Markets & Policy
In highly regulated energy markets, policy decisions can make or break new technologies, strategies, and even entire industries.
Support from policymakers, in the form of procurement exercises, priority dispatch, tax incentives and a wealth of other instruments, has been vital to the global solar industry’s success, and new mechanisms to support growth in energy storage are an increasingly important part of the story today.
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Latest News
BESS as a ‘Swiss Army knife’ for data centers
Artificial intelligence is changing how data centers consume electricity. New workloads are introducing levels of variability that conventional power systems were not designed to handle, creating operational challenges both inside the facility and across the wider grid. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are proving an essential tool to manage these rapid demand fluctuations, as S&P Global analyst Henrique Ribeiro explains.
9 hours ago
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The energy transition needs a new leadership playbook
This week, Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) reflects on one of the most pressing challenges facing the energy transition: leadership. Ahead of the inaugural Solar+ Leaders workshop, “Reshaping Leadership for the AI Era: You Can’t Lead Tomorrow With Yesterday’s Playbook,” taking place at Intersolar Europe, this new leadership ecosystem, welcoming all experts and leaders, explores why traditional leadership models are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a world shaped by complexity, interconnected systems, rapid technological change, and artificial intelligence.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon prices decline for third consecutive week
The price decline is attributable to continued inventory pressure and the restart and ramp-up of output by some producers in June, which have reinforced expectations of rising supply and prompted some polysilicon manufacturers to cut prices to reduce stock levels.
‘The era of unlimited cheap inventory is ending’
In an interview with pv magazine, Bart Wansink, CEO of Search4Solar, said Europe’s solar module market is moving away from the extreme oversupply that enabled continuous price declines and a “wait-and-buy-cheaper” procurement strategy over the past two years. He added that leaner inventories, more disciplined production, and shifting procurement behaviour suggest a more balanced market where timing and supply security are becoming more important than further price drops.
Heatwave pushes European temperatures to 42 C, power prices above €150/MWh
An incoming heatwave across Western Europe is expected to lift electricity demand sharply and tighten power system conditions, with temperatures approaching 40 C in several countries and spot prices forecast to spike across multiple markets.
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