Articles written by Mark Hutchins

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Markets & Policy
Polysilicon playbook Now that the United States has finally announced the outcome of its Section 232 investigation into polysilicon imports, industry analysts and investors alike have been weighing up the expected pros and cons of the policy’s likely impacts, particularly on ingot, wafer and cell manufacturing.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 08, 2026
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Technology & Products
New materials in the frame Solar cells, encapsulants, glass, backsheets, and virtually every PV module component have seen rapid changes and improvements over the past 10 years. During that time, module frames have seen relatively little innovation and remain a simple piece of formed aluminum. However, quality concerns, supply chain diversification, domestic content rules, and emissions reduction requirements have frame manufacturers eyeing alternative materials. And while aluminum isn’t going away, suppliers of steel and glass composite frames argue these materials come with various advantages.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 02, 2026
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Markets & Policy
Grid upgrades critical for Colombian solar Colombia’s cumulative solar capacity passed the 4.5 GW mark earlier in 2026, according to the government’s Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME). While it will likely fall short of the 6 GW target for non-conventional renewable energy set at the start of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s term, the country has seen an uptick in demand for solar, and is growing into one of South America’s leading PV markets.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 28, 2026
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Markets & Policy
Solar powerhouse to storage leader Chile is transforming in a bid to avoid becoming a victim of its own solar success. Developers have flooded the Atacama Desert with solar projects, turning Chile into a PV powerhouse but also drastically reducing revenues and driving some operators into bankruptcy. S&P Global Energy’s Ángel Cancino sees the country increasingly focusing on energy storage to rescue some of its overbuilt PV capacity.
Angel Cancino
Aug 21, 2026
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Applications & Installations
Making the data center business case A data center can be built in 18 to 24 months, but connecting it to the grid is another matter, writes Laura Hoffmann-Ostenhof, Europe industry lead at modeling software supplier Gridcog. Across Europe’s established hubs – the FLAP-D cluster of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin – the wait for a grid connection now runs from seven to 10 years, as data centers compete for capacity.
Laura Hoffman-Ostenhof
Aug 15, 2026
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Technology & Products
Emerge Renewables starts up solar glass factory in India Emerge Renewables this week announced the lighting of furnaces at its new solar glass manufacturing facility at the Keshwana Industrial Area in Rajasthan. The company says that once fully operational, the facility will be able to produce glass sufficient for 2.5 GW of modules per year.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 07, 2026
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Markets & Policy
US announces tariffs, minimum import price on polysilicon imports Following a Section 232 investigation into polysilicon and its derivatives, the White House has announced plans to implement a 15% tariff on wafer, cell and module imports to the United States, along with price floors for polysilicon along with solar ingots, wafers, cells and modules derived from the material.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 07, 2026
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Markets & Policy
The Iberian BESS paradox On a Monday in April 2025, 60 million people across Spain and Portugal lost power. The blackout was no minor technical accident, and it exposed the Achilles’ heel of the Iberian energy transition. The system collapsed because it lacked sufficient storage, because synchronous generators were being displaced, and because the interconnection with France remains a bottleneck.
João Correia
Jul 24, 2026
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Markets & Policy
New rules for Poland’s grid Poland’s amended Energy Act – sometimes known as the Grid Act – came into force on April 30, 2026, introducing significant changes for grid connections to generation and storage. Poland’s Ministry of Energy estimates that the new regulations could unlock the potential to connect around 150 GW of new renewables and storage capacity. New possibilities for cable pooling have been welcomed, but asset owners also face a greater financial commitment when connections are issued and implemented. Energy law expert Piotr Mrowiec outlines the new rules and provisions.
Piotri Mrowiec
Jul 23, 2026