Emmvee Shifts Over 50% Of Cell Capacity To G12R, Eyes Full Conversion – Saur Energy

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Emmvee Shifts Over 50% Of Cell Capacity To G12R, Eyes Full Conversion Photograph: (AI)
Indian solar module and cell manufacturer, Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Limited, has converted more than 50% of its solar cell manufacturing capacity from M10R to G12R-based cells. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru-based company has plans to complete the transition after fulfilling its existing M10R orders. G12R is currently being built as a golden standard for developing solar capacity outside China, balancing cost, comfort, and installation.  This comes at a time when the majority of the Indian solar module and cell makers are transitioning to the G12R-wafer-based cells. 
Speaking during the company’s latest investor call, the management discussed the company’s manufacturing transition, cost efficiencies, market demand and the expected implementation of the ALMM requirements.
Emmvee said that the remaining M10R capacity would be converted to G12R once the company completes its existing orders.
“The remaining, we have some orders in hand to complete the M10R, after which we will convert everything,” the management said.
The company indicated that the transition would be relatively straightforward because its manufacturing lines are already designed to accommodate G12-format cells, referred to during the call as 220 mm. This manufacturing flexibility is expected to allow Emmvee to respond to changing customer demand without requiring a significant transition period.
“It’s a quick transition for us. So any line, every line can form a G12,” the management said.
The company added that incoming orders reflect a mix of cell formats in the domestic content requirement (DCR) segment, while demand in the non-DCR segment is entirely for G12R cells.
Emmvee also highlighted the cost benefits associated with the transition from M10R to G12R. According to the management, silver consumption has declined from approximately 220 mg to around 60–65 mg per cell. The company also highlighted an increase in cell power output, from approximately 8 W in the earlier format to around 9.5 W with the newer format.
The management expects further improvements in the coming year through value addition and other manufacturing enhancements. Although selling prices may decline slightly, the company believes it can maintain its margins through manufacturing cost efficiencies. Some of these cost benefits may be passed on to customers.
Emmvee does not expect a widespread transition to the larger G12 format in the immediate future. According to the management, G12R remains the preferred format in India and across much of the global market outside China, partly because it offers greater convenience during installation and can provide advantages in structural requirements and overall costs.
The management noted that improvements in cell efficiency and other technological developments are continuing, with further announcements expected from the company.
During the investor call, Emmvee said that DCR products accounted for more than 50% of its sales. The company also indicated that the DCR component would remain higher in the following half of the financial year.
The management’s comments on the mix of cell formats suggest that demand varies across the two segments. While non-DCR orders are currently for G12R cells, the DCR segment continues to include a mix of formats.
Addressing a question on the possibility of further deferment of the ALMM implementation beyond December 2026, Emmvee’s management said such an extension appeared extremely unlikely.
The management noted that the industry had already been given a significant amount of time to realign its manufacturing and supply chains. It also pointed to activity in the open-access segment and the government’s emphasis on implementing the relevant ALMM requirements.
The company added that module manufacturing capacity alone may not be the appropriate measure for assessing readiness for implementation. Instead, the phased nature of the requirements and the timelines applicable to different project categories need to be considered.
According to Emmvee, utility-scale projects bid out up to August 2025 still have time before the relevant requirements apply to them. This means some demand for non-DCR products is expected to continue during the transition period.
The company said approximately 30% of its order book comprised non-DCR orders, with many of these projects scheduled for delivery in the following year. This provides continued visibility for non-DCR products during the transition.
However, the management reiterated that a further extension of the implementation timeline beyond December 2026 was unlikely.


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California homeowner builds 52-panel off-grid solar array, now powers 2 EVs, AC, and a well – The Cool Down

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Nearly 370 feet of conduit runs between the house and a tractor shed.
Photo Credit: Reddit
On five acres in Southern California, one homeowner designed and built an off-grid solar system sized for more than basic household use. 
After completing the installation, the off-gridder shared their setup on Reddit’s r/SolarDIY forum.
In the Reddit thread, the homeowner described the installation built around 52 Aptos 440-watt bifacial panels, two EG4 Flexboss 21 inverters, and six EG4 280Ah batteries. The system has produced about 18 megawatt-hours, with average daily generation near 120 kilowatt-hours.
In addition to giving a “rundown” of the build, the original poster also included 16 photos of the array.
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According to the OP, tying the system together required substantial wiring and trenching. Nearly 370 feet of conduit runs between the house and a tractor shed, while six 2/0 wires and two No. 6 wires connect the inverters to the panel. The array is organized into four 13-panel series strings, with two strings feeding each inverter through direct PV inputs.
Commenters were impressed by both the build’s ambition and the work required to pull it off. One commenter wrote, “You’re living my dream, friend,” while others focused on the system’s scale and the planning needed to live fully off-grid.
Another commenter reacted to the amount of foundation work by writing, “THIRTY TWO 12″ x 5′ piers?! You’re a madman,” before adding that the setup “exemplifies the best of this sub.”
County requirements also influenced how the project had to be built. The OP said the 2-inch GRC rack structure had to be “floated off the dirt per RIVCO permit,” and the slab in the old horse shed needed a 6-inch base, rebar, and another 6 inches of concrete.
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The layout also emphasizes redundancy. Each inverter was matched with three batteries, and the system was configured in parallel so that “if something were to happen to one inverter or anything else the house can run on the other inverter.” 
For readers inspired by the project, going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy. Trying EnergySage can help you get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes. With EnergySage’s help, the average person can save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installations. 
Meanwhile, EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state level, along with details on solar panel incentives for each state. 
And adding battery storage to a solar setup is also one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. Readers interested in storage can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
For more real-world examples, these articles show how homeowners are using solar and batteries to lower bills and stay powered through outages. 
• An off-grid homeowner showed snow-covered solar panels still generate usable power when conditions line up.
• Across the U.S., homeowners are finding that battery storage with solar adds resilience and savings.
• Researchers found rooftop solar can ease household energy burdens for families facing high bills.
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Qcells to introduce U.S. domestic frames for residential solar panel lineup – pv magazine USA

Qcells announced plans to launch new versions of its residential solar panel series featuring U.S.-made aluminum frames by the end of 2026. 
The updated residential product offerings, which include the company’s Q.TRON AC and Q.PEAK DUO AC lines, will incorporate aluminum frames extruded, anodized, and fabricated at supplier ALUKO Group’s integrated facility in Halls, Tennessee. The initiative is aimed at helping residential installers and third-party ownership TPO providers qualify for the Investment Tax Credit ITC domestic content bonus adder. 
Under the Treasury Department’s domestic content guidance, solar hardware must meet specific domestic manufacturing thresholds to qualify for the 10% tax credit bonus. Qcells noted that keeping all three core stages of frame manufacturing, including extrusion, anodization, and fabrication, within the United States provides greater clarity for installers and financing partners when evaluating compliance. 
The domestic frame offering comes as the statutory domestic content threshold for clean energy projects begins stepping up toward 55% for projects commencing construction in 2027. 
“Through this partnership to produce modules with domestic frames, we are furthering our commitment to U.S. manufacturing, supporting clean, affordable energy and giving our customers the certainty they need to qualify projects for the domestic content bonus,” said Il Hyeong No, head of Qcells North America’s residential business. 
Supply chain localized in Tennessee 
ALUKO Group’s manufacturing plant in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, is expected to reach full commercial production by the end of 2026. Once operational, the plant will have a planned annual capacity to manufacture enough frames to support 4 GW of solar modules. 
ALUKO plans to invest more than $107 million into the facility over five years, creating 285 full-time jobs. The company operates what it describes as the only facility in the U.S. performing all three major frame production steps under one roof. 
“By carrying out extrusion, anodizing, and fabrication here in the United States, we are delivering a product that offers transparency and confidence at every step of the process,” said Jinwoo Park, president of ALUKO Group. 
The move expands Qcells’ broader domestic manufacturing push across its vertically integrated operations in Dalton and Cartersville, Georgia, where the company operates large-scale module and component assembly operations.
Want to learn more about the scaling of U.S. solar supply chains and domestic content rules? Join us for pv magazine USA Week to attend the session Scaling Solar Production in the U.S. This panel addresses the real-world execution of policy-driven announcements, scaling domestic production, and navigating complex domestic content thresholds. 
The session will feature Qcells Global Chief Technology Officer Danielle W. Merfeld alongside fellow expert panelists Finlay Colville, Founder of Terawatt PV Research; Jim Wood, CEO of SEG Solar; and Zennia Villanueva, Vice President of Quality at RETC, part of the VDE Group. Register for pv magazine USA Week today to reserve your spot.
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Former Alstom boss appointed CEO of French solar firm – Enlit World

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Henri Poupart-Lafarge joins HoloSolis as it bids to boost Europe’s solar manufacturing capacity by building a gigafactory in France
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The former boss of French rail and energy company Alstom has been appointed chief executive of solar panel manufacturer HoloSolis.
Henri Poupart-Lafarge was CEO of Alstom – one of the world’s most established makers of trains and also a pioneer of steam and gas turbines – from 2016 to March of this year.
Paris-headquartered HoloSolis is building a gigafactory in the Grand Est region of northeast France to manufacture cells and modules. The company claims that when complete, the facility will be able to produce 5GW of solar panels – equivalent to 10 million panels – and create 2,000 jobs.
Poupart-Lafarge said that the “reindustrialisation of green technologies in France is key to making the green transition possible”.  
He added that the gigafactory was being built “at a time when Europe is becoming acutely aware of how far behind it is and of the urgency to act on solar energy issues”.
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It was this need to address Europe’s industrial competitiveness and reclaim a chunk of the global solar that drove the formation of HoloSolis in 2022 by , which then brought in two French partners, real estate developer IDEC Group and agrivoltaic company TSE.
China currently produces 80% of the world’s installed photovoltaic modules, with the EU lagging at 3%. Poupart-Lafarge said: “Photovoltaics has accounted for two-thirds of new electricity generation capacity worldwide by 2025, driven both by the competitiveness of this technology and its environmental performance.
“All the major economic powers, such as China, the United States and India, have built up a sector in this strategic field to ensure their energy sovereignty. But not Europe. I firmly believe that this can still be rectified.”
Poupart-Lafarge is a graduate of École Polytechnique, École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He started his career at the World Bank in Washington before joining France’s Ministry of Economy and Finance in 1994, and subsequently Alstom in 1998 as head of investor relations.
In his time at Alstom, he was senior vice-president of finance at its transmission and distribution, president of the grid division and president of the transport division before becoming chief executive in 2016.
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Telangana tenders 3 GW solar with 6 GWh ESS – megaproject.com

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China proposes ban on exports of perovskite, tandem solar manufacturing technology – pv magazine USA

China’s Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) have proposed prohibiting exports of selected high-efficiency perovskite and tandem solar manufacturing technologies, alongside new restrictions on advanced polysilicon, wafer and crystalline-silicon cell production know-how.
The proposals, published on Oct. 16 under Joint Announcement No. 48 of 2026, would add 12 photovoltaic technologies to China’s Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export. They are part of a broader consultation covering 40 technologies across sectors including solar energy, artificial intelligence and biomedicine. The public consultation runs until Nov. 15.
The proposed export bans cover production processes and related equipment manufacturing technologies for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells based on wafers measuring at least 182 mm and achieving conversion efficiencies of 30% or higher. They also include slot-die coating processes for perovskites with coating widths of at least 1.1 meters.
Additional thresholds apply to large-area modules, including single-junction perovskite modules measuring at least 1 square meter with conversion efficiencies of 18% or higher, and perovskite tandem modules of the same minimum area with efficiencies of at least 28%. The proposed controls target manufacturing technologies meeting these specifications rather than exports of finished modules.
Other technologies proposed for prohibition include cold-hydrogenation fluidized-bed processes for trichlorosilane production with annual single-line capacities of at least 250,000 metric tons, and silane-based fluidized-bed processes with annual capacities of at least 20,000 metric tons. The draft also covers processes for manufacturing silicon wafers no thicker than 70 micrometers and certain edge-passivation technologies for thin crystalline-silicon cells, along with related equipment manufacturing know-how.
The proposed restricted-export category includes polysilicon plant engineering technologies for production lines with annual capacities of at least 30,000 metric tons, as well as advanced crystal-pulling and wafer-cutting processes.
It also covers specified high-performance manufacturing processes for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), back-contact (BC) and heterojunction (HJT) solar cells, including deposition, passivation, diffusion and metallization technologies. The HJT provisions include certain p-type technologies evaluated under air mass zero (AM0) illumination conditions relevant to space applications.
Under China’s technology import and export regulations, prohibited technologies cannot be exported, while restricted technologies can be transferred overseas only with government approval and the necessary licenses.
The proposed export bans and licensing requirements have not yet taken effect. However, a separate interim registration requirement took effect on Oct. 16, when the announcement was issued.
Companies must register planned exports of the listed technologies, including qualifying key equipment, through the Mofcom’s online system before transfer. The requirement covers intellectual property transfers, overseas technology licensing, changes in ownership or control involving foreign entities, and transactions that are underway but have not yet been completed.
The Mofcom said the proposals address national security concerns as photovoltaic technologies increasingly find applications in aerospace, defense and other sensitive sectors. The ministry said technologies that fall below the specified thresholds, as well as finished products manufactured using controlled technologies, are outside the proposed scope. It added that the measures do not target any particular country, region or company.
If adopted, the controls could reinforce China’s position in advanced PV manufacturing by limiting overseas access to some of its most sophisticated production technologies.
Although exports of finished solar cells and modules would not be directly affected, transfers of controlled manufacturing know-how through technology licensing, overseas production-line installation and commissioning, equipment exports and on-site technical support could be prohibited or subject to government approval.
In the near term, the measures could delay overseas PV manufacturing projects, increase compliance costs and limit the deployment of advanced Chinese production technologies abroad. Over the longer term, the restrictions could strengthen China’s influence over the international diffusion of next-generation PV manufacturing technologies, potentially slowing efforts by overseas manufacturers to close the technological gap.
However, tighter controls could also complicate Chinese manufacturers’ international expansion plans and heighten trade tensions or prompt retaliatory measures.
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Vikram Solar subsidiary to build 7.5GWh BESS assembly plant in Tamil Nadu, India – Energy-Storage.News

Vikram Solar subsidiary to build 7.5GWh BESS assembly plant in Tamil Nadu, India  Energy-Storage.News
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New image dataset aims to improve AI-based navigation of PV cleaning robots – pv magazine USA

An international research team developed an open-access image dataset to support visual navigation for autonomous PV cleaning robots under different soiling conditions. The dataset comprises 6,200 annotated images of solar panels, including clean images, synthetically generated contamination at five severity levels, and laboratory images of physically soiled modules.
“The novelty of our research lies in developing a photovoltaic image dataset specifically for the visual navigation of cleaning robots, rather than conventional panel defect inspection,” corresponding author Kumeresan A. Danapalasingam told pv magazine. “By preserving the same reference-line geometry across different levels of simulated soiling, we provide researchers with a systematic way to evaluate whether robotic vision algorithms can reliably identify navigation cues even when the panel surface is contaminated.”
To construct the dataset, the researchers captured top-down images of PV panels using an HF868-2 camera mounted at the front of a solar panel cleaning robot, approximately 15 cm above the module surface. The camera featured a 2.7 mm wide-angle lens with a 135-degree field of view and recorded video at 320 × 240 pixels and 60 frames per second. The images were geometrically calibrated and resized to 160 × 120 pixels to accommodate the computational constraints of onboard robotic vision systems.
The team manually annotated 800 clean images, identifying three types of structural reference lines used for robot navigation: white cell-gap lines, horizontal frame-cell border lines, and vertical frame-cell border lines. We then processed each image using a synthetic augmentation pipeline that generated five additional versions with increasing soiling, from very light to extreme. The simulated effects included bird droppings, water stains, puddles, glare, water accumulation along module frames, and frame dust, with targeted reference-line coverage ranging from 1% to 50% depending on the severity level.
“One particularly interesting aspect of our research is that different forms of contamination can systematically obscure the same photovoltaic reference lines while their underlying geometry remains unchanged,” co-author Xin Li said. “This allows us to isolate the effects of visual degradation from changes in the robot’s viewing geometry. We believe this provides a useful foundation for understanding how visual navigation algorithms fail under challenging conditions and how their robustness can be improved.”
This process produced 4,800 images for training and validation, divided into 3,846 training images and 954 validation images. For testing, the researchers assembled 1,200 images across six clean and synthetic soiling conditions, supplemented by 200 additional images captured on two separate PV panels physically contaminated with pigment droplets, sand, wastewater, and clean water, as well as exposed to high-intensity lighting to simulate glare. The resulting dataset comprises 6,200 images with corresponding annotation files containing reference-line positions, orientations, endpoints, and class identifiers.
“Our next objective is to move beyond dataset development towards reliable autonomous navigation of photovoltaic cleaning robots,” the academics concluded. “We are investigating lightweight artificial intelligence models for estimating the robot’s heading relative to panel reference lines, as well as localization methods that combine visual information with inertial and wheel-encoder measurements. Ultimately, we aim to validate these approaches on physical robotic platforms under realistic operating conditions.”
The paper “A robot-view image dataset of photovoltaic panel reference lines with paired synthetic soiling for cleaning robot navigation” has appeared in Data in Brief. Researchers from the University of Technology Malaysia, Canada’s University of Prince Edward Island, Belgium’s Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Western Norway University, and the Indian university Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham have participated in the study.
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Australia Earmarks AUD 250 Million Under Solar Sunshot Round 3 – TaiyangNews

ARENA is offering up to AUD 250 million in its third Solar Sunshot funding round 
This round targets technologies that can improve the cost and speed of utility-scale solar deployment 
Expressions of interest will open on November 2, 2026, following an information webinar on October 26, 2026 
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is offering up to AUD 250 million to support Australia’s domestic solar PV industry under the third round of its flagship Solar Sunshot program. 
This round focuses on technologies that can make large-scale solar projects cheaper and faster to build. It is open to Australian and international companies incorporated in the country and looking to establish or expand manufacturing there.  
Under the latest call, ARENA will accept proposals for technologies such as solar tracking systems, robotics, advanced automation and prefabrication. Other eligible technologies include those that can reduce the cost of constructing and operating a PV facility.  
It will accept applications for technologies that involve the commercial-scale manufacturing of solar PV technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8 and Commercial Readiness Index (CRI) 3 when manufacturing begins. The idea is to bring commercially mature technologies into local manufacturing.  
“Australia is already a world leader in deploying solar. The next challenge is to reduce the cost and complexity of building projects at much greater scale,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller. He said the call is open to companies with commercially mature technologies that can manufacture at scale in Australia. 
ARENA issued the call for Round 3 on October 15, 2026. Expressions of interest will open on November 2, 2026. Applicants will then be invited by the agency to submit a full application. Details are available on its website.  
It will hold an information webinar on October 26, 2026, to help prospective applicants understand the funding round. 
Recently, ARENA announced up to AUD 31.3 million in funding to support two solar robotics manufacturing facilities under Solar Sunshot round 2 (see Australia Funds Solar Robotics Manufacturing With AUD 31.3M). 
TaiyangNews 2024

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German industry groups oppose proposed solar prosumer grid surcharge – PV Tech

German industry groups oppose proposed solar prosumer grid surcharge  PV Tech
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New Zealand’s Christchurch Airport Hosts 150 MW AC Solar Farm – TaiyangNews

The Kōwhai Park Solar Farm has a capacity of 168 MW DC/150 MW AC and is the largest on New Zealand’s South Island 
Lightsource bp says this is the company’s first completed solar farm in New Zealand 
It will supply clean electricity to Christchurch Airport and dairy processor Synlait  
Kōwhai Park, the largest solar farm on New Zealand’s South Island, has officially opened in Christchurch, adding 168 MW DC/150 MW AC of solar capacity to the country’s electricity system.  
The NZD 273 million project was developed by New Zealand-based renewable energy company Contact Energy and UK-headquartered Lightsource bp. Both partners won a competitive bidding round to build the project in February 2023.  
Back then, they said this would be the largest planned solar park in the country, with 150 MW planned under Phase I (see New Zealand’s Solar Power Market Getting Active). 
Located at Christchurch Airport, the solar farm spans 230 hectares and comprises around 300,000 solar panels. It is expected to generate 275 GWh of electricity annually. This is equivalent to the yearly demand of approximately 36,000 homes. 
The project employed 235 people at peak construction and involved 66 local businesses. It is Lightsource bp’s first completed solar farm in the country. 
Christchurch Airport and dairy processor Synlait will purchase electricity from the project under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Synlait will use 25% of the farm’s output to supply its Dunsandel and Dairyworks facilities.  
Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Justin Watson said, “Kōwhai Park shows what can happen when you think differently about how airport land can be used.” 
Hawke’s Bay Airport in New Zealand is also exploring a solar farm with up to 17 MW installed capacity. In August 2026, it invited EOIs seeking partners (see New Zealand Airport Plans Up To 17 MW Solar PV Capacity). 
TaiyangNews 2024

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Closing the loop on solar: circularity and digital traceability for PV panels – www.ceps.eu

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Energy, climate change and the environment
Solar photovoltaics (PVs) are a key technology for Europe’s clean energy transition, offering deployable renewable energy at low costs, as well as independence from foreign fossil fuels. However, the sector still faces critical challenges when it comes to sustainability, resilience and strategic autonomy.
In line with the 2022 EU Solar Energy Strategy, which aims to install almost 600 GW of solar PV capacity by 2030, installed solar capacity has grown exponentially in recent years. Inevitably, this growth will be mirrored in solar sector waste, with megatonnes of end-of-life solar panel waste already expected by 2030. The issue is that Europe is almost entirely dependent on third countries for solar PVs – from raw materials to modules. This puts control over key characteristics affecting end-of-life management such as hazardous material content, recyclability and repairability out of the hands of European industry.
In this challenging landscape, circularity presents an opportunity for sustainably managing growing volumes of solar PV waste. By facilitating recovery from critical raw material-containing solar PV waste and driving European industrial capacity, it also presents a unique opportunity for securing European resilience and greater strategic autonomy in a sector which is crucial to the clean transition. While the imperative is clear, questions remain as to how to develop a competitive solar PV industrial ecosystem that supports circularity in the EU while also aligning with renewable energy deployment objectives.
This event draws on lessons learned from the implementation of the EU-funded SOPHIA project to discuss the challenges and the necessary conditions for scaling up circularity in the EU solar sector. The event will map the regulatory landscape; address needs for digital product passports (DPPs) and improved traceability; and explore EU waste, product and industrial policy levers. The event will bring together stakeholders from across policy, industry and multiple EU projects to exchange views on how policies can close the loop on the solar PV industry to support the EU’s decarbonisation, resilience and strategic autonomy ambitions.
This event is organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and Recycling Europe.
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Solar inverters in 115°F heat Why they slow down, and what quits first.

Temperatures on a typical Las Vegas afternoon can reach 115°F, which is already near the operating limit for a lot of home solar inverters. An unventilated attic, or a west-facing stucco wall in full sun, exceeds that temperature range. When an inverter “folds back,” it is protecting itself by making less power, and the part…

The post Solar inverters in 115°F heat <br><span style=’color:#404040;font-weight:600;font-size:15px;’>Why they slow down, and what quits first.</span> appeared first on Solar Power World.

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India’s next solar bottleneck may be skilled manpower – pv magazine India

 As installations surge and manufacturing scales up, a shortage of skilled manpower is emerging as a critical bottleneck in the country’s solar expansion. 
India’s solar sector, long constrained by land availability, financing, and technology access, may now be running into a different kind of limitation, skilled manpower. 
With installed solar capacity crossing 168 GW as of August 2026 and nearly 18 GW added in just the first five months of the current fiscal year, the pace of expansion is no longer in question.  
Instead, the focus is shifting to whether the industry has enough trained professionals to sustain this growth. 
The challenge is no longer just about adding capacity,” said a senior executive at a renewable energy EPC firm. “It’s about whether we have enough people who can design, install, and operate these systems efficiently. This shift is particularly relevant as India pushes ambitious targets under schemes such as PM Surya Ghar, which aims to accelerate rooftop solar adoption, alongside domestic manufacturing policies like ALMM and DCR that are reshaping supply chains. 
While these policies have strengthened local manufacturing and improved energy security, they have also increased the complexity of deployment, especially in distributed segments like rooftop solar. Unlike utility-scale projects, rooftop installations require decentralised teams of trained technicians across cities and smaller towns. This has created a visible gap between policy ambition and on-ground execution. 
Industry participants point to delays in installations, inconsistent workmanship, and weak after-sales service as early signs of stress in the ecosystem. A recent CEEW-NRDC study estimates that India’s clean energy transition could generate over 4.4 million jobs, with a significant share in solar manufacturing, installation, and operations. However, the nature of these roles is evolving rapidly. 
Solar projects today demand a mix of electrical engineering expertise, digital monitoring capabilities, and specialised technical knowledge. From commissioning engineers and inverter specialists to SCADA operators and O&M teams, the skill base has widened significantly. 
“Solar plants are no longer just panels in a field,” said an energy analyst. “They are complex, data-driven electrical systems. Without the right people, even the best equipment can underperform.” The challenge extends to manufacturing as well. India is scaling up module production and moving towards advanced technologies such as TOPCon. But industry experts note that expanding factory capacity is easier than building technical expertise. 
“A factory can be built in months, but building skilled teams takes years,” said a manufacturing consultant working with solar companies. Government programmes under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have attempted to address the gap, with over 1.2 lakh candidates trained in FY2025-26 across renewable energy sectors. However, questions remain about whether training quality matches industry requirements. 
Certification alone does not always translate into field readiness — particularly for tasks such as system commissioning, fault diagnosis, and long-term maintenance. “We are adding capacity faster than we are building capability,” said an industry expert. “Unless training systems become more aligned with real project requirements, this gap will start showing in performance and reliability.” The implications are significant. A shortage of skilled manpower can lead to project delays, lower plant performance, higher operational costs, and ultimately reduced returns for investors. 
There is also a structural concern that cannot be ignored. While policy frameworks have successfully accelerated solar deployment, workforce development remains fragmented. Without stronger alignment between training programmes and industry needs, India risks building capacity faster than it can effectively utilise it. 
Looking ahead, industry observers say the next phase of solar growth will depend not just on gigawatts installed, but on the quality of execution. This will require closer collaboration between manufacturers, EPC players, training institutions, and policymakers. 
India has demonstrated its ability to scale solar capacity at speed. The next test is whether it can build the human infrastructure required to sustain it. Because in the next phase of the energy transition, megawatts alone will not define success, people will. 
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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China considers new export curbs on solar, AI, biotech – The Hindu

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October 16, 2026e-Paper
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October 16, 2026e-Paper
Updated – October 16, 2026 05:10 pm IST – Beijing
China on Friday (October 16, 2026) announced a sweeping draft plan to restrict exports of more than 40 cutting-edge technologies, including solar manufacturing technologies, AI models, and some biotech platforms.
A number of technologies related to the manufacture of solar cells have been listed for either a complete export ban or restricted exports. While the draft plan does not restrict most solar exports, the new controls on next-generation solar manufacturing technologies could impact efforts by countries including India to reduce dependence on China as they look to move up the solar chain.
Several AI-driven technologies have also been listed in the draft plan, announced on Friday by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology and titled “Announcement No. 48”.
It covers 40 key technologies in the fields of AI, biomedicine and photovoltaics. Of these, 14 technologies were proposed for a complete prohibition of export, including perovskite and tandem solar-cell module manufacturing technologies, AI-driven technology that could be used to generate and mutate malicious code, and some platforms related to cell and gene therapy.
A further 26 technologies were listed for restricted exports, including polysilicon engineering technologies that are used to make solar cells, if they involve production lines with annual output capacities of at least 30,000 tonnes.
Explaining the move, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that “in recent years, AI, biomedicine and photovoltaic technologies have seen expanding applications in sensitive fields.”
“Major economies around the world have implemented varying degrees of export controls in these areas. Drawing on international practice, China is implementing necessary controls in accordance with the law to prevent risks arising from loss of control over technologies or inappropriate proliferation, while also safeguarding normal international technological cooperation,” the statement said.
On the photovoltaics controls, the statement said China was adding 12 photovoltaic technologies covering polysilicon production, wafer manufacturing and solar-cell manufacturing. Citing the need to “safeguard national security and interests”, the statement said “photovoltaic technologies are increasingly being used in aerospace, defence, unmanned systems and other sensitive sectors; as a result, the national-security implications of technology exports have increased.”
It said “only a limited set of technologies would be regulated” and “other photovoltaic technologies would remain freely exportable.”
On the proposed AI controls, the spokesperson said that while “most AI technologies will continue to be freely exportable”, China was adding 23 key AI technologies covering foundation models, intelligent agents, computing clusters and information-processing technologies.
“Technologies such as autonomous malicious-code generation and mutation could be used to target critical infrastructure, defence systems and core government networks or to evade national security defences,” the statement said. “If such technologies were acquired by malicious actors, they could threaten national security and broader human security. China’s objective is to establish security safeguards, prevent misuse and ensure that AI remains under human control.”
The statement added that China remained “committed to building an open-source AI innovation ecosystem”, and open-source AI projects and overseas chip fabrication activities “would be eligible for facilitation measures” while technologies already in the public domain through open-source publication or academic papers would “generally be exempt from export controls”.
Published – October 16, 2026 04:01 pm IST
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China plans to place 40 technologies including large language models and photovoltaic silicon wafers under export controls, initiating interim registration – BigGo Finance

China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a joint announcement on October 16, 2026, soliciting public comments on revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export in China, while simultaneously implementing interim pre-export registration management for 40 technologies spanning artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and photovoltaics. This represents a concentrated expansion of China’s critical technology export control framework, directly touching the most fiercely contested frontiers of global technology competition.
The announcement stipulates that from the date of issuance until the catalogue revisions are formally implemented, technology exporters must complete registration on the Technology Trade Management Information Application within the Ministry of Commerce’s unified business system platform before exporting technologies listed in the catalogue. Exports that have already commenced but not yet been completed are also subject to registration requirements.
Among the proposed additions, the artificial intelligence sector accounts for the largest share, covering 23 technologies related to large language models, AI agents, computing power clusters, and information processing. The announcement also establishes an important exclusion clause: technologies that have already entered the public domain through open-source releases, academic paper publications, or similar means are not subject to management. This means normal exchanges within the open-source community and academia will not be directly impacted by the new regulations.
The biomedicine sector covers 5 technologies including cell and gene therapy, small nucleic acid drugs, and pathogen-related technologies. Addressing the outbound licensing collaboration model common in the biopharmaceutical industry, the announcement introduces differentiated arrangements: outbound licensing models that do not involve ownership transfer are eligible for facilitation measures such as automatic licensing. This design aims to preserve channels for cross-border license-out transactions by innovative drug companies, avoiding excessive restrictions on normal commercial technology collaboration.
The photovoltaic sector’s control scope covers 12 technologies related to polysilicon manufacturing, silicon wafer manufacturing, and cell manufacturing, with critical and core equipment supporting these technologies also brought under management. China holds dominant global production capacity in polysilicon, silicon wafers, and cell segments, and the risk of technology spillover in related manufacturing processes and equipment has previously drawn attention from multiple parties.
Registration is required in four specific scenarios: transferring technology ownership to overseas entities (such as intellectual property transfers); authorizing overseas use of domestic technology (such as IP licensing); changes in ownership or actual control of domestic technology to overseas entities; and other circumstances explicitly requiring registration as notified by the Ministry of Commerce.
Registration information includes basic details of the technology exporter and recipient, destination country or region, the technology to be exported and its intended use, and the estimated export value of the technology. The announcement permits consolidated filing when exporting multiple technologies to the same recipient in a single transaction; other circumstances should generally be filed separately.
The public comment window runs from October 16 to November 15, 2026, a period of one month. The public may submit comments via email, fax, or mail regarding the scope of newly added technologies, indicators, control policies, and facilitation measures. Comments submitted on behalf of an organization must bear the organization’s official seal.
The legal basis for this revision is the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Technology Import and Export. From a policy trajectory perspective, China has been continuously refining its technology export control system in recent years, having previously imposed export controls on rare earth processing, drones, and certain advanced materials. The inclusion of AI infrastructure technologies such as large language models, AI agents, and computing power clusters in the proposed control list reflects policymakers’ heightened emphasis on technological sovereignty and security boundaries in the AI domain.
For industry participants, the interim registration management will create a transition period before the catalogue formally takes effect. Cross-border technology transfers, overseas licensing, and control changes involving the aforementioned technologies will require advance compliance planning. Companies in the AI sector, in particular, will need to reassess whether overseas technology collaborations or structural adjustments trigger registration obligations.
Notably, the announcement establishes exclusions or facilitation arrangements for open-source technologies, academic publications, and outbound licensing that does not involve ownership transfer, indicating that policymakers are attempting to strike a balance between technology security and innovation openness. The specific indicator details in the final catalogue and the implementation standards for facilitation measures will become key compliance focal points for enterprises going forward.
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JinkoSolar Releases Preliminary Unaudited Financial Results for Jiangxi Jinko for Nine Months Ended September 30, 2026 – News and Statistics – IndexBox

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JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. disclosed on October 16, 2026 that Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., its principal operating subsidiary in which it holds a majority stake, has released estimates for selected preliminary unaudited financial results covering the nine months that ended September 30, 2026.
For that period, Jiangxi Jinko projects a preliminary unaudited net loss attributable to its shareholders ranging from RMB2,976.33 million to RMB3,576.33 million. When extraordinary gains and losses are excluded, the preliminary unaudited net loss attributable to Jiangxi Jinko shareholders is projected to fall between RMB3,811.12 million and RMB4,411.12 million.
The company explained that these Jiangxi Jinko figures diverge from JinkoSolar‘s consolidated financial results for two reasons. First, the scope of consolidation is not the same, since the Jiangxi Jinko numbers are compiled solely for that subsidiary, while the consolidated financials also incorporate statements from JinkoSolar and its other subsidiaries. Second, the accounting standards and principles underlying the two sets of figures differ: the Jiangxi Jinko preliminary unaudited financial results follow PRC GAAP, while the consolidated financials follow accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
JinkoSolar urged investors to review the Jiangxi Jinko preliminary unaudited financial results with caution and cautioned against making investment decisions based solely on those preliminary unaudited figures.
JinkoSolar presently holds an equity interest of approximately 54.32 percent in Jiangxi Jinko.
JinkoSolar presents itself as a holding company that blends clean energy industrial operations with strategic investment in emerging technologies. A controlling interest in Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., described by the company as a global leader in clean energy technology, forms its industrial foundation. According to the company, it pursues disciplined strategic investments in renewable energy, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, commercial space and other frontier technologies, leveraging its industrial experience and its ability to spot emerging technologies and scale them commercially.
Via Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., the company distributes solar products and sells solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base spanning China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.
As of June 30, 2026, JinkoSolar reported over 10 production facilities worldwide, more than 20 overseas subsidiaries in countries including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States and Mexico, and a global sales network with sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Vietnam and India.
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Developing | China mulls new tech export bans covering AI, biotech and solar power – South China Morning Post

Developing | China mulls new tech export bans covering AI, biotech and solar power  South China Morning Post
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Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Ltd (NSE:EMMVEE) (Q2 2027) Earnings Call Highlights: Profit Surges … – Yahoo Finance

Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Ltd (NSE:EMMVEE) (Q2 2027) Earnings Call Highlights: Profit Surges …  Yahoo Finance
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India’s Vikram Solar secures 187 MW module supply order – Evertiq

Vikram Solar, an Indian solar PV module manufacturer, has secured a 187 MW module supply order from a renewable energy developer for solar projects at three locations across the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Under the agreement, Vikram Solar will supply its high-efficiency N-Type TOPCon G12R modules, featuring glass-to-glass construction and bifacial technology, with power ratings ranging from 615–625 Wp, the company said.
The engagement builds on Vikram Solar’s existing association with the developer and adds to Vikram Solar’s growing pipeline as an integrated domestic manufacturer at a time when India is scaling up toward its target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity. 
“As India’s solar sector continues to scale, the focus is increasingly on technologies that can deliver performance, reliability and long-term value across utility-scale projects,” Sameer Nagpal, Chief Executive Officer, Vikram Solar, said. “At Vikram Solar, we remain committed to advancing our technology capabilities and maintaining the manufacturing and execution standards that our customers expect, delivering dependable, high-efficiency solar solutions that support the evolving needs of India’s renewable energy sector.”
Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, Vikram Solar Limited specializes in photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing, with an international presence across 39 countries. 

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Qcells launches solar panels with frames made in Tennessee – Chattanooga Times Free Press



Qcells, a South Korean full-service solar technology provider with major plants in North Georgia, announced new versions of its residential solar panels featuring aluminum frames made in Tennessee.
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China proposes adding 40 AI, biotech, solar technologies to export control list – WHTC

BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) – China has proposed adding 40 technologies across the artificial intelligence, ​biomedicine and photovoltaic sectors to ‌its catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from export, the commerce ministry announced on Friday.
Public opinions are ‌now ​being sought on ⁠the proposed revision until ⁠November 15 and China is simultaneously implementing interim pre-export registration management for the relevant technologies.
Those ​included in the proposed revision are AI models, intelligent ⁠agents and computing ⁠clusters, which are the ​three fundamental building blocks of China’s ​AI industry, at a time ‌of increasing competition and geopolitical tensions with the United States over the technology’s frontier development.
In ⁠a separate statement, the ministry said the revision was proposed as applications of ⁠related ‌technologies in sensitive fields ⁠are constantly expanding and ​that ‌the move was routine ​and does ⁠not target any specific country, region or entity.
(Reporting by Shi Bu, Liz Lee and Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Alison Williams and ​Philippa Fletcher)
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China Imposes Temporary Export Registration Requirements for AI, Biotech and Solar Technologies, Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Export Restrictions – Geopolitechs

On October 16, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) issued Announcement No. 48, proposing revisions to China’s Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export, including 23 AI-related technologies.
At the same time, the authorities introduced an export registration requirement for the technologies listed in the announcement, effective immediately. This requirement also applies to exports that have already commenced but have not yet been completed.
Importantly, the registration requirement is already in effect, while the proposed additions to the export control catalogue remain subject to public consultation.
Pursuant to the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Technology Import and Export, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology propose to revise the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export to include certain technologies in artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and photovoltaics.
With the necessary approval, the proposed revisions are hereby released for public consultation. At the same time, a pre-export registration requirement will be introduced for the relevant technologies.
The public consultation covers 40 technologies across three sectors: artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and photovoltaics.
Artificial Intelligence: The proposed additions cover 23 technologies related to large AI models, AI agents, computing clusters, and information processing. Technologies that have already entered the public domain through open-source releases, academic publications, or other means will not be subject to these controls.
Biomedicine: The proposed additions cover five technologies related to cell and gene therapies, small nucleic acid drugs, and pathogenic microorganisms. Facilitation measures, including automatic licensing, will apply to overseas licensing arrangements that do not involve a transfer of ownership.
Photovoltaics: The proposed additions cover 12 technologies related to polysilicon manufacturing, silicon wafer production, and solar cell manufacturing. The scope of technology controls will also extend to key and core equipment incorporating the relevant technologies.
The specific technologies proposed for inclusion, together with explanations of the relevant policy measures, are provided in Annex 1.
The public may submit comments between October 16 and November 15, 2026, regarding the proposed scope of technologies, technical thresholds, control measures, and facilitation arrangements through the following channels:
Email: jinxianmulu@mofcom.gov.cn
Fax: +86-10-65197565
Postal mail: Bureau of Industry, Security, Import and Export Control, Ministry of Commerce, No. 2 Dong Chang’an Avenue, Beijing 100731, China.
Please indicate “Public Consultation on the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export” in the email subject line, on the cover page of any fax, or on the envelope.
Submissions should include the name of a contact person, the organization they represent, and their contact details. Submissions made on behalf of an organization must bear its official seal.
(1) Effective Period and Scope
From the date of publication of this announcement until the revised Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export is formally issued and takes effect, technology exporters must register the export of any technology listed in the annexes to this announcement before proceeding with the export.
Registration must be completed through the Technology Trade Management Information System on MOFCOM’s Unified Business Platform:
https://ecomp.mofcom.gov.cn
The registration requirement also applies to technology exports that have already commenced but have not yet been completed.
(2) Transactions Subject to Registration
The following types of technology export transactions are subject to registration:
Transfers of technology ownership to overseas entities, including transfers of intellectual property rights.
Licensing of domestically held technologies for use overseas, including intellectual property licensing arrangements.
Changes in the ownership or actual control of domestically held technologies whereby the owner or actual controller becomes an overseas entity.
Other circumstances in which MOFCOM explicitly requires registration through notices or other official communications.
(3) Information Required for Registration
The information to be registered mainly includes:
Basic information about the technology exporter and the technology recipient.
The destination country or region.
Details of the technology proposed for export and its intended use.
The estimated value of the technology export.
The specific information requirements are subject to those set out in the Technology Trade Management Information System on MOFCOM’s Unified Business Platform, as detailed in Annex 2.
Where multiple technologies are intended to be exported to the same recipient as part of a single transaction, they may be included in one registration submission. In other circumstances, separate registrations should generally be submitted.
Annex 1: Proposed Scope of Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical, and Photovoltaic Technologies to Be Included in the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export (Draft for Public Consultation).
Annex 2: Technology Export Information Registration Form.
Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China
October 16, 2026
Serial number; industry sector; code; technology name; control points.
Internet and related services. High-performance detection technology: Technologies for manufacturing authentication systems and equipment specifically or mainly used for preventing and handling security risks in cross-border transmission of China’s network data, where the detection accuracy and recall rate for deeply synthesized video, audio, images, or multimodal information are 95%.
Information confrontation technology: 1. AI autonomous-driven malicious code generation and mutation technologies that have any of the following characteristics and may be used to attack highly sensitive systems such as national critical information infrastructure, national defense and military industry, and core government affairs, or to bypass national security defense systems: (1) an attack success rate of 60% against multi-engine malware detectors;
(2) an attack success rate of 85% against a single mainstream antivirus software;
(3) an attack success rate of 90% against machine learning models.
2. Adaptive evolution in adversarial environments and runtime dynamic behavior modification technologies that have any of the following characteristics and may be used to attack highly sensitive systems such as national critical information infrastructure, national defense and military industry, and core government affairs, or to bypass national security defense systems: (1) capable of detecting virtualization sandboxes, debuggers, and emulators, identifying the type and version of security products, or achieving sandbox escape;
(2) under the premise of maintaining complete malicious functionality, automatically rewriting 50% of code structure or control flow upon each execution.
3. Automated antivirus-evasion variant batch generation and distributed large-scale deployment technologies that have any of the following characteristics and may be used to attack highly sensitive systems such as national critical information infrastructure, national defense and military industry, and core government affairs, or to bypass national security defense systems: (1) generating 20 functionally equivalent but structurally different variants in a single run, or having an end-to-end automation rate of 80%;
(2) based on a single baseline payload, generating more than 10 variants every 24 hours with syntax tree divergence of 30%;
(3) sampled variants showing 90% consistency in behavioral profiles in sandboxes.
Software and information technology services. AI large model technology: Large models that provide services after being trained using China’s core data.
Note: The scope of “core data” is determined by the Data Security Law of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant laws and regulations.
Software and information technology services. AI agent technology: Agents specifically or mainly used in highly sensitive application scenarios such as national critical information infrastructure, national defense and military industry, and core government affairs, and reaching a high-performance level.
Note: “High performance” means meeting the control indicators for restricted-category AI agent technology under 266505X.
Serial number; industry sector; code; technology name; control points.
Internet and related services. High-performance detection technology: (Added on the basis of the existing seven items under this category of technology) 8. Technologies for manufacturing detection systems and equipment for deeply synthesized video, audio, images, or multimodal information, with accuracy and recall rate of 98%.
9. Video and image information steganography and extraction technologies that simultaneously meet the following characteristics: (1) high robustness, with an error code rate of 0.5% or recall rate of 99.9%;
(2) low false alarm rate, with false positive rate (FPR) of 0.1%;
(3) high imperceptibility, with structural similarity index (SSIM) of 0.999, or peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 41 dB, or learned perceptual image patch similarity (LPIPS) of 0.005.
Information confrontation technology: (Added on the basis of the existing five items under this category of technology) 6. AI-assisted vulnerability discovery technologies with any of the following characteristics: (1) in authoritative security benchmark tests, a vulnerability reproduction or exploitability determination score of 75%;
(2) for known publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, an end-to-end success rate for independently completing the process from vulnerability analysis to construction of a complete exploit chain: 50% success rate for mainstream operating systems or browsers, or 40% success rate for exploit construction at the arbitrary-code-execution level;
(3) vulnerability discovery and exploitation efficiency achieving an improvement of 10 times or more compared with the benchmark implementation by senior security experts, or achieving a performance improvement of 10 times or more in the number of exploitable vulnerabilities discovered in standard vulnerability database security benchmark tests;
(4) capable of autonomously chaining two or more low-risk or medium-risk software defects into a complete multi-stage attack chain and generating runnable proof-of-concept code;
(5) under a conventional testing framework, capable of autonomously discovering in one pass more than 5 previously undisclosed high-risk security defects, or more than 50 previously undisclosed security defects, in a major open-source project or mainstream operating system;
(6) reaching the highest level in mainstream domestic and international exploit capability grading systems.
Software and information technology services. Information processing technology: (Added on the basis of the existing 18 items under this category of technology) 19. Voiceprint recognition technologies with any of the following characteristics, including core voiceprint algorithm technology, anti-attack and anti-forgery technology, voiceprint recognition system technology, voiceprint data processing and protection technology, etc.: (1) under conditions of false positive rate (FPR) of 0.01%, enrollment speech duration of 30 seconds, test speech duration of 10 seconds, and speech signal-to-noise ratio of 20 dB, a true positive rate (TPR) of 99.1%;
(2) single voiceprint end-to-end processing latency of 300 milliseconds, and throughput of 100 requests/second;
(3) overall detection rate of 98% for common fraud attacks such as recording replay, speech synthesis, and voice conversion, or false acceptance rate of 1%;
(4) possessing specialized optimization capabilities for voiceprint recognition of minority languages or specific regional dialects, and recognition accuracy of 90% under standard test conditions.
20. Translation technologies with any of the following characteristics, specifically or mainly used for Chinese and minority languages: (1) an average mean opinion score (MOS) of 4.8 obtained through human evaluation on standard test sets;
(2) where translation semantic fidelity is 95%, a BLEU similarity score with standard answers of 35 for general-scenario translation, or 30 for professional-domain translation.
Software and information technology services. AI large model technology: 1. Large models that provide services after being trained using China’s important data.
2. Core technologies of large models with any of the following characteristics, including weight parameters, key checkpoints, underlying source code, architecture design, and technologies such as training optimization and inference acceleration: (1) computational volume of 1026 floating-point operations;
(2) parameter count of 000 billion;
(3) capabilities reaching the world-leading level.
Notes: Where only a trace amount (0.1%) of important data is used for training, the important data used cannot substantially improve the model’s core technology R&D capability in that data field, security measures such as desensitization and cleaning are adopted, the important data will not be reproduced in the output stage, or the relevant important data can be legally and publicly obtained, it is not included in the scope of administration of item 1. The scope of “important data” is determined by the Data Security Law of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant laws and regulations.
“Capabilities reaching the world-leading level” means that, at the time of the export activity, the model ranks among the global top 10 in public evaluations by mainstream domestic and international evaluation institutions, large-scale industry platforms, etc., in terms of comprehensive performance of large models, specialized business capabilities, global call volume, safety performance, training efficiency, etc.
Software and information technology services. AI agent technology: 1. Autonomous planning and task decomposition technology, capable of automatically decomposing natural-language instructions into a chain of 20 executable subtasks, with subtask decomposition accuracy of 80% and average subtask success rate of 90%.
2. Multi-agent collaborative architecture technology, supporting 60 concurrent collaborative agents, with overall task completion time, under the same effect, being two times the minimum completion time of a single agent, and the consistency rate between the final multi-agent conclusion and the standard answer being 85%.
3. Tool calling and system operation technology, supporting integration of 200 third-party tools, with tool selection accuracy of 90%, and in scenarios requiring three or more tools to collaborate to complete a task, average end-to-end task success rate of 90%.
4. AI game decision-making technology with all of the following characteristics: (1) single-task decision planning depth of 20 steps or 10 concurrent game agents;
(2) possessing strategy self-adaptation capability, complex dynamic game decision latency of 200 milliseconds and 10 control units;
(3) exceeding 90% of humans on standard game benchmarks.
Software and information technology services. AI chip design technology: 1. AI processor chip design technologies with any of the following characteristics, including chip architecture, self-developed instruction sets, intelligent computing intellectual property cores, supporting foundational software stacks, etc.: (1) requiring use of 14 nm or below manufacturing process;
(2) possessing floating-point or integer computing capability;
(3) adopting 2.5D or 3D advanced packaging integration technology;
(4) possessing high-speed interconnection capability;
(5) new architectures based on non-von Neumann architectures such as compute-in-memory and neuromorphic computing;
(6) applicable to specific scenarios such as autonomous driving, computer vision, and intelligent speech.
2. Memory chip design technology: (1) 3D flash memory chip design technologies with any of the following characteristics: 1) storage density of 8 gigabits per square millimeter (Gb/mm2); 2) I/O rate of 1.5 gigabits per second (Gbps); 3) adoption of bonding technology. (2) Memory chip design technologies with any of the following characteristics: 1) requiring use of 18 nm or below memory manufacturing process; 2) adopting a vertical-channel transistor architecture; 3) adopting bonding technology; 4) implementing multilayer stacking.
Software and information technology services. AI computing power cluster technology: 1. Inter-chip or inter-node high-speed interconnection technology for large-scale intelligent computing clusters, with bidirectional bandwidth of 800 gigabytes per second (GB/s).
2. Distributed training fault-tolerance technologies with any of the following characteristics, used in large-scale intelligent computing clusters to ensure stable operation of distributed training: (1) average mean time to recovery (MTTR) of the checkpoint recovery mechanism of 120 seconds;
(2) supporting automatic fault sensing and seamless task migration, with visible interruption time caused by faults to training tasks of 30 seconds;
(3) under a typical cluster scale, the effective computing power waste rate of graphics processing units (GPUs) caused by network faults is 5%.
3. Efficient communication scheduling technologies with any of the following characteristics, used in large-scale intelligent computing clusters to optimize cluster communication efficiency: (1) linear scalability of 98%;
(2) possessing dynamic topology-aware routing and cross-multiple-plane load balancing capabilities, with end-to-end communication latency of 1 microsecond;
(3) supporting deep overlap of communication and computation, with communication hiding rate of 90%.
4. Heterogeneous-cluster efficient inference and scheduling technologies with any of the following characteristics, supporting unified scheduling and collaborative inference of AI chips from two or more different vendors in large-scale intelligent computing clusters, including heterogeneous computing power unified scheduling frameworks, mixed-precision collaborative training technologies, heterogeneous inference optimization technologies, heterogeneous-cluster intelligent operation and maintenance technologies, etc.: (1) supporting unified adaptation and hybrid scheduling of two or more high-speed communication protocols, with cross-chip communication bandwidth utilization of 90%, or cross-node end-side communication latency of 5 microseconds;
(2) supporting unified management of computing nodes across more than two different architectures, with throughput performance of heterogeneous inference clusters improved by 30% compared with a single-chip cluster solution, or average utilization of AI accelerator cards in heterogeneous clusters improved by 65%, or inference cost reduced by 20% compared with a single-chip solution, or cluster average fault recovery time of 10 minutes and cluster availability of 99.9%;
(3) supporting unified computing power scheduling and task allocation across two or more geographically distributed intelligent computing centers, with cross-region scheduling training efficiency being 80% of single-cluster efficiency, or supporting real-time load balancing and task migration for cross-region heterogeneous computing power resources.
Note: “Large-scale intelligent computing cluster” refers to a computing entity with more than 10,000 AI accelerator cards in total.
Serial number; industry sector; code; technology name; control points.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing. Original cell and gene therapy technology: Cell and gene therapy technology process platforms with independent intellectual property rights.
Notes: Only outbound transfer of ownership is prohibited; outbound licensing, use of relevant technology processes to provide outsourced R&D and production services, and other circumstances that do not transfer ownership outbound are not within the scope of administration. For specific drug varieties at different R&D and production stages, relevant technology processes necessary for R&D, testing, production, quality control, marketing, compliance, etc. in the course of outbound cooperation or business transactions (BD) are not within the scope of administration.
“Technology process platform” refers to a set of reusable underlying common technologies formed through long-term R&D accumulation and capable of supporting the development of multiple drugs. Development technologies and processes used for a single drug variety are not within this scope.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing. Original small nucleic acid drug technology: Small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) drug technology process platforms with independent intellectual property rights.
Notes: Only outbound transfer of ownership is prohibited; outbound licensing, use of relevant technology processes to provide outsourced R&D and production services, and other circumstances that do not transfer ownership outbound are not within the scope of administration. For specific drug varieties at different R&D and production stages, relevant technology processes necessary for R&D, testing, production, quality control, marketing, compliance, etc. in the course of outbound cooperation or business transactions (BD) are not within the scope of administration.
“Technology process platform” refers to a set of reusable underlying common technologies formed through long-term R&D accumulation and capable of supporting the development of multiple drugs. Development technologies and processes used for a single drug variety are not within this scope.
Research and experimental development. Pathogenic microorganism technology: Artificial genetic modification and directed passage gain technologies for pathogenic microorganisms, with any of the following characteristics: (1) function-enhancement technologies for known or potential pathogenic microorganisms;
(2) passage culture systems and processes used for large-scale proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, directed accelerated evolution, and stable maintenance of specific virulence characteristics;
(3) artificial controlled passage induction technologies simulating natural evolutionary processes.
Serial number; industry sector; code; technology name; control points.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing. Original cell and gene therapy technology: Completely novel target discovery and validation technologies for cell and gene therapy with independent intellectual property rights.
Notes: “Completely novel target” refers to a drug target that has not been publicly disclosed worldwide through patents, academic literature, public databases, industry technical materials, academic conferences, or other channels.
“Completely novel target discovery and validation technology” refers to technology used to screen, discover, and confirm completely novel targets and to identify drug action sites with druggability potential.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing. Original small nucleic acid drug technology: Completely novel target discovery and validation technologies for small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) with independent intellectual property rights.
Notes: “Completely novel target” refers to a drug target that has not been publicly disclosed worldwide through patents, academic literature, public databases, industry technical materials, academic conferences, or other channels.
“Completely novel target discovery and validation technology” refers to technology used to screen, discover, and confirm completely novel targets and to identify drug action sites with druggability potential.
Serial number; industry sector; code; technology name; control points.
Non-metallic mineral products industry. Polysilicon preparation technology: 1. Cold hydrogenation fluidized-bed process with single-line trichlorosilane production capacity of 250,000 tons/year, and technologies for manufacturing its equipment.
2. Silane fluidized-bed process with single-line capacity of 20,000 tons/year, and technologies for manufacturing its equipment.
Non-metallic mineral products industry. Silicon wafer preparation technology: Silicon wafer preparation technology with thickness of 70 micrometers, and technologies for manufacturing its equipment.
Note: “Silicon wafer preparation technology” includes program code, underlying algorithm models, equipment drawings, etc.
Electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing. Photovoltaic cell preparation technology: 1. Edge passivation photovoltaic-specific technology for crystalline silicon cell preparation, and technologies for manufacturing its equipment, simultaneously meeting the following conditions: (1) usable for full, half, or multi-split solar silicon wafers, and calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters;
(2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers.
2. Perovskite and tandem cell module production technologies, and technologies for manufacturing their equipment, including: (1) perovskite-crystalline silicon tandem cell technology, with mass-produced silicon wafer size of 182 millimeters and efficiency of 30%;
(2) perovskite-specific slot-die coating technology, with processing width of 1.1 meters;
(3) large-area single-junction perovskite cell module technology, with single-junction perovskite cell module area of 1 square meter and efficiency of 18%;
(4) large-area tandem perovskite cell module technology, with module area of 1 square meter and efficiency of 28%.
Serial number; industry sector; code; technology name; control points.
Non-metallic mineral products industry. Polysilicon preparation technology: 1. Polysilicon engineering technology with single-line capacity of 30,000 tons/year.
2. Reduction process with single reduction furnace polysilicon capacity of 800 tons/year, and technologies for manufacturing its equipment.
Note: “Engineering technology” includes equipment engineering design, plant construction engineering design, process packages, etc.
Non-metallic mineral products industry. Silicon wafer preparation technology: 1. Technologies for pulling photovoltaic monocrystalline silicon rods, and technologies for manufacturing their equipment, including: (1) monocrystalline furnace design application schemes with furnace body chamber inner diameter of 1600 millimeters;
(2) monocrystalline furnace thermal field design application schemes with size of 35 inches;
(3) monocrystalline furnace design application schemes with pulling speed of 1.2 millimeters/minute;
(4) monocrystalline furnace design application schemes with constant-diameter power consumption of 40 kilowatts.
2. Machining technologies for photovoltaic monocrystalline silicon rods, and technologies for manufacturing their equipment, including: (1) half-rod cutting and grinding preparation processing technology;
(2) machining technology usable for manufacturing silicon rods with length of 720 millimeters.
3. Ultra-thin large-size photovoltaic silicon wafer preparation technologies, and technologies for manufacturing their equipment, including: (1) preparation technologies usable for manufacturing rectangular silicon wafers with any side length of 182 millimeters;
(2) technologies usable for preparing silicon wafers with thickness of 130 micrometers or below: 1) tungsten-wire slicing technology of 28 micrometers or below; 2) slicing equipment design application schemes with spindle speed of 6500 revolutions/minute, or main roller diameter of 120 millimeters, or transverse axial distance of main rollers of 370 millimeters.
Electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing. Photovoltaic cell preparation technology: 1. Preparation technologies for high-efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and high-efficiency back contact (XBC) crystalline silicon cells, and technologies for manufacturing their equipment, including: (1) ultra-thin tunnel oxide layer and doped polysilicon selective passivated contact layer low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) photovoltaic-specific coating technologies simultaneously meeting the following conditions: 1) usable for full, half, or multi-split solar silicon wafers, and calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters; 2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers; 3) calculated by a full G12 silicon wafer, LPCVD equipment capacity of 6000 wafers/hour and PECVD equipment capacity of 6000 wafers/hour. (2) Aluminum oxide surface passivation layer atomic layer deposition (ALD) photovoltaic-specific coating technologies simultaneously meeting the following conditions: 1) calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters; 2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers; 3) calculated by a full G12 silicon wafer, capacity of 12000 wafers/hour. (3) High-temperature boron diffusion photovoltaic-specific technologies simultaneously meeting the following conditions: 1) calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters; 2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers; 3) calculated by a full G12 silicon wafer, capacity of 4500 wafers/hour. (4) TOPCon cell copper electroplating electrode preparation technologies simultaneously meeting the following conditions: 1) usable for full, half, or multi-split solar silicon wafers, and calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters; 2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers. (5) Low-temperature amorphous or microcrystalline silicon deposition and PECVD photovoltaic-specific coating technologies simultaneously meeting the following conditions: 1) usable for full, half, or multi-split solar silicon wafers, and calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters; 2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers. (6) XBC cell electroplating and chemical coating technologies simultaneously meeting the following conditions: 1) used for full, half, or multi-split solar silicon wafers, and calculated by the size of a full silicon wafer, each side length is between 182 and 230 millimeters; 2) silicon wafer thickness of 140 micrometers.
2. Heterojunction (HJT) crystalline silicon cell preparation technologies, and technologies for manufacturing their equipment, including: (1) heterojunction cell stacked transparent conductive film deposition technologies with any of the following characteristics, usable for processing silicon wafers with thickness of 110 micrometers: 1) indium content in transparent conductive film of 50%; 2) calculated by G12 silicon wafers, capacity of 14000 half-wafers/hour. (2) heterojunction cell crystalline silicon film deposition technologies with any of the following characteristics, usable for processing silicon wafers with thickness of 110 micrometers: 1) used for high-efficiency N-type heterojunction cells, with film crystallization rate of 40%, or calculated by G12 silicon wafers, capacity of 14000 half-wafers/hour; 2) used for P-type heterojunction cells, with maximum conversion efficiency of 23% under AM1.5 test conditions, or maximum conversion efficiency of 20.5% under AM0 test conditions. (3) Low-silver silver-coated copper heterojunction solar cell preparation technology, with silver content of 30%. (4) Copper electroplating electrode heterojunction cell preparation technology.
Note: In this category of technologies, “high efficiency” means average cell conversion efficiency of 25% under AM1.5 test conditions, or average mass-produced module conversion efficiency of 22. 3%.
Technologies that have entered the public domain through open source, publication of academic papers, or other means are not included in the scope of administration.
For technology exports involving open source of this category of technologies, as well as Chinese enterprises’ self-built and self-operated computing power centers overseas, overseas chip tape-out manufacturing, joint R&D using overseas resources, participation in international standard setting, and other circumstances, facilitation measures such as automatic licensing shall apply.
For technology exports involving public health emergencies, humanitarian assistance, joint R&D using overseas resources, outbound licensing, and other circumstances, facilitation measures such as automatic licensing shall apply.
The scope of technology administration also includes key and core equipment carrying the relevant technologies, specifically including trichlorosilane cold hydrogenation fluidized beds, silane fluidized beds, reduction furnaces, photovoltaic silicon wafer slicing equipment, monocrystalline furnaces applied to photovoltaic crystal pulling, machining equipment for photovoltaic silicon wafer preparation such as truncating and squaring, photovoltaic silicon wafer slicing equipment, edge passivation equipment (EPD) applied to half-wafer or multi-split processes, tunnel oxide doped polysilicon selective passivated contact layer deposition equipment (including both PECVD and LPCVD equipment), atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment, high-temperature boron diffusion furnaces, copper electroplating equipment applied to TOPCon cells, crystalline silicon film deposition (PECVD) equipment applied to HBC and HTBC cells, copper electroplating equipment applied to XBC cells, transparent conductive film deposition equipment (PVD), amorphous or microcrystalline silicon film deposition equipment (PECVD), heterojunction cell copper electroplating equipment, and slot-die coating equipment.

On October 16, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) issued Announcement No. 48 of 2026, launching a public consultation on proposed revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export (the “Catalogue”) and introducing temporary pre-export registration requirements for the relevant technologies.
A MOFCOM spokesperson responded to questions from the media regarding the announcement.
A: Under Article 20 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China, the competent foreign trade department of the State Council, together with other relevant departments, is responsible for formulating, adjusting, and publishing the catalogue of technologies prohibited or restricted from export.
Since 2001, MOFCOM and MOST have revised the Catalogue on multiple occasions, adding some technologies, removing others, introducing controls where necessary, and relaxing restrictions where appropriate. This has become an established regulatory practice.
The current revision is likewise part of China’s routine technology trade management, conducted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. It is not directed at any particular country, region, or entity.
In recent years, technologies related to artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and photovoltaics have increasingly been applied in sensitive areas. Major economies have introduced export controls of varying degrees in these sectors.
Drawing on internationally accepted practices, China is implementing necessary regulatory measures in accordance with the law. The objective is to prevent the risks of technology becoming uncontrollable or spreading inappropriately, while safeguarding normal international technological exchanges and cooperation, and ensuring that technological development remains beneficial, safe, controllable, and serves humanity.
A: The public consultation covers 40 key technologies across three sectors: artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and photovoltaics.
Fourteen technologies are proposed to be prohibited from export, including AI-driven malicious code generation and mutation technologies, proprietary technology platforms and processes for cell and gene therapies, and production technologies for perovskite and tandem solar cell modules.
Twenty-six technologies are proposed to be restricted from export, including AI-assisted vulnerability discovery technologies, proprietary technologies for discovering and validating novel targets for general-purpose cell and gene therapies, and polysilicon engineering technologies with a production capacity of at least 30,000 tonnes per year per production line.
The announcement also specifies circumstances in which facilitation measures may apply. Further details are available in the original announcement.
A: The Chinese government has consistently supported enterprises in conducting mutually beneficial international business operations and technological cooperation in accordance with laws and regulations. This policy position remains unchanged.
Before launching the public consultation, MOFCOM and MOST, together with the relevant industry authorities, organized extensive assessments involving research institutions and industry associations. They also consulted major enterprises and carefully considered the current state and development needs of industries both in China and overseas.
This is reflected in three main aspects.
First, the scope of controls is precise and limited. Most of the technologies proposed for inclusion are defined by specific technical parameters. Products manufactured using these technologies are not subject to the controls. This provides enterprises with clear and narrowly defined compliance boundaries and facilitates implementation.
Second, facilitation measures will be available. The proposed controls identify various export scenarios eligible for simplified procedures, reflecting a differentiated and category-based regulatory approach. This is intended to improve policy transparency and predictability while ensuring that technology exports remain safe, compliant, and orderly.
Third, the Catalogue will be dynamically adjusted. MOFCOM and MOST will continue to adjust the scope of the Catalogue in accordance with the law and technological developments, removing technologies that are no longer advanced or have become obsolete.
The current public consultation is intended to gather views and recommendations from a broader range of stakeholders.
A: Global AI innovation is entering a period of unprecedented activity, bringing both opportunities and challenges.
The proposal to add 23 key technologies related to large AI models, AI agents, computing clusters, and information processing is based primarily on two considerations.
First, ensuring that AI technologies remain safe and controllable.
The inherent and associated risks of AI have attracted significant attention worldwide.
Some of the technologies proposed for control, such as AI-driven autonomous malicious code generation and mutation technologies, could be used to attack sensitive systems, including national critical information infrastructure, defense and military systems, and core government systems, or to circumvent national security defenses.
If acquired by non-state actors or malicious entities, these technologies could pose risks to national security and the shared security of humanity.
The Chinese government’s purpose in introducing necessary controls is to establish safeguards against misuse and malicious applications, ensure that AI remains under human control, and advance international AI governance.
Second, encouraging open source development, openness, cooperation, and technology sharing.
The Chinese government is committed to making AI an important driver of shared prosperity and common security.
To support the development of an open-source AI innovation ecosystem, facilitation measures, including automatic licensing, will apply to several categories of technology exports, including:
Open-source releases of AI technologies.
Chinese companies establishing and operating their own computing centers overseas.
Overseas semiconductor tape-out and manufacturing activities.
Joint research and development using overseas resources.
Participation in international standards development.
These measures are intended to allow exports to proceed with minimal delay, essentially on a “register and export” basis.
Technologies that have already entered the public domain through open-source releases, academic publications, or other means are proposed to be excluded from export controls, creating a favorable environment for international AI exchanges and cooperation.
It should be particularly emphasized that China advocates AI dialogue and cooperation with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, in order to jointly address the risks of AI proliferation and loss of control.
China supports Global South countries in strengthening their AI capabilities, bridging the digital divide, and promoting sustainable development.
Additional facilitation and support will be provided for technology exports required for international cooperation among members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, including capacity building, technology sharing, and joint development of rules.
A: Chinese AI models and applications are expanding internationally through a wide range of business models.
The key factor in determining whether a particular form of overseas expansion falls within the scope of technology export controls is whether it involves the transfer of restricted technologies from within China to overseas destinations.
The scope of AI technologies proposed for control is precise and limited. Once the relevant measures formally take effect, the vast majority of AI technologies will remain freely exportable.
For AI technologies classified as restricted:
Overseas local deployment falls within the scope of technology export controls. However, where deployment takes place on a company’s own overseas cloud infrastructure or under other relatively controllable circumstances, facilitation measures such as automatic licensing may apply.
By contrast, where enterprises use restricted large AI models to provide API access, interactions through apps or websites, SaaS applications, or lightweight deployment on local end-user devices, these activities do not fall within the scope of large AI model technology export controls.
A: The existing Catalogue already includes certain biomedical technologies. The current proposal would add five technologies related to pathogenic microorganisms, cell and gene therapies, and small nucleic acid drugs.
There are three main considerations.
First, protecting human health and safety.
Technologies involving pathogenic microorganisms are directly related to public health and national biosecurity.
Prohibiting the export of these technologies is an institutional measure intended to safeguard national security, strengthen biosecurity protections, and protect human health globally.
Second, supporting orderly international cooperation in China’s biomedical sector in accordance with laws and regulations.
The proposed controls include exemptions or facilitation measures for important forms of international cooperation.
For example, overseas licensing of relevant proprietary technology platforms and processes, as well as the provision of outsourced R&D and manufacturing services using those technologies, will be excluded from the scope of controls.
For proprietary technologies involving the discovery and validation of relevant therapeutic targets, exports conducted through overseas licensing arrangements will be eligible for facilitation measures such as automatic licensing.
Third, advancing the vision of a global community of health for all.
The proposed policy explicitly provides for automatic licensing and other facilitation measures for exports of restricted technologies required for public health emergencies, humanitarian assistance, or joint R&D using overseas resources.
China will continue to share the benefits of technological development with other countries and contribute to improving global health and well-being.
A: The proposal would add 12 photovoltaic technologies covering polysilicon manufacturing, silicon wafer manufacturing, and solar cell manufacturing.
The main considerations are as follows.
First, safeguarding national security and interests.
In recent years, photovoltaic technologies have increasingly been applied in sensitive areas such as aerospace, national defense, unmanned systems, and high-security infrastructure.
The potential national security risks associated with photovoltaic technology exports have therefore increased, making timely and proportionate regulation necessary.
Second, supporting the sharing of green technologies.
The scope of technologies proposed for control is limited. Technologies that do not meet the specified control thresholds may continue to be exported freely.
The announcement identifies a small number of key photovoltaic equipment categories. Controls apply only where such equipment incorporates technologies meeting the specified control thresholds.
Other photovoltaic equipment not explicitly listed in the announcement will, in principle, not be subject to its requirements.
Third, improving the technology export regulatory framework.
Exports of key photovoltaic technologies often take place alongside the export, installation, commissioning, modification, and upgrading of photovoltaic production lines.
Exporters engaged in such activities must apply for technology export licenses in accordance with applicable regulations and use the relevant documentation to complete foreign exchange, banking, tax, customs, and other procedures.
A: To better understand demand for technology exports, improve evidence-based regulatory management, and prevent potential export risks, the temporary registration requirement has been introduced with the necessary approval pursuant to Articles 18 and 20 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China.
From the publication date of MOFCOM and MOST Announcement No. 48 of 2026 until the revised Catalogue formally takes effect, technology exporters must register exports of the technologies listed in the announcement through the Technology Trade Management Information System on MOFCOM’s Unified Business Platform before proceeding with the exports.
Exporters are responsible for determining whether their proposed technology exports fall within the scope of the temporary registration requirement.
Exports that have already commenced but have not yet been completed are also subject to registration.
The following circumstances require registration:
Transfers of technology ownership to overseas entities.
Licensing of domestically held technologies for use overseas.
Changes whereby the owner or actual controller of domestically held technologies becomes an overseas entity.
Other circumstances explicitly designated by MOFCOM as requiring registration.
It should be particularly noted that exports of key and core photovoltaic equipment falling within the scope of the Catalogue must also be registered in accordance with the relevant requirements.
Enterprises encountering difficulties or questions during the registration process may consult MOFCOM and MOST for assistance.
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Low-Energy Friday: Permissionless Solar – R Street Institute

As we all wait for voting on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 to commence, it seemed appropriate to discuss an idea and technology that has taken hold in other countries and is beginning to be adopted in the United States: Permissionless Solar. 
In short, “permissionless solar” refers to solar panels specifically designed to integrate with the broader electric system without a permit or “permission” from a regulatory body. Most are simple enough that you don’t even need an electrician to install them. In practice, this means you can purchase a panel at your local big box retailer along with a gallon of milk. When you get home, you can stow the milk in the fridge and unbox the panel, appropriately orient it towards the sun, and plug it into the wall. Just as simply as you could plug in other appliances, whether a TV or a deep freezer.
It is well established that it costs more to install rooftop solar in the United States than in either Europe or Australia, even when the hardware costs are nearly the same. One component driving that difference is the cost of permitting and installation. And permitting is an important step when you’re affixing panels to roofs and hardwiring inverters and panels into a system that could potentially add power to the grid. On top of that, if you want to install rooftop solar, you need to own the roof, which only 53% of Americans do. If you’re in the 47% who don’t own your own home, solar is not an option, even in the face of increasing utility costs.
At least it wasn’t an option. Now that’s starting to change. Utah started a trend in 2025 with the passage of HB 340. Since then, 10 other states have passed legislation authorizing various forms of plug-in solar. Many others had bills introduced in 2026, with twenty-one of them likely to be reintroduced in 2027. 
What does this look like in practice in Utah? The system can have an output no greater than 1,200 watts (about enough to power a microwave), has to have a standard 120 volt plug to plug into the wall, must be certified by an appropriate testing laboratory (UL or equivalent), compliant with the National Electric Code, and must contain anti-islanding protection (a safety feature that automatically shuts it down or disconnects it from the grid during power losses).
This last bit is critical, and a key piece of why this plug-in solar can be permissionless. When the power grid goes down, due to a squirrel making a questionable decision or a lightning strike causing a tree to topple some lines, the distribution system de-energizes for safety. When linesmen come to inspect the damage and determine the appropriate fix, they rely on those lines being “cold” so they can safely work with the lines and poles and return everything to service as quickly as possible. Without the anti-islanding protection scheme in the solar hardware, there is a risk the solar could push a current to the grid and seriously injure or kill a linesman. With it, the local utility can be assured of the safety of their linesmen.
So where did this all come from? Germany. In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine, European energy prices increased dramatically in part due to an overreliance on Russian natural gas. In order to help mitigate the costs, Germany reduced the regulatory burden of installing “Balkonkraftwerk,” or balcony power plant. Consequently, they went from an estimated 40,000 systems in 2017 to potentially four million systems in 2025. To be clear, this was about energy affordability, not clean power for the sake of it. The Germans limited the size of their systems to 2000 watts for panels. In the United States, that might offset between 12 and 18 percent of monthly kilowatt-hours purchased from the local utility by the target customer or renter. 
So as the calendar turns, and legislatures return to state capitals, permissionless solar should be a part of the affordability conversation. Customers should be able to choose what they do behind their meter while maintaining the safety of the broader grid. They say necessity is the mother of invention, but in this case it was also the mother of deregulation. Permissionless solar isn’t going to upend the electric grid, but it is a way to help consumers save a little cash while providing a hedge against power market volatility. Allowing it should be an easy call.
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China adds 40 technologies in AI, biomedicine and PV for export controls in draft revised catalog – Global Times

The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG
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Breaking | China mulls new tech export bans covering AI, biotech and solar power – South China Morning Post

Breaking | China mulls new tech export bans covering AI, biotech and solar power  South China Morning Post
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Florida homeowner paid $60,000 for Tesla solar, then Powerwall failed in hurricane blackout – The Cool Down

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“Only advice you need is to contact the installer as everything, labor and materials, should be under warranty.”
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A home battery backup can look good on paper and still fall short when the grid goes down.
One Florida homeowner says their nearly 12-kilowatt solar setup with a Powerwall 3 failed within about 20 minutes of a blackout caused by Hurricane Isaias, despite the battery being in storm mode and charged to 100%.
The homeowner shared their story with Reddit’s r/TeslaSolar forum. The original poster said they paid Tesla about $60,000 in cash for the system about five months ago and lost grid power during the October hurricane.
Once the blackout started, the homeowner said the Powerwall ran the house for about 20 minutes before the Tesla logo flashed red. Later, it reportedly came back in short spurts, powering the home for roughly 10 to 30 minutes at a time, suggesting an error that Tesla or the installer should be called to address.
Commenters streamed in to add their two cents. After one commenter raised the possibility that the system was overloaded, OP replied, “We have one PW3 installed, we are only drawing 0.9 kw, and have been since the storm. We are only charging phones and such, no AC or even lights,” seemingly putting to rest the overloaded theory.
Users in the thread suggested several other possible explanations, though no one confirmed a cause.
Several commenters disagreed on whether storm-damaged panels could be the culprit. One said they “could be shorting out the system” if the Powerwall 3’s built-in inverter detected a fault, while another argued that a short should knock out only the affected string rather than prevent the battery from running the home.
Another wrote, “Only advice you need is to contact the installer as everything, labor and materials, should be under warranty given this was all installed over the summer.” 
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“Call Tesla to see what the error is,” another urged.
While this homeowner needs to do some troubleshooting with their system, the thread also included a better outcome from another customer who said the same installer handled their project. This commenter shared, “My 26 panels withheld the winds of hurricane Isaias,” and said their system was working perfectly after the storm.
Indeed, battery storage can help protect a home during outages, save money on energy, and provide more energy independence when it performs as expected.
For homeowners considering a major battery purchase, exploring EnergySage can help compare home battery storage options and competitive installation estimates. EnergySage has teamed up with electrification brand Qmerit to help homeowners get the best price on home battery storage solutions and the best installer.
For households that do not need a whole-home system like this nearly 12-kW installation, Pila offers strong battery backup options. Pila’s plug-and-play batteries cost a fraction of a whole-home backup system and can back up even individual appliances.
These stories dig into similar questions about Tesla solar, Powerwalls, and how backup systems hold up when the grid goes down.
• In California, a Tesla owner found the whole neighborhood was out while backup power held steady.
• Some homeowners are avoiding Tesla’s once-dominant backup tech in favor of newer options.
• Tesla said half a million installations by June 2023 show how quickly Powerwall adoption expanded worldwide.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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Korean Researchers Develop Transformable Solar Panel That Can Be Stretched Like Paper – SBS 뉴스

Korean Researchers Develop Transformable Solar Panel That Can Be Stretched Like Paper
Defying Gravity and Soaring Up… "Tesla Has Gone Mad," the World is in Shock
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Teenager Kills Three Children and Teacher at Oregon Elementary School, Shot Dead by Citizen
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Lithium Sulfur Chemistry & Perovskite Solar Cells Power Drone Flight – Unmanned Systems Technology

Lithium Sulfur Chemistry & Perovskite Solar Cells Power Drone Flight  Unmanned Systems Technology
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Contact Energy & Lightsource bp open 168 MW solar farm in New Zealand – Solarbytes

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Contact Energy, a New Zealand-based energy company, and Lightsource bp have officially opened the 150 MWac (168 MWdc) Kōwhai Park solar farm at Christchurch Airport, New Zealand. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon inaugurated the $273 million project in October 2026. Developed through a joint venture, the facility is the largest solar farm in New Zealand’s South Island. It is expected to generate 275 GWh of electricity annually, enough to supply approximately 36,000 homes. The project covers 230 hectares and comprises around 300,000 solar panels. Christchurch Airport and Synlait have secured electricity through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Synlait will purchase 25% of the output for its Dunsandel and Dairyworks facilities. Construction employed 235 workers at its peak and involved 66 Canterbury businesses. Commissioning began in August 2026. The facility is the first completed solar project in New Zealand for both Contact Energy and Lightsource bp.
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China's Solar Module Exports in August 2026: Market Insights – SolarQuarter

China’s Solar Module Exports in August 2026: Market Insights  SolarQuarter
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Nitric-acid-free process recovers more than 98% of silver from PV waste – pv magazine Global

Researchers at France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) have developed a leaching route that strips base metals from end-of-life solar cell waste in under 10 minutes while leaving the silver behind, avoiding the nitric acid used in most current recovery processes.
The process combines selective leaching with density-based separation and recovers more than 98% of the silver at laboratory scale, the researchers said. It produces a silver and silver chloride composite of 97.2% purity, and the team has validated it in a 20-liter pilot reactor.
Most hydrometallurgical routes dissolve silver in nitric acid and then precipitate it as silver chloride, a method that generates nitrogen oxides and nitrate-rich effluents, the researchers said. Alternatives such as methanesulfonic acid perform comparably but face high reagent costs and complex regeneration. Because the CEA process leaves the silver undissolved, the leachate can be reused over several cycles.
The leaching step uses 3 M hydrochloric acid with 10% hydrogen peroxide at 80 C. It dissolves more than 98% of the aluminum, copper, lead and zinc in the waste. Rather than dissolving, the silver forms an insoluble silver chloride shell around a metallic core, which shields it from further attack and limits silver losses during leaching to 1.7%. A density-based separation step at a 10% solid-to-liquid ratio then separates the silver from the silicon, leaving residual impurities below 0.5% by weight.
The feedstock is a metal-rich powder produced by sanding delaminated end-of-life modules layer by layer, a mechanical process the group described in a separate paper. The composite still needs downstream refining, such as chemical reduction or electrowinning, to become metallic silver.
Silver makes up only 0.1% to 0.5% of the waste by weight but accounts for about 60% of a module’s economic value, the researchers said, citing earlier literature.
The work was funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe EVERPV project, which CEA coordinates. The same research group recently reported a mild oxalic acid process for recovering indium from heterojunction cells. Silver has become the main driver of PV recycling economics, and a University of Newcastle team reported 97% silver recovery using froth flotation in January.
The scientists described their findings in “A simplified hydrometallurgical process for silver recovery from photovoltaic waste,” which was recently published in Hydrometallurgy.
Recyclers’ silver recovery rates have risen as the sector has scaled. In data compiled by the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS), US recycler Solarcycle reports recovering nearly 92% of silver at commercial scale and Italian pilot-scale recycler 9-Tech 90%. Alongside the EU-funded Photorama project, EVERPV is among the EU projects developing multi-step pilot lines that target 95% to 98% metal recovery.
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Emmvee Expands Solar Manufacturing Capacity with TOPCon Module and Cell Projects – Chemical Industry Digest

Emmvee Expands Solar Manufacturing Capacity with TOPCon Module and Cell Projects
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Emmvee Photovoltaic Power is expanding its solar manufacturing operations to meet growing market demand, supported by an order book of 10.4 GW at the end of Q2 FY27. The company expects to commission its new solar module production line by December 2026, followed by a 6 GW solar cell line in 2027.
As of September 30, 2026, Emmvee had an annual manufacturing capacity of 10.3 GW for solar modules and 2.94 GW for TOPCon solar cells. Once the planned expansion becomes operational, the company expects to increase its annual solar module manufacturing capacity to approximately 16.3 GW and solar cell capacity to 8.9 GW. Consequently, the expansion will strengthen backward integration, improve supply-chain resilience and support the company’s ability to meet rising demand for solar products.
In addition to expanding module and cell production, Emmvee plans to develop 9 GW of ingot and wafer manufacturing capacity in phases. The proposed project carries an estimated capital expenditure of ₹5,000–5,500 crore. The company expects to fund the investment largely through internal accruals. The planned ingot and wafer facilities could strengthen its domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on external suppliers for key solar production materials. As reported by projectstoday.ai, through these investments, Emmvee is advancing its solar manufacturing expansion strategy while building a more integrated and resilient production ecosystem.




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SKYWORTH Wins Smart Energy Solution Provider Award 2026 – SolarQuarter

SKYWORTH Wins Smart Energy Solution Provider Award 2026  SolarQuarter
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A forklift tips a pallet of retired solar panels and the glass cracks before it lands, which is how 90 percent end up buried, not recycled – EcoPortal.net

The Pulse
A forklift lowers its forks too fast and a wooden pallet tips.
Glass cracks before the load even settles on the concrete.
The panels stacked here spent decades on rooftops and in fields, turning sunlight into power.
Now the question is simpler and harder to answer.
Once that truck pulls away, where does all this cracked glass and metal actually go?
The claim that a panel is 95 percent recyclable describes what current technology is capable of recovering, which is not the same as what happens to the typical panel once it is unbolted from a rooftop or a field. Federal planning documents use that figure to describe the materials inside a module, not the fate of one. Two numbers, answering two different questions entirely.
The gap between them is economic rather than technical. Figures from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, carried in the federal end of life action plan for photovoltaics, put recycling a module at around $15 to $45 against a landfill fee of $1 to $5.
That spread decides almost everything that follows. A landfill will underbid a recycler unless a rule or a subsidy changes the comparison. The separation technology is real and improving, but what has not caught up is the incentive to pay for it.
A used panel weighs about 40 pounds and carries real value locked inside it, including silver, copper and silicon that nobody gains from burying. For most of its working life it sat producing electricity without drawing any attention at all. Now it is waste on a loading dock, waiting for someone to decide its fate.
That decision, repeated at sites across the country, is overwhelmingly the same one.
For roughly nine panels in ten, the destination is a landfill rather than a recovery line. The deciding factor is almost never whether the materials can be recovered. It is the price on the invoice that day, and nothing else.
An Environmental Protection Agency assessment of end of life panel management in the United States found that only about 10 percent of solar panels are recycled today, and that recycling costs exceed recovery economics in the absence of federal and state mandates. National lab projections point to a similar share persisting toward the middle of the century unless policy changes.
Even the recycled fraction does not always stay whole, or stay home. The United States lost its last operating primary lead smelter over a decade ago, after the national air quality standard for lead was tightened tenfold.
Recyclers have said publicly that silver is sent offshore for final refining because no domestic refinery works at that scale. That is an infrastructure gap rather than a verdict on any single operator, though firms disagree sharply over how much of a panel’s mass actually leaves the country.
Not everything inside a module has a buyer waiting. The encapsulant contaminated glass and the mixed fines left after metals are pulled out are hard to sell, because the laminate bonded to the glass drags down its value as cullet.
A great deal of recycling stops after the frame comes off, with the rest shredded and sold as low value glass cullet instead of being fully processed. So a panel can be collected, processed and partly recovered, and still send a share of its mass into American soil, just later and in smaller pieces.
That is the overlooked reason the recovery rate and the landfill rate are both so stubborn. Pressure to squeeze more out of aging hardware is showing up elsewhere on the grid, including at Kodiak Island, where a rural electric cooperative has pushed hard on getting more from equipment it already owns. A handful of American recyclers are expanding glass and aluminum recovery lines, keeping the heaviest materials closer to home.
None of this means solar power itself is dirtier than advertised. Panels reach the end of their useful life in about 25 to 30 years, and the emissions avoided over that span far outweigh what the end of life phase costs.
What it means is narrower. The current system rewards burying a panel over recovering one.
And only a shift in incentives, through state rules, cheaper separation technology or new domestic refining capacity, will move the real number closer to the marketing one. Laboratory work hints at what that shift could look like, including a pencil thin jet of dilute acid that strips most of the silver from a retired cell in a few minutes while leaving the silicon wafer intact.
Until the economics change, an old panel remains capable of coming back almost whole. Mostly, for now, it still does not.
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China TOPCon solar cell prices edge lower after Golden Week as industry weighs price floors – pv magazine Global

According to the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released on Oct. 13, Free-On-Board (FOB) China TOPCon M10 cell prices fell 0.86% week on week to $0.0463/W, while FOB China TOPCon 210R cell prices fell 0.66% to $0.0454/W.
The declines ended two consecutive weeks of stability and left both formats around 13% below their late-August peaks, as overseas demand continued to signs of weakening after the Golden Week holiday.
A trader source, echoing a recent assessment by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA), said U.S. restrictions on stockpiling were expected to further weaken overseas demand and weigh on cell prices. The temporary U.S. rule covers polysilicon and its derivatives ahead of Section 232 measures taking effect on Dec. 4.
In India, a manufacturer said an earlier buying rush from the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment was tapering. An extended exemption allows eligible C&I projects commissioned by Dec. 31, 2026, to forgo the use of approved India-made solar cells. The manufacturer said, however, elevated FOB China cell prices and the approaching deadline made further stockpiling commercially unattractive.
In China, CNMIA forecast a gradual strengthening in utility-scale demand toward year-end. Procurement to meet project deadlines could support buying, although market participants questioned whether any pickup would translate into a sustained recovery in installations.
China added 97.19 GW of solar capacity in January-August, down more than 57% year on year, according to National Energy Administration (NEA) data.
The China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) forecast in February that installations would reach 180-240 GW in 2026, down around 24%-43% from the record 315.07 GW added in 2025. Reaching that range would require average monthly additions of 20.7-35.7 GW from September through December, compared with about 12.1 GW a month in January-August.
On the supply side, market participants continued to expect lower cell output in October, citing production-line upgrades ahead of China’s new minimum efficiency requirements. The mandatory standard, which covers modules and inverters, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and will prohibit domestic sales of products that fail to meet the required thresholds.
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The session will examine the forces reshaping clean energy supply chains, from manufacturing and sourcing strategies to shifting trade and regulatory requirements. It will also explore what these developments mean for companies procuring solar and energy storage equipment in an increasingly complex global market.
Join us in Milan to hear from industry experts and take part in the discussion on the future of solar supply chains.
Meanwhile, market sources said senior executives from several major solar manufacturers met in Hangzhou on Oct. 11 to discuss cost calculations, sales pricing and production cuts.
Although neither the meeting nor its reported outcomes have been officially confirmed, market participants said the discussions yielded more detailed implementation plans for capacity restrictions and a proposal to set a minimum polysilicon price of CNY 43 ($6.38)/kg, including tax. Sales below that threshold would reportedly be classified as low-price dumping.
Discussions also reportedly covered price floors of CNY 0.79/W for TOPCon modules and CNY 0.86/W for back-contact modules, with reported FOB equivalents of $0.117/W and $0.128/W, respectively.
The proposed TOPCon floor, at its FOB equivalent, would be approximately 9% above the Chinese Module Marker (CMM), OPIS’s benchmark for TOPCon modules below 645W from China, which was assessed at $0.107/W in the same report.
According to market participants, the proposed floors would apply to both export sales and domestic procurement, including tenders.
The meeting also reportedly called on relevant authorities to investigate and penalize state-owned enterprises that award procurement contracts through tenders based solely on the lowest available bids, citing concerns that such practices could disrupt market order.
However, market participants noted that industry self-regulatory agreements do not constitute legally enforceable price controls, with actual transaction prices continuing to be determined by supply-demand fundamentals. As such, the effectiveness of these measures would depend on manufacturers’ willingness to adhere to the proposed guidelines.
OPIS is a specialist business within Dow Jones Energy, a global energy intelligence business that brings together trusted price reporting, research and market intelligence across the energy value chain. OPIS publishes the OPIS Global Solar Markets Service, which includes pricing data for solar panels and components across Asia, Europe and the U.S., manufacturing capacity data, module forward curves, and a global solar policy tracker. 
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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Fitted across 473,000 square feet of brand new terminal roof, 8,824 panels at Sydney's newest airport had to dodge steel, and pilots got a say in the layout – Energies Media

Energies Media
A terminal roof built to shed rain and hide ductwork does not expect to carry a power plant too.
At Western Sydney’s new international airport, that is exactly what happened.
Crews spent four years threading thousands of solar modules around vents, skylights and steel.
The airport opens to the public this month.
Before any passenger arrives, the roof above them has already been doing a second job.
So what made a flat commercial roof this difficult to cover, and why did pilots get a say in how the panels were angled?
A conventional rooftop solar job means a clear, uninterrupted plane and a straightforward grid of racking. An airport terminal offers almost the opposite: a roofline broken by smoke vents, skylights, antenna mounts and the structural ribs that hold the whole span together. Every one of those features became ground the array could not simply cross, and each one had to be mapped, measured and routed around before a single rail went down.
The installer behind the job has described the hunt for usable space as one of the project’s defining fights. “Another challenge was fitting the 9,000 panels onto the roofs available. You would think being an airport it would be a very large roof with a lot of space, but there was alot of infrastructure that we had to navigate around.”
That crowding forced a custom hardware fix. A new clamp design was developed with a mounting supplier after large bulb profile roof sheets demanded a different fastening approach, built specifically for the terminal’s own sheet metal rather than adapted from a catalog part.
The structure underneath the panels is itself a significant piece of engineering. The structure covers over 44,000 square meters, spanning fixed link bridges, piers and the terminal main building, and it is supported by over 40 kilometers of Australian made steel purlins and more than 3,500 metric tons of steelwork.
That is the skeleton the solar team had to work above, around and occasionally through. Against that scale, the finished solar array reads almost modest, which is the point. The sizable rooftop installation, rated near 4.5 megawatts, spans the main terminal roof, both piers and covered car park walkways.
A smaller share rides lower down, closer to where cars and shuttle buses move. Roughly 1.3 MW of capacity is installed on covered walkways alone, turning a stretch of shade travelers barely notice into one of the array’s steadier producing sections.
An airport rooftop carries one constraint no office building or warehouse ever faces: a landing aircraft a few hundred feet overhead, and a tower full of controllers watching the runway through glass. Sunlight bouncing off a tilted module at the wrong angle is not a nuisance here, it is a safety question.
So before a single panel was fixed in place, engineers modeled how light would reflect off every candidate surface at every sun angle through the year. Since the array sits within an airport, the team had to run detailed glare studies so that reflections would not affect pilots or air traffic control.
Sections that failed that test were adjusted in tilt, moved, or left bare. That same discipline shaped the wider project record, a pattern this desk has traced at other solar builds that pair rooftop canopies with similar shading math, though none carried the added weight of runway sightlines.
Once switched on, the array is expected to produce a specific, measurable yield rather than a vague promise. Output is projected at more than 5,800 MWh of estimated clean, renewable energy generated annually, avoiding an estimated 3,712 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.
Yet the completed system was never meant to be the whole story. The 4.5 MW installation is described as the first milestone in large scale onsite electricity generation, with a further 9 MW of solar and a 120 MW battery energy storage system already in the pipeline.
That sequencing echoes a pattern seen at other new builds racing to meet their own power demand on day one, including a Nevada data center project that broke ground on dedicated solar generation rather than waiting for utility supply to catch up.
The honest caveat here is timing. The airport is set to open to the public on 25 October 2026, so the array is finished before a single commercial flight has used the terminal it powers.
So the real test, running under full terminal load with aircraft taxiing nearby, has not yet happened in public view. Even so, the physical build is finished and verifiable, and the modules are fixed, the clamps seated, the glare studies filed, a status the installer’s own project record lists down to the panel count.
Engineers describe the finished array as proof that complex problems can be solved at genuine mega project scale, and the next data point will simply be the first full year of generation logged against that 5,800 MWh target. For an industry that increasingly weighs cost predictability before committing capital to unconventional rooftops, a finished airport array that survived its own steelwork is a useful data point, whatever the meters eventually show.
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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The power of too much: why renewable energy overcapacity makes sense from China to Spain – Medium

The power of too much: why renewable energy overcapacity makes sense from China to Spain  Medium
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India's largest utility, NTPC, to deploy 247Solar's advanced solar thermal technology in its first commercial project – StreetInsider

India’s largest utility, NTPC, to deploy 247Solar’s advanced solar thermal technology in its first commercial project  StreetInsider
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Is India Risking a Repeat Of the Solar Module Overcapacity In BESS Assembly? – Saur Energy

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In ten months, India’s battery storage assembly industry has gone from a few containerised-system lines to a pipeline that, on company statements alone, adds up to about 180 GWh a year. Roughly 30-34 GWh is operating today. The rest is a mix of groundbreakings, state approvals and memoranda of understanding. Reliance’s upcoming 40 GWh (Long term-120 GWh) Jamnagar gigafactory, if counted, takes the total past 220 GWh. 
Set that against demand. CRISIL Ratings expects 45–50 GWh of storage to be commissioned across FY27 and FY28 combined, up from about 1 GWh at the end of FY26. That is roughly 25 GWh a year. Anyone who covered solar manufacturing in 2023 knows how this overcapacity arithmetic tends to end. The honest question is whether it ends the same way, and how soon. Read full story at BessXchange…
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Building better solar tech, a crystal at a time – Princeton Engineering

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Perovskites, manufactured crystals used in solar cells, have long promised to boost solar power, but internal defects have blunted their potential. Now, researchers at Princeton Engineering have corrected the defects by adding a novel combination of chemicals during fabrication.
The technique could translate to a 1% improvement in the power generation of even the most cutting-edge perovskite solar cells, said Dane deQuilettes, a senior author on the paper and assistant professor at Princeton. The advance is due to the defect-free perovskites’ ability to retain energy from sunlight 10 times longer than untreated perovskites.
The paper was published Oct. 8 in the journal Science.
Perovskites are semiconductors with a complex crystalline structure that makes them well suited to capturing solar energy and converting it to electricity. While perovskites can be found in nature, the ones used to create solar cells are engineered in labs. The ingredients that scientists use to make perovskites can be prepared in liquid form, so perovskite solar cells can be fabricated by printing the material in sheets, like ink on newsprint.
Most solar cells are made of silicon, which is highly durable, but perovskite solar cells may be cheaper and more sustainable to produce. Increasingly, silicon and perovskites are paired together, a thin coat of perovskite layered over a silicon solar cell. These tandem solar cells generate about 40% more power than a solar cell made from only one material.
One major hurdle in manufacturing perovskites for everyday use is that the printing and layering process often creates atomic-level defects in the material. These defects dampen the ability of electrons to retain their excess energy after they absorb sunlight. The longer electrons can retain excess energy, the more power can be generated from a solar cell, deQuilettes said.
Led by faculty at Princeton, the University of California-San Diego and Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, the research team found a way to mitigate these microscopic defects by adding a mixture of zinc bromide and methyl ammonium chloride early in the fabrication process. Adding these chemicals produces perovskites with fewer defects in the crystal structure, which allows electrons to retain energy from sunlight longer.
“We opened up this new class of chemical mixtures that improve the performance of perovskites,” deQuilettes said. The key is that the two chemicals need to have a lower melting point when combined, like adding salt to ice.
While researchers have been working to correct perovskite defects for years, this discovery was a surprise, deQuilettes said. A few years ago, Jason Yoo, a first author on the paper and then a researcher at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, contacted deQuilettes with questions about some unusual lab results.
“He told me the samples were behaving like nothing he had seen before,” deQuilettes said. “He asked if I could help study them.”
DeQuilettes’ lab develops tools to understand how electrons behave and interact inside perovskites. He was amazed by Yoo’s samples — deQuilettes showed that the electrons retained excess energy for up to 300 microseconds, about a hundred thousand times longer than many other semiconductors.
This decrease in the number of defects enables a more efficient perovskite layer that can be used to augment standard silicon solar cells. This boost in solar power generation could provide a new source of energy in a time when demand is rising, deQuilettes said, especially for AI and datacenter infrastructure. “The whole solar industry has been asking, what are the next set of technologies that are going to contribute to energy production?” he said.
The possible applications of these low defect perovskites go beyond solar cells, deQuilettes noted. Because electrons in the perovskite can retain energy for so long, it opens new possibilities for how the crystals can be used.
“Energy is living in the material for so long, it broadens what’s actually possible with a semiconductor,” DeQuilettes said. The research has raised more questions than it’s answered, he added. “It’s been really eye-opening.”
The paper, Volatile eutectics to tailor crystallization for perovskite optoelectronics, was published in Science on October 8. In addition to deQuilettes, authors include Jason Yoo and Bong Joo Kang at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Connor J. Dolan, Zhewen J.D. Deng, Jack R. Palmer, Kelly X. Vences and David P. Fenning at the University of California-San Diego; Seongsik Nam, Jinho Lee, Kyu Min Kang, Daesoo Kim, Jang Hee Cho, Donghyuk Chung and Seong Sik Shin at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea; Rushik Desai and Arun Mannodi- Kanakkithodi at Purdue University; Niranjana Mohan Kumar, Mariana I. Bertoni and Arkita Chakrabarti at Arizona State University; Yanqi Luo, Barry Lai, Zhonghou Cai, Martin V. Holt and Tao Zhou at the Argonne National Laboratory; Andrew M. Kiss at Brookhaven National Laboratory; In Sun Cho at Ajou University in Korea; Dong Hyun Kim and Jun Hong Noh at Korea University in Korea.


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India Solar Manufacturing: ALMM-II and the Shift to Cells and Wafers – News and Statistics – IndexBox

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India has expanded its domestic production of photovoltaic modules at a fast pace in recent years, helped by continued policy backing, according to pv magazine. The country is now shifting attention toward the harder areas of cell and wafer manufacturing.
The second Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, known as ALMM-II, took effect on June 1, 2026. The source describes this as a significant milestone for India’s supply chain.
The source also lists a series of industry events. A session on Thursday, October 29, 2026, runs from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm CEST across Berlin, Paris and Madrid. A second session on Thursday, November 5, 2026, is scheduled from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm CEST in the same cities.
A new issue of pv magazine Global is available in print and digital formats. A multi-day virtual event hosted by pv magazine USA covers U.S. solar and energy storage, including domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the role of solar-plus-storage in meeting power demand.
A four-day virtual event hosted by pv magazine examines European solar and energy storage, looking at market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality and cybersecurity in the years ahead. A pv magazine session returns to NetZero Milan as a knowledge partner, organizing and moderating a two-hour conference on the changing global solar supply chain. Tickets are offered at a discounted rate through pv magazine.
An expert session hosted by pv magazine will explore quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry. Further sessions are listed for Monday, October 19, 2026, from 16:00 to 17:00 CEST; Friday, October 23, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm CEST; and Monday, October 26, 2026, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am CEST, all across Berlin, Paris and Madrid.
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 India. 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 India market and positions India 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
Part of Adani Group; one of India's largest integrated solar manufacturers.
India's largest solar module exporter; capacity over 12 GW.
Leading module producer with global certifications.
Subsidiary of Tata Power; established player in solar manufacturing.
Integrated manufacturer of solar modules and encapsulation materials.
Rapidly expanding module capacity; strong domestic and export presence.
Known for high-efficiency modules and EPC services.
Diversified energy company with solar manufacturing division.
Focus on residential and commercial solar modules.
Manufacturer of polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules.
Part of Chiripal Group; new entrant with large capacity plans.
Known for high-efficiency mono PERC modules.
Exports to multiple countries; ALMM certified.
Growing manufacturer with focus on quality and innovation.
Part of the Goyal Group; produces mono and poly modules.
Diversified engineering group with solar manufacturing arm.
Major supplier of solar glass to module manufacturers.
One of India's oldest solar cell manufacturers; recently revived.
Part of Moser Baer Group; cell and module producer.
Specializes in solar cell production; under restructuring.
Integrated manufacturer with cell and module lines.
Part of Borosil group; produces modules for domestic market.
Focus on off-grid and rooftop solar solutions.
Part of Mahindra Group; major solar project developer.
Independent power producer; large solar portfolio.
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Company says there’s still a chance for Richmond solar deal after city finishes investigation – The Richmonder

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A proposal to put privately owned solar panels on dozens of government buildings in Richmond had stalled out before Mayor Danny Avula said he would stop pushing for it so the city could look into a “possible relationship” that might erode public trust in the deal.
The City Council stood by its 5-4 vote on Sept. 28 to reject the deal, rebuffing an effort to put the solar proposal back on the agenda for a meeting on Oct. 5. In an email sent Oct. 2, the Council clerk said a majority of members “have not agreed” to reconsider the solar vote. 
That email was sent a few hours before news broke that a part-time staffer in the city’s Office of Sustainability, which was leading the solar energy project, was working with the private solar developer at the same time.
The Council’s decision not to revisit the matter seemed to be the end of the proposed agreement with Staunton-based Secure Solar Futures, because it meant officials wouldn’t be signing off on any rooftop leases by the project deadlines the city had been given. The company would have paid to install and maintain solar panels on city buildings, while selling the energy back to the city at a lower rate than what Dominion Energy charges.
Council members balked at the deal due to concerns it was being forced through on a compressed timeline and over the objections of some administration officials who felt it would come with too much legal and financial risk.
Adding to the difficulties, there’s now an open inspector general investigation related to the project and an internal review of a possible staff conflict of interest.
However, Tony Smith, the CEO of Secure Solar Futures, said he thinks there’s still a chance to work something out after the city completes its investigation.
“There’s definitely an opportunity. But we want to allow the investigation to follow its course,” Smith said in an interview last week. “My hope and expectation is that it would resolve quickly.”
The drama surrounding the proposal — which proponents said could lead to around $20 million in energy savings over 25 years — has also led some city officials to wonder if the company will eventually choose to just walk away.
“We don’t walk away. We walk towards,” Smith said. “We’re fully committed to helping the city realize its goals for sustainability, energy savings and relieving the taxpayer burden.”
City officials don’t appear to be trying to reintroduce another version of the solar plan. There was no new solar-related legislation introduced at the Council’s Oct. 13 meeting, making it unlikely the matter will be reconsidered anywhere close to the deadlines listed in a previous memo from the Avula administration. As of late last month, the administration said the Council had until Oct. 1 to approve the full solar deal involving 39 rooftops. A smaller-scale project involving 17 rooftops was possible by Oct. 5, that memo said.
Without Council action by that timeline, the administration said, the “project does not move forward.”
“We will, of course, try to regroup, but we don’t have a clear path to rooftop solar in Richmond now that key deadlines have passed,” said Susan Kruse, executive director of Community Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit that was involved in planning the solar project.
Though the city has said it’s doing an internal review, answers haven’t come quickly.
It’s not clear what Inspector General Foster Curtiss is looking into. The IG’s office typically doesn’t comment on active investigations and doesn’t give timelines for how long a particular investigation might take.
The revelation that caused the mayor to put the project on hold dealt with part-time sustainability staffer Andre Eanes, who also had a professional relationship with Secure Solar Futures, according to public LinkedIn info.
Staunton-based Secure Solar Futures isn’t exactly an unknown company with a limited track record. The organization has done several solar power purchase agreements across Virginia like the one Richmond was considering, including a deal with Richmond Public Schools.
In an Oct. 2 email to the Council, the mayor said he didn’t think the issue impacted the solar negotiations. But, Avula added, it “will absolutely color the public perception around this work.” The mayor told the Council “we are going to stop pursuing this effort right now.”
“While I absolutely believe in the importance of this effort, and the integrity of the negotiating process, this uncertainty raises too many concerns, and I believe stepping away from this is necessary to preserve the public’s trust,” Avula wrote.
Eanes has told media outlets the city was aware of the relationship and had signed off on it through the human resources department. Smith has said the same.
“The city was aware that he was doing this work with us and it was cleared by HR,” Smith said, explaining that Eanes had done some technical site analysis work for the company related to the solar project the sustainability office was pursuing.
City officials haven’t commented on the assertion the matter was fully cleared by HR.
The HR department declined to answer emailed questions from The Richmonder. On Oct. 7, a city spokesperson said the Office of Strategic Communications was working to “gather the appropriate details” to be able to answer. More than a week later, there was no response.
Officials also said they would need more time to pull potentially relevant HR records in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, saying the city couldn’t respond within FOIA’s standard five-day window and would need the additional seven workdays the law allows.
According to city HR policies, employees must seek “written approval” for outside employment. A copy of any such approval is supposed to be kept in the employee’s personnel file.
The sustainability office also didn’t answer emailed questions.
The mayor’s office has offered few updates since saying the matter was under review.
“We’re taking the time to find out more about the questions that are being raised,” Avula spokesperson Mira Signer said on Oct. 2. “The Mayor directed the CAO to look into the situation immediately, and we will know more soon.”  
There has been no formal determination any rules were broken. Under Richmond’s ethics policy, employees are instructed to avoid anything that could create the appearance of a conflict of interest, even if there’s no intent to do anything overtly improper.
“It is important that all City employees remain independent, impartial and responsible to Richmond citizens,” the city ethics policy states. “No employee of the City of Richmond shall engage in business activity or have any direct or indirect financial interest, professional activity or incur any obligation of any nature which conflicts or would appear to conflict with the fair, impartial and objective performance of officially assigned duties and responsibilities.”
As part of a 2025 review of the city’s purchasing card system, City Auditor Riad Ali identified lax enforcement of conflict of interest policies as an area of concern. That audit was mainly focused on employees who had authority over procurement and purchasing decisions, but included recommendations for strengthening conflict of interest rules more broadly.
The audit suggested requiring annual conflict of interest disclosures from all employees with “with purchasing, approval or vendor selection authority” and a stronger system for reviewing and acting on “disclosed relationships.”
The auditor also recommended a conflict of interest disclosure tracking system and yearly “conflict of interest and ethics training” for employees with authority over how public dollars are spent with private companies.
The purchasing card audit was issued in June of 2025.
In a June 2026 update from the auditor’s office, the suggestions regarding conflicts of interest were listed as “high priority” recommendations that had not yet been resolved.
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org
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Chinese Solar Panels Drop to 12 Cents a Watt, Rooftop Installs Surge Worldwide – Yahoo Finance

Chinese Solar Panels Drop to 12 Cents a Watt, Rooftop Installs Surge Worldwide  Yahoo Finance
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Flying solar panels: the new tech revolutionizing monarch tracking – The Daily Cardinal

Every year in late August, tens of millions of monarch butterflies begin their migration south for the winter. Navigating thousands of miles against harsh weather and habitat loss, the monarchs face an uphill battle to reach their destination. A recent breakthrough in tracking technology may pave the way for improved understanding and protection of their annual trip.
At the University Wisconsin-Madison, Biology Professor Seth McGee is using solar power to track monarchs’ full migration. The new tech will allow researchers to answer specific questions about flight behavior — such as whether butterflies fly into headwinds or wait for tailwinds, and how they react to inclement weather. This information can be transformative for conservation efforts by pinpointing critical parts of monarchs’ migration, McGee said.
Before Project Monarch Collaboration’s tech — the group of research organizations behind the solar panels —  scientists could track monarchs’ migrations partially, by placing stickers on their wings, but that method only provides two datapoints: where the tag is attached and where the monarch is found, according to McGee. 
“It’s sort of like putting a message in a bottle,” McGee told The Daily Cardinal. “The data that you get is just two points, where you put it on and what the butterfly looked like then and then wherever it was found. So it’s like the beginning and last chapter of a 2,000 mile book.” 
The logistical hurdle to tracking monarchs’ complete migration was their weight. A single monarch weighs roughly the same as a paper clip. Attaching a traditional battery-powered tracking device on an insect that small would seriously impede its flight and ruin its chances of surviving the journey to Mexico, McGee said. 
McGee displayed the brand new trackers at the Biocore Prairie, where he has been tagging monarchs for years. Tiny solar panels on each tag mean no battery pack is necessary. The new radio tags can track monarchs at every step of their migration, filling the chapters sticker tags could not.
The tags provide information on “Where they’re going, how they’re going, when they’re going,” McGee said. “It’s such a revolutionary technique.” 
Upon receiving charge from its solar panel, the tracker emits a bluetooth signal that can be received by smartphones within 100 to 200 meters away. The phones automatically relay the signal to researchers at the Project Monarch Collaboration, the group of research organizations that pioneered the new trackers.
“It’s going to allow scientists to sort of concentrate our efforts in the conservation of the habitat that these organisms depend on,” McGee said. “We haven’t been able to do that before.”
As he works, McGee’s phone lets off a series of pings from the Project Monarch app  — a fun addition to the new tracking efforts that allows smartphone users to track their favorite tagged monarchs. 
“If somebody is using the app and the monarch is close, it will actually tell you that the monarch is there if you have the app open. So you can do like Pokémon Go with the monarchs,” McGee said. 
McGee is rarely alone when he goes out to the Biocore Prairie to find and tag monarchs, often joined by interested students and members of the Biocore program. 
UW-Madison Senior Eashna Agarwal told the Cardinal she has loved accompanying McGee on his tagging trips to the prairie. 
“Every time I come here, I learn something new, and I get to apply a lot of what I’ve learned over the course of my biology education,” Agarwal said. 
For students and community members looking to join the migration tracking, the Project Monarch app is free to download, offering real-time updates as tagged butterflies make their journey south.
“And it’s really quite addicting actually to see,” Mcgee said. “It’s just mesmerizing to see where they’re going and when they’re moving.”

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US to Impose Antidumping, Countervailing Duties on Solar Imports from India – Mercomindia.com

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The AD/CVD orders will be issued by Commerce on November 2, 2026
October 15, 2026
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The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has ruled that imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells, whether assembled into modules or not, from India, Indonesia, and Laos materially injured the domestic solar manufacturing industry.
Following the USITC’s affirmative determination, the Department of Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on November 2, 2026, on the covered solar products imported from India, Indonesia, and Laos.
The determination follows the US Department of Commerce’s September findings that solar products imported from the three countries were sold in the U.S. at less than fair value and benefited from government subsidies.
In its final affirmative determinations, Commerce finalized a dumping margin of 123.04% on Indian solar cell exporters. The companies include Mundra Solar PV, Mundra Solar Energy, Kowa Company, Premier Energies Photovoltaic, and all other unnamed exporters.
In the countervailing duty investigation, Commerce determined a subsidy rate of 126.09% for Mundra Solar Energy and Mundra Solar PV. It applied the same rate to all other Indian exporters and producers.
The USITC’s October 14 determination completes the injury assessment required for the imposition of the trade remedies.
The investigations followed petitions filed on July 17, 2025, by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade, comprising First Solar, Hanwha Q CELLS USA, and Mission Solar Energy.
The Department of Commerce initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in August 2025 to examine the allegations.
In February 2026, Commerce announced preliminary affirmative countervailing duty determinations for solar imports from the three countries. For India, it assigned a preliminary subsidy rate of 125.87% to Mundra Solar Energy and Mundra Solar PV and applied the same rate to other exporters.
In April 2026, Commerce announced preliminary affirmative antidumping determinations. It assigned a dumping margin of 123.04% to Mundra Solar Energy and Mundra Solar PV.
Rakesh Ranjan
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Lead-Free Cs2BiAgI6 Perovskite Solar Cell Hits 29% Efficiency in Simulation Study – Bioengineer.org

Lead-Free Cs2BiAgI6 Perovskite Solar Cell Hits 29% Efficiency in Simulation Study
Perovskite solar cells have been the most electrifying story in photovoltaics for over a decade, with power conversion efficiencies climbing from a modest 3.8 percent in 2009 to nearly 30 percent in 2023. Yet the best-performing compositions have shared a troubling ingredient: lead. Now a team of researchers led by Md Shawon and Kanij Fatema has published a comprehensive numerical study in Results in Optics showing that a fully inorganic, lead-free double perovskite, cesium bismuth silver iodide (Cs2BiAgI6), could deliver a power conversion efficiency of 29.06 percent in an optimized device, placing it squarely in the same performance territory as its toxic lead-based rivals.
The study, conducted entirely with the SCAPS-1D simulation software developed at Ghent University, systematically explored how every major design parameter of a solar cell affects its output. The researchers modeled an n-i-p architecture of the form FTO/TiO2/Cs2BiAgI6/Cu2O/Ag, in which a titanium dioxide electron transport layer extracts electrons from the Cs2BiAgI6 absorber, while a copper oxide hole transport layer ferries holes to a silver back contact. Under the standard AM 1.5G solar spectrum at 1000 W/m2 and a temperature of 300 K, the optimized structure produced an open-circuit voltage of 1.2998 V, a short-circuit current density of 26.68 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 83.80 percent, and the headline efficiency of 29.06 percent.
One of the most striking findings concerns the choice of back-contact metal. The team tested silver, gold, and platinum electrodes and found remarkably similar performance across all three. The platinum variant actually edged ahead with a simulated efficiency of 30.03 percent, an open-circuit voltage of 1.2816 V, a current density of 26.69 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 84.94 percent, while the gold contact yielded 29.00 percent. Because the differences were marginal, the researchers selected silver for their reference design, a pragmatic choice given silver’s cost advantage over platinum and its favorable work function for hole collection.
Layer thickness proved to be a delicate balancing act. Varying the electron transport layer revealed that 120 nm of TiO2 delivered the optimal 29.06 percent efficiency, with efficiency rising only slowly as the layer thickened before the fill factor and power conversion efficiency began to decline. The hole transport layer told a similar story: at 140 nm of Cu2O, the device reached its peak, and the relationship between thickness and efficiency was found to be directly proportional up to that point. These results echo earlier work on organic semiconductor devices, where transport layers must be thick enough to resist field-induced degradation, typically between 10 and 20 nm at minimum, yet thin enough to avoid parasitic light absorption and excessive series resistance.
The absorber layer itself, the heart of the device, was swept from 650 nm to 1050 nm. Efficiency rose steadily with thickness, confirming a positive correlation, although the fill factor moved in the opposite direction. The optimum landed at 750 nm, where the simulated device achieved its maximum performance. This thickness optimization matters because the absorber must be thick enough to capture incoming photons and generate electron-hole pairs, but not so thick that photogenerated carriers recombine before reaching the transport layers.
Perhaps the most consequential parameter was the bulk defect density of the Cs2BiAgI6 absorber. The researchers varied defect concentrations from 10^11 to 10^15 cm−3 and found that efficiency peaked at the lowest density, 10^11 cm−3, remaining nearly constant below that threshold. Simulations at even lower densities suffered from convergence failures in the iterative solver, a common numerical limitation when defect populations become vanishingly small. The physics here is governed by Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, the dominant loss pathway in perovskite devices: defects act as traps that capture charge carriers and dissipate their energy non-radiatively, shortening carrier lifetimes and eroding both quantum efficiency and open-circuit voltage. The recombination rate depends on the carrier capture cross-section, thermal velocity, and trap density, so every order-of-magnitude reduction in defects translates directly into longer diffusion lengths and better charge collection.
Temperature emerged as a persistent adversary. Sweeping the operating temperature from 300 K to 380 K, the team observed that open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and efficiency all declined as temperature rose, while short-circuit current density increased. The mechanism is well understood: additional thermal energy generates more charge carriers and slightly narrows the bandgap, boosting current, but it simultaneously raises series resistance, lowers shunt resistance, and accelerates recombination, dragging down voltage and fill factor. The open-circuit voltage follows a logarithmic dependence on the ratio of short-circuit current to the dark saturation current, so any increase in recombination-driven dark current exacts a heavy toll on voltage. The best performance was therefore obtained at the coolest simulated condition, 300 K, a reminder that thermal management will be essential in real-world deployments.
Bandgap engineering also proved decisive. The Cs2BiAgI6 absorber’s native bandgap of 1.5 eV sits close to the ideal value for single-junction solar energy conversion, and the simulations confirmed that this is where the device shines, delivering roughly 29 percent efficiency. As the bandgap was widened, the material absorbed fewer photons from the solar spectrum, reducing current density, fill factor, and overall efficiency, with the lowest recorded efficiency of 26.08 percent at a wider gap. Beyond about 1.6 eV the simulation became numerically infeasible. The authors note that alloying strategies, such as substituting small amounts of tin into related double perovskites like Cs2AgBiBr6, can push bandgaps as low as 0.5 eV, underscoring how compositional tuning could open further design space without introducing toxicity.
Electron affinity, the energy difference between the vacuum level and the conduction band, was varied from 3.8 to 4.3 eV. Efficiency fell as the affinity increased, with the optimum at 4.00 eV yielding the familiar 29.06 percent benchmark and the worst case at 4.3 eV producing 28.65 percent. The band alignment between the absorber and its transport layers, characterized by conduction band offsets, directly shapes how easily electrons flow out of the absorber and how much voltage is lost at the interfaces. The study highlights that conduction band offset and absorber thickness are among the most critical levers for maximizing performance in double perovskite devices.
Beyond the headline efficiency, the team examined quantum efficiency across the solar spectrum. The simulated devices achieved approximately 98.68 percent quantum efficiency at a wavelength of 360 nm, holding strong through much of the visible range before declining toward 820 nm, while the photon energy of the absorbed light fell from 4.13 eV at 300 nm as wavelength increased. Defects and interface imperfections can devastate quantum efficiency, with prior studies reporting drops from over 90 percent to as little as 20 percent when carrier capture cross-sections grow, which is why precise external quantum efficiency measurements, accurate to within 5 percent for estimating short-circuit current, remain essential for validating any future experimental device. The authors caution that translating these simulated results into the laboratory will be challenging: environmental factors such as moisture and temperature sensitivity, long-term stability, and the economics of large-scale manufacturing all stand between a 29 percent numerical model and a commercial product. Still, the message of the study is unambiguous. With careful control of absorber thickness, defect density, doping, band alignment, and contact materials, lead-free Cs2BiAgI6 double perovskites can theoretically rival the efficiency of lead-based champions while eliminating one of the technology’s most serious environmental liabilities, offering a credible path toward sustainable, eco-friendly photovoltaics.
Subject of Research: Numerical optimization of lead-free Cs2BiAgI6 double perovskite solar cells using SCAPS-1D simulation
Article Title: A performance analysis of inorganic Cs 2 BiAgI 6 perovskite solar cell: A comprehensive study using SCAPS -1D
Article References: Shawon, M., Fatema, K., Akter, R., Hossain, S., & Shalauddin (2026). A performance analysis of inorganic Cs2BiAgI6 perovskite solar cell: A comprehensive study using SCAPS -1D. Results in Optics, Article 101187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rio.2026.101187
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1016/j.rio.2026.101187
Keywords: perovskite solar cells, Cs2BiAgI6, lead-free photovoltaics, SCAPS-1D, double perovskite, power conversion efficiency, Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, defect density, bandgap engineering, electron transport layer, hole transport layer, quantum efficiency
News Source: Denise Maddox. (October 15, 2026). Lead-Free Cs2BiAgI6 Perovskite Solar Cell Hits 29% Efficiency in Simulation Study. Scienmag.
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New Zealand PM opens South Island’s largest solar PV plant at Christchurch Airport – PV Tech

New Zealand PM opens South Island’s largest solar PV plant at Christchurch Airport  PV Tech
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Living Solar Panels: Microbes and Light Join Forces to Generate Clean Electricity – Bioengineer.org

Living Solar Panels: Microbes and Light Join Forces to Generate Clean Electricity
Imagine a power source that feeds on wastewater, drinks in sunlight, and repairs itself when it breaks down. That is the promise of microbial electrochemical systems, a family of technologies in which electroactive bacteria convert the chemical energy stored in organic matter directly into electricity. A new mini-review published in Frontiers in Environmental Engineering by Rajani Bansode, Mukta Patil, and Vidya Karande compiles the latest advances in solar-assisted microbial fuel cells and related hybrid bio-solar platforms, mapping out both the remarkable engineering progress of recent years and the stubborn obstacles that keep these systems out of commercial deployment.
The context is pressing. The global population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, and even under effective new energy regulations worldwide consumption is projected to rise by 32 percent compared with 2013 levels, reaching 17,934 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2040. That trajectory would require oil production to increase by more than 15 percent and would push carbon dioxide emissions even higher, deepening global warming and ocean acidification. Decarbonizing the economy to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius demands genuinely new energy technologies, and microbial bioelectrochemical systems have emerged as one of the more intriguing candidates because they combine renewable energy harvesting with pollution cleanup in a single device.
At the heart of the field sits the microbial fuel cell, or MFC. In its classic configuration, electrochemically active bacteria such as Geobacter sulfurreducens and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 oxidize organic substrates at an anaerobic anode, releasing electrons that travel through an external circuit to a cathode, where oxygen is reduced to water. Protons migrate across a proton exchange membrane to complete the circuit. Performance is measured in maximum power density, Coulombic efficiency, and the rate of chemical oxygen demand removal. Mediators can boost output: in experiments reviewed by the authors, Methylene Blue at 0.1 to 1.0 millimolar raised voltage to 684 millivolts, roughly a 70 percent increase over mediator-less controls, while Neutral Red delivered a 20 percent enhancement. Substrate choice matters too, with molasses wastewater reportedly achieving a maximum power density of 1,410.2 milliwatts per square meter.
The real excitement, however, lies in hybridizing these systems with light. Solar-assisted MFCs weave photosynthetic components into the microbial electrochemical framework, using sunlight to drive anodic metabolism, stimulate photocathodic reactions, or reduce the external energy needed for conversion. The review catalogues several distinct architectures: microbial solar cells that pair photosynthetic microbes with electroactive bacteria, biophotovoltaic devices that convert sunlight directly into current using cyanobacteria and algae, MFCs with photobioanodes, microscale devices built on ultramicroelectrodes, intimately coupled photobiocatalysis, and dye-sensitized solar cell platforms that use bacterial pigments as sensitizers. Each aims to overcome the low power densities and poor scalability that plague conventional MFCs.
Microbial solar cells and their plant-based cousins illustrate the elegance of the approach. In a plant microbial fuel cell, root exudates secreted by a living plant in the rhizosphere are metabolized by resident bacteria, which release electrons that are captured by a buried anode. Because the plant continuously supplies organic matter through photosynthesis, these systems can generate electricity around the clock, even under changing weather. Plant selection is critical: species with high root exudate production, extensive root systems, and efficient photosynthetic pathways perform best. Reported power densities vary dramatically, from 679 milliwatts per square meter for the marsh grass Spartina anglica to below 0.001 milliwatts per square meter for some Sedum species tested over 360 days on semi-arid green roofs.
Biophotovoltaics, the review notes, take a more direct route, extracting current from the photosynthetic electron transport chain itself. Whole-cell systems consistently outperform devices built from isolated chloroplasts or photosystems: cyanobacterial systems such as Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 achieve current densities of 1,200 to 1,500 milliamps per square meter, while subcellular preparations manage only 60 to 200 milliamps per square meter. The advantage is biological self-repair and self-replication, which isolated enzymes cannot match. In one striking photobioanode demonstration, a hybrid cell combining a TiO2 photoanode with a light-absorbing silicon nanowire photocathode maintained a photocurrent of 0.3 milliamperes per square centimeter for more than 120 hours under simulated sunlight, using the acetogen Sporomusa ovata as microbial catalyst.
Engineering the interface between living cells and inorganic semiconductors is where much of the frontier research now concentrates. Materials including titanium dioxide, cadmium sulfide, silicon nanowires, graphene derivatives, and graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites provide light absorption and conductivity, while conductive nanomaterials such as graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and nanostructured hydrogels support microbial adhesion and boost biofilm conductivity. A persistent problem is energy mismatch: when the semiconductor Fermi level shifts above the potential of the biological mediator, charge transport becomes thermodynamically unfavorable and photocurrent collapses. Plasmonic nanoparticles of silver or gold mounted on photoanodes can help, enhancing local light harvesting through surface plasmon resonance and reducing recombination losses.
Intimately coupled photobiocatalysis offers a different kind of synergy, this time in environmental remediation. By positioning bacteria close enough to semiconductor photocatalysts to rapidly degrade photocatalytic products yet shielded from the reactive oxygen species generated during photocatalysis, ICPB systems dramatically accelerate pollutant breakdown. Quantitative results cited in the review are striking: dinitrotoluene degradation was 3.5 times faster than in controls, trichlorophenol removal increased 2.8-fold, and 92 percent of trinitrotoluene was removed within 24 hours compared with 35 percent in conventional systems. In one setup, an N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst coated on macroporous carbon foam hosted a Geobacter-dominated anode-respiring biofilm that generated 50 percent more current than a bioanode alone.
Even electricity generation itself can borrow from biology. Dye-sensitized solar cells, third-generation thin-film devices that mimic plant photosynthesis, have been built using pigments from microorganisms. A pigment from the Antarctic bacterium Streptomyces fildesensis functions as a sensitizer, exploiting the fact that intense ultraviolet radiation in Antarctica drives pigment production as a defense mechanism. Similarly, prodigiosin from Serratia marcescens 11E produced a working dye-sensitized cell with an open circuit voltage of 560 millivolts and showed high photostability after five days. Co-sensitizing with several biological pigments such as anthocyanins and chlorophylls can broaden the absorption spectrum and reduce charge recombination.
Despite this creativity, the authors are candid about the hurdles. Power outputs remain low compared with conventional electrochemical systems, electron transfer between microbes and electrodes is inefficient, biofilms are fragile, materials are expensive, and larger reactors suffer from elevated internal resistance, mass transfer lags, and oxygen diffusion losses. Some semiconductors are toxic or photocorrode under illumination, and the long-term sustainability of nanomaterial disposal remains an open question. The path forward, the review argues, lies in combining affordable materials with synthetic biology and CRISPR-mediated engineering of electrogenic microbes, building robust biofilms, redesigning reactors, and grounding development in serious techno-economic analysis. If those pieces come together, living solar panels that clean water while generating power could yet earn a place in the circular economy of the coming decades.
Subject of Research: Solar-assisted microbial electrochemical systems for bio-solar energy conversion
Article Title: Microbial electrochemical systems for bio-solar energy conversion: recent advances, interfaces, future challenges
Article References: Bansode, R., Patil, M., & Karande, V. (2026). Microbial electrochemical systems for bio-solar energy conversion: recent advances, interfaces, future challenges. Frontiers in Environmental Engineering, 5, Article 1886265. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenve.2026.1886265
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.3389/fenve.2026.1886265
Keywords: microbial fuel cells, biophotovoltaics, bio-solar energy, microbial solar cells, photobioanodes, dye-sensitized solar cells, intimately coupled photobiocatalysis, extracellular electron transfer, semiconductor-microbe interfaces, wastewater treatment, renewable energy, synthetic biology
News Source: Faith Mcneil. (October 15, 2026). Living Solar Panels: Microbes and Light Join Forces to Generate Clean Electricity. Scienmag.
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Floating on 2.5 acres of a Florida theme park's stormwater pond, 3,369 solar panels charge the electric bus fleet overnight while the shallow water cools them – Energies Media

Energies Media
The pond sits where stormwater has always gone: a shallow basin built to hold runoff, never to hold hardware.
Now it holds something else entirely.
Dark panels cover the surface, locked flat on interlocking floats.
The water underneath is barely ten feet deep at its lowest point.
Yet the array already powers a fleet of electric buses overnight.
So what makes a basin this shallow the right platform for solar, and what does that warm water do to the panels sitting on it?
A stormwater retention pond is engineered for one thing: slow water down. It stores peak runoff and releases it gradually, keeping the surrounding land from flooding. That function never changes, and neither does the surface area, which sits idle for every hour the sun shines.
So the engineering insight is simple. An idle water surface is also a stable, flat, temperature moderated platform for a photovoltaic array. Water cools the underside of floating panels in a way that concrete or asphalt never can, and the advantage can boost efficiency by up to 15 percent.
The catch is depth. At just ten feet, conventional pile anchoring into the pond bed was never realistic, so the array is anchored from the banks instead, with tensioned lines holding the island steady as water levels rise and fall with each storm.
That bank anchored design is the single biggest engineering constraint on the whole project. It dictates how the floats link together and how the array flexes when the water surface shifts beneath a tropical storm front.
The floats themselves draw from a modular pontoon platform that links individual units into one continuous island. Each float clips into its neighbors, so the whole array moves as a single piece on the water rather than as hundreds of independent rafts, which matters when wind loads push across open water.
The result is dense. Spread across about 2.5 acres, the panel count works out to roughly 1,350 panels per acre, tighter than a typical ground mount field because the pontoon system wastes almost no space between rows.
The floating array was energized earlier this year and confirmed by Solar Power World as a 1.4 MW peak installation, one of three solar systems at the park that together reach 3.7 MW. The floating contractor that built it has deployed more than half of all operating floating solar systems in the United States, and this Orlando site is its second for the same resort campus.
The park expects the three installations to produce more than 6.7 million kWh of electricity each year, enough to power more than 900 homes. Power gathered by day is stored in batteries and discharged overnight to charge the park’s electric bus fleet, linking solar generation, storage and transportation into one closed loop.
The managing director of the floating solar contractor summed it up plainly: “We’re proud to continue our relationship with Universal Orlando through a second floating solar project.”
A retention pond at a theme park is not a remote reservoir. It sits within guest sight lines, carries stormwater that may include cleaning chemicals, and must stay accessible to maintenance crews without a service road around its edge.
Because there is no berm to drive on, access by inflatable tender becomes the standard method for inspecting connections and clearing fouling. Florida’s subtropical climate also breeds algae faster than the temperate European lakes where floating platforms were first tested, and while it will not harm the panels directly, it can coat the underside of floats and shift buoyancy, tilting units and cutting output.
Even so, the pond’s enclosed shape limits wave action to ripples rather than swells, protecting the clips and wiring between panels. That is exactly the kind of advantage a carport array found in its own unglamorous parking lot setting.
There are tens of thousands of stormwater ponds across the country, most already owned and maintained by municipalities or commercial properties. That makes floating solar a way to generate power without claiming new land, which matters where land near load centers is scarce and expensive.
This Orlando park became the first theme park to attain LEED Platinum certification under the standard for communities, and the floating array contributed by closing the loop: generation on the pond, storage in the battery bank, and consumption by the bus fleet overnight with no grid export required. This shallow Orlando pond proves the bank anchored design can work at the thin end of the depth range, not unlike how a grain belt solar park proved a design could work on unfamiliar terrain.
What remains unproven is long term performance through repeated Florida summers. An earlier, smaller array on the same Orlando campus has operated since 2021, with 645 panels covering about half an acre, and offers the closest available comparison. If its record holds, the case for retrofitting retention ponds everywhere gets measurably stronger, and the pond itself keeps doing exactly what it was built to do, catching rain, holding it, releasing it slowly, while now also generating power.
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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