Magazine Archive 04-2026

Mark Hutchins introduces the April 2026 issue of pv magazine Global, featuring updates on recent disruptions to the global energy supply, and what solar can do to ensure resilience in these times.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s very high irradiance levels and low electricity costs make it an ideal location to develop utility-scale solar plants to power critical infrastructure such as hyperscale AI data centers. However, droughts and storms, hardware supply chain shortages, and geopolitical conflict all pose challenges for investors. But increased investor confidence is precisely what the region needs to prepare for 100% renewable energy powered data centers.

The energy storage sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is shaped by three distinct realities, each driven by vastly different economic, political, and social forces. These include capital-rich mega-projects, commercial sectors grappling with fossil fuel subsidy reforms, and conflict-affected nations where offgrid power is a matter of survival.

The US solar industry is entering a period of adjustment in the tax equity and tax credit transfer markets as developers, investors, and lenders navigate evolving regulatory guidance. Jesse Pichel and Lev Seleznov of Roth Capital Partners see 2026 shaping up to be a transition year for the way solar projects monetize federal incentives in the United States, with regulatory uncertainty beginning to influence capital allocation decisions.

The US-Israeli conflict with Iran is unlikely to materially affect solar manufacturing projects in the Middle East for now, as most of these investments remain at an early stage. OPIS analyst Brian Ng sees the most immediate risk in logistics. If disruptions persist, shipments of solar products into the region could be delayed and export pricing may turn volatile.

Price increases across all PV module technology classes were even stronger in February 2026 than forecast in January. Meanwhile, more political headwinds on both sides of the Atlantic mean the renewables industry has yet more work to do, writes Martin Schachinger of pvXchange.

Government policy in Turkey is targeted at growing the country’s domestic PV manufacturing base while supporting greater solar deployment, according to InfoLink analysis.

In today’s geopolitical landscape, the most credible path to national, economic, and energy security is rapid electrification powered by renewables and smart grids, argues Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA).

For years, the battery energy storage (BESS) story has followed a familiar script: costs fall, deployment accelerates, economics improve. Even when cell costs rose and system prices briefly flattened during the 2021-22 lithium price spike, the narrative largely held. Paola Perez Peña, senior principal analyst at S&P Global Energy, examines why the latest jump in lithium prices has only had limited impacts on overall BESS costs so far.

Maintaining grid stability becomes more challenging as the share of intermittent renewables grows in the electricity generation mix, but system resilience is essential to continued solar deployment. Grid-forming inverters offer a solution, and their capabilities are increasingly being tested and relied upon in key energy markets globally. Major inverter and battery energy storage system (BESS) manufacturers see opportunities here too and are jockeying for position with pilot projects and product launches, as Matthew Lynas reports.