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
Can Beijing end the race to the bottom?
China is tightening the rules of solar competition through cost accounting, mandatory efficiency standards, tax changes and capacity controls. The real test is not whether prices rise, but whether excess capacity is removed and the industry can return to sustainable profitability without losing its global cost and technology edge.
Oct 10, 2026
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Brazil’s retail electricity market opening raises credit and liquidity concerns, study finds
A study based on 88,000 consumer units participating in subscription-based solar generation schemes in Brazil has identified a 17% average monthly payment delinquency rate and 4% monthly customer churn. The findings highlight potential credit, liquidity and consumer protection challenges as the country prepares to open its free electricity market to low-voltage consumers.
Austria: 43,300 applications for solar subsidies submitted in just ten minutes
Austria’s final solar subsidy round of the year attracted 43,300 applications in its first 10 minutes, far exceeding demand in the previous round. The government is now preparing to overhaul the scheme in 2027, shifting its focus from PV installations to battery storage and smart energy management systems.
Why leadership decides Italy’s energy security
At Solar & Storage Live Italia, panels organised by Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) and Solar+ Leaders argued that decisions made in a project’s first months, and the inclusive teams built to make them, matter as much to energy security as megawatts and capital.
More than 70% of announced U.S. solar manufacturing expansion plans yet to be financed
Forecasted capital expenditure for new U.S. solar manufacturing expansions for 2027 reflects a hesitant financing climate, with Tesla’s Texas plans having the potential to rocket boost the entire sector’s spending outlook.
Australia backs goal of 150 million new rooftop solar systems globally by 2030
Australia has endorsed a global plan to double the number of homes in the world with rooftop solar, from 150 to 300 million by 2030 via the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration announced at the 2026 Pacific Pre-COP meeting in Fiji.
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All Markets & Policy news
Brazil’s retail electricity market opening raises credit and liquidity concerns, study finds
A study based on 88,000 consumer units participating in subscription-based solar generation schemes in Brazil has identified a 17% average monthly payment delinquency rate and 4% monthly customer churn. The findings highlight potential credit, liquidity and consumer protection challenges as the country prepares to open its free electricity market to low-voltage consumers.
Austria: 43,300 applications for solar subsidies submitted in just ten minutes
Austria’s final solar subsidy round of the year attracted 43,300 applications in its first 10 minutes, far exceeding demand in the previous round. The government is now preparing to overhaul the scheme in 2027, shifting its focus from PV installations to battery storage and smart energy management systems.
Why leadership decides Italy’s energy security
At Solar & Storage Live Italia, panels organised by Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) and Solar+ Leaders argued that decisions made in a project’s first months, and the inclusive teams built to make them, matter as much to energy security as megawatts and capital.
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More than 70% of announced U.S. solar manufacturing expansion plans yet to be financed
Forecasted capital expenditure for new U.S. solar manufacturing expansions for 2027 reflects a hesitant financing climate, with Tesla’s Texas plans having the potential to rocket boost the entire sector’s spending outlook.
Australia backs goal of 150 million new rooftop solar systems globally by 2030
Australia has endorsed a global plan to double the number of homes in the world with rooftop solar, from 150 to 300 million by 2030 via the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration announced at the 2026 Pacific Pre-COP meeting in Fiji.
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Can Beijing end the race to the bottom?
China is tightening the rules of solar competition through cost accounting, mandatory efficiency standards, tax changes and capacity controls. The real test is not whether prices rise, but whether excess capacity is removed and the industry can return to sustainable profitability without losing its global cost and technology edge.
Poly pricing and potential expansion
The United States has made significant changes to trade and energy policy in 2026. The enforcement of these policies and potential further changes on the horizon could reshape the solar market yet again. Jesse Pichel and Lev Seleznov of Roth Capital examine the potential impacts.
The Hydrogen Stream: Dutch researchers calculate green H2 costs as low as €7.2/kg
Researchers at the University of Groningen have calculated green hydrogen production costs of €7.2/kg to €7.3/kg using renewable power purchase agreements and hybrid electricity supply configurations, compared with €7.7/kg for wholesale electricity sourcing. The study found that long-term revenue guarantees are essential to making large-scale hydrogen projects financially viable.
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