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India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy released the 12th edition of its Approved List of Models and Manufacturers List-II covering solar photovoltaic cells on 8 October 2026, via a memorandum from the Grid Solar Power division.
With this update, Gopin Semicon joins the ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, pushing the nation’s cumulative enlisted capacity to 37.8GW. The company’s plant at Gopin Industrial Park in Segva, Kamrej, Surat, Gujarat, received approval for 402MW of annual capacity.
Its approved model, GSPL_G12R, is built on N-type tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cells measuring 210mm by 182.2mm under the G12R format, featuring a 16-busbar layout and PID-free certification. Average conversion efficiency stands at 25.57%, with power output of 9.78W. The stated efficiency band spans 24.60% to 25.70%, while power output falls between 9.41W and 9.82W. Enlistment remains valid from 8 October 2026 through 7 October 2030.
This 12th edition comes after the 11th update of 5 October 2026, which brought in Premier Energies’ plant in Maheshwaram, Telangana. That entry covers bifacial monocrystalline silicon passivated emitter and rear cell solar cells, averaging 23.53% efficiency with 7.83W of power output.
The 11th edition additionally revised performance parameters for Renewsys India’s plant in Maheshwaram, Telangana, holding an enlisted capacity of 552MW per year for bifacial N-type TOPCon cells. Those cells measure 182.2mm by 183.75mm and use a 16-busbar layout.
Before that, the 10th edition, dated 28 September 2026, brought in Jupiter Solartech’s plant in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, with 1,297MW of annual capacity for bifacial N-type TOPCon solar cells. Those cells measure 182.3mm by 210mm and carry a 16-busbar layout. Their enlistment stays valid through 27 September 2030.
These consecutive editions illustrate the growth of India’s homegrown solar cell production base, as earlier ALMM List-II updates also featured manufacturers such as Reliance Industries, TP Solar and Waaree Energies.
In the past week, India’s MNRE floated a standardised naming system for solar PV cell models under ALMM List-II, proposing a 14-character alphanumeric code to denote cell origin, technology, wafer size and efficiency.
The ministry brought ALMM List-II for solar PV cells into force on 1 June 2026. MNRE later prolonged a limited exemption for specific net-metering and open-access renewable energy projects through 31 December 2026. In August 2026, the ministry released the list’s ninth edition, which introduced larger-format G12R n-type TOPCon cells.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
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Major integrated solar manufacturer
India's largest solar module manufacturer
Part of Adani Group, integrated manufacturing
Leading manufacturer, part of Tata Group
Major PV module and cell producer
Historical leader in solar manufacturing
Makes solar cells, modules, encapsulants
Module and cell manufacturer
Solar PV module manufacturer
Solar panel manufacturer and distributor
Manufactures solar modules and inverters
Solar panel manufacturer
Solar panel manufacturer
Solar panel manufacturer
Solar cell and module manufacturer
Major LED lighting products manufacturer
Leading electrical goods co, major LED player
Major manufacturer of LED lights and fixtures
Major player in LED lighting segment
LED lighting manufacturer
Manufactures LED displays and lighting
Indian subsidiary, major LED mfg in India
Manufactures LED lights and fixtures
Major Indian electrical brand, produces LEDs
LED lighting products manufacturer
Manufactures LED bulbs and lighting
Major player in consumer LED lighting
Leading LED lighting solutions provider
Manufactures LED lights under Finolex brand
Wires & cables major, also manufactures LEDs
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Independent power producer ContourGlobal has held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction of Project Sterling, a hybrid solar-plus-storage facility in Mohave County, Arizona.
The project is privately funded after the company secured an equity bridge loan from an international banking syndicate. The Project Sterling project combines 450MWac of solar PV with 1.4 GWh of battery energy storage system (BESS), the latter comprising 300 storage containers of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. When operational, the site is predicted to generate more than 1.1 TWh of clean electricity per year.
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Around 90% of the energy produced by the installation will be sold under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tesla, signed in July 2026. The deal with the automotive manufacturer is said to be one of the largest hybrid (solar-plus-storage) offtake agreements signed to date.
The site will cover more than 2,000 acres in one of the sunniest locations in the US, and is expected to be complete in 2028. The site’s infrastructure will include a 5.2 mile road connecting it to Route 66.
“Arizona’s sun has been shining on this land for billions of years. Project Sterling will put it to work by turning sunlight into electricity and storing part of that energy for delivery after sunset. Our teams engineered the project around the specific needs of our customer, enabling it to deliver reliable clean power for up to 16 hours a day,” said Antonio Cammisecra, president & CEO of ContourGlobal.
The groundbreaking ceremony came a week after ContourGlobal completed construction of a 324MW solar facility in Colorado, which to date is the company’s largest operational solar facility.
Arizona ranks fourth among US states in total installed solar capacity, with 13.2GW of solar in play, according to data from trade body the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Since 2022, the state’s annual solar installations have risen in number to provide over 2GW, the majority of which is for utility-scale facilities. The state is expected to add 18.4GW of new solar power over the next five years.

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An historically quiet Atlantic hurricane season and persistent high pressure brought sunnier-than-average conditions to Mexico and the southern United States during August and September, according to analysis using the Solcast API. Irradiance was around 10% to 20% above average across the southern states, with similar increases across much of Mexico. The prolonged dry weather also created conditions for soiling losses to build across the region. That pattern is now changing as Tropical Storm Isaias strengthens over the Gulf of Mexico, bringing widespread cloud and lower irradiance to the eastern United States.
The lack of hurricane activity was historically rare. Only two seasons since the late 19th century, 1907 and 1914, have passed without a recorded Atlantic hurricane, although both occurred before satellites made storm detection more reliable. The latest first hurricane on record formed on 8 October 1905. Reaching early October without a hurricane therefore placed 2026 close to that record and made the season particularly unusual in the satellite era.
Eight tropical storms had formed by early October, but none had strengthened into a hurricane. El Niño produced stronger wind shear across the tropical Atlantic, disrupting storm development. Saharan air may have provided a further constraint on intensification.
The quiet Atlantic season coincided with persistent high pressure over the south-central United States, limiting cloud formation. Irradiance was around 10% to 20% above average across the southern states and much of Mexico during August and September. Baja California was the main exception, reflecting greater tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific. Conditions were cloudier farther north, particularly across parts of Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.
The prolonged dry weather would also have allowed soiling losses to build across the region. Continuing the Dallas case study from last month’s analysis, average modelled losses across August and September reached 1.08%, compared with the 2007 to 2025 average of 0.28%, the highest result in the 20-year dataset. Losses peaked at 2.23% before rainfall mostly cleared soiling accumulation.
The unusually quiet period is now expected to end with Isaias. At the time of writing, the system had formed in the Bay of Campeche and was forecast to become the season’s first hurricane before reaching the central US Gulf Coast. Forecasts indicated that Isaias could strengthen to Category 2 before making landfall on Saturday, with a storm surge watch extending from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, Florida.
Solcast produces these figures by tracking clouds and aerosols at 1-2km resolution globally, using satellite data and proprietary AI/ML algorithms. This data is used to drive irradiance models, enabling Solcast to calculate irradiance at high resolution, with typical bias of less than 2%, and also cloud-tracking forecasts. This data is used by more than 350 companies managing over 350 GW of solar assets globally.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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The project will combine 40MW of solar PV capacity and a 9MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and will connect to the grid via the Currie Substation in Edinburgh.
October 9, 2026
The West Lothian Council planning committee has approved the Kirknewton solar-plus-storage project, to be built in the village of Kirknewton just west of Edinburgh.
The project will combine 40MW of solar PV capacity and a 9MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and will connect to the grid via the Currie Substation in Edinburgh. Developer BLC Energy said that it expects consturct4ion at the project to take six months, and that it has a grid connection date of 2030. BLC is owned by TRIO Power, which is owned by the Octopus Renewable Infrastructure Trust, a fund managed by Octopus Energy Generation.
The project also includes a community benefit fund that will be worth £26,000 annually for the 40-year lifespan of the project, and be controlled by a “community liaison group“ comprised of local councillors. John Sives, chair of the Kirknewton Community Council, said that approval for the new project was unanimous, and that the council was “very pleased at the level of community benefit” that the project will deliver.
Related:Fahnbulleh consents major 500MW solar plant plans for Northamptonshire
“We believe those living closest to any development should benefit most, so we are investigating the potential of establishing a local energy discount scheme to offer the nearest households reduced energy bills,” added BLC managing director Neil Lindsay.
The approval of the West Lothian Council follows the Perth and Kinross Council granting approval for another BLC project, the 39MW Binn Solar and BESS project, which took place in July. At the time, Lindsay said that the Binn facility is “exactly” the kind of project that the UK will need to meet its clean energy deployment targets and improve energy security.
Battery storage projects are often descrived as an effective way to deliver energy security—particularly in the UK where securing a grid connection has historically been a lengthy and convoluted process—and a number of BESS projects have advanced in Scotland this year. Chief among them is the 1GWh Coalburn 1 project, a 2-hour lithium-ion project at which commercial operations begin in August.
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Dos Grados, a Spanish company focused on sustainable investment, has reached an agreement to take over three solar PV developments in Spain from Akuo, a French independent power producer. The three projects together represent more than 500MW of installed capacity, according to a LinkedIn statement from Dos Grados.
The developments are situated in Castilla y Leon and Andalusia. Financial details of the deal were not made public by either company, nor were specifics about each project, such as their stage of development, anticipated construction schedules or planned grid connection dates.
According to Dos Grados, the purchase will broaden its renewable energy holdings in Spain and align with its approach of pursuing long-term investments in sustainable infrastructure. With this deal, over 500MW of solar capacity in development is added to the company’s Spanish pipeline.
The move follows Dos Grados’ earlier growth in the Spanish solar sector. In the prior year, it bought two shovel-ready solar PV projects totaling 52MWp in Castilla y Leon.
Established in 2019, Dos Grados places capital in sustainable real assets, with holdings that include solar and wind energy. The company has previously reported a portfolio of roughly 600MW of renewable energy assets, among them the 126.5MWp Fundao solar farm in Portugal, which is operational.
Ardian, a private equity firm, acquired Akuo in 2025, gaining complete ownership of the company’s capital previously held by its founders. The deal was initially announced in March 2025. Akuo seeks to reach 5GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030.
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Researchers from Pakistan and the United Kingdom have found that Pakistan’s solar boom is running through two separate channels. Registered net metering is concentrated among higher-income customers in the best-served utility areas. Unregistered off-grid and behind-the-meter systems dominate where the grid is least reliable.
The study was conducted by Wajid Islam of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Jan Rosenow of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, and Asha Amirali of the University of Bath. The researchers combined Ember generation data with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) performance evaluation of distribution companies for fiscal 2024-25, NEPRA’s State of Industry Report 2025, and module import data from Renewables First. They said the four sources had not previously been combined at the distribution-company level.
Metered exit
Pakistan had 6.1 GW of net-metering capacity across 378,339 consumers by June 30, 2025. About 85% is concentrated in six distribution companies: Lahore Electric Supply Co. (LESCO) with 1.3 GW, Islamabad Electric Supply Co. (IESCO) and K-Electric with 0.9 GW each, Multan’s MEPCO with 0.8 GW, Faisalabad’s FESCO with 0.7 GW and Gujranwala’s GEPCO with 0.6 GW. Five of the six report near-zero load shedding and bill recovery above 100%. The exception is Karachi’s K-Electric, which reported 5.2 hours of load shedding a day.
The researchers said solar adoption in these areas is driven primarily by electricity prices rather than outages. The national average base tariff rose from PKR 16.91/kWh in fiscal year 2022 to PKR 35.50/kWh in fiscal year 2025, an increase of about 110%, and the top residential slab reached PKR 48.84/kWh. A rooftop system displacing the most expensive units can pay for itself in two to four years, according to the paper.
Hidden boom
The four worst-served utilities, PESCO, HESCO, SEPCO and QESCO, hold about 14% of registered capacity on the authors’ estimates. Those figures are based on a residual allocation because utility-level data for the four companies were not published. NEPRA monitoring shows actual load shedding in their areas exceeds 8 to 10 hours a day. Transmission and distribution losses reached 39.2% at SEPCO, 38.4% at QESCO and 37.2% at PESCO, and QESCO recovered just 38.7% of billed amounts.
The researchers found a large gap between the roughly 40 GW of modules imported since fiscal year 2020 and registered net-metering capacity, and they used it as evidence of substantial unregistered deployment. They treat the gap as a lower bound on hidden capacity rather than an estimate of it. Renewables First has since put cumulative imports at about 54 GW by the end of March 2026.
The authors cite corroborating indicators rather than direct measurements. Agricultural grid consumption fell 31% year over year in fiscal year 2025 as farmers solarized tube wells, recovery rates fell, and grid demand now dips sharply at midday.
“This second boom is an inference and not an observation,” the authors wrote.
Using Ember data, the authors report that solar generation rose from 2.6 TWh in 2019 to 36.6 TWh in 2025, or 22.5% of output. The paper also reports that solar supplied 12.1 TWh of 37.5 TWh, or 32.3%, in the first quarter of 2026, putting it ahead of coal, gas, nuclear and hydropower for the first time.
Spiral risk
The researchers said both channels thin the utilities’ revenue base. Capacity payments rose 46% to PKR 1.9 trillion in fiscal year 2024, and utilities recover those costs through per-unit electricity tariffs. That means every unit leaving the grid raises the per-unit cost for the customers who remain, who are increasingly those who cannot afford solar.
“Pakistan’s solar boom is best understood not as an energy-policy success or a crisis but as a verdict on the incumbent model,” the authors wrote.
NEPRA replaced net metering with net billing for new connections in February, crediting exports at about PKR 11/kWh under five-year contracts, while existing contracts stay in place until they expire. The researchers said the change governs only the visible boom and is likely to slow registered adoption, make battery storage and self-consumption more attractive, and push marginal adopters into the unregistered segment.
Policy fixes
The authors called for a standing program to measure behind-the-meter capacity by region using customs data, installer registrations, surveys and feeder-level daytime load. They also recommended time-of-use pricing, a transparent fixed network charge and a time-differentiated export credit that rewards evening exports. For the worst-served areas, they suggested solar-plus-storage mini-grids and daytime solar feeders as alternatives to the central grid.
They also urged planners to treat distributed storage as a planning quantity in the country’s generation expansion plan. Battery imports rose from 1.4 GWh in 2024 to 4.6 GWh in 2025, according to Renewables First.
The researchers noted that the analysis is descriptive rather than causal.
The same Renewables First review estimated that about 51 GW of solar was operational in Pakistan by March 2026 and that distributed solar generated 51 TWh in fiscal year 2025. In August, the Pakistan Solar Association reported that midday demand on LESCO’s network fell from 2.2 GW in 2024 to 765 MW in 2026. CATL-backed CNTE entered Pakistan’s battery market in June through an agreement with Treet Battery, and in September NEPRA required solar and wind projects in the country’s first renewable wheeling auction to include co-located storage equal to at least 10% of firm capacity. The government also proposed higher sales tax on modules and higher duties on batteries and inverters in its June budget.
The researchers described their findings in “Pakistan’s solar boom: Visible and invisible grid defection in a high-cost, low-reliability power system,” which was recently published in Energy Research & Social Science.
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The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
Monday, October 12, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead.
pv magazine Session returns to NetZero Milan as Knowledge Partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the evolving global solar supply chain.
Get your ticket at a discounted rate with pv magazine.
Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry.
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Friday, October 23, 2026
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An online map has been launched to help islanders understand how suitable their homes are for solar panels.
The States of Guernsey said the map was colour-coded to show the amount of light that solar panels would receive on the island's rooftops across the course of a year.
Roofs with higher potential to generate electricity through solar panels show as dark red, while roof spaces with lower potential are coloured dark blue.
Deputy Adrian Gabriel, said while islanders are encouraged to contact professionals when looking to install solar panels, the map would be a "really helpful tool to get an initial idea on whether the potential for solar is there for householders".
The States said renewable energy provider, Little Green, had spoken to the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure to highlight the benefits of the tool to people interested in installing solar panels.
Gabriel said the island gets about 30-35% more sunshine than the UK on average. He added: "This free tool makes us well placed to understand how we can better take advantage of the energy we can harness from the sun.
"It's clear that there is a significant opportunity in our island, and this map might just be the catalyst to take Guernsey's solar generation to the next level."
Simon de la Rue, commercial director at Little Green, said: "This map gives an independent, objective check, so any quote can be held to it."
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Deputy Mark Helyar says the intended spend was cut "significantly" by reducing the scope of works.
The spending breakdown for the Guernsey Insurance Fund in 2025 is revealed in a scrutiny meeting.
Officers say the benefits of producing renewable energy outweigh any harm the plans may create.
States officials say this work has "reduced the cost to the public purse".
Critics of P&R say it shows there is no commitment to making savings within the States.
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In Montgomery County, Indiana, utility-scale solar projects appear on an official list of undesirable land uses that also includes “adult-oriented businesses.”
So it wasn’t surprising that the county Board of Commissioners unanimously rejected a 200-megawatt solar project on Sept. 28.
But it still stings for renewable energy advocates. It shows a huge challenge lurking right behind the debate over a U.S. Senate energy permitting bill. Even if the federal government eases the permitting process, much of the country is off-limits for wind and solar development because local residents and their elected officials oppose it.
One person who repeatedly defended the Indiana project at public meetings was John Smillie, a solar power supporter who lives in Crawfordsville, the county seat. He works as a finance manager for an industrial lighting company and does charitable work, written about by Canary Media, to help nonprofits install solar.
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I spoke with Smillie this week to explore how Montgomery County and the country are supposed to move into the energy future when a seemingly beneficial project gets smacked down in such a fashion.
“Hearing the disinformation is very difficult,” he said.
For example, people opposing the project said China doesn’t use solar panels, it just sells the panels to the United States.
“That’s radically untrue,” Smillie said. Indeed, China has installed more solar power than any other country.
Video of the meeting shows more than an hour of testimony, including repeated claims that solar is a danger to human and animal health. Such concerns are widely debunked, but they are repeated at government meetings as if they were true.
Commissioners said they were swayed by testimony that the project may reduce nearby property values and change the character of the area.
“This is a large agricultural area,” said Commissioner Jim Fulwider.
Solar will “change the looks and the surroundings of that community for years to come with the size of that project,” he said.
Researchers have looked at how solar and wind projects may affect property values. A 2023 study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory—which did not include data from Indiana—showed small effects in some states, but nothing close to the drastic changes that opponents have claimed.
Much of the world of environmental and clean energy advocacy is now focusing on the permitting bill in the U.S. Senate, announced on Sept. 30.
Supporters of the bill, including clean energy industry groups, say it would unleash a building boom for interstate power lines, wind, solar and battery projects. Opponents, including many environmental advocacy groups, say the measure would accelerate construction of fossil fuel infrastructure and lock in decades of emissions that contribute to climate change.
I think what happened in Montgomery County and similar communities across the country must be part of the discussion. Even if federal permitting gets easier, developers will struggle to build if local residents and elected officials are not on board.
By the end of 2025, there were 888 state and local laws restricting renewable energy across 48 states, according to Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. The center’s database shows restrictions in more than 30 of Indiana’s 92 counties.
Notably, Montgomery County is not one of them. Its limits are indirect, stemming from a comprehensive planning process in 2024 that includes wind and solar as undesirable land uses, based on focus groups with residents. The county’s list of undesirable uses also has junkyards, landfills and adult-oriented businesses, among others.
Researchers at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, released a policy brief in April showing that county-level restrictions on wind and solar are associated with a decrease in economic activity, while Indiana counties without restrictions saw a net gain. The limits on development also contributed to a net loss of jobs, mainly in manufacturing and transportation, that were partly offset by small gains in agricultural jobs.
I reached out to Engie North America, developer of the solar project, and the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, and didn’t hear back from either.
The project would have paid more than $40 million in local taxes during its lifespan and generated enough electricity each year to meet the needs of about 32,000 households, according to Engie North America. The company planned to spend more than $300 million to build the solar farm.
It’s not every day that Montgomery County has a company wanting to invest $300 million.
And the project was to be in a location with few houses within view, with greenery planted to partially block the view, Smillie said.
“Most people going through Montgomery County would never have noticed it was there,” he said.
I don’t have a solution to the problem playing out in Indiana and so many other places.
Ideally, developers would get better at connecting with local residents and elected officials, while local officials would find ways to use revenue from renewable energy projects to reduce taxes and fund community priorities.
States could also step in to limit the ability of local governments to block projects, as Illinois, Michigan and others have done. That approach may lead to more projects being built, but it can also deepen resentment from rural communities and probably isn’t a long-term solution.
I asked Smillie how he felt walking out of that meeting.
“Pretty doomy,” he said.
Same.
Other stories about the energy transition to take note of this week:    
Supreme Court Hears Landmark Climate Deception Case: The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in Suncor v. Boulder, a case that affects dozens of lawsuits accusing fossil fuel industries of deceiving the public about climate change, as my colleague Nicholas Kusnetz reports. The sides focused on procedural issues regarding whether the case should be allowed to proceed. Oil companies are seeking protection from courts and lawmakers from liability related to climate change, and the outcome of those efforts has major implications for the trajectory of the shift away from fossil fuels.
Tandem Solar Cells Could Be a Leap Forward for U.S. Manufacturers: Tandem solar cells, which use several layers of solar material to produce additional energy, offer U.S.-based solar manufacturers a chance to catch up with competitors in China, as Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times. Tandem PV, First Solar and Hanwha Qcells are among the companies working to develop the products.
Solar Program Grantees Seek Damages: Organizations that stood to benefit from the federal government’s Solar for All program have already won a judgment that will restore funding from the Trump administration, and now they are asking a court for damages related to the disruption of the funding, as Diana DiGangi reports for Utility Dive. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is still weighing whether to appeal the Sept. 18 ruling that restored the program. Solar for All was a Biden administration initiative aimed at expanding access to customer-owned solar, but it became caught up in the Trump administration’s push to claw back funding from clean energy programs.
New Chevrolet Bolt Has Extremely Limited Run: General Motors had touted the return of the Chevrolet Bolt as an affordable electric vehicle. But the subsequent cancellation of federal EV incentives may now be prompting the company to scale back production to just 35,000 units in the model’s one-year run, according to a union official cited by Kalea Hall of Reuters. The Bolt went on sale this year with a starting price of $27,600. The model may be a casualty of a shifting market in which entry-level EVs are getting hurt by last year’s removal of consumer tax credits.
Inside Clean Energy is ICN’s weekly bulletin of news and analysis about the energy transition. Send news tips and questions to [email protected].
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As the solar industry pushes for higher output and leaner manufacturing, pushing performance limits requires more than cutting costs. True market success depends on ensuring that next-generation designs can endure decades of field operations without unexpected degradation.
The TaiyangNews Reliable PV Module Design Online Conference, taking place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, from 09:30 to 13:00 CEST, will bring together leading module manufacturers, material and component suppliers, testing organizations, and other industry experts to discuss the latest module products and design concepts, material choices, quality considerations, and reliability challenges, from cells, glass, encapsulants, backsheets, and interconnection technologies to complete module architectures.
At the conference, Ling Zhuang, Product Manager at Trinasolar, will speak on Trinasolar’s approach to building reliability into TOPCon 3.0.
Register for free here.
Vertically integrated PV manufacturer LONGi and Chinese electric vehicle brand NIO have launched an off-grid solar-plus-storage battery-swapping station on the G30 Lianhuo Expressway at Xingxingxia. LONGi describes it as the world’s first zero-carbon off-grid solar-plus-storage battery-swapping station. Located in a grid-free section of the Gobi Desert, the facility relies entirely on its PV and energy storage systems for power.
The project uses LONGi BLOCK mobile energy stations and the OneNexus H2D off-grid microgrid energy storage system (ESS). The BLOCK units integrate PV modules, mounting structures, inverters, and power distribution equipment in standard prefabricated enclosures, allowing deployment without civil works and enabling power generation within hours. The H2D ESS stores surplus daytime electricity for use at night.
LONGi said the project serves as a model for similar applications at mines, on islands, and at remote telecommunications base stations.
Recently, LONGi signed an agreement to supply a LONGiBank liquid-cooled ESS to Shanxi Dingxin Logistics for its heavy-truck charging station in Yuncheng, Shanxi province (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Inner Mongolia’s energy regulator has published an implementation list covering five PV desertification-control projects in Alxa League, with a combined capacity of 5.5 GW and sand-control measures spanning approximately 14,667 hectares. CGN has two 1 GW projects on the list, while POWERCHINA and China Huaneng each have a 1 GW project. The remaining project, developed by China Huadian, has a capacity of 1.5 GW.
Alxa League selected and submitted the projects, the autonomous region’s authorities reviewed them, and they were included in the implementation list. They form part of a broader national initiative integrating PV development with desertification control. In 2024, the National Energy Administration and National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued requirements calling for PV projects to incorporate conventional desertification-control measures.
PV cleaning robot manufacturer Virtue World Robot has begun volume production of its third-generation intelligent rail-mounted cleaning robot, with the first 300 units rolling off the production line.
The company said the robots feature a lightweight, corrosion-resistant structure with a non-metallic body and crossbeam, plus a wide-temperature battery designed to operate from -20°C to 45°C. The roller brush offers three height settings to accommodate different module specifications and sloped terrain. A dual-terminal control system enables fleet scheduling via smartphones and PCs.
Virtue World Robot recently started mass production of its second-generation handheld intelligent PV cleaning robots at its Honghu Industrial Park in Hubei province (see China Solar PV News Snippets).
Relay manufacturer Sanyou Corporation Limited plans to raise up to RMB 660 million through a six-year convertible bond offering, according to its issuance proposal. Of the proceeds, RMB 140 million will fund a relay capacity expansion project serving the PV, energy storage, and computing-power sectors. The project has a total investment of approximately RMB 163 million.
The remaining proceeds will support relay expansion and industrialization projects for other applications, the construction of a production base in Vietnam, and working capital. Sanyou said the investment is intended to meet growing demand for relay components from downstream markets, including PV and energy storage.
TaiyangNews 2024

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Australia has endorsed a global plan to double the number of homes with rooftop solar PV by 2030, becoming the first country to do so.
Chris Bowen, the Australian minister for climate change and energy, endorsed the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration at the 2026 Pacific Pre-COP meeting in Fiji, held ahead of November’s COP31 Summit to be held in Turkey.
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The plan underpins the 300 Million Solar Homes initiative, whose partners include the Global Solar Council (GSC), Smart Energy Council Australia and the Australian community organisation Solar Citizens. The initiative hopes to double the number the number of homes with rooftop solar installations from 150 million to 300 million globally by 2030.
Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the GSC, said: “It took the world around 30 years to reach the first 150 million solar homes. We want to add the next 150 million in just four years. Australia’s support and practical experience in implementation is exactly what we need to realise that ambition in every corner of the world.”
Rooftop solar arrays are installed on more than 40% of Australian homes, and supply around one- eighth of the country’s electricity. Australia’s rooftop solar installation exceeded 26GW last year, and last month the sector posted the highest monthly generation figures for since January 2026.
This growth underpinned a 21.5% year-on-year growth in generation between September 2025 and 2026 across the entire solar sector. Additionally home battery energy storage system (BESS) installations in the country grew 191% in the year to the first half of 2025.
Across the globe, rooftop solar and accompanying battery storage is one of the fastest-growing parts of the global energy system, and the combination of solar-plus-storage is expected to deliver 42% of all new growth in solar power by 2030.
The geopolitical events of recent years, specifically the US-Iran conflict and the ongoing war in Ukraine, have caused two energy price crises with power bills increasing for domestic and commercial users. According to Solar Citizens, a solar installation on an Australian home can save up to AU$1,500 (US$1,042) annually on an average Australian household’s electricity bills.
The endorsement by the Australian minister for climate change and energy, and Australia’s position as COP31’s president of negotiations, provide a framework for governments around the globe follow, to make home solar and battery systems easier and cheaper to install.
CEO of the Smart Energy Council Australia, David McElrea, said: “Australia already leads the world in rooftop solar and home batteries, and today we have shown that the Australian government is prepared to take that leadership globally. Rooftop solar cuts power bills, gives countries greater control over their own energy and protects households and economies from volatile fuel costs and supply.”
COP31 will take place at the Expo Center in Antalya, Turkey from 9 to 20 November 2026.

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New Trump rules will make it harder for farmers to access US funds for energy projects  Reuters
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Hassanein Hiridjee’s Axian has signed a power purchase agreement with Africa GreenCo for the 200 MW Kudu solar plant, its biggest project yet in Zambia.
Axian Group, the Madagascar-based conglomerate led by businessman Hassanein Hiridjee, has signed a power purchase agreement for a 200-megawatt solar plant in Zambia. The plant will be nearly four times the size of the solar farm Axian bought when it entered the country a year ago.
The agreement for the Kudu solar PV project was signed with Africa GreenCo, a Zambian power buyer and trader, during the Energy Forum for Africa 2026 in Lusaka, Green Building Africa reported. The plant will have an installed capacity of 200 megawatts AC, or 240 megawatts DC, and is expected to generate about 530 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year.
Standard Bank Group and its local unit, Stanbic Bank Zambia, are providing financial and advisory support as the project moves toward financial close and construction. The companies did not disclose the cost of the project or when construction will start.
Selling power across the region
Africa GreenCo buys electricity from independent producers and sells it to utilities, mining companies and other large customers, including through Southern Africa’s regional power market. That allows projects like Kudu to sell power beyond a single state utility.
The deal is part of a wider push to add solar power in Zambia, which relies on hydropower for more than 80% of its electricity. That dependence has left the country exposed to drought, which in recent years has cut output at its main dams and caused long power outages for homes and mines.
Axian’s growing Zambia business
Axian entered Zambia in October 2025, when its renewable energy arm, Axian Energy, bought an 85.6% stake in the 54.3-megawatt Bangweulu solar plant in Kafue District. South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation holds the rest. Bangweulu sells its power to state utility ZESCO under a 25-year contract and was built under the World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar program.
At the time, Axian Energy chief executive Benjamin Memmi said the acquisition was the start of a broader investment program in the country.
Axian Group has interests in telecoms, energy, financial services and real estate across Africa. Its energy arm runs solar and other power projects in East, West and Southern Africa and has been expanding into new markets as African governments seek private investment to close power shortages.
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The Kinuthia family, which built Quickmart from a Nakuru supermarket, stands to collect $37 million as its owners sell half the chain in an IPO.
Kenya's Capital Markets Authority has approved a depositary receipt route for Kenyan investors to buy into billionaire Aliko Dangote's $1.6 billion refinery IPO, the first such deal under its GDR rules.
Mary-Ann Musangi's Haco Industries will make its Amara skincare lotion in Ghana through a partnership with Ayewa Aberfur, as it pushes into West Africa.
The Ndegwa family will pay Sh8.5 billion to buy back the ICEA Lion stake it sold to LeapFrog and Prudential for Sh2.4 billion.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will buy up to 14MHz of 800MHz spectrum from Grain Management to make Starlink Mobile a U.S. carrier, sending Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile shares down about 6%.
Ethics filings show billionaire Donald Trump’s portfolio bought up to $5 million of SpaceX bonds two days before a presidential order to speed rocket launches; the White House says independent managers made the trade.
President Trump presented the National Medal of Science to Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang and Lisa Su, and the technology medal to Michael Dell and Satya Nadella, at a White House science summit.
Elon Musk asked whether Mukesh Ambani is “the real boss of India” after the government denied blocking Starlink, saying all satellite operators await security clearance.
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A prototype solar panel pavement in France confirmed “the utter absurdity of insisting on innovation at the expense of solutions that already exist.”
Solar energy has become one of the cheapest sources of electricity production. However, one of the biggest drawbacks to getting energy from solar panels is that it only produces energy when the sun shines. It also requires large surface areas to produce it at utility scale.
The latter problem has sparked new ideas about where to place solar panels to avoid covering the landscape with endless rows of structures to support them. One idea was tested in Normandy, France. In December 2016, the first solar panel road was inaugurated in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche by the then Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal, reported France 24.
“This new use of solar energy takes advantage of large swathes of road infrastructure already in use … to produce electricity without taking up new real estate,” the minister said in a statement.
Wattway solar roads
Photovoltaic road surfacehttps://t.co/IcJGrG1xkO HT @loc8ingoil #RenewableEnergy pic.twitter.com/c12S726QDU
A one-kilometer stretch, roughly 0.6 miles, was installed on one of the two lanes of a rural road of Tourouvre-au-Perche. The “Wattway,” as it was dubbed, was built at a cost of €5 million ($5.5 million) as part of a two-year experiment. Although the energy produced by the project would cost 13 time more than rooftop panels, Royal said that as more roads like this one were developed, “the costs will be driven sharply down”.
It was promised that the 30,000 square feet of solar panels on the road would be able to power the local street lighting for the town of 5,000 residents. In order to tolerate the traffic, roughly 2,000 motorists per day, the manufacturer Colas covered the panels with a special resin containing silicon that could withstand even big trucks rolling over it.
La route solaire est née en 2015 suite à 5 ans de R&D du @GroupeColas & @ines_solaire : une 1ère mondiale! Longue vie à #Wattway #Bouygues65 pic.twitter.com/1tZtpaNOEM
The project was part of a bigger plan to create a network of solar panel highways with other projects slated to be installed in the provinces of Brittany and Marseilles. There were big expectations as France could become energy independent, in theory, by paving just a quarter of its roadways in solar panels according to Colas, which is a subsidiary of construction giant Bouygues.
One might not think Normandy would be the best place to install solar panels in the first place, given that the region’s capital Caen “only gets 44 days of strong sunshine” as The Guardian pointed out. That compares with 170 days in Marseilles. Another drawback to the project is that solar panels that are laid flat are less efficient than those that are placed at an angle.
But those were the least of the worries in the end for Wattway. While the panels were designed to withstand big trucks, the tractors that frequently use the road proved too much for them. The panels began to splinter and peel off to the point that some became unrepairable.
Drivers reported that traveling over the damaged solar roadway produced a sound like that of a helicopter. The speed limit had to be reduced from around 60 mph to just above 40 to alleviate the disturbance.
Furthermore, the stormy weather in the region blew out circuits, wreaking havoc with the system. In its first year, the road produced just half the promised energy, and declined precipitously each year thereafter, reported Le Monde.
“Politicians haven’t thoroughly examined the technical aspects and economic viability of the project. This confirms the utter absurdity of insisting on innovation at the expense of solutions that already exist and are far more cost-effective, such as rooftop solar panels,” noted Marc Jedliczka, vice president of the Network for Energy Transition (CLER).
“If we really wanted this to work, cars definitely shouldn’t be driving on it,” he added “with a touch of irony.”
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A town centre theatre could have most of its energy needs met by on-site solar power, if planning permission is granted.
The application for major roof works at the Royal & Derngate theatre in Northampton is being considered by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).
The council owns the building – but not the theatre business – and hopes to install 232 rooftop solar panels at the same time as fixing a leaky roof.
It comes as a separate £538,000 project to refurbish the auditorium is under way.
Arts Council England provided the grant to allow for the 43-year-old Derngate building to be upgraded.
Proposals to change the roof were spurred on by "water ingress issues [in] existing felted roof areas" as well as a desire to "improve the sustainability of the building".
The planning application said it hoped adding photovoltaic panels would "contribute to the [building's] own energy demands".
"The array would meet 100% of the energy demands of Royal & Derngate and would result in a reduction of 20,658 kg per year of CO2 emissions," it said.
Although the building is Grade II listed, the application said the works would be confined to the modern section of the Royal & Derngate.
It said its map "suggests that the part of the Royal & Derngate buildings to which the applications relate do not form part of the Grade II listing".
The application was submitted in August and people can submit comments by 22 October. A decision is expected to be made on 9 November.
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The Music Man Project is a charity in Essex that teaches music to people with learning disabilities.
Solar tiles were touted as an attractive alternative to solar panels – why have they not taken off?
One ticketholder for a Taunton Brewhouse Theatre show says she has been able to contact the venue.
The Wolverhampton-born singer stars as suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia the musical.
Officers say the benefits of producing renewable energy outweigh any harm the plans may create.
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Deep in the Kubuqi Desert in Dalad Banner, Ordos, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a giant galloping “horse” formed entirely by solar panels holds the Guinness World Record for the largest solar panel image. It’s not just a spectacle—it generates real power, carrying clean energy from the desert to countless homes.

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Gujarat’s Gopin Group New Entrant In India’s ALMM-II (Solar Cells) Photograph: (AI)
Gopin Semicon Private Limited has become the new entrant in India’s enlisted solar sale manufacturers’ list. As per the latest Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM)-II, meant for solar cells, this Surat-based company has joined the leagues of selected solar manufacturers from India who are making solar cells for the Indian market. 
As per the enlistment details, the company got enlistment of its N-type TOPCon solar cell model under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II for solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. According to MNRE’s 12th revision of ALMM List-I, the company has been enlisted with an annual manufacturing capacity of 402 MW at its facility in Gopin Industrial Park, Segva, Kamrej, Surat, Gujarat. The listing is valid until October 7, 2030.
The inclusion marks a regulatory milestone for the company, bringing its listed solar cell model under the government’s ALMM framework, subject to applicable requirements.
Gopin Semicon’s listed product is the GSPL_G12R, an N-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell based on the G12R format. According to the MNRE document, the cell measures 210 mm × 182.2 mm, with a dimensional tolerance of ±0.25 mm, and features a 16-busbar configuration. The manufacturer has also declared the cell to be free from potential-induced degradation (PID).
The model has an average solar cell efficiency of 25.57% and average wattage of 9.78 W, according to the ALMM listing. Its declared efficiency range is 24.60% to 25.70%, while the wattage range is 9.41 W to 9.82 W. MNRE has clarified that the efficiency and wattage ranges, as well as the PID-free claim, are based on information provided by the manufacturer.
The ALMM listing establishes the eligibility of the specified cell model and manufacturing facility under the applicable framework. However, it does not independently confirm that the facility has commenced commercial production or is operating at its full enlisted capacity. The 402 MW figure represents the manufacturing capacity enlisted for the unit in this revision and should not be added to figures from previous revisions.
Gopin Semicon’s entry comes amid the expansion of India’s domestic solar PV cell manufacturing base, with established manufacturers and new entrants seeking to scale production of higher-efficiency technologies. The latest ALMM revision also records changes involving other manufacturers, including a revision to the listed efficiency and wattage ranges of RenewSys India’s solar cells and a capacity addition for bifacial mono-crystalline PERC cells manufactured by Premier Energies Photovoltaic Private Limited.
The addition of Gopin Semicon brings another Gujarat-based manufacturer into ALMM List-II, with its listed product focused on N-type TOPCon technology. The company’s manufacturing facility is located at Kamrej, Surat, Gujarat.
Gopin Semicon is associated with the Gujarat-based Gopin Group, a privately held business group linked to businessman Lavjibhai Daliya. The group has described interests spanning real estate, investments and other business activities. The solar-cell manufacturing venture represents an expansion into a segment of the renewable energy supply chain that has received increasing policy attention as India seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities.
The MNRE document does not disclose Gopin Semicon’s ownership structure, total project investment, financing arrangements, production-line suppliers, customer agreements or commercial production schedule. 
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Smart Gunes Enerjisi Teknolojileri Arastirma Gelistirme Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret ( (TR:SMRTG) ) has issued an announcement.

Smart Gunes Enerjisi, via its subsidiary Smart Gunes Enerji Ekipmanları Pazarlama A.Ş., has signed a supply contract with Arçelik Pazarlama A.Ş. for the production of solar panels valued at USD 19.5 million. The deal aligns the company with a major industrial group that is also investing in renewable energy, underlining Smart Gunes Enerjisi’s role as a key equipment supplier in Turkey’s expanding green energy ecosystem.
Management expects the contract to have a positive impact on sales and profitability, strengthening the company’s revenue visibility over the contract period. The agreement is likely to enhance Smart Gunes Enerjisi’s competitive position in the solar supply chain and may deepen its strategic relationships with large corporate buyers seeking to decarbonize their operations.
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Smart Gunes Enerjisi Teknolojileri Arastirma Gelistirme Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret operates in the solar energy sector, focusing on the development, production and marketing of solar panels and related equipment. Through its subsidiary Smart Gunes Enerji Ekipmanları Pazarlama A.Ş., the company targets growing demand for renewable energy solutions in both domestic and international markets.
Average Trading Volume: 27,429,877
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Infinity Power and AIKO expand African solar partnership  Africa Business Communities
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Global Polysilicon Market Size is valued at USD 17.08 Bn in 2025 and is predicted to reach USD 53.03 Bn by the year 2035 at an 12.2% CAGR during the forecast period for 2026 to 2035.
Polysilicon Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Distribution by Production Process (Siemens (TCS-CVD), Fluidized Bed Reactor (Silane-FBR), Upgraded Metallurgical-Grade (UMG)), by End-User Industry (Solar Photovoltaics, Electronics and Semiconductors) and Segment Forecasts, 2026 to 2035.

Polysilicon is becoming an increasingly important material in the global renewable energy and semiconductor industries, driven largely by the continued expansion of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations and rising demand for advanced electronic devices. Polysilicon is a highly purified form of silicon that serves as a key raw material for manufacturing solar cells, wafers, and semiconductor components. As countries increase investments in renewable energy, expand solar power capacity, and strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing, demand for high-purity polysilicon is continuing to grow. The material plays an important role in supporting the global transition toward cleaner energy while also meeting the requirements of the rapidly expanding electronics industry. 
The solar photovoltaic industry is a key reason for the rising demand for polysilicon. More utility-scale solar farms, rooftop systems, and distributed solar projects are being installed, which keeps demand for solar-grade polysilicon steady. Government incentives, renewable energy goals, lower solar technology costs, and the push to use less fossil fuel are all driving new investments in solar power. At the same time, better solar cell technology means high-quality, pure polysilicon is more
important than ever. Manufacturers are increasing production and improving their processes to keep up with the needs of the solar PV supply chain.
Technological developments are further influencing the polysilicon market. Manufacturers are adopting advanced production technologies such as the Siemens process and fluidised bed reactor (FBR) technology to improve production efficiency, purity, and cost competitiveness. The Siemens process remains widely used to produce high-purity polysilicon, while FBR technology offers potential advantages in continuous production and energy efficiency. Upgraded metallurgical-grade (UMG) silicon also represents an alternative production approach for specific applications. Ongoing improvements in purification, energy consumption, production yields, and manufacturing processes are helping producers meet changing requirements from solar and semiconductor customers. 
Developments across the global solar and semiconductor supply chains also influence the polysilicon market. Manufacturers are increasing production capacity, entering long-term supply agreements, improving manufacturing efficiency, and investing in new facilities to strengthen their market position. Major producers are also focusing on reducing production costs and improving energy efficiency because polysilicon manufacturing can be energy-intensive. Access to reliable and competitively priced electricity is therefore an important consideration for producers when selecting production locations and expanding capacity. Even with these opportunities, the polysilicon industry faces some challenges. Price swings, supply and demand imbalances, high energy needs, raw material shortages, and changes in production capacity can all impact the market. The industry is also affected by shifts in trade policies, tariffs, government rules, and supply chain disruptions. 
Environmental issues are becoming more important for polysilicon makers. Because producing polysilicon uses a lot of electricity, companies are looking for ways to cut energy use and lower carbon emissions. Using renewable energy, making production more efficient, and investing in cleaner technologies can help reduce the environmental impact. These steps matter more now as solar manufacturers and customers pay closer attention to the carbon footprint and sustainability of their supply chains. 
The global polysilicon market is growing mainly because more people are using solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and the semiconductor industry is expanding. Polysilicon is essential for making solar cells and semiconductor wafers, so its demand rises with advances in renewable energy and electronics. Many governments are investing more in solar power and setting renewable energy goals to rely less on traditional energy sources. As more solar farms, rooftop systems, and distributed solar projects are built, the need for solar-grade polysilicon continues to increase. Investments in semiconductor manufacturing are also boosting demand for high-purity polysilicon. As artificial intelligence, data centers, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and advanced computing grow, the need for semiconductor components increases. Manufacturers are building new facilities and expanding current ones to keep up. As both the solar and semiconductor industries grow, the demand for high-quality polysilicon is expected to keep rising, helping the market expand overall.
The polysilicon industry faces challenges that can slow market growth, especially high energy use and price swings. Making polysilicon, especially with traditional methods, uses a lot of electricity. When electricity prices change, production costs and profits are affected. To manage these issues and lower environmental impact, manufacturers are working to use energy more efficiently and switch to renewable energy sources. Polysilicon prices can change based on demand for solar modules, how much is produced, inventory, and overall supply and demand. If manufacturing grows too quickly, there can be too much supply, which lowers prices. On the other hand, supply problems can push prices up. Since much of the production is in a few countries, there are supply-chain risks for solar and semiconductor companies. Trade rules, tariffs, and political changes can also affect global supply chains. To manage these risks, manufacturers are improving efficiency, diversifying supply chains, signing long-term contracts, and investing in production facilities in different locations.
The solar photovoltaics segment is expected to account for a significant share of the global polysilicon market due to the continued expansion of solar power generation worldwide. Polysilicon is an essential raw material for producing crystalline silicon solar cells and wafers, so demand for the material is closely tied to solar PV installations. The growing deployment of utility-scale solar projects, rooftop systems, and distributed solar generation is driving strong demand for solar-grade polysilicon. Governments and energy companies are investing in renewable energy projects to increase clean electricity generation and reduce carbon emissions. Falling solar technology costs and improvements in solar cell efficiency are also encouraging wider adoption of photovoltaic systems. In addition, manufacturers across the solar value chain are expanding production capacity to meet growing global demand. These developments are expected to support continued demand for polysilicon from solar manufacturers and maintain the solar PV industry’s important role in the overall market.
The electronics and semiconductor segment is expected to grow quickly as more advanced electronic devices and semiconductor parts are needed. High-purity polysilicon is essential for making semiconductor wafers, which are used in integrated circuits and many electronic products. Fast growth in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data centers, electric vehicles, smartphones, and advanced computing is driving up global demand for semiconductors. Governments and big tech companies are investing in local semiconductor manufacturing to make supply chains stronger and rely less on foreign production. New factories and wafer plants will likely increase demand for high-purity polysilicon. As semiconductor technology improves and more electronic uses appear, the need for high-quality silicon materials should keep growing, giving polysilicon producers more opportunities.
Asia Pacific represents a leading region in the global polysilicon market, supported by its large solar manufacturing base, expanding renewable energy capacity, established semiconductor supply chain, and significant polysilicon production capabilities. China plays a particularly important role in the regional market due to its extensive presence across the solar photovoltaic value chain, including polysilicon, wafers, solar cells, and modules. 

The region also includes major manufacturing and technology markets such as India, Japan, and South Korea. The rapid development of solar power projects across Asia Pacific is generating substantial demand for solar-grade polysilicon. China continues to expand renewable energy capacity, while India is increasing investments in domestic solar manufacturing and clean energy infrastructure. Japan and South Korea also have established electronics and semiconductor industries that contribute to regional demand for high-purity silicon materials. Asia Pacific’s strong manufacturing base, robust production infrastructure, rising renewable energy investment, and many major polysilicon producers help maintain the region’s leading market position. 
•    In May 2026, GCL Technology Holdings announced a comprehensive strategic transformation from a granular-silicon-focused business toward a global multi-product new energy materials platform. The company plans to build on its FBR granular silicon capabilities while expanding into silicon-, lithium-, and carbon-based materials, supporting diversification and longer-term growth.
•    In March 2026, Tongwei also continued advancing next-generation photovoltaic technologies, including perovskite-silicon tandem cells. The company reported progress toward commercial-scale tandem cell and module development, indicating continued investment beyond conventional crystalline-silicon PV technologies.
This study employed a multi-step, mixed-method research approach that integrates:
This approach ensures a balanced and validated understanding of both macro- and micro-level market factors influencing the market.
Secondary research for this study involved the collection, review, and analysis of publicly available and paid data sources to build the initial fact base, understand historical market behaviour, identify data gaps, and refine the hypotheses for primary research.
Secondary data for the market study was gathered from multiple credible sources, including:
These sources were used to compile historical data, market volumes/prices, industry trends, technological developments, and competitive insights.
Primary research was conducted to validate secondary data, understand real-time market dynamics, capture price points and adoption trends, and verify the assumptions used in the market modelling.
Primary interviews for this study involved:
Interviews were conducted via:
Primary insights were incorporated into demand modelling, pricing analysis, technology evaluation, and market share estimation.
All collected data were processed and normalized to ensure consistency and comparability across regions and time frames.
The data validation process included:
This ensured that the dataset used for modelling was clean, robust, and reliable.
The bottom-up approach involved aggregating segment-level data, such as:
This method was primarily used when detailed micro-level market data were available.
The top-down approach used macro-level indicators:
This approach was used for segments where granular data were limited or inconsistent.
To ensure accuracy, a triangulated hybrid model was used. This included:
This multi-angle validation yielded the final market size.
Market forecasts were developed using a combination of time-series modelling, adoption curve analysis, and driver-based forecasting tools.
Given inherent uncertainties, three scenarios were constructed:
Sensitivity testing was conducted on key variables, including pricing, demand elasticity, and regional adoption.
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Polysilicon Market Size is valued at USD 17.08 Bn in 2025 and is predicted to reach USD 53.03 Bn by the year 2035
The Polysilicon Market is expected to grow at a 12.2% CAGR during the forecast period for 2026 to 2035
Tongwei Co. Ltd., GCL Technology Holdings, Daqo New Energy Corp., Wacker Chemie AG, Xinte Energy Co. Ltd., East Hope Group, OCI Company Ltd., Hemlock Semiconductor, REC Silicon ASA, Asia Silicon (Qinghai) Co. Ltd. and Others.
Polysilicon Market is segmented into Production Process, End Use Industry and Other.
Asia Pacific region is leading the Polysilicon Market.
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Solex Green Energy received the larger order, valued at Rs. 1.81 bn, for supplying TOPCon bifacial glass-to-glass solar photovoltaic modules. The subsidiary is responsible for executing the order under the terms specified by the domestic customer.
Separately, Solex Energy secured a work order valued at Rs. 131.6 mn, including applicable taxes, for the supply of TOPCon bifacial glass-to-glass solar photovoltaic modules. The company did not disclose the names of the entities that placed the two orders or the delivery schedule.
The orders strengthen Solex Energy’s presence in India’s solar module market as demand grows for higher-efficiency photovoltaic technologies. TOPCon, or tunnel oxide passivated contact technology, is used in advanced solar cells and is designed to improve conversion performance compared with conventional module technologies.
Solex Energy manufactures its solar modules at facilities on the outskirts of Surat in Gujarat. The company said its modules are certified to global quality and performance standards and are included in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers.
The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers is used by the ministry to identify solar modules and manufacturers eligible for specified government-supported projects and programmes. The company’s inclusion on the list enables it to participate in segments of the domestic renewable energy market where approved equipment is required. The financial value of the two work orders represents a significant addition to the company’s order pipeline, although the announcement did not provide details of their expected contribution to revenue or profit.
Solex Energy and its wholly owned subsidiary Solex Green Energy have secured two work orders valued at a combined Rs. 1.94 bn for supplying advanced TOPCon solar photovoltaic modules to domestic entities. The orders include applicable taxes and cover bifacial glass-to-glass modules. Solex Green Energy received the larger order, valued at Rs. 1.81 bn, for supplying TOPCon bifacial glass-to-glass solar photovoltaic modules. The subsidiary is responsible for executing the order under the terms specified by the domestic customer. Separately, Solex Energy secured a work order valued at Rs. 131.6 mn, including applicable taxes, for the supply of TOPCon bifacial glass-to-glass solar photovoltaic modules. The company did not disclose the names of the entities that placed the two orders or the delivery schedule. The orders strengthen Solex Energy’s presence in India’s solar module market as demand grows for higher-efficiency photovoltaic technologies. TOPCon, or tunnel oxide passivated contact technology, is used in advanced solar cells and is designed to improve conversion performance compared with conventional module technologies. Solex Energy manufactures its solar modules at facilities on the outskirts of Surat in Gujarat. The company said its modules are certified to global quality and performance standards and are included in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers is used by the ministry to identify solar modules and manufacturers eligible for specified government-supported projects and programmes. The company’s inclusion on the list enables it to participate in segments of the domestic renewable energy market where approved equipment is required. The financial value of the two work orders represents a significant addition to the company’s order pipeline, although the announcement did not provide details of their expected contribution to revenue or profit.
The Madhya Pradesh government plans to establish an airport every 150 km, an airstrip every 75 km and a helipad every 45 km, according to the state aviation department. Airports being developed in Ujjain and Shivpuri are expected to take the state’s airport count to 10. The government stated that Madhya Pradesh currently has eight airports in eight cities. The locations named by the department include Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Rewa and Satna. The state also has more than 20 airstrips and 220 helipads, while permanent helipads are planned in all 230 Assembly constituencies..
West Bengal will develop four new airports under an agreement signed between the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and the state government, with all facilities targeted for completion by 2028. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the airports would be located at Charra in Purulia, Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur, Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur and Hasimara in Alipurduar. The project is part of the Centre’s regional connectivity UDAN programme. The Union government has committed Rs. 290 bn for West Bengal’s aviation sector over the next decade, while the state government will pro..
Mumbai airport has stopped accepting cargo booked on Russian flag carrier Aeroflot, disrupting shipments and prompting the airline’s cargo sales agent, Delmos Aviation, to seek intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The restrictions also affect cargo booked on Volga-Dnepr Airlines, according to a letter submitted by Delmos Aviation to the ministry on September 30. Aeroflot operates daily flights between Moscow and Delhi and runs a winter seasonal service to Goa. Bonded cargo from Mumbai and other cities is transported by road to Delhi before being flown to Russia. The agent said t..
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Mova Tech launches 4 kWh residential battery with AI-based energy management  pv magazine Global
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The poster said they would not pay because they viewed the work as part of a recall and warranty issue.
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A Texas homeowner says a Tesla Powerwall 2 safety recall has turned into a drawn-out service headache, with Sunrun routing the case to a partner company that then scheduled a visit with a $450 “battery troubleshooting” charge.
According to the post in r/Powerwall, a recall notice appeared in the Tesla app at the end of August, and the homeowner said it directed them to work through Sunrun, the company that installed the system.
The homeowner said a technician came out on Sept. 8, determined that the Powerwall needed replacement, and said the submission had been made. After that, the case was marked as resolved.
The homeowner said a manager later mentioned another site visit, but the installer then transferred the job to a partner company. The appointment was eventually moved, and the partner listed the fee for “battery troubleshooting.”
The poster said they would not pay because they viewed the work as part of a recall and warranty issue.
Similar accounts appeared elsewhere in the thread. After calling the manufacturer directly, one commenter said the installer had initially tried to charge $500 and that “it was a recall and they no longer needed to charge me the $500 service call fee.”
For homeowners facing the kind of storm risk this Texas owner described, adding battery storage can be one of the best ways to protect a home during outages, save money on energy by storing power for later use, and even keep key appliances running when the grid goes down. If you’re exploring options, EnergySage can help you compare home battery storage choices and competitive installation estimates, and it has teamed up with the electrification brand Qmerit to guarantee you get the best price on home battery storage solutions.
Another option is Pila, which offers plug-and-play batteries priced at a fraction of what a whole-home backup system would cost. That lower-cost backup route may appeal to homeowners looking to avoid a larger project or to renters who are unable to install a whole-home backup system.
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Solar panels can save you more than $50k over their 25-year lifespan, and EnergySage can help you save as much as $10k on installation. Which begs the question — isn’t that worth an email or two?
One commenter said the installer stopped pursuing a $500 service-call fee after the manufacturer said the work fell under the recall.
Another commenter advised building a fuller paper trail, including the August recall notice in the app, the Sept. 8 technician note, the email tied to the “issue resolved” glitch, and any partner-company estimate that lists a diagnostic fee.
That same commenter said the homeowner should ask both companies to confirm in writing that the appointment is for a recall replacement and carries a “$0” cost.
As for the original poster, the timing was less than ideal. “With the storms in Texas this week, I really wish I had it too.”
For more on the kinds of home battery and solar service issues raised here, these stories look at surprise fees, stalled fixes, and other homeowner frustrations. 
• A solar customer said botched installation and closed tickets left critical problems unresolved.
• In one home, a strange installer policy left the resident staring at a $6,000 bill.
• A solar owner blasted ridiculous charges from a utility after an already costly setup.
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After years of uncertainty, the US solar policy landscape includes “a lot of good news,” particularly for manufacturing.
This was the opinion of Crux head of policy Hasan Nazar, who spoke to PV Tech earlier this year in one of many interviews in the build-up to this year’s PV CellTech USA conference, to be held next week from 13-14 October in San Francisco, California.
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While much has been made of the Trump administration’s fondness for fossil fuels over renewable energy, and the general uncertainty surrounding the president’s unpredictable policy directions that dissuaded investments into the energy transition to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, his administration has been fairly consistent in its prioritisation of security and self-reliance.
For the energy industry, this means reducing the US’ reliance on solar materials and components made overseas, through a combination of sticks—most often taking the form of anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs) and tariffs—and carrots—in the form of tax breaks for investing in manufacturing.
“45X kept its original 2032 phaseout timeline in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) even as many of the tech-neutral demand-side credits wind down at the end of 2027,” Nasar told PV Tech Premium earlier this year. “That’s a strong signal that support for domestic clean energy manufacturing is durable and bipartisan and provides more certainty for manufacturers for site cell and module capacity than developers might have assumed a year ago.”
While PV Tech Premium heard from Intertek CEA earlier this year that the policy landscape is not universally to the benefit of US solar—Section 232 rules, in particular, would be unlikely to “incentivise additional US cell factories”—the overall picture includes causes for optimism; Anza president Aaron Hall told us that Section 232 is a “very strong domestic manufacturing policy”.
PV Tech Research head of market research Moustafa Ramadan commented at the time that, for wafer manufacturing in particular, the case for building more domestic wafer manufacturing has been strengthened by this year’s policy changes.
On the event’s first morning, ES Foundry’s CEO Alex Zhu and Canadian Solar Group of Companies CEO Thomas Koerner will both present on the opportunities for US manufacturers in the current policy environment. This discussion will be followed by a panel discussion on the next chapter for US solar policy, to be moderated by Roth’s Philip Shen and feature policy experts Tom Beline, Cassidy Levy Kent; Mike Carr, Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA); Nick Iacovella, Coalition for a Prosperous America; and Nate Picarsic, Horizon Advisory to give an insight into the future direction for US policy.
Building more upstream manufacturing capacity is particularly significant as, according to PV Tech Research figures, it is the upstream parts of the supply chain where the US is most reliant on overseas production; the US domestic wafer capacity sits at just 5GW, compared to over 77GW of modules.
Ramadan and his colleagues wrote a collection of blog posts for PV Tech on the current manufacturing landscape in the US ahead of next week’s event, which will cover the breadth of the domestic supply chain, including polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules, equipment and components.
Building strong partnerships across this supply chain is an essential part of the picture, and on the afternoon of the first day, Heliene president Martin Pochtaruk will moderate a panel discussion on just this topic. The panel’s speakers include experts from Hemlock Semiconductor, Highland Materials, Solarcycle and Suniva.
DYCM is another company that has sought to expand its US manufacturing footprint, focusing on cell and module production specifically. Co-founder Sriram Das told PV Tech Premium that there is a “pressing” need for a domestic supply of both components in the US.
In the lead-up to the event, interviewees discussed the relative strengths and weaknesses of the leading cell technologies. With the ongoing lawsuits surrounding the use of TOPCon impeding the ability of manufacturers to build with the technology that has become the industry cornerstone, companies are experimenting with, or at least considering, alternative options.
“PERC was tried and true,” Matt Card, president and COO of Suniva, told PV Tech Premium last month, arguing that a technology that is reliable and straightforward to produce has particular benefits in this context. Meanwhile, Toyo chief strategy officer Rhone Resch told us that “we fully expect” the capital expenditure necessary to build HJT cells will come down, a move that would make the technology more commercially viable to deploy at scale. This optimism is reflected in the fact that, according to PV Tech Research, HJT is forecast to be the fastest-growing technology among domestically-produced modules, with over 15GW of new module manufacturing capacity already announced.
This TOPCon/PERC/HJT debate is something of a race to determine the technologies that will underpin US manufacturing, and not every company has publicly backed a particular technology; DYCM’s Das did not tell PV Tech Premium which cell technology the company plans to produce at its facility during our interview.
Instead, he noted that the choice of technology would be announced at next week’s event; the company’s CTO, Dr N M Ravindra, will present his technology insights alongside experts from LAPLACE and Nextnova on the second day of the event.
Perovskites are also a growing part of the cell picture and will be addressed in the Innovation Showcase on the second day of the event. Speakers include UNSW’s Brett Hallam on silver reduction strategies; Sofab’s Blake Martin and Tandem PV’s Scott Wharton, who told PV Tech Premium about his plans to “leapfrog” the technology to the forefront of the US solar sector this week; and Caelux’s Charlie Hasselbrink, who will speak after Caelux CEO Scott Graybeal told us that “every” solar module in the 2030s will contain perovskite.
Another key topic in the event’s agenda is space-based solar power, which has moved from scientific ambition towards commercial reality. On the event’s second day, RCT Solutions’ Markus Beck will moderate a panel discussion on the topic, and how the demand of space-based solar power is driving innovation in cells and materials that are relevant for projects to be deployed on Earth. Panellists include experts from the US Department of Energy (DOE), Solid State Solutions, NexWafe and the Aerospace Corporation.
With the US solar industry at a critical point in the development of its domestic manufacturing base, PV CellTech USA will bring together the companies and experts shaping the next phase of the country’s solar supply chain, many of whom have already spoken to PV Tech in the articles mentioned above. Read the full agenda and find ticket information on the event website.

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Although volumes remain small, plans are underway to establish a solar panel recycling facility in Tartu. Epler & Lorenz has received nearly €500,000 in funding from the EU Cohesion Fund to develop the facility.
Most solar panels currently in use in Estonia will not need to be recycled for decades, but questions are already being raised about how to recover valuable metals from the panels in addition to glass. Producer responsibility also remains a major concern.
For more than a decade, solar power has been the fastest-growing renewable energy sector. According to Estonia’s Register of Products of Concern, 60,000 tons of solar panels were placed on the Estonian market between 2018 and 2025. Piret Otsason, head of producer responsibility and hazardous waste at the Ministry of Climate, said solar panel waste is not yet a major problem.
“Waste management companies have estimated that Estonia could generate up to 1,000 tons of solar panel waste annually by 2027. The quantities are currently very small — for example, last year the figure was 100 tons,” Otsason said.
Although solar panels have an average lifespan of 25 to 30 years and larger volumes of waste will not need to be dealt with for years, their disposal is already being discussed. According to Kaur Kuurme, head of electronics recycling organization Eesti Elektroonikaromu, panels are also replaced before the end of their useful lives.
“One reason is conventional mechanical damage, such as hailstorms that render some panels unusable. Another important reason is the opportunity to generate more electricity from the same surface area,” Kuurme explained.
A typical silicon-based solar panel consists of approximately 80 percent glass, with the remainder made up of aluminum, polymers, silicon, copper and silver.
Harri Moora, a senior researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute, said that while crushing and recycling glass is relatively straightforward, the challenge lies in recovering valuable metals.
“There are no really good technologies available yet and they are very expensive. As far as I know, Estonia does not yet have even a simpler version of such technology,” Moora said.
However, a step in that direction has been taken. This year, waste management company Epler & Lorenz received nearly €500,000 in funding from the European Union’s Cohesion Fund to establish a solar panel processing facility in Tartu.
Janis Lorenz, a member of the company’s management board, said the project aims to develop the capacity to separate and recycle up to 1,600 tons of glass, aluminum, copper and silicon-based fine materials from solar panels annually.
According to estimates by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), global solar panel waste could reach 80 million tons by 2050. Although most solar panels come from China, EU directives require the waste generated here to be managed locally. Moora believes this raises a pressing question about producer responsibility.
“Companies operating today pay their fees, but the waste will only be generated 30 years from now. By then, those companies may no longer exist and neither may the money. The companies operating in the market at that time may be entirely different. This raises the question of where the funding for producer responsibility costs will come from in 30 years and who will cover the costs incurred by the waste management company, whether that is Epler & Lorenz or someone else,” Moora said.
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The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has awarded Saatvik Green Energy an order worth INR 1,041.63 crore for the supply of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. The company was selected as one of the bidders under a tender for the manufacturing, testing, packing, supply and transportation of domestically manufactured solar PV modules using domestically manufactured solar cells. A 600 MWp capacity package forms the basis of the deal, with execution scheduled for completion by December 2027. A 4.86 GW module manufacturing facility in Ambala, Haryana, currently supports the company’s operations. An integrated facility is also under development in Odisha, planned for 2.4 GW of solar cell capacity and 4 GW of module capacity in its first phase, with a further 3.6 GW of cell capacity proposed for a second phase. The Odisha solar cell facility is progressing towards ALMM List-II enlistment, according to the company. 
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Rompetrol Rafinare continues its investments in renewable energy and is launching a project to develop a photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 9.4 MW at the Petromidia refinery. The photovoltaic plant is expected to generate more than 9,800 MWh of renewable electricity annually, all of which will be used by the refinery.
The total project value is approximately 44 million lei, comprising about 14 million lei in nonrefundable financing from the Modernization Fund and a 30-million-lei contribution from Rompetrol Rafinare.
The project is scheduled for implementation by December 31, 2028, in accordance with the deadline set for the funding call. The project is part of the KMG International (Rompetrol) Group’s comprehensive decarbonization strategy.
In recent years, the Petromidia refinery has implemented significant projects to reduce environmental impact, increase energy efficiency, optimize technological processes, and strengthen the platform’s energy independence.
A flagship project is the new cogeneration plant at the Petromidia site, which entered commercial operation at the end of 2025. With an installed capacity of approximately 80 MW, the plant currently meets the refinery’s electricity and process steam requirements, contributing to the optimization of energy consumption and increased operational efficiency.
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Two weeks ago, the leading stakeholders in U.S. PV manufacturing came together at the inaugural Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 conference in Austin, Texas. The speakers left the audience with plenty to digest, and having had time to reflect, we want to share some of our thoughts.
After the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 stimulated a substantial rise in domestic module assembly, it is encouraging to see significant investment now flowing into cell manufacturing, with new capacity online or under construction and more planned. Ingots and wafers have seen initial investments, with additional capacity announced from 2028 onwards. These segments should begin to provide meaningful domestic volumes in the coming years; polysilicon remains the more challenging part of the chain.
A complete PV manufacturing ecosystem is far broader than the value chain from polysilicon to modules. It includes production equipment, spare parts and service, process gases, high-purity quartz and graphite, metallization paste, solar glass, chemicals, consumables and trained people, and a missing or unqualified input can compromise an otherwise capable factory. Herein lies the key message from Austin: if the third wave of U.S. PV manufacturing is to be meaningful and enduring, we need a complete, economically viable and sustainable domestic ecosystem, all the way down to the raw materials.
We took a close look at what went wrong in the earlier attempts to establish competitive PV manufacturing in the United States. It wasn’t all China’s fault. Trade conditions and policy mattered. So did manufacturing leadership, process discipline, technology transfer and the ability to sustain yield, throughput and quality at scale.
It is also worth understanding why China built a full ecosystem in record time between 2015 and 2020. Bank financing for new factories was tied to domestic equipment and materials, and the leading producers became owners or anchors of their suppliers. Within five years the whole value chain moved from multi to mono, to PERC, to n-type as one aligned body, with no government mandate required. The same experience carries a warning: when factory funding went uncapped in 2021–2023, capacity outran demand and prices collapsed.
The stakes are higher now. Today’s ingot, wafer and cell technologies have little in common with what was last operated here 10 to 15 years ago, and the task is to run them at gigawatt scale with the discipline that keeps yield, uptime and cost on plan. Plans to innovate our way past that task are ill placed. Mastery of current state-of-the-art production comes first, including feedstock and consumables made to specification. Innovation stays essential; it belongs on a separate technology roadmap and builds on operational mastery of current production.
The challenge of building sustainable PV manufacturing is appreciable, and significantly harder if the domestic landscape evolves in a fragmented and uncoordinated way, as the first two waves did. Collaboration is the key to making the third wave prosperous and enduring.
As an actionable next step, we propose an industry-led U.S. PV manufacturing ecosystem roadmap: a guiding document for manufacturers and suppliers, the capital markets, federal and state governments, and academia and the national laboratories, setting out how we plan to build the ecosystem and how each can contribute.
The semiconductor industry’s roadmap is the model: one shared view, for chipmakers and their suppliers, of what would be needed and when. A PV roadmap would say, for each input, where domestic capability is most valuable and where dependable allied partners can supply. It would rank gaps by supply risk, qualification time, economic viability and the consequences of disruption, pair each priority risk with a plausible mitigation, and state the investment and the policy support needed for a domestic supplier to earn a return. Identifying a gap is of little use if filling it is loss-making. The roadmap would not apply a purity test. For each input the test is critical mass: enough domestic capability to set specifications, qualify suppliers, hold the know-how and ride out a disruption while an alternative is qualified. Beyond that threshold, imports from dependable partners are healthy. They add capacity and keep domestic suppliers sharp on cost and quality.
It should also look for inputs whose demand extends beyond solar. For example, high-purity graphite serves crystal growers, fluidized-bed reactor liners, battery anodes and the nuclear restarts now being financed; silane feeds TOPCon and heterojunction cells as well as silicon-anode batteries; flat glass serves automotive and architectural markets. A supplier with several customers is a stronger supplier, and such connections help decision makers see how the pieces fit together.
We envision a living document, reviewed at least annually, that guides investors and policy makers toward dependable, long-term industrial policy. The Inflation Reduction Act supported a select group of value-chain segments and left the supply chain incomplete; Section 232 (Proclamation 11052) has since acknowledged that solar manufacturing is a matter of national security. When the last round of incentives was written, industry did not speak with one voice, and decision makers who hear contradictory messages act on none of them. A single PV manufacturing roadmap gives the industry a common reference with government, for example when Section 45X is revisited or substantial transformation is defined for PV products.
For each priority gap, the roadmap should explain the operating need, the capability available today, a feasible remedy, the investment and time required, the parties needed to deliver it and the measures of success, and it should separate what better engineering and operations can achieve from what depends on financing, demand and public policy.
The roadmap would not be a technology roadmap and does not seek to compete with the existing International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics (ITRPV). We encourage U.S. manufacturers and suppliers to take part in the ITRPV, which complements the ecosystem roadmap proposed here.
First, invite participation. We have not shopped this proposal around; we are putting our names on it and asking the industry directly whether a shared roadmap makes sense and which gaps it should address first. Participation is open to every manufacturer and supplier that wants a sustainable domestic base, each with an equal voice; no one is obliged to join, and we will not single out companies. Those who join early will shape the agenda.
Second, publish a synthesis for review. Over the coming weeks we will consolidate responses into a preliminary map of needs, existing capabilities and ranked gaps, each priority risk paired with a plausible mitigation, and make clear where views converge, where they differ and what evidence is still needed. Our goal is to share initial findings just before RE+ 2026 in Las Vegas, the week of November 16.
Third, let participating companies select the first actions. Where support is sufficient, develop a small number of proposals, each with an accountable industry lead, committed participants, a budget, a timeline with milestones and success measures. Expressions of interest should become explicit commitments before a program launches. Companies retain their own technology choices and commercial decisions. The organizational form should follow the work industry is prepared to support, drawing on the experience of SEMATECH and other collaborative efforts.
A horizon helps. By 2030, we should see qualified American cells, made from American polysilicon and wafers, in American modules, a supply base with critical mass at every step, competitive delivered costs and customers placing repeat orders.
We would like to hear from as many of you as possible. Do the justification and objective above resonate with you? Which two or three gaps most affect your ability to manufacture competitively? Where is a domestic source essential, and where are imports from dependable partners healthy? What capabilities already exist, what remedies would you suggest, and what could you contribute? The next step is to turn the concerns of individual companies into shared priorities for the entire U.S. PV manufacturing sector, and then into actions that participating companies are prepared to support. Reach us through our LinkedIn pages or by email.
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This, in turn, has put more than 800 MW of new solar into construction for Zelestra’s customers across the country.
The credit facilities were provided by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), BBVA and Societe Generale. Reclamation, which takes its name from the land beneath it, reclaimed from former coal mining operations, is underpinned by a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Meta and is due to come online by the end of 2027.
The project is already under construction and is expected to support approximately 200 jobs at peak construction.
“Passing $1 billion in US project financing this year is a milestone we are pleased to share with our lenders and our customers” said Sybil Milo Cioffi, Zelestra’s US CFO. “Reclamation is a major project that will deliver many benefits to our customer, and to the wider community. We are pleased that CIBC, BBVA and Societe Generale are backing our ambition. These partnerships enable us to keep building at the pace this market needs.”
Zelestra continues to expand its US platform with multi-technology solutions built around the growing energy needs of hyperscalers and corporate customers. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the company is developing a pipeline of approximately 16 GW across key US markets.
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Solar Power World
By SPW | October 8, 2026
Solar projects are built to generate clean energy, but construction and operations can also generate materials that need to be managed responsibly. At a solar site in Maysville, Georgia, broken and damaged solar panels created a need for a responsible recycling solution, bringing in Green Clean Solar, a Georgia-based, woman-owned company specializing in solar waste management, recycling, and landfill diversion.
Green Clean Solar
Rather than allowing broken panels and other solar-related materials to become landfill waste, Green Clean Solar developed a recovery and recycling solution to collect the damaged panels, coordinate transportation, and ensure the materials were directed toward responsible downstream recycling.
The project highlights an increasingly important issue facing the rapidly growing solar industry: what happens to the panels that don’t make it to the end of their useful life?
For Emilie O’Leary, founder and CEO of Green Clean Solar, the answer is simple: they shouldn’t automatically go to a landfill.
“We love seeing new solar projects being built across the country, but we also have to acknowledge that broken panels are part of the process,” said O’Leary. “Panels can be damaged during transportation, handling, construction or other phases of a project. When that happens, we need to have a plan. These panels still contain valuable materials, and they deserve an opportunity to be recovered and recycled.”
The importance of responsible solar recycling is shared by the customers Green Clean Solar serves. Parker Persons, project engineer with Inman Solar, explained why recycling damaged modules is an important part of their sustainability strategy.
“Solar is built on sustainability, and we hold our equipment to that same standard,” he said. “When modules across our portfolio are damaged, we recycle them. This allows us to recover valuable materials for reuse while keeping potentially hazardous materials, such as lead and cadmium, out of landfills. Those recovered materials can then be put back to productive use, supporting a more circular economy. Working with Green Clean Solar has helped us achieve those goals.”
The Georgia project is an example of the type of boots-on-the-ground solar waste management Green Clean Solar provides to commercial and utility-scale solar projects. The company works with developers, EPCs, asset owners, utilities, and other industry partners to manage solar waste generated throughout a project’s lifecycle, including:
Green Clean Solar coordinates the collection, palletizing, loading, transportation, and responsible downstream recycling or reuse of materials. The company’s approach is focused on landfill diversion and circularity, helping solar companies understand where their waste goes and what materials can potentially be recovered.
“There is a misconception that recycling solar panels is only something we need to think about when a solar farm is being decommissioned,” O’Leary said. “That’s not true. Recycling needs to be part of the conversation from the very beginning of a project. If you have broken panels sitting on a construction site, that’s solar waste that needs a responsible solution today.”
Green Clean Solar
Green Clean Solar works with recycling and recovery partners to help ensure valuable materials such as glass, aluminum and metals can be recovered whenever feasible rather than being unnecessarily sent to landfills.
For O’Leary, this is about more than recycling a broken panel. It’s about changing how the solar industry thinks about waste.
“We’re building an incredible clean-energy industry, but clean energy shouldn’t create a waste problem that we ignore,” she said. “If we’re going to call solar sustainable, we have to be willing to deal with the waste that comes with it. That’s where Green Clean Solar comes in.”
Green Clean Solar believes the future of solar sustainability will depend on looking at every component as a potential resource rather than simply waste.
The company continues to tour and work with solar recycling facilities and downstream partners across the country, exploring opportunities to recover materials and develop stronger circular-economy solutions for the solar industry.
The Georgia project demonstrates that responsible solar recycling doesn’t have to wait for a major disaster or the end of a solar farm’s life. Sometimes, it starts with something as simple as a stack of broken panels sitting on a job site.
“Every broken panel is a decision point,” said O’Leary. “We can throw it away, or we can do something better with it. I believe the solar industry is ready to choose better.”
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A solar farm near Taunton can remain operational until 2068 following a vote by local councillors.
Higher Knapp solar farm lies to the south of Higher Knapp Farm, located in the small hamlet of Knapp within the parish of North Curry, east of Somerset’s county town.
The facility has been generating electricity since 2013, with the original planning permission setting its operational limit at 30 years – meaning it would have to be dismantled and the land returned to its original use by 2043.
But Somerset Council’s planning committee west (which handles major applications within the former Somerset West and Taunton area) has now approved an extension to this permissions, meaning it can continue to generate clean power for a further 25 years.
The solar farm is currently accessible by two means: an access track on Knapp Road near the existing farm buildings, and a public footpath which runs along its western boundary and emerges onto Knapp Hill.
In addition to extending its operational lifespan, the council’s planning officers have requested that additional landscaping be put in place during the next planning season (i.e. the winter of 2027/28) to provide better screening at the boundaries of the site.
Under the revised permission, the solar farm would have to be completely dismantled by March 31, 2068 or within six months of its ceasing operation (whichever comes sooner) – with the land having to be returned entirely to its former condition by June 30, 2068.
Both Creech St. Michael Parish Council and local division councillor David Fothergill vehemently opposed the extension, with the latter arguing it “fundamentally undermines the temporary nature of the land allocation for solar farms” and would therefore set a potentially distressing legal precedent.
Councillor Frances Nicholson (Conservative, Dulverton and Exmoor) took a different views, welcoming the additional landscaping as part of any extension.
She said: “I’m particularly pleased to see the renewal of the condition around landscaping.
Councillor Frances Nicholson (Conservative, Dulverton and Exmoor) (Image: Somerset Council)
“What’s important is the element which requires maintenance of the landscaping – if that wasn’t present last time, we’ve remedied that now.”
Councillor Gwilym Wren (Independent, Upper Tone) said he found the proposal “quite troubling” and shared Mr Fothergill’s concerns about the loose use of the word ‘temporary’.
He elaborated: “All these solar farms were sold to the local communities and committees on the basis that they were temporary.
“It was going to be 30 years, that crept up to 40, we’re now looking at 55.
“I would submit these are pretty permanent, so long as solar generation is going to be a source of energy. I think the whole ‘temporary’ argument has completely fallen away.”
Councillor Gwilym Wren (Independent, Upper Tone) (Image: Somerset Council)
Councillor Dave Mansell (Green, Upper Tone) disagreed, stating: “The impact of this in landscaping terms is minimal.
“I’m not saying solar farms can go anywhere – they do need to be in the right locations – but there is a view that they’re a very positive sight.
“I have to say, in my eyes, we’re doing something positive to save our future and make a better world. That is seriously important.
“We need more of this sort of thing to contribute to our energy needs. We need more battery energy storage alongside it, but it does make a good contribution.”
After around an hour’s debate, the committee voted to approve the plans by six months to none, with two abstentions.
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The Owensboro Times
News
By Ryan Richardson
October 9, 2026 | 12:15 am
Updated October 8, 2026 | 11:16 pm
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Daviess County Fiscal Court approved two ordinances Thursday establishing new restrictions on large-scale solar energy projects, including limits on acreage, increased setbacks, and stricter financial requirements intended to protect neighboring properties and taxpayers.
The solar ordinances, developed over more than a year of discussions involving county officials, planning and zoning staff, and residents, address both where large-scale energy facilities can be built and what developers must do to protect surrounding properties, farmland, and public infrastructure.
Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen said the county’s goal was not to prohibit solar development entirely, but to establish safeguards for the community.
“We were asked at the very beginning to just ban industrial solar farms,” Castlen said during Thursday’s meeting. “We cannot do an absolute ban. What we can do is put in restrictions that are protective of our community, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.”
One ordinance amends Articles 8 and 14 of the Owensboro Metropolitan Zoning Ordinance, incorporating recommendations approved unanimously by the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission on Aug. 13.
The amendments establish several restrictions on large-scale solar developments and merchant electric generating facilities, including:
The 300-acre limit applies to the primary project development area and does not include the required buffer areas, meaning the total land associated with a project could be larger.
The zoning changes also broaden the terminology previously used for large solar energy systems to include merchant electric generating facilities, which can encompass other forms of electric generation.
The second ordinance establishes a separate set of county regulations addressing construction, operations, environmental protections, and the eventual removal of solar facilities.
Castlen previously explained that the county worked with a group of residents who researched regulations in other communities and submitted recommendations. Some were incorporated into the zoning amendments, while others were placed in the separate county ordinance.
“Among the additional requirements are transportation plans, road use agreements, stormwater management measures, and financial guarantees to cover potential road damage and restoration costs.”
Developers must provide an irrevocable letter of credit or escrow account sufficient to cover potential road repairs during construction, operation, and decommissioning. The amount would be determined by the county engineer and could be adjusted as costs change.
Projects must also include plans to protect agricultural land, minimize soil compaction, control erosion, and restore affected property after operations end.
The ordinance requires quarterly water quality testing at applicable discharge points, along with fire prevention and emergency response plans developed in coordination with local agencies.
Developers would be responsible for the costs of necessary fire protection equipment and annual training for emergency responders.
Under the new regulations, decommissioning plans must be updated every three years, with financial assurances intended to cover the cost of removing equipment and restoring the property if a developer fails to fulfill its obligations.
Although both solar ordinances passed, the zoning amendments did not receive unanimous support.
Commissioner Chris Castlen voted against the zoning changes, saying he believes additional work is necessary before he can support them. He voted in favor of the separate county regulations.
Chris Castlen thanked the residents, planning and zoning staff, and county officials who contributed to the process, saying the regulations should balance property owners’ rights with protections for their neighbors.
“I think this shows it’s important that we have the guidelines that we approve that not only protect the rights of the property owners but also protect the neighbors’ rights and the overall beauty and practicality of our countryside and the farms that we have,” he said.
He described the ordinances as a good start but said more work was needed on the zoning amendments.
October 9, 2026 | 12:15 am
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Modat and NCSC-NL, the Dutch government’s cybersecurity center, found 8,547 internet-facing systems at wind farms and solar parks in 35 countries in and around the EU that should not be reachable from the internet. The systems range from login screens to a turbine control page that offers a Stop button to anyone with a browser.
Operators in Spain, Greece, Italy and Germany account for most of the confirmed systems. The real number is higher. A system only made the list once the team could link it to a specific solar or wind site.
Europe’s renewables do have one defensive advantage on the ground. Solar parks and wind farms scattered across the continent make a poor target for bombs, drones or saboteurs, and the International Energy Agency has linked Ukraine’s push toward decentralized power to energy security. The authors put the catch this way: “Physically, decentralised renewable energy is a very hard target. But in cyberspace, there is no there there.”
Modat found the devices with machine-learning clustering, which groups similar systems automatically, so new device types turn up without someone first writing a rule to detect them. Some of the solar and wind devices were ones the team had not known to look for.
One wind turbine shows what the exposure looks like. Its web dashboard displays live power, wind speed and rotor data, and its control panel offers Start, Stop and Reset buttons. One menu item further sits the web server of the Siemens ET 200SP PLC, the industrial controller that runs the turbine. A map page gives away the turbine’s location, and aerial imagery of that spot shows the neighboring turbine, the service buildings and the access road.
That page runs one machine. Other systems in the data set sit a level higher and control several turbines or a whole farm, so one exposed system can stand for far more generating capacity than a single turbine. Two wind park login pages named their sites outright. One of them noted that the default username is root in all newer releases.

Redacted login page on a wind park, with aerial imagery of the site (Source: Research report)
Solar accounts for 7,942 of the systems, across 34 countries. Spain alone has 2,766, or 35 percent. Add Greece (1,860), Italy (753) and Germany (672), and those four countries hold 76 percent of the solar total. Wind accounts for 605 systems across 23 countries, with Germany (212) and Italy (192) making up 67 percent. Spain, the solar leader, has 11 on the wind side.
The smaller wind figure is less comforting than it looks. The wind farms in scope run from 10 megawatts to more than 4,500, and some of the exposed wind systems control several turbines at once.
Lithuania bars entities from countries it considers national security threats, including China, from remotely controlling solar parks, wind farms and storage above 100 kW. Asked whether other countries should copy that rule, Thomas Plank, CEO of Tributech, said:
“Restricting remote control by high-risk vendors is a reasonable national security step, but it addresses who connects, not what happens once they do. Most of the systems in this report are exposed regardless of where the vendor is based, and a European vendor with a stolen maintenance account gives an attacker the same access.”
Plank said wind and solar parks now rely on dozens of remote links to outside parties, and that some of those links will be compromised. “Once an attacker is inside, the network can’t tell a legitimate stop command from a malicious one,” he told Help Net Security.
“Every command that reaches a turbine or inverter should be checked for who sent it, whether that sender is authorized for that specific asset and action, and whether it arrived unchanged,” Plank said. “That protection applies to every vendor equally, whatever their origin.”
NIS2, the EU’s cybersecurity directive, requires the management bodies of essential and important entities to approve and oversee cybersecurity measures and makes them liable, whether systems are run in-house or outsourced. For a CIO whose turbines and inverters are maintained remotely by the manufacturer, Plank said:
“Start with a complete list of every remote connection: who connects, from where, to which assets, and whether they can only read data or also change how assets operate. Many operators can’t produce that today.”
From there, he would have CIOs require individual vendor accounts with strong authentication and no shared credentials, plus access limited to specific assets and actions, with the right to send commands split from the right to monitor. Operators should keep their own record of every command and configuration change, verify data and commands without leaning on the vendor’s systems, and get incident notice in time for NIS2’s 24-hour early warning.
“For the board, this turns into a few clear questions: how many external parties can change how our assets operate, can we prove every change was authorized, and can we trust the data our decisions are based on?”
The authors’ first step for operators is shorter. Take admin interfaces off the internet immediately, plan and monitor as if an attacker is already inside, and keep the option of running sites by hand.

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The solar PV and battery storage sectors supported 982,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the European Union in 2025, according to SolarPower Europe’s new EU Solar Jobs Report 2026. Solar accounted for 874,000 jobs, while battery energy storage systems (BESS) – included in the association’s study for the first time – accounted for another 108,000.
Employment was driven by deployment growth. The EU added 69 GW of solar capacity in 2025, while battery installations reached 27 GWh. Of all solar and storage jobs, 44% were direct positions and 56% were indirect jobs linked to supply chains and related activities.
Solar employment rose 1% year on year to 874,000 FTEs. Installation and deployment accounted for 742,000 jobs, or 85% of the total. Operations and maintenance reached a record 78,000 jobs, while manufacturing accounted for around 37,000, or just 4% of solar employment, with inverter production representing 90% of manufacturing jobs.
Germany was the EU’s largest solar employment market, with approximately 165,000 FTEs, followed closely by Spain. Italy ranked third, with around 85,000 jobs. Together, the three countries accounted for nearly half of EU solar employment.
The report also points to a shift in market structure. For the first time since the report series began in 2021, utility-scale PV slightly overtook rooftop solar in employment, accounting for 50.2% of jobs.
A similar shift toward larger projects occurred in storage. Utility-scale systems accounted for more than half of new battery capacity installed in 2025 and generated nearly half of deployment-related jobs.
SolarPower Europe expects EU solar employment to fall to 766,000 FTEs by 2030, from 874,000 in 2025. The decline will be concentrated in deployment, where employment is projected to fall 22% as annual installations stabilize and productivity improves.
The projected decline in employment will come despite continued growth in the EU solar fleet. SolarPower Europe expects installed capacity to rise from 411 GW in 2025 to 739 GW in 2030. As a result, operations and maintenance employment is projected to increase from 78,000 to 109,000 FTEs.
Manufacturing employment could also increase, reaching 49,000 jobs if announced industrial projects are realized. Jobs in decommissioning and recycling are projected to nearly double, from 16,000 to 30,000 FTEs.
Deployment’s share of solar employment is therefore expected to fall from 85% in 2025 to 76% in 2030. Manufacturing, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning and recycling would collectively account for nearly one-quarter of solar jobs.
The report identifies several priorities for 2026, including maintaining solar skills within industrial and labor policies, improving SME access to training funding, updating training programs to include digital and technical skills, and implementing the training and installation requirements of the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).
SolarPower Europe also calls for greater coordination between European training programs and for skills development spanning solar, storage, grids, heat pumps and e-mobility. It recommends expanding apprenticeships, career guidance and pathways for workers transitioning into the sector.
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The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
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pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead.
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Some areas were further warned of reduced pressure and temporary cutoffs.
Photo Credit: iStock
A power failure in Lanzarote, Spain knocked desalination plants offline, threatening the local drinking water supply.
According to Canarian Weekly, on Oct. 3, roughly 51,700 customers lost power after a 5:44 a.m. incident involving the 66-kilovolt network at the Mácher substation in Tías. By 5:48 a.m., another failure at the San Bartolomé and Punta Grande substations had caused a generation loss, pushing the total number affected to about 73,600.
About 39,000 customers still lacked electricity at 6:47 a.m., even as crews worked to restore power. Playa Blanca, which is supplied through Fuerteventura, was lucky enough to avoid outages.
The grid failure also caused desalination plants serving Lanzarote and La Graciosa to shut down, interrupting drinking-water output. Some areas were further warned of reduced pressure and temporary cutoffs. 
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
The outage is a reminder that going solar is one of the best ways to boost energy resilience — not to mention save money on utility bills. Homeowners can use EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
Even after electricity began returning, water output could not rebound immediately because the desalination plants had to complete startup and stabilization procedures before ramping back toward normal production.
While the plants were being restored to operation, water crews adjusted the distribution system to stretch existing reserves and manage stored supplies.
Because the blackout was disrupting essential services, the Canary Islands Government activated a PLATECA pre-alert for Lanzarote at 7:15 a.m. Officials did not immediately identify the original cause of the electrical failure as work continued on the power and water systems.
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Authorities used the emergency declaration to coordinate with essential-service operators and monitor the outage’s impact. In the meantime, residents and businesses were urged to conserve water and avoid nonessential use until production recovered.
For households thinking about resilience after an outage like this, adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. Homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
Tools that make solar shopping easier can also help people prepare for disruptions. With EnergySage’s solar map, homeowners can see the average cost of a home solar panel system by state, along with details on solar panel incentives for each state. Together, those resources can help homeowners get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations.
Related coverage has documented other major outages.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
• Across the Balkans, power outages struck several nations as heat strained aging grids.
• In Cuba, the power grid collapsed multiple times after Hurricane Oscar, halting daily life.
• In Puerto Rico, hundreds of thousands without power exposed how fragile the island’s system remains.
• In São Paulo, blackouts as utility companies struggled left residents demanding accountability.
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The former chief executive of a company that supplies roof mounting racks for solar panels has set up a rival firm, it has been claimed in the High Court.
Solrmount Ltd is seeking orders against its former CEO, Christian Jensen, his wife Cathrine Elisabeth Feerup and a new business they set up called Roof Professor Ltd.
On Thursday, Judge Brian Cregan granted orders to Marcus Dowling, for Solrmount, compelling the defendants to preserve any Solrmount physical property in their possession as well as all computer files and information of the company.
The application was made with only the Solrmount side represented at the hearing and was adjourned to next week when the application for declarations and orders in relation to profits or money received by the defendants and alleged breaches of fiduciary duty are to be heard.
Dowling said the founder of Ireland’s largest supplier of solar panels, Failte Energy Solutions, trading as Failte Solar, had discussions with Jensen in 2024 about the sourcing of mounting racks. As things stood, these came from Germany but were sourced in China which it was decided they could do themselves.
Abhilash Borana Abhilash, founder of Failte Solar, said in an affidavit that as a result of discussions, they set up Solrmount, which is based in the Shannon Free Zone at Shannon, Co Clare.
Abhilash held 80 per cent of the shares through a holding company. Jensen and his wife, through a corporate vehicle, held 20 per cent. Jensen was also CEO of the company and his wife was employed by the business.
Jensen was not required to provide any capital but to supply his knowledge of mounting systems and work as an employee of the company, Abhilash said.
With the commercial, operational and market support provided by Failte Solar, Solrmount was a success, Abhilash said.
In the context of that success, he said Jensen began seeking more advantageous terms for him, his wife and their corporate vehicle.
Last July, Jensen resigned as CEO of Solrmount although issues had already arisen in relation to the business and his conduct, Abhilash said.
Earlier, in March, Abhilash said he was told by a Chinese supplier that Jensen had travelled to China in January when Jensen said he intended to set up a competing business.
Abhilash said he asked Jensen if he had any problems with Solrmount, but Jensen denied he was setting up a separate business.
Abhilash said the defendants attempted to solicit Solrmount’s customers and have also obtained orders from them.
He said CCTV footage showed that the day after Jensen resigned he attended Solrmount’s warehouse and loaded a van with goods. Jensen had no permission for this or to be in the building, Abhilash said.
He also said the “deceitful and fraudulent nature” of wrongdoing by Jensen, which, he alleged, included receiving “backhand personal benefits” and the clandestine establishment of a competing business while working as CEO of Solrmount, showed there was a real risk Jensen would destroy or delete evidence unless orders were made.
The matter was adjourned to next week.
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A controversial solar array just metres from family homes has moved a significant step closer after Wiltshire Council approved the final pre-construction planning conditions needed before work can begin.
The MOD says solar arrays like the one at Perham Down – home of the 22 Engineer Regiment – will help it hit Net Zero by 2025.
The council has formally discharged conditions around construction management, environment, and ecology for the scheme on land beside Lambdown Terrace at Swinton Barracks.
Read more
3,500 solar panels to be built on military base near Swindon
Solar farm the size of 120 football pitches to be built near M4
Billionaire’s historic estate gets green light for 1,200 solar panels
Planners were told the former horse-grazing paddock is home to “an exceptional population of reptiles” including slow worms – a protected species.
The development was granted planning permission in August and will see thousands of ground-mounted solar panels installed.
Consultees from highways, ecology and public protection were satisfied that the submitted construction and environmental management measures met the requirements imposed when permission was granted.
The latest decision means construction can proceed in accordance with the approved plans, although ecologists have warned the site supports an “exceptional population of reptiles”.
For the latest public notices and planning applications in your area, visit www.publicnoticeportal.uk
While they accepted the submitted mitigation measures, they recommended monitoring during construction because there remains a residual risk of reptiles being harmed if they re-enter working areas.
The solar farm forms part of the Army’s Project Prometheus programme, which aims to increase renewable energy generation across the defence estate and help meet the MOD’s 2050 Net Zero targets.
The 1.64-hectare site lies adjacent to Lambdown Terrace and close to military housing.
Wiltshire Council’s original officer report acknowledged that the development would have a noticeable visual impact on nearby households.
However, planners concluded that the renewable energy benefits outweighed the harm, particularly after the design was revised to reduce the number of panels, alter their orientation and introduce additional landscaping.
The plans proved controversial during consultation, generating 57 letters of objection and only three letters of support.
Residents raised concerns about the loss of open views, impacts on wildlife, construction traffic, noise, and the proximity of the solar array to family accommodation.
Despite those objections, planning officers concluded that the relatively modest scale of the development, highway controls, landscaping measures and ecological mitigation were sufficient to make the scheme acceptable.
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Swinton Barracks, opened as a military camp in 1915 and renamed in the 1970s after tank warfare pioneer Sir Ernest Swinton, remains one of the Army’s key engineering bases on Salisbury Plain.
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PV module prices in Europe have dropped across all technologies in September 2026, between 1.1% and 3.6%.
According to the latest PV Index report from online solar marketplace sun.store, TOPCon bifacial modules remain the cheapest with an average price of €0.114/Wp (US$0.128/Wp) and a monthly decrease of 1.3%.
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The price gap with TOPCon monofacial continues to narrow, with these averaging €0.12/Wp in September and a 2.3% decrease.
“The two TOPCon variants stayed apart this month, with bifacial the cheaper route for standard utility-scale modules by a narrowing margin”, said sun.store.
Full black modules have had the slowest monthly price decrease with a drop of 1.1% and an average price of €0.129/Wp in September 2026. It is also the most expensive type of module across all categories, given that black contact modules averaged €0.128/Wp last month, but their price decreased the most, by 3.6%.
When it comes to the supplier ranking over the three months to September 2026, the top five remains unchanged from last month with all five being Chinese module manufacturers. Trina Solar remains as the top supplier followed by Aiko and JA.
The report also covers prices of PV inverters with a mixed bag in price changes from the previous month. The smaller hybrid inverters, between 1-20kW, had a monthly price increase of 5.8% to €94.66/kW, while larger hybrid inverters decreased by 6.9% to €59.93/kW.
“Larger commercial units remain by some distance the most competitively priced part of the inverter market on a per-kW basis,” said sun.store.
Moreover, string and on-grid inverters above 20kW have experienced the highest price drop with a 10.5% decrease to €22.03/kW. According to the online solar marketplace this is mostly due to a shift in the mix of models trading, rather than a cut to any single product. In August, premium three-phase inverters carried a heavier weighting, while in September, the more competitive and larger commercial-scale models were favoured and thus tilted the price downwards.
Finally, the demand for solar modules in Europe continues to be below historic averages over the last three months, according to PV Index’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI). However, the number rose from 65 in August to 67 in September, slightly below the historical average of 68, which points to a steady demand, according to sun.store.
47% of surveyed buyers planned to buy more modules in October than September, 40% expect no change and 13% plan to buy fewer modules in the coming month.

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Toyo has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the expansion of its solar module manufacturing plant in Humble, Texas, according to the company. The Japanese solar manufacturer said the expanded facility now has a nameplate capacity of 2GW, a milestone it described as significant for its operations in the state.
Toyo announced in June 2026 that it planned to add 1.5GW of heterojunction cell manufacturing capacity at the site, and this week confirmed it expects construction at the cell facility to be completed in the first quarter of 2028. Over the summer, the company agreed to sell more than 4.5 million shares for a total value of US$4.5 million to finance the expansion of its HJT cell production capability, a move made amid overall company revenue rises between the second half of 2024 and the end of 2025.
Speaking at the ceremony, held yesterday, Takahiko Onozuka, chairman and chief executive of Toyo, characterized the completion of the 2GW module expansion in Texas as an important milestone and identified cell manufacturing using HJT technology as the company’s next step.
Under secretary of commerce for industry and security Jeffrey Kessler attended the event and said the expanded plant fits into the current administration’s plans to incentivize the building of new domestic manufacturing facilities. Kessler attributed Toyo’s announcement directly to the current administration’s policies aimed at bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the United States.
Texas Democratic congressman Christian Menefee (TX-18), who also attended, commented that while Washington often appears divided, there is agreement that onshoring is of the utmost importance. He added that building jobs and production in the United States is crucial and that this is achieved through partnerships with allies doing the same work.
The expansion comes against the backdrop of trade scrutiny. Toyo was the target of the fifth investigation undertaken by the US government into anti-dumping and countervailing duties practices in the sector on 12 May. At the time, the company strongly rejected accusations that it circumvented AD/CVD orders, which it was claimed was achieved by exporting assembled crystalline silicon PV modules and cells from Ethiopia that contained wafers originating in China.
The following day, Rhone Resch, chief strategy officer at Toyo Solar, told PV Tech that all solar cells manufactured in Ethiopia currently use exclusively polysilicon supplied from the United States and Malaysia, and that the company’s wafers are processed in Southeast Asia.
The Department of Commerce, the US government body investigating Ethiopia-based solar cell producers, has yet to publish its preliminary determinations on the continuing case.
Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.
This report is an independent strategic market study that provides a structured, commercially grounded analysis of the market for Solar Cells and Module in the United States. It is designed for battery and storage manufacturers, power-electronics suppliers, system integrators, EPC partners, developers, utilities, investors, and strategic entrants that need a clear view of deployment demand, technology positioning, manufacturing exposure, safety and qualification burden, project economics, and competitive structure.
The analytical framework is designed to work both for a single specialized storage or conversion component and for a broader renewable energy generation component, where market structure is shaped by chemistry, duration, project economics, system integration, safety requirements, route-to-market, and grid-interface logic rather than by one narrow customs heading alone. It defines Solar Cells and Module as Semiconductor devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity, manufactured as individual cells and assembled into modules (panels) for integration into solar power systems and examines the market through deployment use cases, buyer environments, upstream input dependencies, conversion and integration stages, qualification and safety requirements, pricing architecture, commercial channels, and country capability differences. Historical analysis typically covers 2012 to 2025, with forward-looking scenarios through 2035.
This report is designed to answer the questions that matter most to decision-makers evaluating an energy-storage, battery, renewable-integration, or power-conversion market.
At its core, this report explains how the market for Solar Cells and Module actually functions. It identifies where demand originates, how supply is organized, which technological and regulatory barriers influence adoption, and how value is distributed across the value chain. Rather than describing the market only in broad terms, the study breaks it into analytically meaningful layers: product scope, segmentation, end uses, customer types, production economics, outsourcing structure, country roles, and company archetypes.
The report is particularly useful in markets where buyers are highly specialized, suppliers differ significantly in technical depth and regulatory readiness, and the commercial landscape cannot be understood only through top-line market size figures. In this context, the study is designed not only to estimate the size of the market, but to explain why the market has that size, what drives its growth, which subsegments are the most attractive, and what it takes to compete successfully within it.
The report is based on an independent analytical methodology that combines deep secondary research, structured evidence review, market reconstruction, and multi-level triangulation. The methodology is designed to support products for which there is no single clean official dataset capturing the full market in a directly usable form.
The study typically uses the following evidence hierarchy:
The analytical framework is built around several linked layers.
First, a scope model defines what is included in the market and what is excluded, ensuring that adjacent products, downstream finished goods, unrelated instruments, or broader chemical categories do not distort the market boundary.
Second, a demand model reconstructs the market from the perspective of consuming sectors, workflow stages, and applications. Depending on the product, this may include Grid-connected solar farms, Commercial rooftop installations, Residential solar systems, Industrial self-consumption projects, Off-grid electrification, and Solar-powered consumer electronics and mobility across Power Generation (Utilities/IPPs), Commercial Real Estate, Industrial Manufacturing, Residential Construction, Telecommunications, and Public Infrastructure and Technology R&D and Pilot Lines, Capacity Planning and CAPEX Deployment, Supply Chain Sourcing and Qualification, Manufacturing Process Optimization, Quality Assurance and Certification, Sales Channel and Distribution Setup, and Project Design and System Integration. Demand is then allocated across end users, development stages, and geographic markets.
Third, a supply model evaluates how the market is served. This includes Polysilicon, Silicon Wafers (Mono Grown, Cast Multi), Solar Glass, Encapsulation Materials (EVA, POE), Backsheets, Frames (Aluminum), Silver Paste & Conductive Adhesives, and Specialty Gases and Chemicals, manufacturing technologies such as Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC), Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon), Heterojunction Technology (HJT), Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC), Bifacial Module Design, Half-Cell and Shingled Cell Interconnection, and Advanced Module Encapsulation and Framing, quality control requirements, outsourcing, contract manufacturing, integration, and project-delivery participation, distribution structure, and supply-chain concentration risks.
Fourth, a country capability model maps where the market is consumed, where production is materially feasible, where manufacturing capability is limited or emerging, and which countries function primarily as innovation hubs, supply nodes, demand centers, or import-reliant markets.
Fifth, a pricing and economics layer evaluates price corridors, cost drivers, complexity premiums, outsourcing logic, margin structure, and switching barriers. This is especially relevant in markets where product grade, purity, customization, regulatory burden, or service model materially influence economics.
Finally, a competitive intelligence layer profiles the leading company types active in the market and explains how strategic roles differ across upstream material suppliers, component and controls providers, OEMs, storage-system integrators, EPC partners, project developers, and distribution or service channels.
This report covers the market for Solar Cells and Module in its commercially relevant and technologically meaningful form. The scope typically includes the product itself, its major product configurations or variants, the critical technologies used to produce or deliver it, the core input categories required for manufacturing, and the services directly associated with its commercial supply, quality control, or integration into end-user workflows.
Included within scope are the product forms, use cases, inputs, and services that are necessary to understand the actual addressable market around Solar Cells and Module. This usually includes:
Excluded from scope are categories that may be technologically adjacent but do not belong to the core economic market being measured. These usually include:
The exact inclusion and exclusion logic is always a critical part of the study, because the quality of the market estimate depends directly on disciplined scope boundaries.
The report provides focused coverage of the United States market and positions United States within the wider global energy-storage and renewable-integration industry structure.
The geographic analysis explains local deployment demand, domestic capability, import dependence, project-development relevance, safety and approval burden, and the country’s strategic role in the wider market.
This study is designed for strategic, commercial, operations, project-delivery, and investment users, including:
In many energy-transition, storage, power-conversion, and project-driven markets, official trade and production statistics are not sufficient on their own to describe the true market. Product boundaries may cut across multiple tariff codes, several product categories may be bundled into the same official classification, and a meaningful share of activity may take place through customized services, captive supply, platform relationships, or technically specialized channels that are not directly visible in standard statistical datasets.
For this reason, the report is designed as a modeled strategic market study. It uses official and public evidence wherever it is reliable and scope-compatible, but it does not force the market into a purely statistical framework when doing so would reduce analytical quality. Instead, it reconstructs the market through the logic of demand, supply, technology, country roles, and company behavior.
This makes the report particularly well suited to products that are innovation-intensive, technically differentiated, capacity-constrained, platform-dependent, or commercially structured around specialized buyer-supplier relationships rather than standardized commodity trade.
The report typically includes:
The result is a structured, publication-grade market intelligence document that combines quantitative modeling with commercial, technical, and strategic interpretation.
Energy-Storage Market Structure and Company Archetypes
Leading US solar module producer; vertically integrated
Now part of Maxeon Solar Technologies (US HQ); premium residential/commercial
Key supplier for module-level power electronics
Major inverter supplier for residential/commercial
Swiss-origin but US-headquartered subsidiary; US production
US HQ for Hanwha's solar arm; large US factory in Georgia
Chinese parent but US-headquartered sales and distribution
US HQ for Chinese-based manufacturer; major importer
Canadian parent but US-headquartered operations
Chinese parent; US HQ for sales and service
Largest US residential solar company; not a module manufacturer
Acquired by Sunrun; still operates as brand
Major US solar-as-a-service provider
Produces modules at Gigafactory New York
US-based module producer; owned by OCI Company
Canadian-origin but US-headquartered subsidiary
Canadian-origin but US-headquartered manufacturing
Small US module assembler
Focus on aesthetic residential modules
Specializes in architectural solar glass
Acquired by SunPower; coating technology
German-origin but US HQ for sales; wafer technology
Acquired by Hanwha; US-based wafer technology
Focus on perovskite-silicon tandem cells
Acquired by First Solar; technology integrated
US cell and module producer; filed for bankruptcy, restarted
Former US manufacturer; assets acquired by SunPower
Small US module assembler
Part of Saint-Gobain; US HQ for solar roofing
Subsidiary of Standard Industries; US-based
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Temporary Liquid Trick Grows Near-Defect-Free Perovskite Crystals for Solar Cells and LEDs
Perovskite solar cells have long promised to shake up the energy world: they are cheap to make, can be printed from solution like ink, and in the laboratory have reached efficiencies that rival the silicon panels blanketing rooftops today. Yet one stubborn problem has kept them from fulfilling that promise at scale. The thin films at the heart of these devices are mosaics of countless tiny crystals, and the seams between those crystals are riddled with defects that bleed away precious energy. Now a team co-led by researchers at the University of California San Diego, working with collaborators at Princeton University and Sungkyunkwan University in the Republic of Korea, has unveiled an elegantly simple fix: a temporary liquid that melts its way through the crystallization process and then vanishes, leaving behind larger, cleaner, more orderly crystals. The work was published on October 8 in the journal Science.
The core insight of the new study is deceptively straightforward. Rather than fighting the defects that form as perovskite crystals jostle into place during fabrication, the researchers gave the crystals room to fix themselves. They accomplished this by mixing two additional salts, zinc bromide and methylammonium chloride, into the solution used to make the perovskite film. When the material was heated during processing, these two additives combined to form what chemists call a eutectic: a mixture that melts at a lower temperature than either of its individual components. This low-melting mixture turned liquid precisely where it was needed most, at the boundaries between the growing crystals.
That temporary liquid proved transformative. In a conventional perovskite film, crystals nucleate and grow rapidly, locking in a chaotic arrangement full of grain boundaries, the interfaces where misaligned crystals meet. These boundaries harbor structural and electronic defects that cause some of the energy captured from sunlight to be lost before it can be harvested as electricity. With the eutectic present, the boundaries between growing crystals became liquid-like, giving the crystals space to rearrange and grow into a more orderly structure. As heating continued, one of the additive ingredients, methylammonium chloride, evaporated away, while the zinc component remained concentrated around the crystal boundaries, where it helped neutralize the electronic defects that remained.
Study co-first author Connor Dolan, a chemical and nano engineering PhD alumnus from the lab of David Fenning, professor and the Francine Berman Endowed Chair in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, described the approach as a new way of steering crystal growth. “We introduce a new way of tuning the growth of halide perovskites by developing an additive mixture that actively evolves during crystallization,” Dolan said. “What’s even cooler is that the end product removes performance-limiting defects at the edges of the crystalline grains.” The key word is actively: unlike static additives that simply sit in the film, this mixture changes state and composition as the material crystallizes, playing a different role at each stage of the process.
To understand exactly what was happening inside the film, the researchers turned to advanced X-ray imaging techniques capable of watching the process unfold at extremely small scales. What they saw confirmed the mechanism. The material around the crystal boundaries became disordered and liquid-like during heating, then re-ordered at the same temperature as the extra salt evaporated and crystal growth finished. The entire solid-liquid-solid transformation occurred at a single temperature, which the researchers find particularly intriguing. The treatment produced larger, better-ordered crystals with fewer structural defects and a more uniform distribution of the material’s chemical properties across the film, precisely the qualities that device engineers prize.
The improvements carried directly through to device performance. Solar cells and light-emitting diodes built with these eutectic-treated perovskites achieved efficiencies ranging from about 24 percent to 26 percent, placing them at the high end for perovskite-based devices. Just as importantly for real-world deployment, the solar cells retained most of their original efficiency after continuously operating for eight weeks under simulated sunlight, a durability result that addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of perovskite technology.
The physics behind those numbers is telling. In a solar cell, energy from sunlight excites electrons and leaves behind holes in the material, creating paired charge carriers known as electron-hole pairs. How long these pairs survive before recombining and releasing their energy as waste heat is a key indicator of how well a perovskite performs. “Perovskites made with the eutectic-forming additives had the longest lasting electron-hole pairs ever reported for any direct-bandgap semiconductor, which speaks to the promise of this approach,” Dolan explained. That claim is remarkable because it spans not just perovskites but an entire class of semiconductors, suggesting the material produced here has an unusually clean electronic landscape.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the field is that the method appears to be chemistry-agnostic. The researchers found that the approach worked across the different perovskite compositions they tested, rather than being a one-off trick for a single formulation. “It seemed like everything we tried worked!” Dolan said. “I’m hopeful that this mechanism has the chance to be really generalizable and provide a platform for further innovation in the perovskite community.” That generality matters because perovskite research is a sprawling enterprise, with hundreds of labs tweaking compositions of halide perovskites, a family of materials defined by their crystal structure rather than any single recipe. A growth method that improves all of them could become a shared foundation.
The broader context makes the advance especially timely. Unlike conventional silicon solar cells, which require energy-intensive, high-temperature processing of rigid wafers, perovskites can be processed from solutions and deposited as thin films, opening the door to simpler, lower-energy manufacturing and potentially flexible, lightweight panels. But scaling perovskite devices from small laboratory cells to full-size modules has been notoriously difficult, because efficiency tends to drop as the device gets bigger and the odds of encountering a defect multiply. Films with fewer grain boundaries and cleaner interfaces should, in principle, suffer less from this scaling penalty, which is exactly the problem the eutectic method targets.
The team is now exploring additional eutectic chemistries to better understand and control the crystallization process, hoping to generalize the curious solid-liquid-solid growth mechanism further. The work, detailed in the study “Volatile eutectics to tailor crystallization for perovskite optoelectronics,” was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, startup funds from Princeton University, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology. If the strategy proves as broadly applicable as the early results suggest, the humble trick of adding a pinch of salt that melts and then disappears could become a standard tool for manufacturing the next generation of solar cells and LEDs, turning one of perovskite technology’s oldest weaknesses into a solved problem.
Subject of Research: Volatile eutectic additive engineering for defect reduction in halide perovskite crystallization for solar cells and LEDs
Article Title: A temporary melting liquid could help build better perovskite solar cells and LEDs
Article References: A temporary melting liquid could help build better perovskite solar cells and LEDs. (n.d.). Original publication
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: Not provided
Keywords: perovskite, solar cells, halide perovskites, eutectic, crystallization, grain boundaries, defects, LEDs, thin films, photovoltaics, UC San Diego, Science journal
News Source: Denise Maddox. (October 9, 2026). Temporary Liquid Trick Grows Near-Defect-Free Perovskite Crystals for Solar Cells and LEDs. Scienmag.
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Energies Media
On a flat, bone-dry plain outside Baku, where the Gobustan steppe meets the edge of the Caspian world, row upon row of panels now face south across 741 acres of state-designated land.
Nothing about the landscape suggests renewable energy.
Azerbaijan built its modern economy on petroleum, and the Garadagh district has long been industrial ground for the oil and gas supply chain rather than a site for capturing sunlight.
Yet on September 16, a 100 MW solar plant was formally energized there, logged against the national grid, and visited by a head of state for the ribbon cutting.
What makes Gobustan more than a capacity number is what it proves about the process that built it: this was the first solar project in Azerbaijan ever delivered through a competitive public auction, and the tariff it locked in is startlingly low for a first-of-its-kind deal anywhere.
The Garadagh district sits at sea level on the Absheron Peninsula, a tongue of flat land that juts into the Caspian. The sun angle there is generous, cloud cover is minimal for most of the year, and the open steppe offers unobstructed exposure from east to west. Shading is not a problem that engineers had to solve here.
What they did have to solve was the ground itself. The Gobustan plain is stony, semi-arid terrain, prone to dust loading on panel surfaces and to salt haze drifting in from the Caspian shore. Both reduce output relative to nameplate capacity, and both demand a maintenance regime calibrated to the site rather than a generic cleaning schedule. The soiling loss in this environment is one of the real engineering variables that the plant’s first operating season will measure against the projected 200 GWh annual output.
That output figure, if reached, would displace roughly 45 million cubic meters of natural gas a year from Azerbaijan’s domestic power mix, according to the country’s state news agency. The displacement is the point: every kilowatt-hour from Gobustan is a kilowatt-hour a gas turbine does not have to generate.
The Cabinet of Ministers designated the 300-hectare plot in the Pirsaat settlement of Garadagh in 2023, carved out of undeveloped state land and assigned specifically for a renewable energy facility. At 741 acres, the footprint is large enough to hold more than 560 American football fields end to end.
Beyond the panel arrays themselves, field inverters and transformers have been installed at the plant, and all cabling works have been completed, according to the official inauguration record. The grid connection runs into Baku’s distribution network, putting clean power directly into the capital’s supply.
The site carries one subtlety that confuses early reports. The plant’s name refers to the Gobustan plain, while the official inauguration record places the site at Pirsaat in Baku’s Garadagh district. The distinction matters for anyone tracking land designation, auction and commissioning documents, which all cite the Pirsaat plot. Both names describe the same installation.
Bidding took place in April 2024, and the Chinese firm secured the award in November 2024 with a price of $0.0354/kWh. That is 3.54 cents per unit of power, a figure that is competitive with mature solar markets in southern Europe and well below what a gas peaker in Azerbaijan would cost to dispatch.
The site was put up for auction for the construction of the solar power plant, with China’s Universal International Holdings Limited emerging as the winner in 2024. The Gobustan Solar Power Plant project is the first project implemented through an auction process in Azerbaijan, as well as the first project carried out by Universal Energy in the country.
The tariff result matters beyond Azerbaijan. It signals that competitive tendering, even in a market with no prior solar auction history, can attract international capital at prices that undercut gas-fired generation. Bringing Gobustan online raises Azerbaijan’s installed renewable energy capacity to 2,170 MW spread over 85 facilities, which equals 21.5 percent of the nation’s overall energy capacity. That share is rising quickly: a 445 MW Bilasuvar solar project is also under development alongside the state oil company’s green subsidiary.
Gobustan’s panels feed into a national grid that was architected around dispatchable, fuel-burning generation. Solar is intermittent by nature, and gas and oil make up two-thirds of Azerbaijan’s GDP, making it one of the top ten most fossil fuel-dependent economies in the world. Integrating variable renewables into that grid without new storage or demand-management infrastructure is a real constraint, not a theoretical one.
The 200 GWh annual target from a 100 MW plant implies a capacity factor of roughly 23 percent, which is credible for this latitude and this terrain, but not generous. Any sustained dust accumulation that cuts panel output by even five percent erases a meaningful slice of the projected gas savings. The plant’s cleaning logistics across 741 acres of stony scrubland are one of those hidden operational costs that only show up after the first full summer cycle. For how autonomous cleaning technology is already changing that calculation at large-scale farms, see what five robots accomplished across two Australian projects in a single season.
None of that undermines what September 16 recorded. It simply maps the gap between a commissioning ceremony and a steady-state operating plant, a gap that every utility-scale solar project must close over its first operating year.
Azerbaijan is not just generating power for domestic use. It has ambitions to export clean electricity westward into Europe through the Black Sea cable corridors, and every megawatt of domestic solar that displaces gas frees up more of that gas for export revenue while simultaneously reducing the country’s carbon intensity. The Gobustan tariff of 3.54 cents per kWh sets a price anchor for the next round of Azerbaijani auctions, and developers watching from the region will note it carefully.
What remains open is whether Azerbaijan can replicate the auction model at larger scale and faster pace. The government has signaled targets of 1.5 GW of new renewable capacity by the end of 2027, a number that would require many more Gobustans in quick succession. The question of how quickly a transmission grid built on gas-fired certainty can absorb that volume of variable generation is one that grid planners in Baku have not yet answered publicly. For a broader picture of how similar gaps are being measured globally, an open-source model tracking renewable growth against long-term power demand offers a useful frame.
What the Gobustan plain did deliver, on a measured date, is straightforward: 100 MW of panels, on 741 acres of stony Caspian steppe, connected to the grid for the first time in a country that built its wealth on the fuel those panels are beginning to displace. That is the record.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.
Hugo is an engineer with strong technical expertise. Multilingual from an early age, his writing combines technical clarity with a strong interest in science and energy.

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Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable..
Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: October 8, 2026 @ 11:35 pm
The 100-bed mansion in Marlborough, Wiltshire, known as Tottenham House. (SWNS)
(SWNS)
(SWNS)
(SWNS)

The 100-bed mansion in Marlborough, Wiltshire, known as Tottenham House. (SWNS)
By Tom Bevan
A billionaire has been given the green light to build a 40-acre solar farm on his land after winning a planning dispute with neighbors.
Hedge fund owner Chris Rokos has been renovating a 100-bed mansion in Marlborough, Wiltshire, known as Tottenham House.
His representatives also submitted plans to Wiltshire Council to turn 40 acres of his 4,500-acre Savernake Estate into a solar farm that were approved despite concerns from locals.
The project “seeks to ensure Tottenham House and Estate’s long-term and sustainable future” by supplying the mansion and its outbuildings with “a sustainable form of power and water to enable its functional operation.”
It had been described by one neighbor in objections as a “substantial visual and historical intrusion.”
(SWNS)
But Rokos can now move forward after Wiltshire Council approved key construction details for the project.
Council planners have partially discharged a planning condition covering construction and environmental management, allowing work on the solar array itself to begin.
The plans for the huge solar farm were initially met with criticism from both neighbors and the local parish council.
And while some praise Rokos’ overall regeneration efforts, fears were also expressed that the huge number of panels would negatively impact the “area of outstanding natural beauty.”
The proposed plot, situated on the northern boundary of the extensive plot, is currently used as pasture for dairy cows and for producing silage.
The site adjoins a public footpath which runs between the hamlet of Durley and St Katharine’s Church and elementary school – though it is shielded from view by trees.
Once operational, the ground-mounted panels are expected to generate around 794,600 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to meet a significant share of the estate’s energy needs.
(SWNS)
About 44 percent of the electricity produced will be used on site, with the remainder exported to the local grid.
The scheme forms part of efforts to secure a more sustainable future for Tottenham House, one of Wiltshire’s most significant historic properties, which has undergone extensive restoration in recent years.
Despite being located within the estate’s historic parkland, planners concluded the benefits of the project outweighed any harm to the heritage setting.
The array will be screened by existing woodland and new planting designed to reduce its visibility, while the panels will be mounted on screw piles rather than permanent concrete foundations. This means the installation could be removed in the future if required.
The land will also remain in agricultural use, with grazing able to continue around the panels.
The solar project was originally approved as part of a wider package of works that also includes a large water storage lagoon, a new utility water connection and landscape improvements across the estate.
While construction of the solar array can now proceed, further environmental management details will still need to be approved before work begins on other parts of the wider development, including the water lagoon and associated infrastructure.
Several neighbors objected to the initial plans.
(SWNS)
Among them was nearby resident Richard Frics who said: “The restoration of Tottenham House is clearly a very desirable step in reversing the degradation of a Grade 1 Listed mansion, which was on the register of Heritage Assets at Risk.
“The creation of a solar PV array has not previously been mooted and it is in respect of this element of the latest planning application that we wish to lodge our objection.
“We understand that the ground mounted PV array will cover ‘a little over one hectare of ground’.
“Not only will it be situated in an AONB but also a Grade 2* Registered Park and Garden next to a Capability Brown landscape.
“In addition it will be in direct view of the Grade 2* listed stable block. The glare from a three-acre block of glass will massively change the outlook from this protected historic building.
“The proposal will erode the special qualities of this Heritage Landscape. It will also set an undesirable precedent for future planning applications elsewhere in the country.”
Another neighbor Mark Colquhoun added that he commended the overall restoration, which he described as “an exemplary project.”
But he described the solar farm as a “substantial visual and historical intrusion.”
He added: “To place modern energy infrastructure here undermines the character and legibility of this protected setting, contrary to national and local heritage policies.”
The former owner of Tottenham House, the Earl of Cardigan David Brudenell-Bruce, sold the 4,500-acre Savernake Estate to a developer in 2014 for £11.25 million ($15.1 million) after it had been in the same family for 200 years.
Tottenham House was part of the Savernake Estate, which dates back to the Norman Conquest when it was a royal hunting forest.
Originally published on talker.news, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) has unveiled its KRW1,000 trillion (US$747 billion) Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) industrial strategy.
A national briefing was held yesterday, 7 October, at the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, with key contents of the strategy presented by speakers, including the Korean Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hyung-Il and MCEE minister Kim Sung-Hwan.
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Aimed at driving investment and competitiveness in the manufacture and supply chain development of low-carbon technologies, the K-GX strategy also supports the government policy goal of reaching 100GW of renewable energy generation capacity in South Korea by 2030.
The government has selected 10 green industries in which to strengthen domestic production and enhance national competitiveness in those fields. Presentations were given on each industry, followed by presentations from four major domestic companies participating in those sectors.
Sectors:
The projects’ aims are to enhance self-reliance in clean energy supply chains, decarbonise national industries, electrify all modes of transportation and increase residential-scale adoption of clean energy technologies. 
The companies:
Hanwha QCELLS – tandem perovskite solar cell technology
POSCO Holdings – steel industry decarbonisation
LG Electronics – expansion of ‘GX’ strategy into residential sector
Samsung Electronics – expansion of ‘GX’ strategy into residential sector
Public money will be invested over a 10-year period, while private-sector investments totalling KRW220 trillion will be committed to the signature projects. Public money comprises KRW200 trillion in fiscal funds and KRW790 trillion in climate finance, MCEE said.
According to MCEE announcement materials, “bold tax incentives and regulatory improvements will be implemented in parallel” in the early stages of the K-GX strategy’s implementation.
Domestic production tax credits will be introduced for technologies including solar PV, wind and battery storage, leveraging the expansion of climate finance funding. Special regulatory zones and fast-track licensing support will be established for core GX technology companies.
The government recognises that grid constraints have held back a rapid expansion in renewable energy adoption that Korea is otherwise seeing.
The southwestern Honam region, for example, will not be able to offer hosting capacity on transmission and distribution (T&D) networks for new grid-connected energy projects until after 2034.  
Just before the end of September, Minister Kim Sung-Hwan announced the MCEE’s Power Grid Innovation Plan at a State Council Meeting.
The plan would see the Korea Republic’s electricity grid and corresponding regulation undergo redesign through five strategies:
Flexible grid connections, where new generators will be prioritised based on available grid capacity and not the rated capacity. Non-firm access rules will be implemented, under which solar PV output can be temporarily curtailed to manage the system.
Currently, distribution lines may only host 14MW of solar capacity. This will increase to 16MW for non-firm access, while the hosting capacity at substations can be increased from 50MW to 60MW. In Honam, this could result in a 2.6GW expansion of grid hosting capacity without the need for T&D expansion, MCEE said.
Non-wires alternatives (NWA), whereby battery energy storage systems (BESS) play a role in deferring the need for T&D upgrades, will also be pursued. A familiar term for regular readers of Energy-Storage.news, this has been seen in various other markets, particularly at the distribution level, but also on a grand scale with projects like Germany’s transmission system ‘GridBoosters’.
Energy storage systems (ESS) will be deployed at strategic locations on distribution networks and at substations to mitigate grid congestion resulting from abundant daytime solar generation.
An additional 3GW of solar could be connected via distribution networks in grid-constrained areas and around 1.6GW at substations through this initiative, MCEE claimed.
Managing ‘fictitious and delayed’ projects awaiting connection through inspections of queues has already enabled 9GW of reserved grid capacity to be reclaimed, the Ministry said. Grid connection rights for delayed projects, including offshore wind, will also be deferred until the projects are ready for construction and connection, in an initiative that could free up a further 10 GW of hosting capacity in Honam alone.
Overhaul of grid connections for renewable energy will result in renewables being given priority dispatch over fossil fuels, reversing the current paradigm. The national grid could add a further 20GW of renewable energy capacity as a result. Meanwhile, as has also been seen recently in European markets such as Germany, grid connection rights will move from being issued on a first-come, first-served basis to prioritising a competitive bidding process from January 2027, enacted in tandem with reforms to the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).
The cost-sharing system for renewable energy grid connections is also changing: developers connecting projects to the distribution grid currently pay for necessary network upgrades. Subsequent developers’ projects benefit from that initial investment.
Going forward, national power and grid company KEPCO will instead make the initial infrastructure upgrade investments. Subsequent developers then share the ongoing costs of upgrades.
“This plan is about making the most efficient use of the power grid we have now, rather than waiting for new grid infrastructure to be built,” Minister Kim Sung-Hwan said.
Also last month, the MCEE opened its latest Central Contract Market procurement for energy storage, seeking resources totalling 1,180MW. To date, three Central Contract Market procurements have been held since 2023, resulting in 1,196MW of capacity awards.
Opened on 22 September, the procurement aims to support the deployment of 1,000MW of storage on the South Korean mainland and 80MW on Jeju Island by February 2029.
The tenders align with the national 2025 Basic Plan on Electricity Supply and Demand, which targets a generation capacity of 157.8GW, incorporating a 22% reserve margin, by 2038. That includes 115GW to 121GW of renewable energy.
By that time, Korea’s peak electricity demand is projected to reach 129.3GW by 2038 and the government aims for the share of carbon-free electricity to have reached 70.7% by that time, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).        
Machine translation of Korean language materials was used for portions of this article.

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Construction underway on a nearly $100 million solar farm in Orangeburg County  WLTX
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Man accused of stealing solar panels, possessing meth in Hazelwood  FOX 2
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