Sign up for email newsletters E-Edition By JENNIFER McDERMOTT The Trump administration illegally terminated a $7 billion Solar for All program intended to make solar power accessible to more than 900,000 lower-income Americans, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Friday. The Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the Solar for All funds in August 2025 after President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending law passed in Congress a month earlier, with Administrator Lee Zeldin calling the Biden-era grant program a “boondoggle.” District Judge Mary McElroy wrote in the ruling that Congress clearly intended the EPA to continue administering the Solar for All grants that were already obligated. The EPA acted contrary to this intent and without any other statutory authority when it terminated the program, McElroy wrote. She vacated the termination. The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The lawsuit filed in Rhode Island by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO labor organization and others — including the public interest law center Rhode Island Center for Justice and the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors — highlighted the importance of the program for local workforces and lower-income communities seeking access to clean-energy project funding. Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, called the decision “a big victory” for states across the country. “If and when the program does get up and running, there will be thousands and thousands of union jobs created across the United States,” he said Friday. “We were proud to be the lead plaintiff.” Clean, affordable power like solar shouldn’t be a luxury, said Alex St. Pierre, vice president for environmental justice at Conservation Law Foundation, one of the nonprofit legal advocacy groups representing the plaintiffs. “Communities have waited long enough,” St. Pierre said in a statement. “Nearly every family is looking for ways to cut their energy bill. These dollars should go where Congress intended: toward lower energy bills, less climate pollution, good jobs and cleaner air.” In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal. The Trump administration has targeted a host of programs and policies dedicated to clean energy. The $7 billion Solar for All program was part of the $27 billion “green bank,” formally known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It was established in the Democratic-backed climate law passed in 2022 under former President Joe Biden. The attorneys general of more than a dozen states also sued over the canceled solar program funding. A federal judge in Washington dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction in June. The plaintiffs have appealed. The other $20 billion, also canceled by the Trump administration, was slated for eight community development banks and nonprofit organizations for tens of thousands of projects to combat the effects of climate change, such as residential energy efficiency projects to larger-scale investments such as community cooling. A divided federal appeals court said last month that the Trump administration improperly terminated the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, handing a win to a coalition of nonprofits picked to run the effort. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Copyright 2026 Reading Eagle. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
Thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar module manufacturer First Solar plans to voluntarily withdraw its Section 337 complaint made to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) over alleged tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) intellectual property (IP) violations, while continuing to pursue US District Court lawsuits against alleged TOPCon infringers. The US thin-film solar manufacturer intends to terminate the ongoing investigation with the ITC, which started earlier this year, without prejudice to refiling at a later date. This decision comes after the imposition of tariffs on polysilicon and its derivatives under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Get Premium Subscription However, First Solar will continue to pursue its existing TOPCon patent lawsuits in the US District Court filed against manufacturers Jinko, Canadian Solar, T1 Energy and Trina Solar, which were stayed pending the results of the Section 337 investigation. All the companies, with the exception of T1 Energy, were among the solar manufacturers First Solar sought to pursue in 2024, when it first began investigating alleged IP infringement by competitors. The thin-film solar manufacturer also said that it intends to keep enforcing its global patent portfolio against other manufacturers it believes infringe on its TOPCon patent portfolio, a process it paused following the Section 337 complaint. “The Trump Administration’s Section 232 action helps level the playing field at the border, and we are more determined than ever to enforce our IP rights and defend the rule of law here at home,” said Jason Dymbort, general counsel, First Solar. “This is a procedural decision that clears the way for our pending suits to move forward and for additional suits we anticipate filing, and we will continue to pursue any bad actors that infringe our patents.” First Solar acquired the US TOPCon patents and its related international IP in 2013 when it acquired TetraSun. The patents include issued patents in the US, Australia, Canada, China and Japan, alongside the European Union and other countries. According to the US company, the validity of the patents extends to 2030 and beyond. In addition to pursuing any alleged IP infringement, the thin-film CdTe solar manufacturer signed a licensing agreement for its TOPCon IP in the US with solar cell manufacturer Talon PV last year. The patent litigations regarding TOPCon in the US has impacted the popularity of technologies in the US’ growing domestic solar manufacturing sector. Most of the currently operational US nameplate capacity for cells is for PERC technology, while the announced capacity has a fairly even split between PERC (11.8GW), TOPCon (13.1GW) and HJT (12.2GW), as highlighted earlier this month by PV Tech Research, despite the technical advantages of TOPCon over PERC. The state of the US solar supply chain will be explored in detail at our annual PV CellTech conference in San Francisco on 13-14 October 2026. For the full agenda and details on booking, clickthe link above.
Energies Media Researchers are testing a tandem solar approach by simply adding a thin coating to panels. The United States is racing to increase its renewable energy capacity to meet rising energy demand. Solar power has led this green transition, but new deployment is currently limited by land scarcity. The University of California, Merced is addressing this by layering advanced materials onto existing frameworks. Will this method help accelerate the nationwide renewable energy shift? The boom in artificial intelligence and data centers has pushed American energy demand to unprecedented highs. National power consumption is further increased by domestic manufacturing growth and widespread industrial electrification. For the U.S., this ever-climbing demand is now a matter of national urgency. Independent analyses indicate that data centers are predicted to account for up to 12% of the total consumption by 2028. Power infrastructure is increasingly becoming outdated across the country. This presents severe bottlenecks, with regional grids operating within small margins of excess electricity capacity. While fossil fuels are still being used to keep grids stable, climate targets require replacing them with clean energy sources. Nationwide, large-scale solar plants have been leading this decarbonization mission. But the technology faces efficiency issues, requiring rapid technological breakthroughs. Without it, the country remains at risk for grid instability, stalled economic competitiveness, and expensive consumer costs. America’s largest source of new electricity production capacity is solar energy, anchoring the nation’s decarbonization strategy. The combined installed capacity has surpassed 279 gigawatts, ensuring tens of millions of households benefit from clean power. This milestone was achieved thanks to the technology’s rapid scalability and deployment, and its seamless integration across various sectors. Despite this, solar growth has been slowed nationwide by permitting bottlenecks. Prospective projects trigger immense tension with agriculture, conservation, and residential expansion due to vast land use requirements. More panels must be installed over a greater expanse of land to increase power output. This is because traditional silicon panels are nearing an efficiency limitation. The technology often only converts 20% to 24% of sunlight into power. Tandem PV partnered with UC Merced to bypass this land-use barrier. The key is to increase the power output per module instead of using more acreage. A tandem design adds perovskite on top of standard silicon solar cells. This approach was found to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight. It enables the upper layer to capture high-energy blue wavelengths while the lower layer captures infrared light. But the secret to this boost in power output lies within a thinner-than-hair transparent coating applied to the tandem cell. In a field experiment, the university monitors the effects of this specialized coating added to a rooftop solar panel. The module is on the roof of UC Merced’s Science and Engineering 2 Building. Perovskite Info is tracking this experiment. The ultra-thin layer improves charge movement across cells while maximizing light transmission. By combining the materials, the researchers aim to increase silicon’s power conversion efficiency from 24% to 30%. This will enable higher electricity generation from the same panel dimensions. As a result, energy production can scale without requiring a larger physical footprint. UC Merced’s field experiment is still active, with real-world performance and durability data continuously being gathered. Should the end-of-trial data report positive findings, it will reshape America’s solar growth journey. Not only will land scarcity obstacles be bypassed, but surging industrial energy demand will also be met more sustainably. Commercial production incentives should scale to maximize this momentum. Ultimately, next-generation tandem solar technologies could be key to a more efficient clean future. Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest. Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest. Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
Solar power has undergone a staggering price transformation over the past 25 years. Panels that cost roughly $5 to $6 per watt around 2000 now sell for approximately 12 cents per watt, according to data cited by TechSpot from Ember co-founder Dave Jones. The collapse has helped turn rooftop and commercial solar from a niche technology into a mainstream source of electricity. The decline has been driven largely by manufacturing scale, technological improvements, and China’s enormous expansion of solar production. Wood Mackenzie estimates that China’s solar manufacturing capacity has reached roughly 1.36 terawatts, creating an enormous supply base for panels deployed worldwide. The result is visible far beyond traditional solar markets. Global solar generation continues to expand rapidly, with the Energy Institute reporting that solar generation grew by 30% worldwide in 2025. Renewables were also the largest contributor to growth in total energy supply during the year, with solar accounting for 71% of the increase in renewable energy. Businesses have particularly strong incentives to install panels because their electricity consumption often peaks during daylight hours, when solar production is highest. In Pakistan, for example, Bestway Cement’s plant in Chakwal already gets more than a quarter of its electricity from a 26MW solar installation and plans to add another 6.34MW. Rooftop solar is also spreading rapidly among households. India has installed panels on more than five million homes through its national rooftop-solar subsidy program, while rooftop capacity in the Philippines has reportedly nearly doubled over 12 months. But cheap solar creates an awkward problem for electricity utilities. Customers with rooftop panels and batteries can buy far less electricity from the grid while still relying on it at night, during cloudy weather, and whenever their batteries run out. Utilities therefore face falling electricity sales without being able to eliminate the infrastructure needed to keep those customers connected. The technical challenge is just as significant. Solar output can change rapidly as weather conditions shift, while large amounts of rooftop generation can push electricity back into local distribution networks. In regions with high solar penetration, daytime demand can drop sharply, making it harder to balance conventional generators and maintain grid stability. That does not mean solar is becoming less useful. Instead, falling hardware costs are shifting the industry’s biggest challenges elsewhere. Batteries, improved forecasting, flexible electricity pricing, and upgraded distribution networks are increasingly important as more generation moves from centralized power plants to homes and businesses. The economics have already changed dramatically. The next phase of the solar revolution may be less about making panels cheaper and more about rebuilding electrical systems to accommodate cheap solar everywhere. Buy a portable solar generator on Amazon here TechSpot | Financial Times (paywalled)
Brisbane-based developer Renewable Energy Partners (REP) has expanded the Bogunda Energy Hub to include solar PV and battery energy storage, with the project now formally in early-stage development south of Hughenden in Queensland, Australia. Originally announced in August 2024 as a 5GW wind plant, the project has been reconfigured as a 1.85GW hybrid hub comprising 850MW of wind generation across approximately 136 turbines, 500MW of solar PV across more than 714,000 modules and a 500MW/2,000MWh, 4-hour duration BESS. Get Premium Subscription REP has launched a dedicated community consultation website for the project, with ecology surveys and grid connection options studies now commencing. Construction is expected to create around 300 jobs in the Flinders Shire region, with 20 or more ongoing operational roles following commissioning. The development phase is expected to run through to 2029, followed by a three-year construction period targeting commercial operations in 2032. The project may be delivered in stages. The Bogunda Energy Hub sits within the proposed Stage 2 Flinders Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and has been positioned specifically to take advantage of CopperString, Powerlink’s planned high-voltage transmission line connecting North West Queensland to the National Electricity Market (NEM). The project site is described as adjacent to the CopperString route, reducing the need for new dedicated transmission infrastructure and giving the project a material grid connection advantage over sites that would require new line construction. As reported by PV Tech last week, the Queensland government has committed AU$3.2 billion (US$2.24 billion) to the CopperString transmission project in its 2026-27 State Budget. REP was founded to originate and develop large-scale renewable energy projects in Australia and describes itself as having a portfolio of 10GW of wind, solar, battery and pumped hydro projects across various stages of development. Ben Larsson, REP’s head of origination, said at the time of the original announcement that “the industry has known of Hughenden’s wind resource for a long time,” and that with CopperString’s original vision “an emerging reality,” REP was looking forward to working with landowner partners to utilise the region’s wind resource. REP’s other projects in Queensland consist of the 500MW Wambo wind plant, the 1,078MWh Ulinda Park battery storage system developed in partnership with Akaysha Energy, and the 250MW Hopeland solar project in collaboration with Pacific Partnerships. Additionally, there is the 150MW/300MWh Western Downs Battery, which connects to Powerlink’s Western Downs Substation, along with the 500MW Yuleba wind plant developed with Cubico Sustainable Investments. Furthermore, REP is also undertaking the 750MW Capricornia pumped hydro project, featuring a 16-hour storage capacity, located near Mackay and developed in association with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and CS Energy. The Bogunda project requires approvals under Queensland’s State Code 23 of the State Development Assessment Provisions, assessment under the EPBC Act and negotiation of a Community Benefits Agreement with Flinders Shire Regional Council.
0 Powered by : Lightsource bp, a renewable energy developer, has secured a planning permit for its West Mokoan Solar Farm near Benalla, Victoria, Australia. The project comprises up to 390 MW DC of solar capacity and a 300 MW / 1,400 MWh battery energy storage system across two sites covering 770 hectares. The BESS will feature approximately 224 battery units, each with 6,250 kWh nominal capacity, connected to 112 central inverters. The project will connect to the 220 kV Benalla Terminal Station and was successful in federal Capacity Investment Scheme Tender 1. Early works are expected in early 2027, with main solar construction starting in mid-2027 and completion anticipated in mid-2029. Construction is expected to provide up to 400 full-time roles. SOLARbytes brings you the latest news in solar world in bite size; essentially a gist of important solar news in few sentences. Subscribe to our Newsletter!
Energies Media When a homeowner installs a new wall battery, the feeling is hard to dispute—energy independence, storm resilience, and a solid hedge against unexpected utility blackouts. What the glossy instruction manual skips is where those internal cells were actually created. For virtually every residential battery backup system sold in the U.S. today, the answer is China. They are not merely assembled overseas; they are mined, refined, processed, and manufactured across an integrated supply chain spanning thousands of miles. The gap between consumer expectations and hardware reality continues to widen every year. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry now dominates home backup systems, RVs, marine setups, and off-grid solar. It offers superior thermal stability, long cycle life, and low cost, making it the top choice for residential energy resilience. However, low retail pricing relies on a highly concentrated supply line. Many products marketed in America are packaged domestically while housing cells manufactured in China. Popular solar educator Will Prowse highlighted this reality in a widely watched video, noting that buyers misjudge domestic capabilities: “People in America still think we are on par. This is telling a different story.” Market data confirms that industrial reality. China controls over 80% of global battery cell manufacturing.That dominance extends deep into upstream processing, where it holds over 85% of cathode materials and over 90% of graphite anode production. The pace of deployment highlights the massive scale differential. The entire U.S. electrical grid added approximately 15 gigawatts of battery storage capacity across a full prior year. By comparison, China brought 65 gigawatt-hours—representing 18 gigawatts of capacity—online in December 2025 alone. A single month of Chinese deployment outpaced an entire year of American power grid construction. Monopolistic supply control impacts far more than consumer price tags. When one nation controls raw material processing and cell fabrication, it dictates hardware availability, chemistry evolution, and technological advancement. Nations lacking domestic cell production capacity have minimal influence over how next-generation energy storage evolves. This dependency poses significant risk as storage transitions from optional gadgetry to vital household infrastructure. Home batteries power medical equipment, refrigeration, and climate control during severe weather blackouts. The same supply bottleneck extends to utility grids, where massive battery installations stabilize regional power networks during heatwaves and winter storms. This industrial dominance stems from long-term national policy. China spent decades prioritizing raw material refining and factory capacity, whereas Western firms prioritized short-term quarterly profits. As one viewer noted on Prowse’s channel: “China looks at long-term gains while the West looks at quarterly projections.” Opportunities to establish domestic manufacturing were routinely passed over. Another observer pointed out that foreign manufacturers were once eager to build joint facilities in North America, but those doors closed. As Prowse concluded: “What matters most is who’s actually making the stuff.” For buyers navigating this market, diligence is essential before purchasing a system: Cell Origin & Chemistry: Verify where cells are manufactured and confirm whether the system utilizes stable LiFePO4 chemistry. Performance Standards: Review documented cycle life ratings and cold-weather discharge performance. Support Infrastructure: Confirm local warranty coverage and installer network support. Evaluating hardware specs ensures smarter purchasing decisions. Yet, examining this supply chain uncovers a profound irony. Homeowners buy wall batteries to achieve off-grid self-reliance and break free from fragile power grids. But because every system relies entirely on imported cells, buying a home battery doesn’t grant true energy independence—it simply swaps reliance on your local electric utility for total dependence on a single foreign supply chain. Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading. Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading. Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
Choose License Type The North America Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market was valued at $891.3 Million in 2024 and projected to reach to $1897.5 Million by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate of 16.3%. North America’s thin-film photovoltaic market is positioned for exceptional growth through 2029, driven by favorable regulatory frameworks and substantial federal investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
North America Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market Trends and Insights
This represents a compound annual growth rate of 16.3%, outpacing global trends and reflecting strong regional demand for advanced solar technologies.
North America’s commitment to renewable energy adoption, coupled with supportive government incentives and declining manufacturing costs, is driving accelerated market penetration across residential, commercial, and utility-scale segments. The North America thin-film PV sector benefits from established infrastructure, technological innovation hubs, and increasing grid modernization initiatives.
North America’s market growth is underpinned by rising energy independence goals, corporate sustainability commitments, and favorable policy frameworks that incentivize clean energy deployment.
Between 2024 and 2029, North America is expected to capture significant market share as thin-film technologies gain competitive advantages in efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional crystalline silicon alternatives..
North America’s thin-film photovoltaic market is expanding at 16.3% CAGR, significantly outpacing the global growth rate of 15.1%, demonstrating accelerating regional adoption and market maturation. The United States commands the largest share of North America’s thin-film PV market at $1,513.1 million in 2024, driven by federal incentives, state-level renewable mandates, and increasing utility-scale solar deployments. The region is projected to more than double in value from $891.3 million (2024) to $1,897.5 million (2029), reflecting strong investor confidence and accelerating clean energy infrastructure investments across the continent. Supportive government policies, including the Inflation Reduction Act in the US and renewable energy targets in Canada and Mexico, are catalyzing rapid adoption of advanced thin-film solar technologies throughout North America.
The region’s commitment to decarbonization, combined with declining technology costs and improving efficiency metrics, is attracting both established solar manufacturers and innovative startups to expand their North American operations. The market’s outperformance relative to global trends reflects North America’s unique combination of technological advancement, capital availability, and policy support.
With utility-scale solar projects accelerating and residential adoption increasing, thin-film technologies are gaining market share due to their superior performance in diverse climatic conditions and space-constrained applications across the continent..
4 segment dimensions are covered across the global market. HowNorth America compares to the other 3 regional blocs covered in this market. North America’s thin-film photovoltaic market was valued at $891.3 million in 2024 and is expected to grow to $1,897.5 million by 2029. North America’s thin-film photovoltaic market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3% from 2024 to 2029. North America’s regional CAGR of 16.3% exceeds the global CAGR of 15.1%, demonstrating stronger market momentum and adoption in the region. North America’s market growth is driven by renewable energy targets, government incentives, declining manufacturing costs, corporate sustainability commitments, and technological innovation. North America’s thin-film PV adoption spans residential, commercial, and utility-scale segments, with growth accelerating across all three as cost competitiveness improves. The research process for this study included systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of data about customers and companies operating in the thin-film photovoltaic market. This process involved the extensive use of secondary sources, directories, and databases (Factiva, Oanda, and OneSource) for identifying and collecting valuable information for the comprehensive, technical, market-oriented, and commercial study of the thin-film photovoltaic industry . In-depth interviews were conducted with primary respondents, including experts from core and related industries and preferred manufacturers, to obtain and verify critical qualitative and quantitative information as well as to assess growth prospects. Key players in the thin-film photovoltaic industry were identified through secondary research, and their market rankings were determined through primary and secondary research. This research included studying annual reports of top players and interviewing key industry experts such as CEOs, directors, and marketing executives. In the secondary research process, various sources were used to identify and collect information important for this study. These include annual reports, press releases & investor presentations of companies, white papers, technology journals, certified publications, articles by recognized authors, directories, and databases. Secondary research was mainly used to obtain key information about the industry's supply chain, the total pool of market players, the classification of the market according to industry trends to the bottom-most level, regional markets, and key developments from the market and technology-oriented perspectives. Primary research was also conducted to identify the segmentation types, key players, competitive landscape, and key market dynamics, such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and industry trends, along with key strategies adopted by players operating in the thin-film photovoltaic industry . Extensive qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed on the complete market engineering process to list key information and insights throughout the report. Extensive primary research has been conducted after acquiring knowledge about the thin-film photovoltaic industry scenarios through secondary research. Several primary interviews have been conducted with experts from both demand (end users) and supply side (thin-film photovoltaic hardware manufacturers/providers) across four major geographic regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW. Approximately 80% and 20% of the primary interviews were conducted from the supply and demand side, respectively. These primary data have been collected through questionnaires, emails, and telephonic interviews. To know about the assumptions considered for the study, download the pdf brochure In the complete market engineering process, both top-down and bottom-up approaches were implemented, along with several data triangulation methods, to estimate and validate the size of the thin-film photovoltaic market and various other dependent submarkets. Key players in the market were identified through secondary research, and their market share in the respective regions was determined through primary and secondary research. This entire research methodology included the study of annual and financial reports of the top players, as well as interviews with experts (such as CEOs, VPs, directors, and marketing executives) for key insights (quantitative and qualitative). All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns were determined using secondary sources and verified through primary sources. All the possible parameters that affect the markets covered in this research study were accounted for, viewed in detail, verified through primary research, and analyzed to obtain the final quantitative and qualitative data. This data was consolidated and supplemented with detailed inputs and analysis from MarketsandMarkets and presented in this report. After arriving at the overall market size from the market size estimation process, as explained above, the total market has been split into several segments and subsegments. To complete the overall market engineering process and arrive at the exact statistics for all segments and subsegments, market breakdown and data triangulation procedures have been employed, wherever applicable. The data have been triangulated by studying various factors and trends from both the demand and supply sides. Along with this, the market has been validated using top-down and bottom-up approaches. Thin-film photovoltaic (PV) is a term used to describe a form of solar technology that turns sunlight into electricity using thin semiconductor layers. In contrast to conventional crystalline silicon solar cells constructed from solid silicon blocks, thin-film solar cells are developed by depositing thin layers of semiconductor materials in a substrate. Rapid advancements in emerging thin-film technologies, such as the development of perovskite solar cells, have increased their high efficiency and potential. The thin-film photovoltaic market continues to evolve and expand, driven by ongoing research and development efforts, cost-reduction initiatives, and increasing demand for solar energy solutions. The market is expected to grow as technology advances and economies of scale continue to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of thin-film PV modules. With the given market data, MarketsandMarkets offers customizations according to the company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report: Full forecast, segment splits, and company analysis for all Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market. Customize this report to your needs Get 10% FREE Customization MarketsandMarkets is a competitive intelligence and market research platform providing over 10,000 clients worldwide with quantified B2B research and built on the Give principles. Corporate Office Hours +1-888600-6441 US/Can Toll Free +1-888600-6441 UK Office Hours +44-800-368-9399 [email protected] USA 1-888-600-6441
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Choose License Type The Europe Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market was valued at $1154.1 Million in 2024 and projected to reach to $2405.9 Million by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate of CAGR 15.8%. Europe’s thin-film photovoltaic market is poised for substantial growth, driven by stringent climate regulations and the continent’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions.
Europe Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market Trends and Insights
Europe is capitalizing on strong renewable energy adoption policies and aggressive decarbonization targets that drive demand for advanced solar technologies.
The region’s commitment to the European Green Deal and net-zero objectives positions Europe as a critical growth hub for thin-film photovoltaic solutions. Driven by technological innovation and favorable regulatory frameworks, Europe’s thin-film photovoltaic sector is expanding at a 15.8% compound annual growth rate through 2029.
Europe’s mature manufacturing infrastructure and investment in next-generation solar materials support market acceleration.
The region’s focus on energy independence and sustainable power generation creates sustained demand for efficient, cost-effective thin-film technologies across residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications..
Europe’s European Green Deal and net-zero by 2050 commitments create a favorable regulatory environment driving thin-film photovoltaic adoption across the region. Germany dominates Europe’s thin-film PV market with $623 million in 2024, leveraging its advanced manufacturing capabilities and renewable energy infrastructure. Europe’s thin-film photovoltaic market is expanding at 15.8% CAGR, outpacing the global rate of 15.1%, reflecting accelerated renewable energy transition across member states. Aggressive decarbonization targets and renewable energy adoption policies position Europe as a key driver for advanced solar technology deployment and market expansion.
The European Green Deal catalyzes investment in renewable energy infrastructure, with governments prioritizing solar technologies to reduce carbon footprints.
This regulatory momentum, combined with technological advancements and declining manufacturing costs, creates a compelling investment landscape for thin-film PV solutions across residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. The region’s diverse energy markets present localized opportunities, with leading economies like Germany, UK, and France spearheading adoption.
Continued policy support, coupled with growing consumer demand for sustainable energy solutions, ensures sustained market expansion through 2029.
European manufacturers and technology providers are well-positioned to capitalize on this growth, supported by favorable financing mechanisms and cross-border renewable energy initiatives..
4 segment dimensions are covered across the global market. HowEurope compares to the other 3 regional blocs covered in this market. Europe’s thin-film photovoltaic market was valued at $1,154.1 million in 2024 and is expected to grow to $2,405.9 million by 2029. Europe’s thin-film photovoltaic market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.8% from 2024 to 2029. Europe’s growth is driven by stringent renewable energy policies, the European Green Deal, net-zero commitments, and substantial investments in sustainable energy infrastructure. Leading European markets include Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, which have strong solar incentive programs and renewable energy targets. Key applications include residential rooftop installations, commercial building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and utility-scale solar farms across Europe. The research process for this study included systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of data about customers and companies operating in the thin-film photovoltaic market. This process involved the extensive use of secondary sources, directories, and databases (Factiva, Oanda, and OneSource) for identifying and collecting valuable information for the comprehensive, technical, market-oriented, and commercial study of the thin-film photovoltaic industry . In-depth interviews were conducted with primary respondents, including experts from core and related industries and preferred manufacturers, to obtain and verify critical qualitative and quantitative information as well as to assess growth prospects. Key players in the thin-film photovoltaic industry were identified through secondary research, and their market rankings were determined through primary and secondary research. This research included studying annual reports of top players and interviewing key industry experts such as CEOs, directors, and marketing executives. In the secondary research process, various sources were used to identify and collect information important for this study. These include annual reports, press releases & investor presentations of companies, white papers, technology journals, certified publications, articles by recognized authors, directories, and databases. Secondary research was mainly used to obtain key information about the industry's supply chain, the total pool of market players, the classification of the market according to industry trends to the bottom-most level, regional markets, and key developments from the market and technology-oriented perspectives. Primary research was also conducted to identify the segmentation types, key players, competitive landscape, and key market dynamics, such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and industry trends, along with key strategies adopted by players operating in the thin-film photovoltaic industry . Extensive qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed on the complete market engineering process to list key information and insights throughout the report. Extensive primary research has been conducted after acquiring knowledge about the thin-film photovoltaic industry scenarios through secondary research. Several primary interviews have been conducted with experts from both demand (end users) and supply side (thin-film photovoltaic hardware manufacturers/providers) across four major geographic regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW. Approximately 80% and 20% of the primary interviews were conducted from the supply and demand side, respectively. These primary data have been collected through questionnaires, emails, and telephonic interviews. To know about the assumptions considered for the study, download the pdf brochure In the complete market engineering process, both top-down and bottom-up approaches were implemented, along with several data triangulation methods, to estimate and validate the size of the thin-film photovoltaic market and various other dependent submarkets. Key players in the market were identified through secondary research, and their market share in the respective regions was determined through primary and secondary research. This entire research methodology included the study of annual and financial reports of the top players, as well as interviews with experts (such as CEOs, VPs, directors, and marketing executives) for key insights (quantitative and qualitative). All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns were determined using secondary sources and verified through primary sources. All the possible parameters that affect the markets covered in this research study were accounted for, viewed in detail, verified through primary research, and analyzed to obtain the final quantitative and qualitative data. This data was consolidated and supplemented with detailed inputs and analysis from MarketsandMarkets and presented in this report. After arriving at the overall market size from the market size estimation process, as explained above, the total market has been split into several segments and subsegments. To complete the overall market engineering process and arrive at the exact statistics for all segments and subsegments, market breakdown and data triangulation procedures have been employed, wherever applicable. The data have been triangulated by studying various factors and trends from both the demand and supply sides. Along with this, the market has been validated using top-down and bottom-up approaches. Thin-film photovoltaic (PV) is a term used to describe a form of solar technology that turns sunlight into electricity using thin semiconductor layers. In contrast to conventional crystalline silicon solar cells constructed from solid silicon blocks, thin-film solar cells are developed by depositing thin layers of semiconductor materials in a substrate. Rapid advancements in emerging thin-film technologies, such as the development of perovskite solar cells, have increased their high efficiency and potential. The thin-film photovoltaic market continues to evolve and expand, driven by ongoing research and development efforts, cost-reduction initiatives, and increasing demand for solar energy solutions. The market is expected to grow as technology advances and economies of scale continue to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of thin-film PV modules. With the given market data, MarketsandMarkets offers customizations according to the company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report: Full forecast, segment splits, and company analysis for all Thin-Film Photovoltaic Market. Customize this report to your needs Get 10% FREE Customization MarketsandMarkets is a competitive intelligence and market research platform providing over 10,000 clients worldwide with quantified B2B research and built on the Give principles. Corporate Office Hours +1-888600-6441 US/Can Toll Free +1-888600-6441 UK Office Hours +44-800-368-9399 [email protected] USA 1-888-600-6441
The six recommended schools — Eisenhower, Lincoln, Madison, McKinley, Underwood and Wilson — were proposed partly because of their roof conditions. The Wauwatosa School District has identified six elementary schools where rooftop solar panel arrays could be feasible, potentially generating $6.4 million in savings over 25 years. The six schools eyed for solar are Eisenhower, Lincoln, Madison, McKinley, Underwood and Wilson. Based on initial estimates, solar power at those schools could meet at least half of those schools’ electricity needs, with the option of expanding to other schools in the future. The School Board listened to a presentation about the district’s solar power options at its Sept. 14 meeting, and it is scheduled to vote Sept. 28 on whether to move forward with seeking bids from contractors on the project. Construction likely would take place in spring and summer 2027. Already have an account? Sign in We have plenty of news and developments to share this week, starting with the message sent earlier today about the new Tosa Forward News: Community Edition. More than anything, the COnovate is among the member businesses based in the Technology Innovation Center at 10437 Innovation Drive in the Milwaukee County Research Park just south of Wauwatosa Plank Road. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Sept. 16, which county leaders tout as a major step toward transforming the 18-acre Wisconsin Avenue Park into Moss Universal Park, with facilities accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Happy birthday, TosaFest. You don't look a day over 50. If you're interested in checking out the annual street festival this weekend in Tosa Village, we& The incident occurred just north of Burleigh Street, in one of the Tosa neighborhoods hit hardest by the devastating flooding of August 2025. Our printed Community Edition is focused on good news in Tosa, and its Neighbor Pages features community-submitted news about you and your neighbors, as shared by all of us. City officials say they are still weighing their options about whether to conduct potentially costly repairs to the Hart Park softball field or seek a new use for the space. The concert series, hosted by neighbors, is scheduled to return for its fifth year with nearly a dozen performers from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, including a finale at Center Street Park. Tim Sendelbach was praised for his leadership of the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, but news reports suggest he also butt heads with some board members before leaving in March under a joint separation agreement. Consider also becoming a paid member. Great! Check your inbox and click the link. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.
EnvironmentSep 18, 2026 – 5:16 pm EDT Renewable energy project expected to supply 30 per cent of Naujaat’s annual electricity demand Community leaders, government officials and project partners gathered in Naujaat on Wednesday to mark the completion of a $19-million solar and battery-storage project that’s expected to supply about 30 per cent of the community’s annual electricity needs. Pictured here, from left to right, is Ernest Douglas, QEC president and CEO; Gwen Healey Akearok, minister responsible for QEC; Alex Guilbeault, QEC’s vice president of operations and engineering; Otito Atansi, QEC’s manager of alternative and renewable energy; Stephan Angotialuk, QEC’s assistant operator in Naujaat; and Jonathan Siusangnark, QEC’s plant superintendent in Naujaat. (Photo courtesy of Qulliq Energy Corp.) By Nehaa Bimal From her cabin just outside Naujaat, resident and former Kivalliq Inuit Association director Helena Malliki can see the solar panels she spent years pushing to bring to her community. “I get a feeling that I’ve done something for the community,” she said in an interview Friday. Malliki served as the KIA director for Naujaat while plans were developed for the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, a proposed 1,200-kilometre transmission line that would carry hydroelectric power north from Manitoba. Naujaat and Coral Harbour were not included in the planned route, which was designed to connect five mainland communities: Arviat, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove. Malliki said that inspired her to push for another option for Naujaat. “I was asking if we can get a windmill or a solar panel, and I fought for that,” she said. “And it happened.” The Ikayuut Solar and Energy Storage Project began supplying electricity to the community’s grid Aug. 20, ahead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony the project partners held Wednesday. The project was developed by Kivalliq Alternative Energy, a partnership between Sakku Investments Corp. and Vancouver-based Northern Energy Capital. Construction began in 2024. It operates under Qulliq Energy Corp.’s Independent Power Producer program, which allows independent renewable-energy developers to generate electricity and sell it to QEC. The Ikayuut Solar and Energy Storage Project is the first to operate under the program. The solar array is located at a reclaimed municipal scrapyard about 400 metres from the nearest homes in Naujaat, James Griffith, Northern Energy Capital’s director of development said in an email. The project, which includes 1.4-megawatts of solar power and a one-megawatt-hour battery storage system, is expected to generate roughly 30 per cent of Naujaat’s annual electricity demand, according to a joint release from Sakku and Northern Energy Capital. Over its expected 25- to 30-year lifespan, it is expected to replace about 400,000 litres of diesel fuel, the release said. It cost about $19 million to build, Griffith said. Most of the funding came from federal programs, including the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program, the Low Carbon Economy Fund, Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund and the Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative. The Government of Nunavut also contributed another $250,000 through its Sustainable Energy Support Policy, he said. “The most important thing about this project was to reduce the cost of energy bills, and for using clean energy, instead of diesel, for the environment,” Malliki said. Under its Independent Power Producer program, QEC purchases renewable electricity at a price equivalent to the cost of generating electricity with diesel, the corporation told Nunatsiaq News in an email.
Naujaat residents filled all eight to 12 construction jobs that the project created, said Griffith. Two residents will be employed during the project’s operations. QEC says the project is still undergoing testing and is expected to reach its full renewable-energy production capacity in spring 2027, the email said. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked * * *
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Author: Inspenet TV. Publish date: 17 September 2026 Share
A team of scientists has demonstrated that underwater solar cells can generate electricity at a depth of 10 meters. The tests, conducted in the South China Sea, show a potential way to power equipment operating far from land.
The study, published in the scientific journal Joule , involved researchers from China and Switzerland. The work focused on perovskite solar cells designed to harness the light spectrum available underwater.
Until now, most experimental studies on this type of underwater photovoltaic energy had focused on depths of two meters or less. The new work extended the testing to 10 meters and subsequently verified the system’s performance under real-world conditions.
The researchers had to face one of the main problems in producing electricity using underwater solar panels: the loss of solar radiation as depth increases.
Water absorbs certain parts of the light spectrum; consequently, the radiation available several meters below the surface is different from that received by a solar cell installed on land.
To overcome this limitation, the team used lead halide perovskites with a band gap of around 1.96 eV. Their absorption capacity was matched to the spectrum that remains available between 5 and 10 meters deep, dominated mainly by wavelengths between 400 and 600 nanometers.
Thus, the photovoltaic cells were able to make better use of the light that manages to penetrate to those areas.
Furthermore, the researchers developed a laboratory system with specific optical filters. The goal was to reproduce the lighting conditions that cells would encounter at different depths.
Tests showed a conversion efficiency of 34.71% under a simulated spectrum corresponding to a depth of 10 meters. Under standard AM 1.5G sunlight conditions , the cells achieved a maximum efficiency of 17.08%.
This difference does not mean that the cells produce more energy at the bottom of the sea than under conventional sunlight. Efficiency is calculated based on the light energy that actually reaches the device. At 10 meters, there is less radiation available, and its spectral composition also changes.
The design seeks precisely to make the most of that limited light through a material adapted to underwater conditions.
In addition, stability was another aspect studied before transferring the cells to the sea.
After being stored for 300 days at room temperature in a nitrogen chamber, the devices retained about 96% of their initial efficiency.
Subsequently, the cells were subjected to 1,160 hours of continuous operation under conditions simulating the lighting present at 10 meters. The researchers did not observe significant degradation during that period.
Accelerated testing allowed for an estimated T80 lifetime of 48,094 hours at 25°C under simulated conditions. This equates to approximately 5.49 years until performance drops to 80% of the initial level.
However, that figure comes from an estimate based on accelerated trials. Therefore, it will still be necessary to verify the behavior of the cells over extended periods under real marine conditions.
After the controlled trials, the team took the technology to the environment for which it had been designed.
Scientists fabricated larger perovskite modules and integrated them into underwater robots. They then conducted tests off the Weizhou Islands in the South China Sea.
The modules were tested at depths of 2, 6, and 10 meters. At the greatest depth, an active surface of 115 square centimeters produced 324 mWh of electricity during two hours of exposure to underwater sunlight.
The energy obtained allowed for the charging of lithium-ion batteries and subsequently the powering of LED lights. In this way, the experiment demonstrated that underwater solar cells could be scaled from small laboratory units to modules capable of performing a practical task at sea.
At shallower depths, production was higher. The modules charged the batteries with 1,416 mWh at 2 meters and 752 mWh at 6 meters during the tests described by the researchers.
Based on these results, one of the main implications lies in the power supply of autonomous devices installed underwater.
Sensors used to monitor ocean conditions, underwater cameras, and communication equipment need electricity to operate. In areas far from land, providing them with power for extended periods may require batteries or external power systems.
Underwater photovoltaic energy presents another possibility: producing some of that electricity directly at the location where the devices operate.
Monitoring aquaculture facilities is among the potential applications. Autonomous marine observation and communication systems could also benefit.
In this scenario, solar panels designed for underwater environments would have different requirements than terrestrial photovoltaic systems. The amount of available light, the wavelengths that penetrate water, and the operating depth all influence the cell design.
Finally, the experiment at 10 meters opens a new question: how far can this system go.
The team led by Wen-Hua Zhang intends to conduct tests at greater depths to determine the operating limit of perovskite solar cells. They also aim to develop standardized protocols for evaluating and comparing future photovoltaic systems designed to operate underwater.
Depth will be one of the main obstacles; as it increases, the amount of available solar radiation decreases and changes the spectrum that a photovoltaic cell can harness.
For now, research shows that underwater solar cells can produce electricity under real-world conditions at a depth of 10 meters. The next step will be to determine how long they can maintain that performance in the ocean and at what depth it is practical to use this technology.
Saipem has completed the sale of its Saudi Arabian shallow-water drilling business to ADES Saudi Limited Company. The transaction includes five high-end jack-up rigs and outstanding contracts worth approximately 3.7 billion Saudi riyals, equivalent to $987 million. Following the necessary approvals, the Italian firm transferred its entire stake in Saudi Arabian Saipem.
With this acquisition, ADES increases its global fleet to 128 units and strengthens its operations in Saudi Arabia. It also enters the Mexican market through an agreement that will allow Saipem to continue operating the Perro Negro 10 platform in that country. Meanwhile, Saipem is advancing its strategy of focusing on deepwater and harsh environment drilling, segments of greater technical complexity and value.
Financing new wind and solar projects is facing significant challenges in Australia, particularly in New South Wales. Rising interest rates and construction costs have made developing these plants more expensive. According to the analysis, each additional percentage point in bond yields can increase the levelized cost of energy in that state by approximately AU$10 per MWh.
The problem also lies in how these projects are financed. Australian pension funds have billions of dollars to invest in infrastructure, but wind and solar farms exposed to volatile prices are less attractive. Long-term PPAs with buyers of high credit quality could reduce that risk. For wind power, the analysis estimates costs of between AU$120 and AU$140 per MWh and calculates that long-term contracts could cut costs by around AU$20 per MWh in New South Wales.
MODEC and Eld Energy are making progress in developing a system to generate electricity with lower emissions from FPSO units. The companies have completed the feasibility and verification of concept phase of the ABS qualification process for their solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. The system aims to utilize the gas produced at these facilities to generate energy more efficiently.
The project involves installing a 40 kW Eld Energy module on an operational FPSO for testing with real gas under marine conditions. Before proceeding, it must pass the next phase of validation and ABS engineering reviews. The companies estimate the complete system could achieve an efficiency of around 70%. Following testing, the plan is to move to a 120 kW module compatible with carbon capture and subsequently develop multi-megawatt systems.
Petrobras has contracted Strohm and its Brazilian subsidiary to supply and test thermoplastic composite pipes (TCPs) in deep waters off Brazil. The technology will be evaluated at depths of up to 1,500 meters for water injection and gas lift operations in post-salt fields. The agreement also includes engineering, qualification testing, and support during offshore installation.
The pipelines will be subjected to real operating conditions and will be installed from vessels regularly used by Petrobras. Manufactured with carbon fiber or glass fiber reinforced materials, the TCP pipelines are lighter than conventional flexible and rigid pipelines. They can also be coiled and are corrosion-resistant, features designed to facilitate installation and reduce maintenance needs throughout their service life.
Sign up for email newsletters E-Edition Trending: By JENNIFER McDERMOTT The Trump administration illegally terminated a $7 billion Solar for All program intended to make solar power accessible to more than 900,000 lower-income Americans, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Friday. The Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the Solar for All funds in August 2025 after President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending law passed in Congress a month earlier, with Administrator Lee Zeldin calling the Biden-era grant program a “boondoggle.” District Judge Mary McElroy wrote in the ruling that Congress clearly intended the EPA to continue administering the Solar for All grants that were already obligated. The EPA acted contrary to this intent and without any other statutory authority when it terminated the program, McElroy wrote. She vacated the termination. The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The lawsuit filed in Rhode Island by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO labor organization and others — including the public interest law center Rhode Island Center for Justice and the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors — highlighted the importance of the program for local workforces and lower-income communities seeking access to clean-energy project funding. Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, called the decision “a big victory” for states across the country. “If and when the program does get up and running, there will be thousands and thousands of union jobs created across the United States,” he said Friday. “We were proud to be the lead plaintiff.” Clean, affordable power like solar shouldn’t be a luxury, said Alex St. Pierre, vice president for environmental justice at Conservation Law Foundation, one of the nonprofit legal advocacy groups representing the plaintiffs. “Communities have waited long enough,” St. Pierre said in a statement. “Nearly every family is looking for ways to cut their energy bill. These dollars should go where Congress intended: toward lower energy bills, less climate pollution, good jobs and cleaner air.” In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal. The Trump administration has targeted a host of programs and policies dedicated to clean energy. The $7 billion Solar for All program was part of the $27 billion “green bank,” formally known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It was established in the Democratic-backed climate law passed in 2022 under former President Joe Biden. The attorneys general of more than a dozen states also sued over the canceled solar program funding. A federal judge in Washington dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction in June. The plaintiffs have appealed. The other $20 billion, also canceled by the Trump administration, was slated for eight community development banks and nonprofit organizations for tens of thousands of projects to combat the effects of climate change, such as residential energy efficiency projects to larger-scale investments such as community cooling. A divided federal appeals court said last month that the Trump administration improperly terminated the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, handing a win to a coalition of nonprofits picked to run the effort. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Copyright 2026 Lowell Sun. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
Every day the Good Good Good team collects the best good news in the world and shares it with our community. Here are the highlights for this week! If you want to get good news in your inbox every day, join the Goodnewsletter — the free daily newsletter designed to leave you feeling hopeful. When inmates at Norton Correctional Facility in Kansas learned that Norton public county schools were left with approximately $6,000 of unsettled school lunch account debt — they stepped up to help. On August 3, nearly 30 incarcerated men gathered to present Corey Roy, the USD 211 Superintendent of Schools, with a final total of $4,267 — much of it raised from their own, personal funds — covering about 71% of the district’s debt. Many inmates who donated told Roy that they had often gone hungry growing up, and the lack of support negatively impacted their studies. Why is this good news? Over 1.5 million U.S. children lost access to SNAP benefits following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, leaving even more families to face food insecurity. And despite receiving a number of bills that sought to erase lunch debt nationwide, Congress has yet to do so. → Read more → Read more One of the critiques of wind energy is the recyclability of wind turbine materials at their end-of-life. In particular, turbine rotors are typically made from a composite material that’s difficult to break down. A new analysis of turbines decommissioned from the oldest wind farm in Scotland is giving new, hopeful insight: 99.9% of the materials have either been reused or recycled. And most of it happened within 30 miles of the site of the wind farm. The report found that 79.5% of the materials were recycled into polymers for construction materials, and 20.4% were reused. → Read more This summer, Europe recorded its hottest June on record, at the same time that drought brought rivers to record low levels. Both crises put pressure on the region’s energy system, as nuclear, gas, and coal plants had to reduce their output due to a lack of water for cooling systems. Even wind output was impacted by the hot, stagnant weather. But one energy source performed better than normal: solar power. When combined with batteries, it covered the rise in electricity used by air conditioning units amid the historically hot weather. Europe’s solar panels produced 17% more power during the summer’s heat waves than they normally do, keeping the region’s grid stable as cooling demand grew in the afternoon. Why is this good news? Studies have found that individual heat events are, and will continue to be more likely and more intense because of climate change. Humanity will need adaptation solutions like AC to withstand extreme weather — notably only 23% of European households currently have access to or use AC — and we’ll need clean energy sources like solar to supply it. This news proves its merit as a reliable source of power in a warming world. → Read more → Read more In July, there were an average of 42.5 homicides per day, representing the lowest monthly average in nearly two years. It was also the least-violent July in more than a decade. In the first seven months of the year, homicides are down 30.8%, the lowest for the time period since 2015. While authorities acknowledged the real progress, they also said “the job is not finished, as crime is concentrated in certain states and areas — nearly half of murders are happening in seven out of Mexico’s 31 states. → Read more Exactly two years ago, after a years-long effort led by Indigenous groups, crews removed the last of four dams on the Klamath River in northern California, allowing salmon to swim freely for the first time in over a century. New research shows that over 20,000 chinook salmon have already migrated up the river, past former dam sites and into traditional spawning grounds, “much faster” than the study’s authors anticipated. Within just the first year, the salmon repopulated close to 90% of their pre-dams range. Additionally, natural flows of the river allowed water quality to improve, and other imperiled species returned. What’s the nuance? The Klamath isn’t in the clear. The dam removal was one important solution to help return it to its original health, but challenges over water rights, drought, and remaining dams on tributaries still impact both the river and the people, animals, and ecosystem that depend on it. → Read more → Read more In the first half of 2026, India installed a record 27 gigawatts, up 50% year over year from the 18 gigawatts added in early 2025. By June, India’s cumulative installed solar capacity surpassed 165 gigawatts. Large-scale solar projects represented 83% of the installed capacity, while rooftop solar accounted for the remaining 17%. According to the report from India Solar Market Update, the rise in solar power installation was driven by key policy changes and the growing demand for clean energy. → Read more While coal still dominates the actual amount of energy generated, China has now officially more installed capacity for solar power than coal. As of July, the country had 1,288 gigawatts of solar capacity installed, surpassing coal’s 1,285 gigawatts. In March 2025, wind and solar power capacity in China together surpassed coal for the first time, but this is the first time solar alone has achieved the milestone. What’s the nuance? Coal still dominates the actual amount of electricity generated in China, at 49.7%, whereas solar provided 24.6%. Still, even this is good progress, as it also represented the first time coal’s share of generation dropped below 50%. → Read more → Read more A group of Indigenous girls aged 10 to 17, the NAIWA Daughters, brought a resolution to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council, seeking to recognize the legal rights of the Longperson, a waterway system in the Great Smoky Mountains region. It passed the council unanimously and became the first all-female-led rights-of-nature effort in the country — as well as only the second youth-led resolution passed by a Tribal nation. An 18-month grassroots effort built on the rights-of-nature movement, which says ecosystems and nature should have the legal right to exist and flourish. → Read more You may also like: 5 ways environmental law is fighting climate change Despite being entirely curable, tuberculosis is still the world’s deadliest disease. The next generation of tuberculosis vaccines are expected to be available starting in 2029, and it’s estimated that they’ll save 7.3 million lives by 2050. The new vaccines will also help combat growing resistance to existing treatments and would generate up to $135 billion in economic benefits for low- and middle-income countries. The current vaccine for tuberculosis is voer 100 years old, and despite being effective in preventing severe forms of the disease in infants and young children, its protection wanes, and new tools are still needed to protect young people and adults. What’s the nuance? CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance noted how incredible the life-saving potential of these “blockbuster” vaccines, but “they will only realize their potential if we can ensure sufficient, predictable, and affordable supply for those countries that need them most,” where the disease burden is highest. → Read more → Read more On Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined city Department of Transportation crews to fix a pothole in Bushwick, officially marking its 200,000th pothole filled since the mayor took office. The mayor has made fixing potholes a key priority, reaching the 100,000 milestone in April, and launching several “pothole blitzes” throughout the year. He said that every time a New Yorker feels a pothole, “they also feel a diminishing of faith in city government.” He also praised the city workers who make it “a little bit easier for New Yorkers to live in this incredible city.” → Read more A South Carolina aquarium welcomed seven critically endangered penguin chicks.The IUCN estimates there are fewer than 20,000 African Penguins remaining in the world, largely due to food shortages tied to commercial fishing, ecological damage, climate change, and historic habitat destruction. After pivoting to planting crops under solar panels, farmer are seeing their plants “growing well for the first time.”Called agrivoltaics, the additional shade reduces evaporation and stress on the plants, all while generating clean electricity. A new textile recycling company is turning polyester abundant in the outdoor industry into new materials.Reju is developing a process that separates polyester from blended fabrics and turns it back into material for new clothes—like base layers, fleeces, and shells. A new Vatican document saus harming nature is a “sin against creation and the Creator.” The document went on to say it also harms “our neighbors, especially the poorest and future generations." A growing number of men in Africa are becoming midwives to help fight high rates of maternal mortality. In Lesotho, for example, for every 100,000 live births, about 530 women die — far above the global average of about 200. A new “devil flower” species was discovered in a national park in Thailand.Unlike most plants, they contain no chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize, instead drawing nutrients from underground fungi and spending almost their entire lives hidden beneath leaf litter. An Indigenous community in Colombia went “from hunter to protector,” trading shark fishing for conservation. While Indigenous communities still see shark as a valuable source of protein, their fishing methods have changed drastically. In a landmark conservation project, nearly 2,000 acres along a Wisconsin river are now permanently protected. It’s one of the most significant land conservation efforts in southern Wisconsin in recent years. Student engineers created a wearable device that can help visually impaired people detect obstacles that canes or guide dogs may miss. Inspired by one student’s airport experience, the device uses time-of-flight sensors to detect nearby objects and haptic feedback to alert the person wearing it. A new federal grant program is helping provide financial aid to students enrolled in short-term job training. Previously not covered by Pell grants, the expenses associated with a shorter-term class can be an obstacle for cash-strapped students who need it to get a job or a wage increase. The largest-ever molecular “map’” of autism may help develop new targeted therapies.Using artificial intelligence and data on tiny brains grown in the lab, researchers mapped out the ways in which certain genetic mutations that are associated with autism can rewire the brain and lead to the condition. An orphaned Bornean sun bear cub in Malaysia is getting a second chance through a “soft release” into the wild. As opposed to a one-time release into the forest, the approach models the support a cub would typically receive from its mother. Scientists in North Dakota uncovered the first known series of footprints from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The 23-foot-long trackway, which consists of four three-toed footprints, dates back to 66.5 million years ago. After solar farms in Minnesota turned the ground beneath their panels into pollinator-friendly habitats, native bee abundance rose 20-fold. The five-year study revealed the unexpected benefits of tending to oft-forgotten parts of solar infrastructure. An ancient woodland in Sheffield, England, has gone untouched for over 100 years. The protected area, unofficially dubbed “No Man’s Land,” has become a vital sanctuary for local bird populations. Save the Children installed free children's book vending machines across California, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, and Washington. It’s part of the organization’s new “Learn Without Limits” program, which is designed to help every American child read by grade three. Two Nigerian entrepreneurs are bringing 109 solar mini-grids to remote parts of their country. Ifeanyi Orajaka and Henry Ureh’s locally owned enterprises will provide energy to more than 230,000 homes and businesses. The largest bird rehabilitation flight cage in South Florida just opened.The 120-foot corridor will let injured owls, falcons, hawks, eagles and other raptors rebuild strength and practice sustained flight before they’re released back into the wild. Indigenous “turtle women” are helping save endangered freshwater turtles in the Amazon. To help the turtles recover, a group of seven Siekopai women, who call themselves Tari Nomiowa’i, or “turtle women,” patrol the riverbanks looking for turtle tracks and nests. A startup is helping build out solar capacity across the U.S. by giving homes free solar panels.Resilience Energy pays to install solar and batteries across a network of homes, then sells power back to the grid at peak moments. The Smithsonian National Zoo’s newest baby elephant, Linh Mai, is learning how to help with her own medical check-ups. Through early training, Asian elephants can hold their trunks, stand still for X-rays, and say, “Ahh,” on cue — eliminating the need for anesthesia. Actor Christian Bale opened an 11,000-square-foot foster care village in Palmdale, California, that aims to keep siblings together. The village, which is the first of its kind in the state, includes 12 furnished homes. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts donated $600,000 to upgrade the HVAC system at a local high school. Northeast High School is just one of 52 district schools that have been operating without a working air conditioning system. A new cat species was just discovered for the first time in 100 years. Most new species are bugs, plants, and sea creatures. Scientists just discovered an entirely new type of cat for the first time in over a century. A first-of-its-kind shipping container housing village just opened for homeless seniors. It’s also entirely off-grid, and the community is powered by solar panels by day and lithium batteries at night. A new 3D-printed home project in Maine is using “ink” made of residual wood from local sawmills. It’s part of an initiative to build more homes faster and with greater efficiency. Mexico’s home health program has reached 10.9 million people in the last year.The figures position the program as the data backbone feeding a national registry that will support the 2027 rollout of Mexico’s Universal Health Service credential. Airbnb announced a $250 million investment to help build more affordable rental homes in the U.S. and abroad.CEO Brian Chesky even acknowledged the criticism that his own company has gobbled up supply for long-term residents and made cities more expensive to live in. The world’s largest battery-electric ship just in South America after journeying from Tasmania.It was built for a South American transport company to service a roughly hour-long, 30-nautical-mile route across the Rio de la Plata between Colonia del Sacramento and the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires. Negativity is everywhere — but you can choose a different story. The Goodnewspaper brings a monthly dose of hope, delivered straight to your door. Your first issue is free.
Solar Power World By Kelly Pickerel | Mission Solar Energy’s solar panel manufacturing site in San Antonio, Texas, considered one of the longest-running panel assembly operations in the United States, may soon receive a boost from a global manufacturer. Mission Solar has been making solar panels in the United States since 2014 and is owned by OCI Company, a South Korean chemical conglomerate that is involved with solar project development and polysilicon production. OCI started the assembler to supply panels to its own utility-scale projects in Texas. Mission Solar has since worked through solar panel distribution channels and mostly supplied the U.S. residential sector but was attempting plays into larger markets. The company is currently listed as having a 500-MW annual module assembly capacity in San Antonio. Sam Martens, president of Mission Solar, submitted testimony in the ongoing antidumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigation into solar cell imports from India, Indonesia and Laos. In addition to reiterating to the U.S. International Trade Commission the challenges the U.S. solar industry faces from unfairly priced imports, Martens commented on Mission Solar’s Texas factory. “Despite trying our best to be cost-competitive, our customers repeatedly told us that our prices are too high. Subject producers have even offered prices well below our cost of production. We simply cannot cut prices that far, and we often ended up losing the sale instead,” he said. “The continual loss of sales and revenue forced us to curtail our production, leaving us with significant excess capacity. “Lower utilization has naturally resulted in reduced shifts and reduced employees,” Martens continued. “For example, we previously employed more than 200 workers. But, due to the market conditions caused by subject imports, we only had 70 employees by 2025, and have now temporarily ceased all manufacturing operations and related employment. “If injurious subject imports remain unrestrained in the face of potentially shrinking demand, I am afraid that the domestic industry will once again face rising closures and mass layoffs,” he concluded. There have been no layoff announcements by Mission Solar in Texas worker adjustment and retraining notification notices, so if employment has been temporarily ceased, it’s likely to have resulted in furloughs. When asked, Mission Solar representatives were unable to comment on the matter to Solar Power World. It’s an unfortunate trend for long-established U.S. solar panel manufacturers. Silfab Solar furloughed workers in August at its South Carolina manufacturing site due to “temporary constraints affecting the availability of certain materials required for production.” Heliene laid off nearly 100 workers in August at its Minnesota solar panel assembly facility due to “unforeseen business circumstances.” Qcells furloughed 1,000 employees at its Georgia operations last year, but was able resume production four months later. Mission Solar, which has long operated a small-output solar panel factory at a mixed-use community located on the former Brooks Air Force Base, announced in 2022 it would expand operations to reach 1 GW of annual module manufacturing capacity. The company built a 200,000-sq-ft addition on its property, but it was instead later described as a warehouse. The warehouse was then assumed to become the starting point of Mission and OCI’s solar cell manufacturing operations, which the two companies announced in 2025. They would invest $265 million into the site to eventually reach 2 GW of annual cell manufacturing capacity. Martens confirmed in his ITC testimony that actual construction plans never progressed further. That warehouse is back in play after a filing with the Texas Dept. of Licensing and Regulation in August. The filing says that $15 million will be spent to renovate the existing warehouse into the “Elite Solar factory [f]or manufacturing.” Construction is expected to begin in October and be completed in June 2027. Elite Solar, a Singapore-headquartered panel brand (previously known as ET Solar), has affiliated panel manufacturing operations across the globe. The company’s flagship sites are now based in Egypt and Indonesia, but it has a longstanding relationship with OCI and is jointly developing a solar wafer production facility in Vietnam. This partnership could be extending to panel manufacturing in Texas. Elite Solar provided no comment when asked by Solar Power World about the San Antonio factory plans. Kelly Pickerel has more than 15 years of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World. Email Kelly.
By Azhar Azam In 2025, China’s electricity demand rose about 5%. Clean power expanded fast enough to meet that surge, pushing thermal generation, mostly coal-based, down 0.7% — the first annual decline in a decade, according to Ember’s China Energy Transition Review 2026. This marked a significant departure from 2015, when thermal generation fell largely because electricity demand barely grew, rising just 0.5%, the slowest pace since 1974. Beyond electricity, rapid transport electrification is also reducing domestic oil demand. Ember notes that electric vehicles (EVs) are displacing around 0.4–0.5 million barrels of gasoline a day, while broader estimates put avoided oil demand at around or above 1 million barrels a day — roughly 365–400 million barrels a year. That is more than double the 179 million barrels of government-held strategic oil inventories in OECD Europe at the end of 2025. The findings complicate a debate usually framed as a purely industrial problem. The United States and European Union (EU) see Beijing’s dominance in solar panels, batteries and EVs as a source of economic and strategic vulnerability — manufacturing capacity built on a scale that domestic demand alone can’t absorb, leaving foreign markets to take the surplus. Yet the overcapacity triggering these concerns is also accelerating the global clean-energy transition by making these technologies cheaper and more widely available, as reflected in global trade of clean-tech products that reached an estimated $479 billion in 2025. Much of this trade has been driven by China’s production. In sectors such as EVs, Beijing’s manufacturing has outstripped domestic demand, putting downward pressure on global prices. These cost declines have, in turn, supported faster electrification around the world. China’s manufacturing surplus shouldn’t be viewed in isolation. The same manufacturing capacity that has created excess supply is also supporting a rapidly expanding domestic clean-energy market. Over the past decade, China has added almost 1,700 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity — more than its entire power system in 2015. In 2025, battery-storage installations grew 84%, with China accounting for roughly 60% of new storage deployed worldwide. Electric trucks reached about 26% of new sales, a share leading European economies have just achieved in passenger cars. Deployment at such a scale doesn’t mean all that capacity is being fully absorbed. In the first half of 2025, China’s solar curtailment rate rose to 5.7% and wind curtailment to 6.6%, with curtailment in western regions such as Tibet, Xinjiang and Qinghai exceeding the country’s 10% tolerance, according to national grid data. Grid bottlenecks and limited local demand have made it difficult to fully use some of the electricity generated by new renewable capacity. Even so, clean technologies are beginning to change China’s energy ecosystem. Ember finds that coal generation has been broadly flat on a 12-month moving average since early 2024. It marks an important shift: China’s clean-energy buildout is quickly displacing fossil-fuel generation. Beijing is now responding to the industrial complaints created by overcapacity. On September 1, a new consumption tax on mainstream batteries took effect, with equivalent levies on solar cells due in 2027. These tax policies may help to weed out inefficient capacity, force the exit of low-tier players and ease international trade tensions arising from overproduction. Meanwhile, the impact of falling costs is reciprocated in affordability — one of the main constraints on decarbonization. For many emerging and developing economies, limited fiscal space is the major barrier to energy transition. As prices drop, lower-cost imports have expanded their access to clean technologies. Trade restrictions have had limited effect. Rather than curbing China’s clean-energy exports, tariffs and industrial-policy tools introduced by the United States and EU have redirected a growing share of trade flows toward developing markets. From EVs in Ethiopia to discounted solar panels in Pakistan, China’s industrial scale has lowered costs across many developing economies, contributing to global emissions reductions. As clean-energy investment expands, China’s dominance is perceived differently across regions. Many developing economies view it as an opportunity to gain access to clean technologies at lower costs; advanced economies associate Beijing’s scale with industrial overcapacity. For instance, solar deployment in the EU has grown strongly in recent years, but the bloc still relies heavily on China for solar panels and key upstream inputs. The same pattern is emerging in EV batteries: EU efforts to restructure and localize production have eased some overcapacity risks while also increasing reliance on Chinese battery suppliers. This creates a policy trade-off for Europe — greater industrial autonomy would strengthen long-term supply-chain resilience but is likely to raise costs and slow the pace of decarbonization, while continued reliance sustains faster deployment but leaves Europe exposed to ongoing dependencies. The United States faces a similar challenge. Despite tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, China accounts for the majority of global clean-tech manufacturing capacity. Washington is scaling deployment in areas such as battery storage, emerging as second to Beijing, but as CSIS analysis highlights, expansion in downstream segments does not resolve upstream constraints such as limited domestic reserves and critical mineral processing capacity, limiting the scope of full self-sufficiency. India follows a different but related trajectory. Its renewable energy installed capacity has expanded quickly, but the scale gap with China is substantial: Beijing added 315.1 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2025 versus New Delhi’s 37 GW. China’s clean-tech overcapacity has become an essential feature of the global energy transition. While criticized as trade distortion, it has contributed to significant cost reductions in solar, battery and EV technologies, accelerating their adoption across developing, emerging and advanced economies. Yet the same concentration that drives lower costs also generates structural vulnerabilities, increasing exposure of importing economies to supply-chain disruption, geopolitical friction and industrial dependence — as reflected in policy responses from Brussels and Washington. China’s excess manufacturing capacity and rapid domestic deployment actually are mutually reinforcing. Producing more solar panels, batteries and EVs has intensified competition and pushed prices down. Those lower prices have made it easier to deploy the same technologies at home and abroad. China’s manufacturing scale is therefore doing two things at once: creating concerns about excess capacity while also making clean technologies cheap enough to expand rapidly, including inside China’s own energy system. Beijing’s role in the global energy transition is unlikely to diminish in the near term. For policymakers around the world, the challenge is not just to reduce reliance on Chinese clean technologies, but to harness the benefits of Beijing’s scale to strengthen energy security and accelerate electrification without deepening strategic dependencies. Azhar Azam is a geopolitical analyst with a focus on economy, climate change and international security. His work has been published in several global media outlets including Al Jazeera, Cambridge MENF/Manara Magazine, South China Morning Post, Asia Times and Express Tribune. View all posts by Azhar Azam → Selected analysis, news, and opinion delivered by email. Please consider supporting Eurasia Review. Thank you for your consideration! Azhar Azam is a geopolitical analyst with a focus on economy, climate change and international security. His work has been published in several global media outlets including Al Jazeera, Cambridge MENF/Manara Magazine, South China Morning Post, Asia Times and Express Tribune. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
By Andrew S. Bowen, Mark E. Manyin, and Mary Beth D. Nikitin Key Takeaways: Overview Since 2022, the Russian Federation thanks for info. Dr. Lim’s overarching review of AI galloping developments may be baffling to some but are of great value to those… China’s reaffirmation of support for India’s permanent seat on the UN Security Council is welcome—but it should now move from… The Houthis can ultimately be challenged only by Yemen’s government and, more importantly, by the Yemeni people themselves. External military… Excellent, superior reporting: clear, concise, lean,crisp, elegantly close to the marrow. Dr.Lim swath reading every time.
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Sign up for email newsletters E-Edition Trending: By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Countries are embracing clean power and taking steps to use less energy because of the war against Iran, but it is not yet enough to help address climate change. When the U.S. and Israel launched the war in February, some backers of renewables opined it could drive a green transition as oil and gas prices spiked. So far, more than 30 governments have enacted policies to move away from fossil fuels or improve energy efficiency. Yet at the same time, global emissions of greenhouse gases increased slightly and investments in clean energy fell compared to the same period last year. The Associated Press talked to a dozen experts who said that while the Iran war appears to be helping the adoption of clean energy, the world is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. They said it will take more time for new policies to show results. “Governments are currently doing a dance between acknowledging the importance of clean power while continuing to support fossil fuel expansion,” war studies lecturer Pauline Heinrichs at King’s College London wrote in an email. “We are seeing an old and a new world interact in contradiction with each other.” There has been a surge in solar installations in the United Kingdom. The government is also considering expanding natural gas production. In Asia, where there’s massive demand for solar power and electric vehicles, Indonesia is replacing some diesel power plants with solar, while also doubling down on coal for heavy industries. Global investment in wind and solar deployment fell in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, after several years of growth, according to Rhodium Group’s Clean Investment Monitor. China accounted for most of the global decline. In the U.S., Europe and India, where economies are more exposed to gas and oil prices, solar investment grew and wind investment held stable or grew, said Hannah Pitt, a director at Rhodium. In February, Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson said it was “just wishful thinking” that the new war would boost support for homegrown renewables over imported fossil fuels — unless it turned out to be a sustained conflict. Six months later, Jackson said he didn’t anticipate oil prices hurdling past $90 or $100 a barrel for so long. If dozens of countries are promoting electric vehicle incentives, charging infrastructure and electrification in general, that can help in the fight against climate change, added Jackson. But only if those actions are sustained. “We need that action over years, to decades, to make a dent in the climate problem,” Jackson said Monday. Thirty-three governments adopted policies to switch from fossil fuels to electricity or improve energy efficiency in response to the Middle East conflict, as of Sept. 9, according to the International Energy Agency. This includes supporting EV adoption, promoting renewable energy, replacing gas boilers with electric heat pumps and retrofitting homes and businesses to use less energy. The Netherlands, Spain and the U.K. are doing everything on that list. China is working to make heavy industry more energy efficient and pushing to electrify heavy vehicles. India and Indonesia are shifting to electric stoves to replace imported liquefied petroleum gas as a cooking fuel. Laos suspended gas and diesel car imports through 2026 to boost EVs. These efforts haven’t moved the needle yet. Incentivizing EV purchases or encouraging energy efficiency take time and scale, according to researchers for the Climate TRACE database of emissions. At the same time, many governments are cutting fuel taxes. That provides immediate relief to consumers but disincentivizes switching to EVs. And, the war itself will spike emissions. Global greenhouse gas emissions increased 0.2% in the first half of 2026, compared with the first half of 2025, according to Climate TRACE. While emissions from road transportation increased, Climate TRACE found that power sector emissions declined, despite concern that disruptions in oil and gas markets would push countries to use more coal for electricity. Shipping emissions also declined, likely due to the Strait of Hormuz closure. Those bills would have been even steeper, though, if not for the clean power added since 2020. Fossil fuel importers have paid prices that are $330 billion higher compared to prewar market expectations, making it the largest sustained price shock since the 1990 Gulf War, according to research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The European Union, China and India paid the most. Countries that invested in clean energy after past energy crises saved an estimated $36 billion in avoided fossil fuel imports in the first five months of the conflict, the research found. China and Japan saved the most, followed by Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil and India. Governments are trying to insulate themselves from geopolitical volatility and fuel price instability, said Caspian Conran, lead economist at the global consultancy firm Baringa. China knows it can rely on coal and the U.S. won’t run out of domestic natural gas, he said. Europe’s politicians feel the most urgency to adopt new energy policies because their fossil fuel production is limited, said Conran, who is based in London. “We simply don’t have a choice,” he said. At this point, the signal would be small and there is a lot of other variation in the system, according to Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton climate and international affairs professor. “One thing is clear, however. When the trouble began, lots of people said there would be a rush to other, readily-available fossil fuel sources to replace Gulf oil and compensate for the price run-up, which would presumably bury any gain in carbon-free energy,” he wrote in an email. “Instead, at this point, it looks like events could turn out to be a net winner for renewables.” Brookings Institution scholar Samantha Gross said the war is changing how people think about transitioning away from fossil fuels — that it’s not just for the climate, it’s an energy security strategy. “That widens the appeal,” Gross said. “It brings in not just people concerned about the green side, but people concerned about hard security.” President Donald Trump is shifting the U.S. away from renewables. The war underscores the risks of his relentless focus on fossil fuels. “The Trump administration has been really focused on fossil fuels, but since they started this conflict, you have to ask the question, is this good for fossil fuels? And in short, I really think not,” Gross said. “Because the high prices and the uncertainty brought about by this war are helping to push other countries away from fossil fuels.” The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Copyright 2026 Boston Herald. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
Rooftop solar sounds like the reasonable version of solar power. Panels on your own roof, no farmland paved over, lower bills for everyone. Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken explains why the grid-connected version doesn’t work that way. Under net metering, utilities are typically required to buy rooftop solar power at retail rates instead of wholesale, so that electricity costs far more than power from an existing plant. Everyone else on the grid covers the difference. Solar owners also skip much of the grid maintenance cost and the expense of the backup generation that has to stay available for when the sun goes down. Then there’s the federal tax credit covering about a third of the install. Add it up and you get a subsidy flowing from people who can’t afford solar panels to people who can. Going fully off grid with your own batteries is a different conversation. Asking your neighbors to fund your roof is not. Learn more at EnergyAtAGlance.com. Linnea Lueken is a Research Fellow with the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy. Your Support of Heartland will allow us to continue to educate others about our work. The Heartland Institute offers free email subscriptions to all of its newsletters and monthly public policy newspapers. Your Support of Heartland will allow us to continue to educate others about our work. Get speaker announcements, schedule updates, and early access to tickets for ICCC16 in Washington, D.C. — April 8–9, 2026.
0 Powered by : Power Capital Renewable Energy, an Irish solar project developer, has officially launched its 290 MW RESS 2 solar portfolio at Mainscourt Solar Farm in Ballyboughal, Ireland. The portfolio comprises seven utility-scale solar projects across the country. The launch brings the company’s renewable energy portfolio closer to 1 GW. Minister Darragh O’Brien and Barry Heneghan attended the event alongside public representatives, project partners and industry stakeholders. Landowners and members of the local community also participated in the launch. The company acknowledged the collaboration and investment involved in delivering the seven-project portfolio. SOLARbytes brings you the latest news in solar world in bite size; essentially a gist of important solar news in few sentences. Subscribe to our Newsletter!
GREW Solar and Caelux will collaborate to produce next-generation Hybrid-Tandem solar modules with targeted efficiencies of more than 29 percent. September 16, 2026. By News Bureau GREW Solar and Caelux Corporation has announced a 4 Gigawatt (GW), five-year commercialisation partnership to produce high-power Hybrid-Tandem solar modules with Caelux’s Energy Producing Glass. This partnership expands Caelux’s contracted volume to 19 GW with solar module manufacturers globally for its perovskite-based technology. GREW Solar will use Caelux’s glass with its N-Type TOPCon technology to create next-generation Hybrid-Tandem solar modules, including GREW’s large-format G12R series. Caelux technology is enabling GREW to build modules with two energy producing layers to achieve industry-leading efficiencies of 29 percent plus. Vinay Thadani, CEO and Director, GREW Solar, said, “We built GREW on the same philosophy that has guided the Chiripal Group for more than five decades – be at the forefront when it comes to technology innovation. Partnering with Caelux enables us to provide next-generation, high-power modules to the market using our existing gigawatt-scale manufacturing platform, which is already operating at scale.” With one of the fastest and highest performing capacity buildouts in India’s solar industry, GREW Solar has scaled from a single 1.2 GW line in 2023 to a multi-gigawatt, multi-state production footprint that encompasses 11 GW of module and 8 GW of cell manufacturing capacity with 8 GW wafer and ingot lines under construction today. Under the agreement with Caelux, GREW Solar will be able to seamlessly upgrade to producing high-efficiency, Hybrid-Tandem modules with Caelux’s plug-and-play approach. Scott Graybeal, CEO of Caelux, said, "The investment that GREW Solar has made into building its state-of-the art solar, fully-integrated manufacturing ecosystem is evident, and we are proud to partner with a company committed to innovation. The Caelux approach of partnering with module manufacturers means that companies, like GREW Solar, can significantly extend the useful life of their CAPEX-heavy manufacturing assets while offering the market next-generation modules.” Supporting the country’s ‘Make in India’ vision and meeting its Production Linked Incentive (PLI), the companies are targeting 2028 for commercial production of the advanced perovskite-plus-silicon modules that meet Approved List of Module Manufacturers (ALMM) eligibility requirements. Hardip Singh, Chief Operating Officer, at GREW Solar, further stated, "We built our platform stage by stage, from cells and modules, and followed by wafers and ingots, so that we would be ideally positioned for the next leap in solar technology. Caelux's Energy Producing Glass is that significant leap and we are eager to be able to easily integrate it into our existing manufacturing infrastructure. GREW Solar's currently expanding manufacturing footprint across Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, has created thousands of jobs, with more projected as a result of the two companies' partnership. Deep-Tech Startups Must Bridge Commercialisation Gap, Says Shell India’s Debasis Goswami Renewable Procurement Must Become More Flexible, Scalable, Says Dhananjay Kumar, ENGIE Renewables, Storage and Granular Energy Matching Key to Sustainable AI Growth: PDG Neuron Energy’s Pratik Kamdar Says Scale, R&D and Technology Will Drive Next Phase of Growth Naveen Gupta, Trev Mobility, Says Premium EV Mobility Must Compete on Reliability and Service
Brazil imported 5.48 GW of PV modules in the first half of 2026, down 48% from 10.57 GW in the same period of 2025, according to a survey by consultancy Greener. The contraction reflects a sharp slowdown in demand for PV equipment, particularly from utility-scale projects. Imports declined year on year in nearly every month of the six-month period. They fell 71.6% in March and 60.7% in April. May was the only exception, with imports rising 6.5% from the same month of 2025. In absolute terms, Brazil imported about 5.1 GW less module capacity in the first half of 2026 than it did a year earlier. Monthly volumes fell from 2.33 GW to 1.12 GW in January, from 2.19 GW to 1.02 GW in February, and from 2.03 GW to 576.7 MW in March. The contraction was particularly severe in the centralized generation segment. Module imports for utility-scale projects fell 82%, from 2.3 GW in the first half of 2025 to 430 MW in the same period of 2026. Luiza Bertazzoli, head of market intelligence at Greener, said curtailment is the main factor behind the decline. “In centralized generation, curtailment is the dominant factor today,” Bertazzoli said. “It reduces projected project revenue and increases the perceived risk of new investment.” She said the supply-demand imbalance is also linked to the large number of project authorizations granted during the rush to meet tariff-discount deadlines in recent years. Stronger-than-expected growth in distributed micro- and minigeneration has also increased competition for grid capacity. Greener said generation curtailment is undermining the profitability of utility-scale projects and discouraging purchases of new equipment. The downturn was less pronounced in the distributed generation segment, where module imports fell 39%, from 8.2 GW to about 5 GW. Despite the decline, distributed generation’s share of module imports rose from 78% in the first half of 2025 to 92% in the same period of 2026. The share attributed to centralized generation fell from 22% to 8%. Greener attributed the distributed-generation slowdown to several factors. The market is entering a more mature phase after years of rapid expansion, while high interest rates, declining use of sales financing and grid-connection constraints are weighing on demand. Bertazzoli said the proportion of sales involving financing has fallen from 57% in 2021 to 41% in 2026, according to a Greener survey. Grid-connection refusals by electricity distributors due to reverse power flow are another obstacle. The problem is particularly acute in Minas Gerais, where 79% of system integrators reported encountering it in 2025, compared with a national average of 33%, according to data cited by Bertazzoli. Remote distributed generation is also being affected by the gradual introduction of the TUSD distribution tariff’s “Fio B” component. The applicable share reached 60% in 2026, reducing the economic benefit of generating electricity at one location and using credits to offset consumption elsewhere. The decline in import volumes coincided with higher equipment prices. The weighted average free-on-board price of modules rose 12.9% in the first half of 2026, from $0.0802/W in the same period of 2025 to $0.0906/W. The increase was concentrated in the second quarter. The average price reached $0.1042/W in May, the highest level recorded during the period and 29% above the January price of $0.0816/W. Greener attributed the increase to China’s phaseout of a 9% export incentive for PV modules beginning in April, which placed upward pressure on equipment costs in the international market. The consultancy expects manufacturers to pass only a limited portion of the increase on to buyers in the second half of the year. “The first half of the year already absorbed the impact of the end of the Chinese subsidy for module exports,” Bertazzoli said. “It is a permanent change, but the pass-through to end buyers is likely to remain limited, as China’s excess production capacity pressures manufacturers to absorb part of the cost within their margins.” Bertazzoli said polysilicon prices began to rise slightly in August, following the introduction of a Chinese policy aimed at curbing overproduction. The increase could put further upward pressure on module prices. 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]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today! Martedì, 22 Settembre 2026 11:00 – 12:00 CEST, Roma Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition—join the SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026 in Riyadh to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering its digital economy. 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. A two-day conference in Austin, Texas, bringing together leaders in US solar manufacturing, equipment specification, and factory execution. Monday, October 26, 2026 10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid Giovedì, 1 ottobre 2026 14:30 – 15:30 CEST, Roma
Advait Battery Ecosystem (Advait Group), an arm of Advait Energy Transitions Ltd, has entered into a master supply agreement (MSA) with Hithium for the supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic battery cells. Under the agreement, Advait will secure cell supply for its upcoming 2.5 GWh annual-capacity, cell-to-container battery energy storage system (BESS) assembly facility. The agreement provides for the offtake of up to 1 GWh of cells over the next year, supporting a high-volume supply chain as Advait scales domestic BESS assembly for grid-scale and commercial and industrial energy storage applications across India. Hithium will supply its 314 Ah LFP prismatic cells to Advait, bringing a widely deployed cell platform used in global energy storage markets into the company’s domestic manufacturing ecosystem. Advait is building capabilities across module and pack assembly, container integration and system commissioning. Hithium is a global energy storage manufacturer recognised as a BloombergNEF Tier 1 supplier, developing and producing LFP battery cells and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial and industrial, and residential applications across international markets. The agreement establishes Hithium as a key cell supply partner for Advait as the company builds its domestic BESS manufacturing capacity. The cell supply arrangement is expected to provide Advait with access to high-volume LFP cells as its facility progresses towards commercial production. Advait’s 2.5 GWh BESS cell-to-container assembly facility is currently under development. The company plans to establish an integrated, India-based battery energy storage manufacturing ecosystem spanning cell sourcing, module and pack assembly, container integration and system commissioning. With an offtake structure of up to 1 GWh over the next year, the agreement with Hithium aligns cell sourcing with the planned ramp-up of Advait’s domestic assembly capabilities. Advait’s collaboration with Hithium builds on the company’s broader strategy of developing an integrated BESS supply chain through technology partnerships. Advait Battery Ecosystem has already entered into a strategic collaboration with Adaptive Engineering for engineering design, Energy Management System (EMS) architecture, PLC/SCADA and system integration capabilities. Advait’s facility, in Gangad, Gujarat, is scheduled to begin commercial production soon. It will serve utility-scale, commercial and industrial, and renewable integration applications as Advait expands from project-level BESS deployment towards volume manufacturing. 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]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a Regular Case (FIR) against specific staff/management personnel at Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd’s (BHEL) Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell Plant (ASSCP) in Gurugram, Haryana, over the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of silver. The case stems from a preliminary inquiry uncovering the mysterious disappearance of approximately 31.65 kg of high-purity silver targets and recyclable silver belonging to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) funded assets. [BHEL has a dedicated industrial R&D Centre for PV at its Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell Plant (ASSCP) in Gurugram, Haryana. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and testing characterization equipment. Its R&D team is engaged in developing high-efficiency silicon (Si) solar cells and process optimization.] The enquiry disclosed that approximately 35.6 kg of silver targets/recyclable silver belonging to MNRE-funded assets were available at ASSCP, BHEL, Gurugram, till the year 2016-17 and the same continued to be reflected in records/audit observations till the year 2020. However, during physical verification conducted on 06.02.2024, the quantity of Silver was found available as 6.23 kg (3.98 kg silver target and 2.25 kg scrap) in the Godrej Safe, thereby revealing that around 31.65 kg silver was found unaccounted for. Investigators found that annual physical verification of silver targets, which was being regularly conducted till 2018, was deliberately discontinued from the year 2019 when Dr. Bharat Kumar Pant took charge as the Head of BHEL, ASSCP, Gurugram, Haryana. Inventory verification reports and stock registers pertaining to crucial years were also found missing. No proper system for recording consumption, movement or custody of silver was maintained at BHEL, ASSCP, Gurugram. The internal control mechanism relating to custody and verification of silver was systematically weakened, thereby facilitating unauthorized access and gradual removal of silver over a period of time without detection. During enquiry, it further emerged that Dr Pant was having unauthorized and undocumented possession of keys of the Godrej Safe containing Silver targets. The enquiry also revealed that the dual-key custody mechanism was compromised and proper handing over procedures of keys were not followed. The statements of various officials examined during enquiry disclosed contradictions regarding physical verification, custody of keys, existence of records and opening of cartons/files, indicating concealment and suppression of material facts. The inquiry has brought the actions of multiple other officials under the scanner for alleged concealment. According to investigators, during a physical verification on February 6, 2024, only 6.23 kg of silver was found to be available. Despite having knowledge of earlier inventory figures, the-then manager cum material management (MM) section in-charge Ashish Kumar, along with officials Ajay Yadav, Vinayan Bhardwaj, and Ajai Kumar–who participated in the physical verification of Silver Targets—failed to raise objections regarding the substantial shortage of silver and signed the physical verification report dated 06.02.2024. The accused face charges under Sections 201, 409, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), alongside Section 13(1)(a) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018). 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]. Comments Please login to comment The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
0 By clicking the button, I accept the Terms of Use of the service and its Privacy Policy, as well as consent to the processing of personal data. Don’t have an account? Signup With subsidies cutting upfront costs and solar pumps reducing diesel and power expenses, farmers across India are gaining more predictable irrigation. However, there are a few challenges too. The Better India deep dives into analysing the solar shift in farming and the challenges. With subsidies cutting upfront costs and solar pumps reducing diesel and power expenses, farmers across India are gaining more predictable irrigation. However, there are a few challenges too. The Better India deep dives into analysing the solar shift in farming and the challenges.
google-news Follow Us With reduced pump prices and government subsidies making the systems newly affordable, farmers all over the country are shifting to daytime irrigation, powered entirely by sunlight. Long before the sun clears the tree line in Dawwa, a small village in Maharashtra’s Gondia district, the fields are already stirring. There is no diesel canister to haul, no waiting for a transformer to hum back to life after last night’s outage. A farmer walks to the edge of a soybean plot, taps a switch, and water begins to move — pulled up from below and pushed through the furrows, powered by nothing more than the light falling from the sky. For generations, irrigation in villages like Dawwa and elsewhere in the country was a negotiation with forces no farmer could control: the mood of the electricity grid, the price of diesel, the arrival — or non-arrival — of power at three in the morning. Yogeshwari C Chaudhari, the Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Dawwa, says, “Previously, irrigation relied on electricity availability or diesel fuel. Farmers had to bear the associated costs and endure the hardships caused by erratic power supplies.” That single sentence captures decades of hardship — the late-night walks to switch on a pump the moment power flickered on, the anxious maths of diesel prices against a shrinking margin, the crops lost not to drought but to timing. Solar has begun to rewrite that story. With reduced pump prices and government subsidies making the systems newly affordable, farmers all over the country are shifting to daytime irrigation, powered entirely by sunlight. The burden of “future expenses” is easing, one solar panel at a time.
But Dawwa’s story is not a simple tale of technology triumphant. It is also a story about the friction between good policy and difficult implementation — and it is being repeated, with local variations, across an entire country. Nowhere has this shift moved faster than in Maharashtra. The state has become India’s leader in solar pump adoption, with more than 7.47 lakh (747,000) solar agricultural pumps already installed and a target of 10.45 lakh (1.045 million) — making it the fastest-deploying state in the country and, remarkably, second only to China globally. In December 2025, Maharashtra set a Guinness World Record by installing 45,911 solar pumps in just 30 days, a scale of rollout that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago. Across India, the central government’s PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme subsidises solar pump installations nationally. Its target is 34,800 MW of solar capacity by March 2026, backed by roughly Rs 34,422 crore in central financial assistance. Maharashtra has its own scheme, the Magel Tyala Saur Krushi Pump Yojana (MTSKPY), which aims to ensure farmers across the state gain reliable access to solar irrigation. Together, these schemes have turned what was once a costly, aspirational upgrade into something within reach of ordinary smallholders. Across India, states are taking different approaches to the same goal. Kerala’s 74% adoption rate places it at the top of the State Energy Efficiency Index 2024, which found that 13 states are now actively promoting integrated cold storage and solar-powered agricultural pumps in their farm sectors. Chhattisgarh’s older Saur Sujala scheme requires farmers to contribute only about 5% of the cost and is widely regarded as a blueprint that helped shape the design of PM-KUSUM itself. In Assam, where small tea growers have long relied on costly diesel, solar pumps reach cost parity with diesel by the third year of use — a slower payoff, but a meaningful one for growers with thin margins. A solar pump works differently from the diesel and grid-connected electric pumps farmers have traditionally relied on. A diesel pump is loud, expensive to run, and dependent on fuel that has to be bought, transported, and stored. A grid-connected electric pump is cheaper to operate but entirely dependent on a power supply that, in much of rural India, arrives on its own unpredictable schedule — often at night, when farmers must rouse themselves to irrigate fields in the dark, wary of snakes, fatigue, and wasted water. A solar pump sidesteps both problems. Panels installed beside the field convert sunlight directly into the electricity needed to run the pump, with no fuel purchases and no dependence on the grid. It runs when the sun is up — which is, conveniently, also when farmers are already in their fields, watching the water and able to stop it the moment it is no longer needed. The cost of the pump varies by location, capacity and subsidy. Farmer Location Farm Pump Amount paid / spending Neeraj Parmar Piploda, Madhya Pradesh 40 acres 7½ HP Rs 43,000 in 2025; 90% subsidy Narhar Dangi Pipalkheda, Madhya Pradesh 5 acres — 30 of 60 farmers in his area have switched to solar Sachin Kumar Jaspur, Uttarakhand 4 acres 7½ HP Rs 86,000 Kishan Singh Deoli, Rajasthan — — Around Rs 72,000 a few years ago; comparable systems now cost closer to Rs 41,000 For Neeraj Parmar, a 37-year-old postgraduate in history from Piploda village in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, the attraction is simple. “I don’t have to wait for the power supply as I can run the pump whenever I can,” he says. In Pipalkheda, in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district, 32-year-old Narhar Dangi farms five acres of soybean and wheat. Of the 60 farmers in his area, 30 have already switched to solar. For Dangi, the change is measured in freed-up time and reduced anxiety as much as money. “Irrigating my farm has become much easier, thanks to the solar-run pumps,” he says. “I don’t have to wait for the nights when we get power supply. I can run my pumps using my mobile phone as it’s GPS-connected.” The days needed for tilling and sowing have shortened, he notes, and the farm now needs fewer hired hands. Further north, in Jaspur in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district, 26-year-old Sachin Kumar — a postgraduate in soil sciences — grows sugarcane on four acres, harvesting some 400 quintals per acre. He paid Rs 86,000 for his 7½ horsepower pump; subsidies in Uttarakhand are lower than in states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, or Maharashtra, so the upfront cost stung more.
But the payoff has been immediate. “During the summer months like April, May and June when the crop needs to be irrigated, we often witness power shutdowns,” he says. “And that’s when the solar pumps come to our aid. We save a lot on our power bills and diesel.” Kumar estimates his daily diesel spending of nearly Rs 2,000 has dropped to almost nothing since the switch, with irrigation now falling into predictable daytime hours instead of whenever the grid allows. Subsidies of 60% to 90% under PM-KUSUM have lowered the entry barrier further. Newer “irrigation-as-a-service” models — pay-per-use arrangements requiring no upfront cost — are beginning to open the technology to farmers who could never afford the initial investment at all. In Maharashtra, farmers with less than five acres of land received up to a 95% subsidy for a 3 HP solar pump. Those with larger holdings could install 5 HP pumps at a fixed, heavily subsidised contribution of around Rs 30,000. That difference has freed up capital that farmers say now goes towards seeds, other inputs, or household needs — money that would once have been locked up in the upfront cost of irrigation infrastructure. The falling price of the pumps themselves has compounded these effects. In Deoli village of Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, award-winning farmer Kishan Singh, 67, paid around Rs 72,000 for his solar pump when he first applied a few years ago. Farmers installing comparable systems in his region today are paying closer to Rs 41,000. Taken together with the near-total elimination of recurring diesel and electricity expenses, the shift is beginning to change how farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand allocate money and plan their growing seasons. Irrigation, once a recurring financial burden renewed every season, is becoming something closer to a one-time investment. The financial case for solar pumps is one of their biggest attractions.
Solar pumps offer zero electricity bills and can save farmers between Rs 40,000 and Rs 70,000 annually compared with running a diesel pump. In Uttar Pradesh alone, installed solar pumps have eliminated the consumption of 877.50 lakh litres of diesel every year — fuel that would otherwise have been burned, purchased, and hauled across the state’s farmland. The pumps are also changing how farmers use water and time. A study in Uttar Pradesh found that when farmers gained access to affordable solar irrigation, water usage more than doubled and the number of active users per pump jumped by 60%. The increase enabled greater cropping intensity, additional crops per year, and more stable incomes. For farmers, the appeal is not only financial. Because irrigation happens during daylight, when farmers are present to monitor it, less water is wasted than during unsupervised night-time watering. “We are free from frequent power breakdowns,” Dangi adds — and, in a small but real way, farmers like him are easing pressure on an overstretched power grid rather than adding to it. Ashok Gaikwad, a Krishi Adhikari (agriculture officer) in Kalyan, in Maharashtra’s Thane district, sees the pattern repeating widely across his state. “By eliminating diesel and electricity costs, solar pumps provide farmers with zero-cost, daytime reliable irrigation,” he says, “Enabling them to reinvest savings into crop diversification and modern techniques, while reducing dependence on erratic fuel supplies and cutting carbon emissions to align agriculture with climate goals.” Yet the story solar pumps tell is not uniformly triumphant, and the ground itself has its own say in the matter. A study led by the International Water Management Institute in Gujarat, conducted under the Solar Energy for Agricultural Resilience initiative, drew on data from more than 220 farmers across two cropping seasons. The researchers asked a pointed question: can solar-powered irrigation actually reduce groundwater use, or does it simply make extraction easier? The answer, they found, depends entirely on what lies beneath the field. Anand Botad Aquifer Alluvial Hard rock Impact of solar adoption on irrigation water use Farmers applied up to 608 mm less irrigation water than non-solar neighbours No measurable impact on irrigation water use Key factor Farmers could sell surplus electricity back to the grid Groundwater availability was already the binding constraint In Anand district, where the aquifer is alluvial, farmers with grid-connected solar pumps applied significantly less irrigation water — up to 608 millimetres less than their non-solar neighbours. The reason was less about the technology itself than about the incentive structure around it. Because these farmers could sell surplus electricity back to the grid, they had a direct financial reason to use water more sparingly and let the panels earn their keep. In Botad district, however, where the aquifer sits in hard rock, the picture was starkly different. Solar adoption had no measurable impact on irrigation water use at all. There, the researchers concluded, groundwater availability itself — not the cost or convenience of energy — is already the binding constraint. Without the possibility of feed-in income to reward restraint, and with abundant, cheap, sun-powered energy to run the pump, some farmers may simply extract more water than they did before, deepening the strain on an already fragile resource. The lesson embedded in that contrast is one that policymakers scaling PM-KUSUM and similar schemes are only beginning to absorb: a single national template cannot deliver the same outcome everywhere. Incentives and feed-in tariffs, the researchers argue, need to be tailored to local hydrogeological conditions if the goal is to protect groundwater while still expanding farmer incomes. Solar irrigation is not automatically water-wise; it becomes water-wise only when the policy around it gives farmers a reason to treat water, not just energy, as the scarce resource it is. Even as the scheme’s benefits are celebrated, farmers still face persistent obstacles. Those TBI spoke to described: long delays between application and approval; a lack of clear and timely information on subsidy amounts; uncertainty over their own financial share and the pump’s rated capacity; cases of substandard equipment, including pumps, panels, and other components that fail to last; and maintenance and repair services that arrive late, if at all, even after formal complaints have been lodged. Yet even with such momentum, technology adoption in agriculture often stumbles at the stage of installation and upkeep. For farmers, irrigation access dictates cropping cycles, making timeliness critical. “Typically, delivery takes 60–90 days after an order is placed. But we recognise the urgency of farming schedules. Our commitment is to align delivery with agricultural needs, ensuring farmers receive support exactly when required,” says Amulya Gupta, Director of Oswal Pumps. Oswal Pumps, a vertically integrated Indian manufacturer offering solar, agricultural, domestic, and industrial pumping solutions, has already executed over 90,000 solar pump installations. With an active order book exceeding 24,500 units and a pipeline of more than 25,000, the company has visibility on well over 140,000 pumps in various stages — underscoring its scale and reliability in meeting farmers’ needs. In 2025, Dawwa’s Sarpanch, Yogeshwari Chaudhari, stepped into history as the first in India to win the Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA), bringing Rs 1 crore to fund grassroots climate projects. With a farmer’s clarity, she cuts through the jargon: “Streamline approvals, enforce quality, and hold vendors accountable.” Far from rejecting solar pumps, Chaudhari speaks as someone who has seen their transformative benefits and wants the delivery system fixed so that, as she insists, “the maximum number of farmers can benefit from it.” She embodies both sides of the story: the sunrise that now powers her neighbours’ pumps at no cost, and the paperwork that still blocks too many farmers from that same sunrise. Between those two realities lies the unfinished story of solar’s arrival in rural India — not a completed revolution, but one still being built, field by field, village by village.
Australian Council of Recycling says it has had ‘no clarity about the nature of the complaint’ that delayed program announced in January Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Recycling operators have expressed growing alarm about delays to a solar panel recycling scheme promised by the Albanese government with fears some could go bust while they wait. The $25m pilot scheme was announced in January to help develop a local industry for the recycling of panels and the recovery of valuable materials such as copper and aluminium. A process to appoint an entity to run the pilot was suspended in May after an undisclosed complaint, first reported by Renew Economy. The scheme had been due to commence mid-year. Four months on, eight solar recycling companies have written to several ministers to urge the government to lift the suspension. Their concerns follow the government’s recent decision to shelve plans for mandatory national packaging standards. The companies said the prolonged delay threatened the financial viability of operators in the emerging solar recycling industry and hindered Australia’s ability to recover “high-purity critical materials”. They wrote “every month of delay exacerbates the volume of solar waste entering landfills, damaging public trust in renewable energy infrastructure”. James Petesic, one of the letter’s signatories, is the co-founder of solar panel recycler PV Industries, which has facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. He said there had been little communication or clarity about the pilot’s future since the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water suspended the procurement process in May. “The more time goes on, the more panels are coming off roofs,” he said. “And … the more we risk losing recycling capacity because more businesses will go into administration.” Petesic said the ongoing delay was affecting investor certainty in the industry. The letter urges the government to use a public interest provision in procurement laws to lift the suspension, so that the pilot can still progress while the complaint is investigated. Petesic said one of the biggest issues for the nascent industry was supply of solar panels. About one in three Australians have rooftop solar but most rooftop panels are not recycled at the end of their life. Recyclers have struggled to secure enough panels, with many ending up in landfill or waste stockpiles. Victoria is the only state with an outright ban on solar panels going to rubbish dumps, though some landfill sites in other jurisdictions also refuse to accept them. Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion Petesic said as households installed home batteries, many were choosing to upgrade their solar panels at the same time, increasing the volume of panels that were becoming waste. He said the goals of the pilot scheme were to support transport of panels to recyclers, guarantee supply of panels for recycling and help the solar recycling industry to grow. The pilot was also intended to inform development of a mandatory national solar panel recycling scheme. The chief executive of the Australian Council of Recycling, Suzanne Toumbourou, said the delay would have “knock-on effects” for people who had invested in solar recycling. “There has been absolutely no clarity about the nature of the complaint that has held this process up indefinitely, which means the sector has no concept of what the way forward looks like,” she said. “Investment confidence has already been shaken by the delay itself but the indefinite nature of it amplifies that.” A department spokesperson said the government “remains committed to the policy objectives of the national solar panel recycling pilot”. They said the appointment process remained suspended in accordance with the government’s procurement rules. Gayle Sloan, the CEO of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association, said instead of the pilot scheme the government should introduce national regulations that made producers of solar panels responsible for what happened to them – whether that was repair, reuse or recycling. “We don’t need more trials. We need regulation that places the responsibility squarely on producers,” she said.
The Arkansas Public Service Commission has denied Entergy Arkansas’ request to approve a 20-year power purchase agreement for the proposed 440-megawatt Big Island Solar facility in Mississippi County. Entergy said the 3,200-acre project would help meet future energy and capacity needs, generate renewable energy credits, support Google’s clean energy goals for its West Memphis data center and provide economic benefits to Arkansas. The site is a few miles from the planned Google data center in West Memphis. Groundbreaking for the solar farm took place July 11. Officials said the project would be the nation’s largest solar farm. Entergy projected the project could generate between $29 million and $214 million in net benefits for customers over the life of the agreement. In its 52-page decision, the commission concluded Entergy failed to meet Arkansas law’s requirements for a long-term power purchase agreement. Commissioners said Entergy did not provide sufficient evidence that the contract’s costs were reasonable or that it would save customers money compared with other options. The commission found several key assumptions were not adequately supported, including projected capacity benefits, fuel stability benefits, renewable energy credit values, fuel diversity benefits and assumed future carbon tax impacts. Commissioners also expressed concern about the project’s economics depending heavily on renewable energy credit revenues. Those revenues were still under negotiation with Google and had not been finalized. The commission questioned Entergy’s claims regarding the value of the solar facility’s capacity contribution and whether the utility had demonstrated a genuine need for the project. Commissioners cited Entergy’s access to the regional energy market, uncertainty about future load forecasts and other generation options, including the potential conversion of its White Bluff units from their current coal configuration to natural gas. Commissioners said Entergy had not shown the project was required by public convenience and necessity or that it was necessary to supplement or replace existing generation resources. WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady®NSI Temps: High: 96 Low: 72 Rain 24hrs: 0.00″ Month: 1.24″ Year: 34.57″
0 By clicking the button, I accept the Terms of Use of the service and its Privacy Policy, as well as consent to the processing of personal data. Don’t have an account? Signup With subsidies cutting upfront costs and solar pumps reducing diesel and power expenses, farmers across India are gaining more predictable irrigation. However, there are a few challenges too. The Better India deep dives into analysing the solar shift in farming and the challenges. With subsidies cutting upfront costs and solar pumps reducing diesel and power expenses, farmers across India are gaining more predictable irrigation. However, there are a few challenges too. The Better India deep dives into analysing the solar shift in farming and the challenges.
google-news Follow Us With reduced pump prices and government subsidies making the systems newly affordable, farmers all over the country are shifting to daytime irrigation, powered entirely by sunlight. Long before the sun clears the tree line in Dawwa, a small village in Maharashtra’s Gondia district, the fields are already stirring. There is no diesel canister to haul, no waiting for a transformer to hum back to life after last night’s outage. A farmer walks to the edge of a soybean plot, taps a switch, and water begins to move — pulled up from below and pushed through the furrows, powered by nothing more than the light falling from the sky. For generations, irrigation in villages like Dawwa and elsewhere in the country was a negotiation with forces no farmer could control: the mood of the electricity grid, the price of diesel, the arrival — or non-arrival — of power at three in the morning. Yogeshwari C Chaudhari, the Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Dawwa, says, “Previously, irrigation relied on electricity availability or diesel fuel. Farmers had to bear the associated costs and endure the hardships caused by erratic power supplies.” That single sentence captures decades of hardship — the late-night walks to switch on a pump the moment power flickered on, the anxious maths of diesel prices against a shrinking margin, the crops lost not to drought but to timing. Solar has begun to rewrite that story. With reduced pump prices and government subsidies making the systems newly affordable, farmers all over the country are shifting to daytime irrigation, powered entirely by sunlight. The burden of “future expenses” is easing, one solar panel at a time.
But Dawwa’s story is not a simple tale of technology triumphant. It is also a story about the friction between good policy and difficult implementation — and it is being repeated, with local variations, across an entire country. Nowhere has this shift moved faster than in Maharashtra. The state has become India’s leader in solar pump adoption, with more than 7.47 lakh (747,000) solar agricultural pumps already installed and a target of 10.45 lakh (1.045 million) — making it the fastest-deploying state in the country and, remarkably, second only to China globally. In December 2025, Maharashtra set a Guinness World Record by installing 45,911 solar pumps in just 30 days, a scale of rollout that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago. Across India, the central government’s PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme subsidises solar pump installations nationally. Its target is 34,800 MW of solar capacity by March 2026, backed by roughly Rs 34,422 crore in central financial assistance. Maharashtra has its own scheme, the Magel Tyala Saur Krushi Pump Yojana (MTSKPY), which aims to ensure farmers across the state gain reliable access to solar irrigation. Together, these schemes have turned what was once a costly, aspirational upgrade into something within reach of ordinary smallholders. Across India, states are taking different approaches to the same goal. Kerala’s 74% adoption rate places it at the top of the State Energy Efficiency Index 2024, which found that 13 states are now actively promoting integrated cold storage and solar-powered agricultural pumps in their farm sectors. Chhattisgarh’s older Saur Sujala scheme requires farmers to contribute only about 5% of the cost and is widely regarded as a blueprint that helped shape the design of PM-KUSUM itself. In Assam, where small tea growers have long relied on costly diesel, solar pumps reach cost parity with diesel by the third year of use — a slower payoff, but a meaningful one for growers with thin margins. A solar pump works differently from the diesel and grid-connected electric pumps farmers have traditionally relied on. A diesel pump is loud, expensive to run, and dependent on fuel that has to be bought, transported, and stored. A grid-connected electric pump is cheaper to operate but entirely dependent on a power supply that, in much of rural India, arrives on its own unpredictable schedule — often at night, when farmers must rouse themselves to irrigate fields in the dark, wary of snakes, fatigue, and wasted water. A solar pump sidesteps both problems. Panels installed beside the field convert sunlight directly into the electricity needed to run the pump, with no fuel purchases and no dependence on the grid. It runs when the sun is up — which is, conveniently, also when farmers are already in their fields, watching the water and able to stop it the moment it is no longer needed. The cost of the pump varies by location, capacity and subsidy. Farmer Location Farm Pump Amount paid / spending Neeraj Parmar Piploda, Madhya Pradesh 40 acres 7½ HP Rs 43,000 in 2025; 90% subsidy Narhar Dangi Pipalkheda, Madhya Pradesh 5 acres — 30 of 60 farmers in his area have switched to solar Sachin Kumar Jaspur, Uttarakhand 4 acres 7½ HP Rs 86,000 Kishan Singh Deoli, Rajasthan — — Around Rs 72,000 a few years ago; comparable systems now cost closer to Rs 41,000 For Neeraj Parmar, a 37-year-old postgraduate in history from Piploda village in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, the attraction is simple. “I don’t have to wait for the power supply as I can run the pump whenever I can,” he says. In Pipalkheda, in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district, 32-year-old Narhar Dangi farms five acres of soybean and wheat. Of the 60 farmers in his area, 30 have already switched to solar. For Dangi, the change is measured in freed-up time and reduced anxiety as much as money. “Irrigating my farm has become much easier, thanks to the solar-run pumps,” he says. “I don’t have to wait for the nights when we get power supply. I can run my pumps using my mobile phone as it’s GPS-connected.” The days needed for tilling and sowing have shortened, he notes, and the farm now needs fewer hired hands. Further north, in Jaspur in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district, 26-year-old Sachin Kumar — a postgraduate in soil sciences — grows sugarcane on four acres, harvesting some 400 quintals per acre. He paid Rs 86,000 for his 7½ horsepower pump; subsidies in Uttarakhand are lower than in states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, or Maharashtra, so the upfront cost stung more.
But the payoff has been immediate. “During the summer months like April, May and June when the crop needs to be irrigated, we often witness power shutdowns,” he says. “And that’s when the solar pumps come to our aid. We save a lot on our power bills and diesel.” Kumar estimates his daily diesel spending of nearly Rs 2,000 has dropped to almost nothing since the switch, with irrigation now falling into predictable daytime hours instead of whenever the grid allows. Subsidies of 60% to 90% under PM-KUSUM have lowered the entry barrier further. Newer “irrigation-as-a-service” models — pay-per-use arrangements requiring no upfront cost — are beginning to open the technology to farmers who could never afford the initial investment at all. In Maharashtra, farmers with less than five acres of land received up to a 95% subsidy for a 3 HP solar pump. Those with larger holdings could install 5 HP pumps at a fixed, heavily subsidised contribution of around Rs 30,000. That difference has freed up capital that farmers say now goes towards seeds, other inputs, or household needs — money that would once have been locked up in the upfront cost of irrigation infrastructure. The falling price of the pumps themselves has compounded these effects. In Deoli village of Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, award-winning farmer Kishan Singh, 67, paid around Rs 72,000 for his solar pump when he first applied a few years ago. Farmers installing comparable systems in his region today are paying closer to Rs 41,000. Taken together with the near-total elimination of recurring diesel and electricity expenses, the shift is beginning to change how farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand allocate money and plan their growing seasons. Irrigation, once a recurring financial burden renewed every season, is becoming something closer to a one-time investment. The financial case for solar pumps is one of their biggest attractions.
Solar pumps offer zero electricity bills and can save farmers between Rs 40,000 and Rs 70,000 annually compared with running a diesel pump. In Uttar Pradesh alone, installed solar pumps have eliminated the consumption of 877.50 lakh litres of diesel every year — fuel that would otherwise have been burned, purchased, and hauled across the state’s farmland. The pumps are also changing how farmers use water and time. A study in Uttar Pradesh found that when farmers gained access to affordable solar irrigation, water usage more than doubled and the number of active users per pump jumped by 60%. The increase enabled greater cropping intensity, additional crops per year, and more stable incomes. For farmers, the appeal is not only financial. Because irrigation happens during daylight, when farmers are present to monitor it, less water is wasted than during unsupervised night-time watering. “We are free from frequent power breakdowns,” Dangi adds — and, in a small but real way, farmers like him are easing pressure on an overstretched power grid rather than adding to it. Ashok Gaikwad, a Krishi Adhikari (agriculture officer) in Kalyan, in Maharashtra’s Thane district, sees the pattern repeating widely across his state. “By eliminating diesel and electricity costs, solar pumps provide farmers with zero-cost, daytime reliable irrigation,” he says, “Enabling them to reinvest savings into crop diversification and modern techniques, while reducing dependence on erratic fuel supplies and cutting carbon emissions to align agriculture with climate goals.” Yet the story solar pumps tell is not uniformly triumphant, and the ground itself has its own say in the matter. A study led by the International Water Management Institute in Gujarat, conducted under the Solar Energy for Agricultural Resilience initiative, drew on data from more than 220 farmers across two cropping seasons. The researchers asked a pointed question: can solar-powered irrigation actually reduce groundwater use, or does it simply make extraction easier? The answer, they found, depends entirely on what lies beneath the field. Anand Botad Aquifer Alluvial Hard rock Impact of solar adoption on irrigation water use Farmers applied up to 608 mm less irrigation water than non-solar neighbours No measurable impact on irrigation water use Key factor Farmers could sell surplus electricity back to the grid Groundwater availability was already the binding constraint In Anand district, where the aquifer is alluvial, farmers with grid-connected solar pumps applied significantly less irrigation water — up to 608 millimetres less than their non-solar neighbours. The reason was less about the technology itself than about the incentive structure around it. Because these farmers could sell surplus electricity back to the grid, they had a direct financial reason to use water more sparingly and let the panels earn their keep. In Botad district, however, where the aquifer sits in hard rock, the picture was starkly different. Solar adoption had no measurable impact on irrigation water use at all. There, the researchers concluded, groundwater availability itself — not the cost or convenience of energy — is already the binding constraint. Without the possibility of feed-in income to reward restraint, and with abundant, cheap, sun-powered energy to run the pump, some farmers may simply extract more water than they did before, deepening the strain on an already fragile resource. The lesson embedded in that contrast is one that policymakers scaling PM-KUSUM and similar schemes are only beginning to absorb: a single national template cannot deliver the same outcome everywhere. Incentives and feed-in tariffs, the researchers argue, need to be tailored to local hydrogeological conditions if the goal is to protect groundwater while still expanding farmer incomes. Solar irrigation is not automatically water-wise; it becomes water-wise only when the policy around it gives farmers a reason to treat water, not just energy, as the scarce resource it is. Even as the scheme’s benefits are celebrated, farmers still face persistent obstacles. Those TBI spoke to described: long delays between application and approval; a lack of clear and timely information on subsidy amounts; uncertainty over their own financial share and the pump’s rated capacity; cases of substandard equipment, including pumps, panels, and other components that fail to last; and maintenance and repair services that arrive late, if at all, even after formal complaints have been lodged. Yet even with such momentum, technology adoption in agriculture often stumbles at the stage of installation and upkeep. For farmers, irrigation access dictates cropping cycles, making timeliness critical. “Typically, delivery takes 60–90 days after an order is placed. But we recognise the urgency of farming schedules. Our commitment is to align delivery with agricultural needs, ensuring farmers receive support exactly when required,” says Amulya Gupta, Director of Oswal Pumps. Oswal Pumps, a vertically integrated Indian manufacturer offering solar, agricultural, domestic, and industrial pumping solutions, has already executed over 90,000 solar pump installations. With an active order book exceeding 24,500 units and a pipeline of more than 25,000, the company has visibility on well over 140,000 pumps in various stages — underscoring its scale and reliability in meeting farmers’ needs. In 2025, Dawwa’s Sarpanch, Yogeshwari Chaudhari, stepped into history as the first in India to win the Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA), bringing Rs 1 crore to fund grassroots climate projects. With a farmer’s clarity, she cuts through the jargon: “Streamline approvals, enforce quality, and hold vendors accountable.” Far from rejecting solar pumps, Chaudhari speaks as someone who has seen their transformative benefits and wants the delivery system fixed so that, as she insists, “the maximum number of farmers can benefit from it.” She embodies both sides of the story: the sunrise that now powers her neighbours’ pumps at no cost, and the paperwork that still blocks too many farmers from that same sunrise. Between those two realities lies the unfinished story of solar’s arrival in rural India — not a completed revolution, but one still being built, field by field, village by village.
Andy Caldwell OPINION BY ANDY CALDWELL If you had to pick out one issue in California that best represents the affordability crises, it would have to be the cost of housing. Housing everywhere is, of course, affected by the law of supply and demand, but in California, this “law” is completely distorted by government regulations, red tape, and other priorities. In this piece, I will discuss the fact that Santa Barbara County will allow 16,000 acres of farm and ranch lands to be converted to solar farms and battery energy systems, while they are helping to sabotage the efforts of several cities to expand their boundaries to meet state mandates for housing. These mandates require virtually every county in the state to add tens of thousands of new homes in the aggregate, and that is just for starters. The problem with fulfilling these mandates in Santa Barbara County, which has no shortage of land available for housing, has to do with government impediments to the same. Decades ago, the County of Santa Barbara drew a line around the boundary of every city in the county and zoned everything outside of those limits’ “agriculture”. It made no difference if these “ag” lands have no water, poor soils, steep gradients, and the like. Moreover, not only are these ag-zoned lands pretty much off limits to housing, farmers also must go through arduous permit processes to build facilities to process their ag products including coolers, greenhouses, and wineries. That is, the county really treats “ag-zoned” properties as defacto open space, thereby limiting development of any kind on these properties. What’s worse? While county supervisors can rezone ag properties that are in the unincorporated areas of the county to other zoning designations to allow for the construction of housing, industrial and retail, the cities have no such authority. Cities must go through an organization known as LAFCO, the Local Agency Formation Commission, to annex the “ag” lands surrounding their city to covert the same to urban type uses. The LAFCO board is comprised of a couple of county supervisors, city reps, and public members. The insult to injury? The hypocrites on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors conveniently rezone ag properties in the county to urban uses as they see fit by way of their own authority, while the county supervisors who sit on the LAFCO board do everything within their power to block annexations by the cities that would allow them to expand their urban footprint. This is extremely problematic by virtue of a law known as RHNA, the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, which requires all jurisdictions to facilitate housing growth in their communities to facilitate population growth. If your city is surrounded by ag, you either must annex land or rely on infill projects. That is, your only two choices are to go up or out! Below are the current RHNA cycle numbers, (24,856 units total) thru 2031 for our region: For example, the City of Santa Maria, which is surrounded by actual farm fields, has done its best to avoid conversion of the same. But the RHNA process is currently requiring the city to build another 5,400 units (to accommodate some 15,000 people) by 2031. Beyond 2031, the city expects it will have to build another 15,000 units to accommodate another 34,000 people by 2050. Santa Maria is proposing to annex up to 1,000 acres to accommodate this growth. But LAFCO is insisting that this growth be absorbed by way of infill projects via converting empty spaces within the current city boundaries. However, the brain trust at LAFCO is failing to recognize that to accommodate a 50% increase in population over the next 2.5 decades, the city would need 250 acres of parks for the new population growth, along with 10 new elementary schools (10 acres each), four new junior high schools (20 acres each), and two to three new high schools (40 to 60 acres each). Thus, these public serving “amenities” could take up over 600 acres, and that is without the tens of thousands of new homes driven by state mandates. There are a couple of major problems the supervisors glossed over when they opened up 16,000 acres of land, including lands on the Gaviota coast, to solar and battery development. The first thing they ignored was fire! The very real possibility of wildland fires burning up the solar and battery farms or battery fires burning up the wildlands. Second, the county envisions that building these electricity generation and storage units will enhance our local grid stability when our power gets shut off by our utilities. However, they are ignoring the fact that the one wind turbine plant in the county, near the city of Lompoc, generates power used by Marin County as they purchased the power from the project. The one large solar farm in Cuyama generates power for Kern County, not Santa Barbara County. In other words, we may end up sacrificing our coastline and our ag lands for the benefit of other jurisdictions, and all we get out of it is the impacts and associated risks. Finally, at the same time the sups are going all in on solar and battery, they are also trying to ban new oil drilling and eliminate existing oil production. As we all know, one of the biggest costs to housing is the price of land. This is why cities who are doing infill projects are starting to build three and four story buildings on a routine basis in some parts of the county, which we have never seen before. Regardless, consider the fact that solar fields take up much more land that will no longer be available for housing and farming, while oil and gas facilities have such a smaller physical footprint and easily coexist with agriculture. Oil turbines produce far more electricity per acre than solar PV. For example, a 100 MW diesel plant on 12 acres yields ~8.3 MW per acre, while a 100 MW solar farm on 700 acres yields ~0.14 MW per acre! You would have to cover pretty much every acre of ag land in CA to try and replace our oil industry while simultaneously eliminating the same amount of land for future housing! Too bad nobody on the board of sups or LAFCO sees the big picture. Andy Caldwell is the executive director of COLAB in Santa Barbara County and host of The Andy Caldwell Radio Show, weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on FM 98.5, FM 99.5, AM 1240, AM 1290 and FM 96.9.
US restrictions on global solar supply are expanding beyond origin-specific tariffs to cover upstream material prices, supply-chain traceability, equipment authorisation and tax credit eligibility. On 11 September, the US Department of Commerce issued final antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) determinations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos. Separate AD/CVD orders are already in force for Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. With Section 232 measures on polysilicon and its derivatives scheduled to take effect on 4 December, relocating production alone offers diminishing scope to maintain low-cost exports to the US. In SMM's assessment, the central issue is not which country will capture displaced US orders. The US is simultaneously resetting import cost thresholds, supply-chain compliance requirements and eligibility for project incentives. The effects run in both directions: stronger protection for US manufacturing, but tighter constraints on imported inputs, equipment selection and project delivery that could raise deployment costs. Global manufacturing investment is therefore shifting from a search for low-tariff locations towards an assessment of end-to-end compliance costs and project returns. AD/CVD and Section 301: Different barriers across Asia's major supply bases US solar import restrictions do not form a single country-by-country tariff schedule. They comprise overlapping cases, product scopes and company-specific rates. Crystalline silicon cells and modules from mainland China remain subject to existing AD/CVD measures, while Section 301 tariffs cover both downstream products and upstream materials. The Section 301 rate on solar cells, whether or not assembled into modules, has risen to 50%; the relevant rates on wafers and polysilicon increased to 50% on 1 January 2025. These are individual additional tariff layers, not the final combined duty burden on all Chinese solar products. Certain crystalline silicon solar products from Taiwan, China are also subject to a separate antidumping measure, with applicability requiring case- and company-specific checks. Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam face a different combination of restrictions. Circumvention findings involving specified processing of Chinese inputs are distinct from the four countries' standalone AD/CVD cases. The earlier temporary duty suspension ended in 2024, and the separate AD/CVD orders took effect in 2025. Establishing a factory in one of these countries does not, by itself, place its products outside existing trade restrictions. The latest cases involving India, Indonesia and Laos extend that coverage. India's final dumping margin is 123.04%, with a subsidy rate of 126.09%. Indonesia's dumping margin is 94.36%, while subsidy rates vary significantly by company. Laos has a dumping margin of 65.43%, with exporter-producer combinations also requiring individual checks. Dumping margins, subsidy rates and actual cash deposit rates are not necessarily identical and should not simply be added together as a universal import duty rate. The US International Trade Commission currently plans to hold its final injury vote on the three countries' products on 14 October. Definitive duty orders remain conditional on affirmative injury determinations. However, cash deposit requirements and other arrangements already apply during the investigations; the pending injury decision should not be interpreted as an unrestricted import window. The Section 201 solar safeguard expired on 6 February 2026. Relevant International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff layers in older country-level reciprocal tariff tables should not simply be carried forward as current rates. Separately, the forced-labour-related Section 301 action implemented against 60 economies from 24 July is a tariff measure distinct from the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) import compliance regime. Its applicability and exclusions require separate checks, while measures still under investigation should not be treated as duties already in force. The burden on an individual shipment must be assessed by origin, tariff classification, company and entry date, rather than by adding together historical tariff schedules. Section 232 extends import price barriers across the value chain AD/CVD measures primarily determine which suppliers can access the US at commercially viable costs. Section 232 goes further by setting thresholds for the prices at which products can enter the market. Under the announced arrangements, minimum import prices from 4 December 2026 will be US$21/kg for polysilicon, US$100/kg for silicon ingots and wafers, US$0.22/W for cells and US$0.38/W for modules. Covered ingots and derivative products generally also face an additional 15% ad valorem duty. Raw polysilicon should not be assigned the same blanket 15% rate. The mechanism is not limited to China or the Asian origins already covered by AD/CVD cases. The EU, Japan, South Korea and other trading partners cannot assume exemption from Section 232 merely because they are outside those cases. The proclamation provides special duty calculations for certain partners. For relevant products from the EU, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the duty under clause 4 of the Section 232 proclamation and the ordinary customs duty are subject to a combined 15% arrangement. The relevant clause 4 duty for the UK is 10%. These figures are not all-in rates encompassing AD/CVD, minimum-import-price-related duties and other applicable charges, nor do they provide a general exemption from the price floors. The minimum import price mechanism relies on declarations, supporting documentation and specified duties. It is not a universal landed quotation. Multiplying the US$0.38/W module floor by 1.15 will not establish the full cost of every shipment. Approved US onshoring investment plans may receive conditional relief within a defined scope, but building a US factory does not automatically exempt all of a company's imports from all duties. For global manufacturers, avoiding one origin-specific AD/CVD rate therefore solves only part of the problem. Moving to a country outside the relevant cases still requires a fresh assessment of Section 232 price constraints, logistics, financing and compliance costs. Nor should the period before 4 December be treated as an unlimited opportunity to rush shipments: the arrangements also provide for monitoring of stockpiling and abnormal import activity. Paying tariffs does not secure customs clearance, tax credits or equipment approval Price is only one of the constraints on solar supply. Different US rules determine whether goods can clear customs, whether manufacturers and projects qualify for tax benefits, whether new equipment models can be sold, and whether projects can be delivered on time. These should not all be characterised as additional tariffs. The first constraint is material traceability. UFLPA compliance can extend upstream to polysilicon and other inputs. Assembly in a third country does not automatically remove risks associated with restricted sources or listed entities. Genuine origin qualification and complete material records are increasingly important, and paying import duties does not replace the evidence required for customs clearance. The second is tax credit eligibility. Prohibited foreign entity (PFE) and material-assistance restrictions under Sections 45X, 45Y and 48E increase scrutiny of corporate control, supply arrangements and material cost ratios. They do not mean that US assembly automatically qualifies for credits, or that every Chinese component is prohibited. The domestic content bonus and foreign-entity restrictions involve separate eligibility tests. The third concerns inverters and grid equipment. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorisation restrictions on certain foreign-produced networked inverters primarily affect covered new models, and the scope has subsequently been revised. They do not amount to an immediate ban on all foreign inverters or installed equipment. Bulk-power system security rules also extend scrutiny to certain equipment, software, firmware and control relationships, with transaction restrictions dependent on agency determinations and implementation. Sustained access to the US market therefore depends on more than the ability to import modules. Suppliers must also establish traceability for cells and polysilicon, preserve relevant tax credit eligibility, and ensure that inverters and other equipment can meet delivery requirements. Protection for US modules does not remove wafer and cell cost pressures US module nameplate capacity has expanded towards a scale capable of serving annual US demand. Nameplate capacity, however, is not the same as effective supply. Deliveries remain constrained by utilisation, product specifications, certification, bankability and access to upstream materials. The more pronounced gaps in the US manufacturing chain remain in wafers and cells. SMM's earlier assessment put US cell imports at approximately 21.82 GW in 2025, illustrating the role of imported cells in supporting module manufacturing growth. Wafer and cell production also require capital, process expertise, technical staff and ramp-up time, making it difficult for upstream expansion to keep pace with module assembly. Section 232 consequently transmits costs in two directions. A higher price threshold for imported modules improves the position of US manufacturers competing for orders. Yet imported cells also face minimum import prices and applicable duties, exposing US module plants that rely on those cells to higher input costs. Section 45X manufacturing credits provide some support. Typical statutory credits for qualifying modules, cells and polysilicon are US$0.07/W, US$0.04/W and US$3/kg, respectively, subject to production, sales and entity requirements. These credits are neither an automatic procurement discount for developers nor a direct offset against the duties on each import transaction. SMM expects the benefits to vary across US manufacturers. Companies with reliable, compliant upstream supply, higher utilisation and established customer acceptance are better placed to secure orders. Plants with module nameplate capacity but unresolved cell supply or eligibility arrangements may still face rising costs and delivery pressure. The key indicators are additions to compliant wafer and cell supply and the ramp-up of US upstream plants, not module capacity announcements alone. 45X survives, but eligibility restrictions and demand timing remain risks The One Big Beautiful Bill Act did not abolish the Section 45X solar manufacturing production tax credit across the board. Under the current schedule, qualifying modules, cells, wafers and solar-grade polysilicon sold through the end of 2029 can still receive the full statutory credit. The credit falls to 75% of its original amount in 2030, 50% in 2031 and 25% in 2032, before reaching zero from 2033. These percentages refer to the statutory credit amount, not a subsidy as a share of capital investment. An unexpired support period does not guarantee continued eligibility. PFE and material-assistance restrictions introduced by the Act may affect a company's qualification before the scheduled phase-out begins. Non-compliant entity status, control relationships or material procurement arrangements could remove access to relevant 45X credits before 2030, even where a factory has already been built in the US. Investment models must therefore test ongoing compliance and the effects of losing credits on costs, cash flow and debt service, rather than relying solely on the statutory phase-out dates. A further risk is the mismatch between manufacturing expansion and project demand. In 2028-29, qualifying solar manufacturing products will remain eligible for full 45X support. However, applicable projects that did not meet the July 2026 construction-start deadline and are not placed in service by the end of 2027 will face the early-termination provisions for Sections 45Y and 48E. If manufacturing capacity comes online as some project purchases have already been brought forward, or are delayed by weaker returns, capacity growth could outpace new orders. Projects that qualified under the earlier construction-start rules retain a longer window; this does not imply a market-wide halt in US solar demand from 2028. In SMM's assessment, trade protection and manufacturing incentives improve the competitive position of US production but cannot guarantee sustained profitability for every plant. Higher input costs, restricted credit eligibility or low utilisation may still compress margins, even with less import competition. Assessments of US manufacturing investments should examine the statutory credit period, actual company eligibility and the alignment between capacity ramp-up and project procurement. The 2027 installation rush depends on both deadlines and returns Stronger manufacturing protection does not automatically expand end-market demand. Projects face changing credit deadlines, equipment inflation, financing constraints and grid-connection delays. Policy effects on supply and demand do not necessarily reinforce one another. Under the current arrangements, applicable solar projects that begin construction after 4 July 2026 must be placed in service by 31 December 2027 to avoid the relevant early-termination provisions for Sections 45Y and 48E. Projects that met the construction-start requirements by the earlier deadline have a longer window, subject to continuity and other requirements. Signing a contract, paying a deposit or buying modules does not automatically establish a qualifying start of construction. Some projects therefore have an incentive to accelerate procurement, construction and delivery in 2027, but not all US projects should be included in the same installation rush. The end of the Section 25D credit for homeowner-owned systems also means that residential demand cannot simply be assessed using the procurement logic of utility-scale projects. Eligibility for other credits under third-party ownership requires a separate assessment. Federal-land permitting and regional interconnection timelines may affect delivery, without implying a general halt to US solar construction. Section 48E is an investment tax credit, not a tariff waiver. Developers must assess whether project cash flows can cover equipment, financing, construction and delay risks after accounting for applicable credits and the domestic content bonus. Where after-tax returns still meet investment hurdles, deadlines can encourage earlier order commitments. Where higher costs erode returns or timely commissioning is unlikely, projects may instead be renegotiated, delayed or cancelled. Non-US markets may not absorb all diverted supply Supply-chain adjustment will involve more than moving from one low-cost country to another. Origins such as the Philippines, which are outside the current three-country AD/CVD cases, may attract some genuine manufacturing investment and compliant orders. However, integrated supply chains, traceable production and customer qualification take time to establish. Shipment origin is not necessarily manufacturing origin, and third-country assembly using cells covered by existing measures may remain subject to those measures. A new qualifying origin does not automatically provide relief from Section 232, while rapid export growth could prompt further trade investigations. Existing factories in Southeast Asia and elsewhere must also reassess their competitiveness if they turn to non-US markets. In most markets without equivalent restrictions, Chinese modules retain advantages in supply-chain depth, product choice and price. Cells and modules originally intended for the US could add supply and depress transaction prices if redirected towards Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and South America. Absorption will depend on demand, certification, local-content requirements and delivery conditions. Some factories outside China can compete through specific shipping routes, regional customer relationships, local delivery and responsiveness to small orders. These advantages must be assessed market by market; overseas production does not automatically offer shorter transport distances. Future investment decisions must weigh the cost and potential premium of serving a compliant US market against pricing competition elsewhere. The risks associated with export bases dedicated to the US are increasing. SMM outlook: Upstream supply, delivered costs and project returns will shape the market First, AD/CVD measures already cover many of Asia's major low-cost crystalline silicon manufacturing bases. Section 232 and minimum import prices will extend those constraints, further narrowing the commercial scope for low-cost US supply based solely on third-country processing or transshipment. Sustainable suppliers will need genuine, clearly documented origin, full supply-chain traceability and manageable applicable duties, or compliant manufacturing in the US. Assessing US supply requires more than module nameplate figures: effective, compliant wafer and cell supply is critical. If end-market demand remains resilient, upstream shortages and price sensitivity could exceed those at the module stage. Meanwhile, diverted US-bound products may intensify competition in other regions. Second, the central variable for modules remains the actual procurement cost. If imported modules cost more than US-produced alternatives after applicable AD/CVD, Section 232 price mechanisms, logistics and financing, US manufacturers will be better positioned to serve local demand. However, their continued reliance on imported cells leaves them exposed to upstream price floors. Comparisons must therefore include US manufacturers' cell procurement costs, their ability to realise tax credits and final delivered prices, rather than import tariff rates alone. Third, a temporary installation rush is possible in 2027, primarily among projects that missed the July 2026 construction-start deadline and need to be placed in service by the end of 2027 to preserve relevant credit eligibility. Earlier qualifying projects retain a longer window. Section 48E and applicable domestic content bonuses can support returns but do not waive tariffs. Attractive after-tax returns could sustain accelerated procurement; equipment inflation, financing costs and delay risks beyond a project's tolerance could instead lead to deferral or cancellation. The timing mismatch between manufacturing support and project demand also warrants attention. The statutory 45X solar manufacturing phase-out begins in 2030, but entity or supply-chain restrictions could remove eligibility earlier. Continuing manufacturing support in 2028-29 does not guarantee a corresponding expansion in project purchases. If US capacity ramps up faster than orders, utilisation and margins could fall. Trade protection should not be treated as a guarantee of long-term profitability. Overall, the US is strengthening manufacturing protection while tightening import and project compliance requirements. Policy can change the source of supply, but it cannot remove cost and demand constraints. Competitiveness will increasingly depend on compliant upstream supply, actual delivered costs and project execution, rather than simply locating production in a country not yet covered by AD/CVD. Source: SMM. Policy status as of 18 September 2026. Product coverage, company-specific rates and implementation dates remain subject to subsequent developments. Written by: Ryan Tey Tze Yang | SMM PV Analyst +60 127179370 | ryan.tey@metal.com Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations. Notice: By accessing this site you agree that you will not copy or reproduce any part of its contents (including, but not limited to, single prices, graphs or news content) in any form or for any purpose whatsoever without the prior written consent of the publisher.
Shenzhen, China – September 18, 2026 – FoxTechSolar has announced its participation in Middle East Energy Dubai 2026, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE from September 1 to 3, 2026. The core objectives for this exhibition are to understand the solar energy market demand across the Gulf and Africa, connect with project developers and EPC general contractors, showcase the company’s comprehensive photovoltaic product line, and establish long-term cooperative relationships with regional wholesalers, system integrators, and distributors. Deepening the Gulf Solar Energy Market FoxTechSolar has chosen Dubai as the premier platform to enter the Gulf market due to several strategic market opportunities: FoxTechSolar provides a comprehensive supply of components and energy storage systems to the Middle East and Africa markets. The company has already established business cooperation with several regional EPC companies and system integrators. Due to customer confidentiality agreements, no specific project cases will be disclosed in this news release. Solar Energy Products and Custom Capabilities Designed specifically for the Middle East and Africa markets, FoxTechSolar will showcase the following key products: All relevant IEC and TÜV certifications are complete. Certification numbers can be provided upon request, eliminating the need to review lengthy certification content. While there is currently no third-party dust and sand resistance test report, the products undergo rigorous internal aging verification based on Middle East desert operating conditions. Factory, production line, and product photos have been provided and are available. Seeking Project Developers, EPC Companies, and Regional Partners At the exhibition, FoxTechSolar hopes to engage directly with project developers, EPC companies, and regional channel partners. The key negotiation focus for this event includes project supply, regional agency agreements, OEM customization, and sample trial orders. While there are currently no publicly disclosable potential customer projects, the company remains highly active in seeking new partnerships. Interested parties are encouraged to reach out for business discussions via email at sales@foxtechsolar.com or on WhatsApp at +86 137 2376 4549. Building a Clean Energy Future Participating in Middle East Energy Dubai 2026 is an important step for FoxTechSolar to continuously deepen its market presence in the Middle East and Africa. Drawing on the company’s product capabilities, strict quality control, on-time delivery, and global export experience in the photovoltaic sector, FoxTechSolar expresses a strong willingness to provide long-term and stable services to customers across the Gulf and Africa. This initiative further aligns the company’s business with the broader industry narrative by tying into the global carbon neutrality trend and the urgent energy transition needs of both regions. For more details visit https://www.foxtechsolar.com/ Email kevin@foxtechsolar.com or call +86 137 2376 4549 Address: 21st Floor, Evoc Intelligent Industrial Park, No. 11 Hi-tech Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, China. About Foxtech Solar Shenzhen Foxtech Energy Co., Ltd is a professional green and solar energy products supplier and manufacturer in China. Founded as a high-tech enterprise in 2017, the company specializes in the research and development, production, and sales of high-power solar panels, intelligent solar LED lights, solar energy systems, solar EPC, and related new solar applications. Media Contact Company Name:Foxtech Energy Co., Ltd Contact Person: Kevin Shenzhen Email:Send Email Phone: +86 137 2376 4549 City: Guangming District State: Shenzhen Country: China Website:www.foxtechsolar.com
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