International News on New Energy

International News on New Energy

October 26, 2026 (Sunday)

I. Policy & Trade

1. USITC Rules Injury from Solar Imports from India, Indonesia, Laos; AD/CVD Orders on Nov. 2

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) issued a final affirmative injury determination on October 14, 2026, finding that crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from India, Indonesia, and Laos materially injure domestic manufacturers. The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will issue antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders on November 2, 2026. Combined rates reach 249% for India, 268% for Indonesia, and 219% for Laos, stacking on top of existing executive tariffs and Section 232 minimum import price floors.

Source: TaiyangNews / pv magazine / Helios Energy Global (Oct 16-21, 2026)

2. U.S. Section 232 Solar Tariff: Module MIP $0.38/W, Cell MIP $0.22/W

On August 6, 2026, the U.S. government issued a Presidential Proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, setting minimum import prices (MIPs) for polysilicon and downstream derivatives effective December 4, 2026. MIPs are set at $0.38/W for modules, $0.22/W for cells, $100/kg for ingots/wafers, and $21/kg for polysilicon. A 15% ad valorem tariff applies to derivative products. The UK receives a 10% preferential rate; the EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Switzerland face combined rates up to 15%. This replaces the expired Section 201 safeguard tariffs.

Source: Helios Energy Global / Sheppard Mullin / Sunergy Systems (Aug-Oct 2026)

3. China Proposes Export Controls on 12 Solar PV Technologies

Amid intensifying global tech and industrial competition, China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology issued Announcement No. 48 of 2026 on October 16, seeking public comment on revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export. Twelve solar PV-related technologies are proposed for inclusion in the restricted-export list to prevent core technology outflow and consolidate China's leading position in the global PV industry.

Source: Eastmoney.com (Oct 22, 2026)

4. Germany's BSI Recommends Removing Direct Internet Access for PV Plant Control Systems

Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) issued recommendations to eliminate direct internet access for photovoltaic plant control systems to reduce cybersecurity risks. A joint report by European cyber-intelligence firm Modat and the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre identified 8,547 wind and solar systems directly accessible from the internet across 35 EU and candidate countries, with 7,942 being PV systems. Spain, Greece, Italy, and Germany accounted for 76% of these exposed systems.

Source: pv magazine / TaiyangNews (Oct 19-20, 2026)

II. Market & Deployment

1. BloombergNEF Lowers 2026 Global PV Installation Forecast to 584 GW

BloombergNEF revised its 2026 global photovoltaic installation forecast downward to 584 GW, a 10.8% decrease from 2025, primarily due to a sharper-than-expected slowdown in China. PV installations outside China are projected to grow to 313 GW, supported by continued expansion in residential and commercial markets. The global PV market is undergoing structural adjustment, with price competition and policy uncertainty as key influencing factors.

Source: pv magazine / BloombergNEF (Oct 19, 2026)

2. Brazil Releases Ten-Year Energy Expansion Plan: 92 GW Distributed PV, 7.2 GW Battery Storage by 2036

Brazil's Energy Research Office (EPE) and Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) jointly released the draft Ten-Year Energy Expansion Plan (PDE 2036). The plan projects distributed PV capacity growing from approximately 50 GW in 2026 to 92 GW by 2036, including 41 GW of residential systems serving 13.5 million users. Battery storage targets are set at 7.2 GW, complemented by 4 GW demand response and 2 GW pumped hydro. Wind and solar are expected to account for roughly one-third of total generation, with renewables maintaining nearly 90% share. Total investment over the plan period is approximately 3.3 trillion reais (~US$660 billion).

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 21, 2026)

3. South Korea Targets 87 GW Solar by 2030, K-GX Plan to Invest 1,000 Trillion Won

The South Korean government released an energy transition plan targeting 87 GW of solar PV capacity by 2030. To support this goal, the K-GX (Korea Green eXchange) program plans to invest 1,000 trillion won (~US$750 billion) in renewables, energy storage, and grid upgrades. The initiative aims to strengthen South Korea's competitiveness in the Asia-Pacific clean energy market and address surging power demand from AI data centers.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 16, 2026)

4. Uruguay Signs $5.7 Billion Solar-Powered Data Center Project, 500 MW Total Capacity

Uruguay signed a $5.7 billion investment agreement with Spanish renewable energy firm Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente to build the country's largest-ever solar-powered data center campus. The 500 MW project will be implemented in two phases: Phase I in Canelones includes a 200 MW data center and a 350 MW PV plant, expected online in 2029 or 2030, creating over 3,000 jobs; Phase II in San Jose adds 300 MW of data center capacity. PV facilities will be concentrated in Florida, with land provided by state utility UTE under a 40-year PPA.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 22, 2026)

5. China Longyuan Power Launches 6 GW PV Module Framework Tender for 2026

Chinese power developer Longyuan Power launched its first 2026 PV module framework tender, with an expected procurement volume of 6 GWp across seven lots. Offshore projects account for 1 GWp and onshore for 5 GWp, all requiring n-type monocrystalline bifacial double-glass modules. The offshore high-efficiency lot requires front-side conversion efficiency of no less than 24.0%; the onshore high-efficiency lot (3.5 GWp) also requires 24.0%, while the remaining 1.5 GWp medium-efficiency onshore lot requires no less than 23.2%.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 14, 2026)

III. Technology & Manufacturing

1. China Releases 15th Five-Year Plan for Advanced Battery Industry Development

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), jointly with six other ministries, released the 15th Five-Year Plan for Advanced Battery Industry Development. The plan aims to build an innovation-driven, safe, efficient, and smart low-carbon advanced battery industry system. It calls for accelerating development of lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and flow batteries, with steady industry growth by 2030; strives for initial large-scale deployment of all-solid-state batteries; targets long-life lithium batteries with 15,000 cycles; and aims for leading enterprises to reduce product defect rates to parts-per-billion (ppb) levels.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 14, 2026)

2. Taiwan Establishes Tunneling Back-Contact (TBC) PV Technology Alliance

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) partnered with seven local companies to establish a PV technology alliance aimed at building a domestic supply chain for tunneling oxide passivated contact back-contact (TBC) solar cells. ITRI is also promoting a laser-assisted silver-coated copper electrode technology that can reduce PV cell production costs by approximately 8%. TBC technology combines the high efficiency of TOPCon with the aesthetic advantages of back-contact architecture.

Source: pv magazine (Oct 21, 2026)

3. JTPV Receives SSI Silver ESG and Supply Chain Traceability Dual Certification

Solar cell manufacturer JTPV's production facilities in Chuzhou and Huai'an received Silver-level ESG certification and Supply Chain Traceability certification under the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) standards, assessed on-site by TUV Rheinland. The two plants have a combined annual capacity exceeding 40 GW. Under SSI rules, from January 1, 2027, at least 80% of PV modules supplied by SSI members to the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK must come from dual-SSI-certified factories; this ratio rises to 100% in 2028.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 14, 2026)

4. LFP Battery Cell Prices Drop to $85/kWh, a New Record Low

BloombergNEF's October 2026 battery price survey shows lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cell prices have fallen to $85/kWh, a new all-time low. For comparison: ~$180/kWh in 2020, ~$140/kWh in 2022, ~$110/kWh in 2024. Residential energy storage system all-in prices have dropped to the $300-500/kWh range. The pace of cost decline has slowed from roughly 15% annually to 6-8%, with manufacturing margins approaching commodity levels.

Source: Solar Price List / BloombergNEF (Oct 1, 2026)

5. LAPLACE Showcases AI Closed-Loop Manufacturing at Solar Manufacturing USA 2026

At the Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 conference hosted by PV magazine, Chinese PV equipment supplier LAPLACE delivered a keynote presenting an integrated solution for North American domestic PV manufacturing. The solution covers flexible multi-technology equipment combinations (TOPCon and back-contact) and an AI-driven closed-loop manufacturing control system, enabling process drift detection, equipment anomaly prediction, recipe auto-optimization, and cross-tool continuous learning through a full Measure-Analyze-Optimize-Execute loop.

Source: OpenPR (Oct 10, 2026)

IV. Energy Storage & Integration

1. BloombergNEF: Global Energy Storage Market to Reach 3.1 TW Cumulative by 2036

BloombergNEF forecasts that the global energy storage market will see sustained rapid growth over the next decade, reaching 3.1 TW of cumulative installed capacity by 2036. Global energy storage deployments in 2026 will achieve 45% year-on-year growth. The surge is driven by renewable energy grid integration demand, insufficient grid flexibility, and skyrocketing power demand from AI data centers. The U.S. has contracted or is in discussions for data center-related loads totaling 302 GW.

Source: Energy-Storage.News / BloombergNEF (Oct 22, 2026)

2. Tesla Deploys 13.7 GWh in Q3 2026, Second-Highest Quarterly Figure

Tesla's energy storage business deployed 13.7 GWh in Q3 2026, its second-highest quarterly figure on record. However, the division's revenue declined 16% year-on-year. Tesla's storage products continue to benefit from growing global grid-scale storage demand, though intensifying price competition is pressuring revenues.

Source: Energy-Storage.News / Tesla Investor Relations (Oct 23, 2026)

3. Google and Voltus Partner to Build 1 GW Virtual Power Plant in the U.S.

Tech giant Google and distributed energy resource (DER) platform Voltus announced an expanded agreement to build a 1 GW virtual power plant (VPP) in the United States. The project will integrate distributed PV, battery storage, and controllable load resources to provide peak shaving, frequency regulation, and reserve capacity services to the grid.

Source: Energy-Storage.News (Oct 23, 2026)

4. Three GWh-Scale 4-Hour BESS Projects in Germany Simultaneously Advance to Construction

Germany's energy storage market achieved a structural breakthrough as three large-scale projects simultaneously advanced to construction: an Enertrag-Enlight joint project, a Vattenfall-Fluence collaboration, and an independent Giga Storage project—totaling 3.2 GWh of 4-hour duration battery energy storage systems. This signals a shift from the 2-hour systems that have dominated European deployments toward longer-duration assets offering higher grid flexibility value.

Source: Energy-Storage.News / NovAzure (Oct 16-19, 2026)

5. Greece's Faria Renewables Commissions 49.9 MW / 134.16 MWh Galani BESS Project

Greek independent power producer and EPC contractor Faria Renewables officially commissioned its Galani battery energy storage project in Elassona, with a capacity of 49.9 MW / 134.16 MWh. The project reflects the rapid expansion of Greece's energy storage market and the proactive efforts of Southern European countries to enhance renewable energy grid integration through storage.

Source: Energy-Storage.News (Oct 22, 2026)

6. Hithium Enters Canadian Market; Peak Energy Closes Series B Led by GM

North America's sodium-ion battery sector saw significant developments: Chinese energy storage company Hithium entered the Canadian market with two BESS solutions, while U.S. sodium-ion battery startup Peak Energy closed a Series B financing round led by General Motors (GM), signaling accelerated strategic deployment of next-generation storage technology by traditional automakers.

Source: Energy-Storage.News (Oct 22, 2026)

V. Industry & Events

1. Nationwide Blackout in Sri Lanka: Rooftop PV Disconnection Triggers Grid Collapse

Sri Lanka experienced a nationwide blackout on October 17, 2026, lasting several hours. The National System Operator (NSO) determined that a trip at the Norochcholai coal plant caused a frequency drop, compounded by the sudden disconnection of approximately 1,700 MW of unmonitored rooftop PV output, leading to system imbalance and collapse. The incident prompted the NSO to order all rooftop PV users to disconnect and plan rolling blackouts. The case underscores the urgent need for emerging markets to simultaneously enhance grid flexibility, storage deployment, and control capabilities alongside PV scale-up.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 23, 2026)

2. India's Power Demand and Solar Curtailment Hit Record Highs Simultaneously

India's power grid faces severe challenges as both electricity demand and solar curtailment hit record highs simultaneously. Grid constraints and insufficient energy storage have become the primary bottlenecks constraining renewable energy absorption. As India's renewable capacity grows rapidly, the lack of grid flexibility is becoming increasingly prominent.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 22, 2026)

3. HoloSolis 5 GW Solar Cell & Module Factory Selected for EU Innovation Fund

The European Commission announced the selection of 77 net-zero technology projects from 23 European Economic Area countries, providing a total of EUR 3.4 billion in funding through the Innovation Fund. Among them, HoloSolis' planned 5 GW TOPCon solar cell and integrated module factory in Ambac, France (project SOLAR4EU) was selected. The highly automated facility will produce n-type TOPCon modules and is expected to create over 2,000 jobs. HoloSolis is supported by IDEC Group, TSE, and EIT InnoEnergy, and has obtained TOPCon patent licensing from Trina Solar.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 23, 2026)

4. Australia Launches Third Round of Solar Sunshot Program, Up to AUD 250 Million

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) launched the third round of the Solar Sunshot program, offering up to AUD 250 million to accelerate domestic PV manufacturing and reduce construction costs and timelines for large-scale solar plants. The round is open to Australian-registered companies planning to establish or expand local manufacturing, with a focus on solar trackers, robotics, advanced automation, and prefabricated components.

Source: TaiyangNews (Oct 21, 2026)

5. Renewable Energy India Expo (REI Expo 2026) Held Oct 22-24 in Greater Noida

The Renewable Energy India Expo 2026 was held October 22-24 at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. The expo covers solar, wind, bioenergy, hydro, energy storage, and EV/hybrid vehicle technologies, and is one of India's largest clean energy B2B platforms.

Source: Campbell Scientific / Krrish Creation (Oct 22, 2026)

[Key Commentary]

Commentary 1: U.S. Solar Trade Barriers Intensify, Global Supply Chain Restructuring Accelerates

Following AD/CVD measures against Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, the U.S. has extended duties to India, Indonesia, and Laos. Combined with Section 232 minimum import prices and a 15% ad valorem tariff, U.S. solar import costs will rise significantly. This will force accelerated domestic and "friend-shoring" manufacturing, but short-term project cost increases and supply tightness are unavoidable. For Chinese companies, overseas capacity location choices and compliance management face greater challenges.

Commentary 2: High Distributed PV Penetration Triggers New Grid Security Challenges

Sri Lanka's nationwide blackout serves as a wake-up call for high-penetration distributed PV markets globally. The sudden disconnection of ~1,700 MW of unmonitored rooftop PV, combined with conventional plant failures, caused a national system collapse. This reveals systemic weaknesses in real-time grid monitoring, smart inverter protection, storage deployment, and demand response. Future emerging markets must prioritize grid flexibility and storage on par with installation growth.

Commentary 3: Energy Storage Enters a "Super Investment Cycle," Technology Diversification Accelerates

BloombergNEF forecasts 3.1 TW cumulative global storage by 2036, with 45% YoY growth in 2026. Tesla's 13.7 GWh Q3 deployment, Google's 1 GW VPP, and Germany's 3.2 GWh 4-hour projects all signal storage's transition from "supporting actor" to "lead role." LFP cell prices at a record low of $85/kWh, alongside sodium-ion and solid-state batteries accelerating toward commercialization, will fundamentally reshape global power investment.