Solar & Renewable Energy International Information

Solar & Renewable Energy International Information

— Global PV & Renewable Energy Intelligence —

October 27, 2026  |  Tuesday

I. Policy & Trade

Fig.: Aerial view of large-scale solar farm

China Proposes Export Controls on 40 Key Technologies, Perovskite Tandem Cell Production Tech Listed as Prohibited

On October 16, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology issued Announcement No. 48 of 2026, seeking public comment on revisions to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export. The proposal covers 40 key technologies across AI, biomedicine, and photovoltaics. Among the 14 technologies proposed for prohibition are perovskite and tandem cell module production technologies; among the 26 proposed for restriction are polysilicon engineering technologies with single-line capacity ≥30,000 tons/year. A Ministry spokesperson stated that this revision is part of routine technology trade management and is not targeted at any specific country or region.

[Source: Caixin / Ministry of Commerce, 2026-10-16]

US ITC Finalizes Solar Import Injury Determination; T1 Energy Secures 1.725 GW Cell Import Exemption

On October 14, 2026, the U.S. ITC issued its final determination, finding that cheap solar equipment from India, Indonesia, and Laos causes material injury to the domestic industry, with anti-dumping and countervailing duties ranging from 147% to 267%. Meanwhile, U.S. module manufacturer T1 Energy announced federal approval to import up to 1.725 GW of solar cells for its Texas plant before Section 232 tariffs take effect on December 4. Starting December 4, the U.S. will impose a 15% tariff on imported polysilicon with MIPs of $0.22/W for cells and $0.38/W for modules.

[Source: RVIA / U.S. ITC / pv magazine, 2026-10-14/23]

Vietnam Directs Provinces to Roll Out Rooftop Solar Incentive Policies by End of 2026

The Vietnamese government has instructed provincial authorities to issue residential rooftop solar installation support policies by the end of December 2026, as part of efforts to ensure power supply security from 2027 to 2030. The government is also pushing for accelerated deployment of battery energy storage systems, particularly in northern Vietnam. This marks a key step in Vietnam's distributed solar policy.

[Source: pv magazine, 2026-10-27]

II. Market & Installation

Italy Adds 4.83 GW of Solar PV in First Three Quarters of 2026, Cumulative Reaches 48.35 GW

According to Italia Solare, Italy grid-connected 4.83 GW of new solar PV capacity in the first nine months of 2026, bringing cumulative installed capacity to 48.35 GW by end-September. Utility-scale projects accounted for 46% of new additions, while national cumulative battery storage capacity approached 20 GWh.

[Source: Italia Solare / pv magazine, 2026-10-27]

Brazil Releases PDE 2036 Energy Plan: Distributed PV Target 92 GW, Battery Storage 7.2 GW

Brazil's Energy Research Office (EPE) released the draft Ten-Year Energy Expansion Plan (PDE 2036), projecting distributed PV to grow from approximately 50 GW in 2026 to 92 GW by 2036, with battery storage targets at 7.2 GW, complemented by 4 GW of demand response and 2 GW of pumped hydro. Wind and solar generation will account for about one-third of total national generation, with renewables maintaining a nearly 90% share. Total investment is approximately 3.3 trillion Reais.

[Source: TaiyangNews / EPE, 2026-10-21]

India Q2 Power Demand Hits Record High; 1.462 Billion kWh of Solar Curtailed in July–August

According to CREA's Q2 FY2026–27 India Quarterly Energy Bulletin, India's power demand hit a record high in Q2 (270 GW in July), with solar capacity reaching 168 GW accounting for approximately 30% of total installed capacity. However, constrained by insufficient grid transmission and severe storage shortages, solar curtailment reached 1.462 billion kWh in July–August alone. As of August 2026, operational battery storage nationwide was only 9.1 GWh, far below the 151 GWh already tendered; storage support for nighttime peaks was less than 2%.

[Source: TaiyangNews / CREA, 2026-10-22]

China Solar PV News: JA Solar Reports 28.38% Hybrid BC Cell Efficiency

According to TaiyangNews' October 26 China Solar PV News Snippets, JA Solar has reported a 28.38% efficiency for its hybrid back-contact (Hybrid BC) cells. Additionally, Sungrow has joined a RMB 10 billion energy storage fund, and Hubei Province has set new energy development targets.

[Source: TaiyangNews, 2026-10-26]

III. Technology & Manufacturing

Large-Area Perovskite Solar Cell Efficiency Breaks World Record at 23.5%

On October 10, 2026, the University of New South Wales (Australia) and UtmoLight achieved a 23.5% power conversion efficiency on a 30cm × 30cm perovskite cell (aperture area 676 cm²), 0.6 percentage points above the previous benchmark. Unlike previous small-area laboratory breakthroughs, the key word this time is "large-area" — the most critical hurdle for perovskite to move from lab to mass production. Meanwhile, GCL-Poly obtained IEC 61215 + IEC 61730 dual certification for its perovskite tandem modules, with tandem module steady-state efficiency breaking through 27.06%.

[Source: Xueqiu / GCL-Poly, 2026-10-10/16]

EU Innovation Fund Backs HoloSolis 5 GW TOPCon Cell & Module Factory

The European Commission announced the selection of 77 net-zero technology projects, providing a total of €3.4 billion in funding through the Innovation Fund. Among them, HoloSolis' planned 5 GW TOPCon cell and module integrated factory in Ambac, France (SOLAR4EU) was successfully selected. The factory will use highly automated production lines, creating over 2,000 jobs, aimed at strengthening Europe's local PV value chain. HoloSolis is supported by IDEC Group, TSE, and EIT InnoEnergy, and has obtained TOPCon patent licensing from Trina Solar.

[Source: TaiyangNews / European Commission, 2026-10-23]

Taiwan Establishes Tunneling Back-Contact TOPCon (TBC) Technology Alliance

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has joined forces with seven local companies to establish a PV technology alliance aimed at building a local supply chain for Tunneling Back-Contact (TBC) photovoltaic cells. ITRI is also promoting laser-assisted silver-coated copper electrode technology, which can reduce PV cell production costs by approximately 8%.

[Source: pv magazine, 2026-10-21]

IV. Energy Storage & Integration

Fig.: Solar-plus-storage integrated power station

Sri Lanka National Blackout on October 17, Rooftop PV Disconnection Suspected as Cause

Sri Lanka experienced a nationwide blackout on October 17, 2026, lasting several hours before restoration. The National System Operator (NSO) preliminarily determined that the cause was a frequency drop triggered by a trip at the Norochcholai coal power plant, 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 urgently request all rooftop PV users to disconnect from the grid. This case highlights that emerging markets urgently need to simultaneously enhance grid flexibility, storage deployment, and control capabilities.

[Source: TaiyangNews / Sri Lanka NSO, 2026-10-23]

New UK Battery Storage Installation Rules Take Effect October 15, Lofts and Bedrooms Banned

Starting October 15, 2026, the latest edition of BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 electrical standards came into effect in the UK, imposing strict restrictions on domestic BESS installation locations. The new rules explicitly prohibit installing new battery systems in lofts, bedrooms, hallways, stairwells, and escape routes, and require approximately 300mm of clear space around batteries. This will significantly raise safety standards for residential energy storage.

[Source: Chiltern Solar / BS 7671, 2026-10-19]

Australia's ARENA Launches AUD 250 Million Solar Sunshot Round 3 Funding

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched Round 3 of the Solar Sunshot program, offering up to AUD 250 million to accelerate local PV manufacturing and reduce construction costs for large-scale solar plants. This round targets companies registered in Australia, with a focus on technologies such as solar tracking systems, robotics, advanced automation, and prefabricated components. Applications must meet TRL 8 and CRI 3.

[Source: TaiyangNews / ARENA, 2026-10-21]

Dominion Energy Plans 3.5 GW Battery Storage in PJM Grid Over 20 Years

U.S. utility Dominion Energy has submitted its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), proposing to build 3.5 GW of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in the PJM grid region over the next 20 years. The plan reflects strong demand on the U.S. East Coast grid for energy storage peak shaving and renewable energy integration.

[Source: Energy-Storage.News, 2026-10-20]

Akaysha Energy Secures AUD 1.75 Billion for Australian BESS Expansion

Australian energy storage developer Akaysha Energy has secured AUD 1.75 billion (approximately USD 1.1 billion) in portfolio financing to expand its battery energy storage project portfolio in Australia. The funds will support the development of multiple large-scale standalone energy storage power stations.

[Source: Energy-Storage.News, 2026-10-20]

V. Industry Events & Exhibitions

Fig.: International solar energy exhibition

Renewable Energy India Expo (REI 2026) Held in Greater Noida, October 22–24

From October 22 to 24, 2026, Renewable Energy India (REI 2026), Asia's largest renewable energy exhibition, was held at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida. The event brought together over 1,000 leading brands and attracted more than 55,000 industry professionals. This year's edition featured the first comprehensive Energy Storage Conference.

[Source: TaiyangNews / FIMER, 2026-10-22/24]

Romania's First Intersolar Summit Focuses on Grid Access and Storage

Romania's first Intersolar Summit was held recently, bringing together industry experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the next phase of the country's PV market. The conference focused on grid access bottlenecks, energy storage integration needs, and energy resilience issues.

[Source: pv magazine, 2026-10-21]

All Energy Australia 2026 Exhibition to be Held in Melbourne on Oct 28–29

All Energy Australia, the largest renewable energy professional exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere, will be held on October 28–29, 2026, at Victoria Park in Melbourne. The exhibition brings together over 450 leading global suppliers, with a focus on electric vehicle technology, energy storage systems, and photovoltaic products.

[Source: Global Trade Fairs, 2026]

VI. Key Commentary

Commentary 1: China Escalates Export Controls as Global PV "Technology War" Intensifies

China's proposal to list perovskite tandem cell production technology as prohibited for export signals that PV technology competition has escalated from market-level rivalry to national strategic contention. Combined with U.S. Section 232 tariffs and ITC final determinations, the global solar supply chain is undergoing deep restructuring. T1 Energy's 1.725 GW cell import exemption shows that even under high tariff barriers, the U.S. maintains "safe harbor" channels. For Chinese companies, technology export pathways will become more restricted; for Europe and America, the cost of acquiring indigenous manufacturing technology will rise significantly.

Commentary 2: Emerging Markets' Solar Scale-Up Exposes Grid Resilience Contradictions

The Sri Lanka nationwide blackout serves as a global wake-up call: the sudden disconnection of approximately 1,700 MW of unmonitored rooftop PV was enough to trigger system collapse. India's simultaneous curtailment of 1.462 billion kWh of solar power and storage support rate below 2% similarly exposes the structural contradiction between high-penetration distributed PV and weak grids. If grid flexibility, storage integration, and real-time monitoring cannot keep pace, the "duck curve" problem will intensify. Grid-forming storage, smart inverters, and virtual power plants will become critical infrastructure for sustainable solar development in emerging markets.

Commentary 3: Perovskite Commercialization Accelerates as Large-Area Efficiency Breakthrough Marks Key Milestone

The 23.5% efficiency achieved by UNSW and UtmoLight on large-area perovskite cells marks a breakthrough at the most critical hurdle for the technology to move from lab to mass production. Meanwhile, GCL-Poly's tandem modules obtaining IEC dual certification with efficiency exceeding 27.06% indicates that perovskite commercialization is entering the fast lane. However, the tightening of UK residential storage rules and the EU's strong support for local manufacturing suggest that future PV competition will revolve around three axes: technical efficiency, safety standards, and localized supply chains.