, a 72.1% Increase from the Previous Year! 2022 年我国光伏组件出口额为423.6亿美元，同比增长72.1%！, June 25, 2023, https://www.shifair.com/wap/article_details/index/id/146555.html; Xueqiu, Forecast of China’s PV Module Production Capacity and Output for 2025, and Analysis of Leading Companies’ Shipment Rankings 2025 年中国光伏组件产能产量预测及重点企业出货量排名情况分析, September 19, 2025, https://xueqiu.com/2294082574/353547417.
11 | Michael Davidson and Sandy Qian, China’s Solar Industry Is in Upheaval—The Effects Will Be Global, March 12, 2026, https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-solar-industry-upheaval-effects-will-be-global. 
12 | Kohei Fujimura, China’s Solar Panel Production Cuts Fail to Reverse Price Slump, August 13, 2026, https://asia.nikkei.com/business/energy/china-s-solar-panel-production-cuts-fail-to-reverse-priceslump.
13 | Zitong Dong, Amid a Mix of Delistings and M&A, Listed Solar Companies Are Seeing Accelerated Polarization
退市与并购交织，光伏上市企业加速分化, July 20, 2026, https://paper.people.com.cn/zgnyb/pc/content/202607/20/content_30170405.html.
14 | Dazhong Daily, On the Eve of the Tax Rebate Phase-out: Shandong’s Solar Industry’s “Head Start” and Polarization 退税归零前夜：山东光伏的“抢跑”与分化, April 1, 2026, http://www.sd.xinhuanet.com/20260401/8929c64230824226b02c0085de87add9/c.html.
15 | Ye Lei and Deshangyu Li, The Solar Industry Continues to Crack Down on Unregulated Competition; the Phase-Out of Outdated Production Capacity May Be Postponed Until 2026 光伏行业持续整治无序竞争 落后产能出清或延至2026年, August 14, 2025, https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/3091228.html.
16 | A landmark agreement reached in December 2024 by 33 firms accounting for 90 percent of manufacturing capacity set production quotas and a recommended price floor. This was then undermined by a project developer. Efforts to coordinate production cuts and raise prices for polysilicon – a key raw material for solar modules – were struck down by the State Administration for Market Regulation on the grounds of anti-competitive behavior and attempted price manipulation. Gantanhao Keji, Industry Self-Regulatory Measures Promoted by the China Photovoltaic Association—Including Price Caps—Have Been Completely Suspended! 中国光伏协会推动的限价等行业自律，被全面叫停！, January 8, 2026, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pvhuJ_2GTE-aEf5cfTPgMw?mc_cid=2c53a5dc38&mc_eid=f9634e5ef5; Howe Colleen, China’s Polysilicon Giants Set up Acquisition Firm to Tackle Oversupply, December 10, 2025, https://archive.is/vZ6lK; Yujie Xue, Storm Brewing in China’s Solar-Panel Sector Threatens to Spiral out of Control, January 11, 2025, https://archive.is/0yxoW#selection-873.0-873.78.
17 | Document 136, released in February 2025, has shifted the pricing of renewable energy to a more market-based mechanism and slowed demand for solar PV installations in 2026. NDRC, Notice on Deepening Market-Oriented Reform of Feed-in Tariffs for New Energy and Promoting High-Quality Development of New Energy (National Development and Reform Commission Price 2025 No. 136) 关于深化新能源上网电价市场化改革 促进新能源高质量发展的通知(发改价格〔2025〕136号) (2025), https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xxgk/zcfb/tz/202502/t20250209_1396066.html; Anika Patel, Chart: Why China’s Solar Boom Is Slowing Down, May 6, 2026, https://www.carbonbrief.org/chart-why-chinas-solarboom-is-slowing-down.
18 | Raffaele Huang, China’s ‘Tesla Killer’ Stumbles as EV Price War Takes Toll, June 26, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/business/chinas-tesla-killer-stumbles-as-ev-price-war-takes-toll-beadc04c; Ziyue Wu and Suwan Li, More than 40 Automakers Are Engaged in a Price War, yet the Conversion Rate of in-Store Traffic in the Auto Market Remains Low. 超40个汽车品牌参与价格战，车市终端客流转化率却不高, March 22, 2023,
https://www.yicai.com/news/101709099.html.
19 | EVBoosters, 400 Chinese EV Companies Ceased Operations between 2018 – 2025, Only a Few Will Dominate towards 2030, April 29, 2025, https://evboosters.com/ev-charging-news/400-chinese-ev-companies-ceased-operations-between-2018-2025-only-a-few-will-dominate-towards-2030/.
20 | Xinhua, Two Government Agencies Issue Guidelines to Encourage Automakers to Standardize Payments to Suppliers and Optimize Payment Term Management 两部门发文推动车企规范供应商账款支付优化账期管理, September 7, 2026, https://www.xinhuanet.com/20260907/7cfde746ba7a44c89d4bf7f-30c764514/c.html; State Council Information Office, Li Qiang Signs State Council Decree to Promulgate the Revised “Regulations on the Payment of Funds Owed to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” 李强签署国务院令 公布修订后的《保障中小企业款项支付条例》 (2025), http://www.scio.gov.cn/yw/lq_/202503/t20250324_888459.html; MEE, Regulations on the Payment of Amounts Owed to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Decree No. 802 of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China)保障中小企业款项支付条例（中华人民共和国国务院令　第802号） (2025), https://www.mee.gov.cn/zcwj/gwywj/202503/t20250325_1104643.shtml; Jeff Pao, Price War Sparks EV Financial Crisis Concerns in China, June 14, 2025, https://asiatimes.com/2025/06/price-war-sparks-ev-financial-crisis-concerns-in-china/.
21 | Zhao Liu, Cutting Off the Gray-Market Profit Chain of “Zero-Kilometer Used Cars” and Maintaining Market Order from Multiple Perspectives 切断“零公里二手车”灰色利益链 多维度维护好市场秩序, May 30, 2025, https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/1851416.html; 21st Century Business Herald, “Zero-Kilometer Used Cars” Phenomenon Sparks Controversy; Industry Calls for Stricter Regulation to Standardize the Market “零公里二手车”现象惹争议 业内呼吁加强监管规范流通, June 4, 2025, https://www.21jingji.com/article/20250604/herald/601d1688207a8c6f7128f315b19c6221.html; China Auto Dealers Chamber of Commerce, Policy Interpretation | “Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Used Car Exports” 政策解读 | 《关于进一步加强二手车出口管理工作的通知》, November 17, 2025, https://www.cadcc.com.cn/article/2908.html; Mark Rainford, China Tightens Regulations on Used Car Exports to Close
Zero-Kilometre Loophole, July 6, 2025, https://insidechinaauto.com/2025/07/06/china-tightens-regulations-on-used-car-exports-to-close-zero-kilometre-loophole/.
22 | Automotive World, China Sets New Accuracy Rules for EV Battery Health Data, August 3, 2026, https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/china-sets-new-accuracy-rules-for-ev-battery-health-data/; Yingying Cao, Tougher Road Tests to Raise NEV Quality Control, August 10, 2026, https://www.chinadaily.com.
23 | BYD and other major manufacturers reportedly started cutting prices again in March 2026. Bloomberg, BYD Discounts Show China’s EV Price War Is Worsening, April 24, 2024, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-23/byd-s-car-discounts-show-china-s-ev-price-war-is-getting-worse.
24 | Yujia Han et al., China’s Solar and Onshore Wind Capacity Reaches New Heights, While Offshore Wind Shows Promise, July 2025, https://globalenergymonitor.org/research/chinas-solar-and-onshore-windcapacity-reaches-new-heights-while-offshore-wind-shows.
25 | Some evidence points to onshore wind turbine prices in 2024 falling below 1,300 yuan per kilowatt, lower than the cost line of most enterprises. Mengjiao Wang, “Qin Haiyan, Secretary-General of the China Wind Energy Association, Published Two Articles in Half a Month to Warn That the Price War Is Dragging the Industry to the Edge of Danger. Can Trust Be Rebuilt?,” 36Kr, July 1, 2026, https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3876353711635072.
26 | Jiying Guo, “Chinese Wind Turbine Makers Sign Truce to End Price War,” Yicai, October 17, 2024, https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/leading-chinese-wind-turbine-makers-sign-self-discipline-pact-toend-price-wars.
27 | Canbang Liu, “Self-Regulation in the Wind Power Industry Drives a Rebound in Bidding Prices, Onshore and Offshore Market Expansion Enters a Period of Reaping Rewards 风电行业自律推动招标价格回升 ‘两海’市场布局进入收获期,” Securities Times, June 19, 2025, https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/2125796.html.
28 | Shenglu Yin and Nuo Chen, Riding the Wind to Expand into the Ocean: Energy Independence Resonates with Industrial Trends. 2026 Mid-Year Investment Strategy for the Wind Power and Hydrogen Energy Sectors. 乘风拓海，能源自主与产业趋势共振 风电氢能行业2026年度中期投资策略 (Kaiyuan Securities, 2026), https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H3_AP202605291822993191_1.pdf?1780046826000.pdf.
29 | Yuan Talks, China’s Wind Power Industry Breaks Free from Involution–Style Competition, Prices Stabilize for Over Half a Year, July 18, 2025, https://www.yuantalks.com/chinas-wind-power-industry-breaksfree-from-involution-style-competition-prices-stabilize-for-over-half-a-year/; Jiying Guo, “New Installed Wind Power Capacity in China Reached a Record High Last Year, Exports to Overseas Markets Performed
Exceptionally Well 去年国内风电新增吊装容量创历史新高，海外出口表现亮眼,” Yicai, February 14, 2026, https://www.yicai.com/news/103053245.html.
30 | Bloomberg, “Major Chinese Wind Turbine Maker Sees Domestic Price Recovery,” Bloomberg, March 26, 2025, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-26/major-chinese-wind-turbine-maker-sees-domestic-price-recovery. 
31 | Ye Lei, “After the Breakthrough of Document No. 136, Several Provinces Have Unveiled Their New Renewable Energy Pricing Mechanisms ‘136号’文破局之后，多省新能源电价机制出炉,” Securities Times, January 6, 2026, https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/3572476.html.
32 | Colleen Howe, “China’s Solar Giants Quietly Shed a Third of Their Workforces Last Year,” Reuters, August 4, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/chinas-solar-giants-quietly-shed-third-theirworkforces-last-year-2025-08-01/; Reuters, “Chinese EV Upstart Nio Plans to Cut Workforce by a Tenth,”Reuters, November 3, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinese-evupstart-nio-plans-eliminate-10-its-positions-2023-11-03/; Reuters, “China’s SAIC Aims to Slash Jobs at GM, VW Ventures and EV Unit, Sources Say,” Reuters, April 1, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinas-saic-aims-slash-jobs-gm-vw-ventures-ev-unit-sources-say-2024-03-31/.
33 | Wen Luo, “Thoroughly Address ‘Involution-Style’ Competition to Foster a Healthy Market Environment 深入整治‘内卷式’竞争 营造良好市场环境,” People’s Daily, July 17, 2026, https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202607/17/content_30169218.html.
34 | IEA, Global EV Outlook 2026 (IEA, 2026), https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026/manufacturing-and-trade.
35 | Jianguang Shen, “‘Go Global or Go Home’, the New Wave of Chinese Companies Expanding Overseas ‘不出海，就出局’，中国企业出海新浪潮,” Caijing, December 3, 2024, https://www.mycaijing.com/article/detail/535762?source_id=40&open_tag=0.
36 | The saying in Chinese is “不出海，就出局”.Jianguang Shen, “‘Go Global or Go Home’, the New Wave of Chinese Companies Expanding Overseas ‘不出海，就出局’，中国企业出海新浪潮”; Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, “Li Haitao—Misconceptions and the Right Mindset for Going Global 李海涛——关于出海的误区和正念,” Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, November 18, 2024, https://www.ckgsb.edu.cn/faculty/article/detail/157/7317; Jin Li, “‘Go Global or Go Under’? Chinese Companies Face Survival Challenges 不‘出海’便‘出局’？中国企业遭遇生存挑战,” ESM China, January 21, 2025, https://www.esmchina.com/news/12684.html.
37 | | BYD Company Limited, 2025 Annual Report (BYD Company Limited, 2025), 14, 284, https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0327/2026032703008.pdf. 
38 | Phate Zhang, “BYD Changsha Sets Sail, as BYD’s 6th Car Carrier Joins Fleet,” CnEVPost, June 24, 2025, https://cnevpost.com/2025/06/24/byd-changsha-sets-sail/.
39 | Alexander Brown, “Knocking on the Door: Ming Yang Sets Its Sights on European Expansion,” MERICS, December 4, 2025, https://merics.org/en/comment/knocking-door-ming-yang-sets-its-sights-europeanexpansion; Sladjana Djunisic, “Shunned by UK, Mingyang Eyes Other Europe Sites for Turbine Factory – Report,” Renewables Now, May 15, 2026, https://renewablesnow.com/news/shunned-by-uk-mingyangeyes-other-europe-sites-for-turbine-factory-report-1294804/.
40 | National Energy Administration, National Energy Administration Press Conference on Renewable Energy Grid Connection in the First Half of the Year 国家能源局举行新闻发布会 介绍上半年可再生能源并网运行情况 (National Energy Administration, 2025), https://www.nea.gov.cn/20250731/36b5b3b74d344325bb-67f38b8e943c18/c.html; National Energy Administration, National Energy Administration Press Conference on Renewable Energy Grid Connection in H1 2026 国家能源局举行新闻发布会 介绍2026年上半年可再生
能源并网运行情况 (National Energy Administration, 2026), https://www.nea.gov.cn/20260730/bb571bc20d7445e5ae7d9dc51c3f700d/c.html; China Automobile Dealers Association, National Passenger Car Market June 2026 Analysis 2026年6月份全国乘用车市场分析 (China Automobile Dealers Association, 2026), https://www.cada.cn/Trends/info_91_10533.html.
41 | Romain Zissler, Progress in Diversifying the Global Solar PV Supply Chain (Renewable Energy Institute, 2024), https://www.renewable-ei.org/pdfdownload/activities/REI_SolarPVsupplychain2024_en.pdf.
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MNRE Approves Gopin Semicon as Solar PV Cell Manufacturer  SolarQuarter
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Bukhara. ©ACWA
A $20 million solar-panel program in Uzbekistan has so far provided 1,580 homes and 334 public institutions with free electricity-generating systems. A further 1,197 households are expected to receive the equipment by May 2027.
The program, known as Yorqin Xonadon (“Bright Home”), is being implemented by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy, Saudi energy company Acwa, and China Southern Power Grid International. According to information provided to The Times of Central Asia by Acwa, the initiative was launched in April 2023. About 65% of the new installations are intended for Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in northwestern Uzbekistan that has been severely affected by the drying of the Aral Sea.
Each home receives solar panels with a capacity of approximately 3 kilowatts (kW) and a battery with a storage capacity of 4.8 kilowatt-hours (kWh). During the day, the system generates electricity, while stored energy can be used in the evening or when sunlight is insufficient. How well this setup meets a particular family’s needs depends on its electricity consumption and the season.
Program participants can reduce their electricity bills and receive payments for surplus power supplied to the grid. According to the Ministry of Energy, more than 45,000 people received a total of 209.2 billion soums (approximately $17.8 million) for electricity supplied to the grid in 2025.
While the initiative could help recipients reduce their electricity bills, its contribution to the country’s overall energy needs will be small.
The 2,777 household installations planned under the program would together provide about 8.3 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. Based on the country’s solar potential, these systems could generate approximately 12–13 million kWh annually, less than 0.02% of the 86.7 billion kWh produced nationwide in 2025. The estimate excludes installations at public institutions, for which capacity figures have not been provided.
Uzbekistan’s electricity consumption is rising, while natural gas remains the country’s main source of power. Large solar and wind farms generated 10.5 billion kWh of electricity in 2025. Although Yorqin Xonadon will make only a small contribution to national electricity generation, it could help thousands of low-income households reduce their energy bills.
Sadokat Jalolova
Jalolova has worked as a reporter for some time in local newspapers and websites in Uzbekistan, and has enriched her knowledge in the field of journalism through courses at the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Amsterdam on the Coursera platform.
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The Times of Central Asia © 2023

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In the final part of the special Austin-debrief series of articles this week in pv magazine, I review the outlook for U.S. solar manufacturing capital expenditure (capex) by quarter to the end of 2027.
For reference, Part 1 of the series addressed domestic U.S. module production forecasting, capturing themes covered at the recent Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 event in Austin, Texas on 22-23 September, with Part 2 looking at cell production by quarter to the end of 2027.
The analysis underpinning the data and conclusions within each of the articles is taken directly from the new Solar Manufacturing USA Quarterly report.
The bottom-up analysis from more than 50 companies in the U.S. manufacturing space for 2027 shows that solar PV manufacturing capex is forecast to see a year-on-year decline compared to the final numbers expected for 2026 (circa. $3 billion).
U.S. solar manufacturing capex peaked in 2024 (almost $4 billion), with more than half this spending coming from just two companies; First Solar and Qcells.
The forecast for 2027 solar manufacturing capex reveals that more than 70% of the announcements made by companies over the past 12-18 months (that would have necessitated spending in 2027) are either unfunded or stranded.
Waiting in the wings however is potentially the most disruptive play ever to be seen in the history of U.S. solar PV manufacturing; Tesla’s mega-sized ingot-to-module manufacturing plans.
It is getting close to factoring in Tesla’s manufacturing capex plans to the analysis that forms the basis of the new Solar Manufacturing USA Quarterly report and indeed using the capex phasing to drive the incremental production volumes across the silicon-based value-chain in the United States.
This would appear to be the missing link in forming a credible 2030 capex and production forecast – something that the downstream buying community and the upstream equipment/materials supply side is badly in need of. Many have spent the past few years looking at interactive pins-on-maps, a trend that was started back in 2022 by U.S. trade associations and government-based portals (once the IRA was introduced) and has no shortage of variants these days.
The financing details and phasing of solar manufacturing capital expenditure ultimately hold the key to forecasting domestic U.S. productivity out to 2030 and beyond. I will return to 2030 production forecasting in the coming days, pending the ‘Tesla’ question.
Those who heard my talk at the recent Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 event in Austin, Texas on 22-23 September will recall me stating that capex is the most important aspect of solar market research and part of understanding this relates to spending cycles.
End-markets can grow during capex downturns, but a capex downturn is likely a symptom of other industry factors that could have longer-term implications.
Figure 1 Excluding Tesla and other upside PV manufacturing capex in 2027, investments in domestic U.S. PV manufacturing are still adapting to the initial post-IRA flurry that was loaded into 2024 as First Solar and Qcells committed record levels of capex to the U.S. sector.
Since 2025, solar manufacturing capex in the United States has been going through a minor downturn cycle. This is a consequence of two factors.
First, the capex by First Solar and Qcells, that was loaded mostly into 2024, was significant in comparison to the overall spending trends of the 20-30 companies that were investing in the U.S. manufacturing space at this point. The loading into 2024 can therefore be regarded as a one-time hit, or an annual outlier. Had the spending phases from either or both companies been spread more into 2023 or 2025, the peak seen in Figure 1 for 2024 would not have been so pronounced.
Second, outside the capex from First Solar and Qcells, there is no other ‘major spender’ at the billion-dollar annual level. Therefore, although the number of manufacturing sites associated with solar manufacturing capex in the United States in the past few years now exceeds 60, the total capex figures for 2025, 2026 and 2027 are all well below the peak seen in 2024.
But the big issue for 2027 is not the specific capex number being forecast. It is driven by Tesla. When will spending start for real? How long does the company plan to keep Chinese equipment in warehouses?
No longer ‘if’, the changes are coming soon. Forecasting U.S. solar capex and production is set to move into unchartered territory
To register your interest in the Solar Manufacturing USA Quarterly report, please send an email to: [email protected]
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
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Turkish solar technology manufacturer Kalyon PV said Thursday it plans to establish a new production facility in the United States as part of its global expansion strategy, targeting direct sales to the U.S. market and seeking to benefit from incentives supporting domestic manufacturing.
The company announced the investment at an investor meeting held Wednesday at its integrated manufacturing complex in Ankara, where it outlined its domestic and international growth strategy, production and technological capabilities, financial outlook and future targets.

The meeting was hosted by Kalyon PV Chair Murathan Kalyoncu and attended by investors and analysts, who also toured the factory to observe the production process, from ingots and wafers to solar cells and panels.
Under the planned investment, Kalyon PV intends to establish a new manufacturing facility through a U.S.-based partnership in which it holds a majority stake. The company has completed the establishment of the U.S. entity, according to its statement.

The facility is expected to manufacture solar panels and other products for the solar energy industry in compliance with relevant U.S. regulations and domestic-content requirements. The company also plans to establish a sales and marketing operation in the country to serve the market directly.
The United States has become a key market in Kalyon PV's international growth strategy amid accelerating solar energy investment, rising demand and incentive mechanisms designed to support domestic production.
U.S. targets to substantially expand installed solar capacity by 2035, alongside advantages offered to local manufacturers, provide the strategic basis for the investment, the company said.

Kalyon PV is working with a U.S.-based consultancy on tax, legal and investment matters. It expects to pursue federal tax incentives as well as economic development incentives offered at state and local levels.
Kalyoncu said the company aimed to take the manufacturing experience and capabilities it had developed in Türkiye into international markets.

“Since our establishment, we have manufactured panels to meet the needs of our industry, particularly for the Kalyon Karapınar Solar Power Plant, one of Europe's largest and among the world's leading solar power plants,” he said.
Kalyon PV had continuously invested in research and development, technology and human resources, Kalyoncu said, adding that these efforts had helped the company achieve a series of milestones.
“Today, we are entering a new era in which we will take the experience and manufacturing strength we have built in Türkiye to global markets,” he said. “The company we have established in the United States is an important step in our international growth strategy.”
Each new investment strengthens the company's production capabilities, while each new market supports its global expansion strategy, Kalyoncu said.

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A 450-megawatt (MW) solar farm with a massive battery system is now under construction in Arizona – and Tesla has already lined up about 90% of its expected electricity output.
ContourGlobal held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 6 for Project Sterling, around 20 miles north of Lake Havasu City in Mohave County. The project will cover more than 2,000 acres in the Mojave Desert, and it’s expected to come online in 2028.
Sterling will pair more than 760,000 solar panels with over 300 battery storage containers. Its solar panels will have a combined capacity of 509 MW DC, with 450 MW of AC capacity after conversion for the grid.
The batteries will deliver up to 360 MW and store around 1.4 gigawatt-hours of electricity – enough to discharge at full power for about four hours. ContourGlobal says the solar and storage will enable Sterling to deliver clean electricity for up to 16 hours a day.
The system uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with liquid cooling and integrated fire protection.
Once it’s online, Sterling is expected to generate more than 1.1 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually. Tesla’s long-term power purchase agreement covers around 1 TWh per year, plus the associated renewable energy certificates, which is 90% of the Arizona solar and battery storage plant’s expected annual output. Sterling will become ContourGlobal’s largest renewable energy asset worldwide.
The electricity also has a route into California. Sterling will connect to the Western Area Power Administration’s grid and has secured transmission rights into the California Independent System Operator’s electricity market.
ContourGlobal expects construction to employ around 400 workers through 2028. Local crews will handle civil works, roads, and site logistics, including a new 5.2-mile (8.4-km) access road connecting the project to historic Route 66.
The privately financed project has also secured an equity bridge loan from a group of international banks to help fund ContourGlobal’s investment during construction.
Read more: California gives the green light to balcony solar
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