The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has opened a Section 337 investigation into tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells, modules, panels, and related products following a complaint by First Solar, naming 47 entities across 11 countries as respondents.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Trust, more than technology or economics, is the real bottleneck in scaling peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading. And increasingly, blockchain is being positioned not as a buzzword, but as a structural solution to this problem.

The Terawatt PV 100 ranks the top 100 solar manufacturing companies using a new methodology based on production scale, financial strength, and corporate transparency, with Tongwei leading the Q1 2026 list and most top firms headquartered in China. The analysis highlights increasing global supply-chain scrutiny driven by tariffs and ESG mandates, while also showing rising influence from Indian companies and strong positions for key materials and equipment suppliers.

India’s first solar decade was about speed and volume. The next will be about intelligence and performance. High-efficiency modules, bifacial panels, agrivoltaic systems, advanced power electronics, and integrated battery storage are no longer emerging technologies — they are the infrastructure of Solar 2.0.

Designed to support Jindal Stainless’ transition to a cleaner and more resilient energy mix, the 315.6 MW hybrid wind-solar project is being developed by Oyster Renewable with a total investment of over INR 2,000 crore, including a committed investment of INR 132 crore from Jindal Stainless.

Saudi Arabia had a record year for solar deployment last year, taking cumulative capacity past 12.4 GW. GlobalData is forecasting annual deployments to increase in the coming years but notes that they remain behind the pace required to meet the country’s target of 130 GW of renewables by 2030, instead nearing the goal by 2035.

By applying advanced machine learning and data analytics, AI can improve energy efficiency, strengthen grid resilience, and enable more intelligent and effective resource utilisation. Strategies for energy efficiency and innovations in smart grids powered by AI could generate up to $1.3 trillion in economic value by 2030.

LGE India has signed long-term solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling 20.8 MWp with Hinduja Renewables and Sunsure Energy to supply renewable electricity to its manufacturing facilities in Greater Noida and Pune.

KPI Green Energy has commissioned an additional 376 MWp of renewable energy capacity, bringing its operational capacity to 965 MWp out of a total 2.17 GWp independent power producer (IPP) portfolio.

NeuEN Green Energy Pvt. Ltd. (NeuEN), a 50:50 joint venture between Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) and Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India, has secured a contract to supply 10,000 tonnes per annum (10 ktpa) of green hydrogen to Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL).

LMU researchers have developed a dual molecular reinforcement strategy for perovskite solar cells that strengthens grain boundaries, improving both durability and performance.

Godrej Enterprises Group has reported a project pipeline of INR 2,600 crore for its Energy Solutions business at the close of FY26, spanning transmission infrastructure, railway electrification and renewable energy projects. Supported by rising investments in power infrastructure and clean energy, the business expects to grow by around 15% by FY27.

A rapid increase in capacity addition of renewable energy, especially solar, has heightened the risk of evacuation for surplus power, especially during daytime. This is driving curtailment for projects especially with temporary general network access (TGNA), which faced 80% of the total curtailment in India between April and December 2025.

Advait Greenergy, an arm of Advait Energy Transitions Ltd, has signed multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with industry and academic partners across the hydrogen and renewable energy ecosystem in India.

Land acquisition has been completed for 40 GWh of manufacturing capacity awarded under India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced chemistry battery cells (ACC).

Job advertisements on Tesla’s website outline the 100 GW ambition and follow reports the company is in talks with Chinese firms for the purchase of $2.9 billion worth of equipment for solar manufacturing.

Waaree Energies Ltd has approved a capital expenditure of INR 3,900 crore for setting up a solar glass manufacturing facility with a capacity of 2,500 tonnes per day (tpd).

Researchers at the German institute found that some widely used PV cleaning agents can damage anti reflective glass coatings, significantly reducing solar module efficiency. Their tests showed that while some cleaners are safe, others cause visible and permanent coating degradation, highlighting the need for careful selection of cleaning products to avoid long term performance loss.

TDK Corp., a Japanese multinational electronics company, has proposed an investment of INR 4,000 crore in Haryana to set up a battery energy storage unit. A delegation from the company met Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to discuss the proposed investment.

With this, the nation’s cumulative installed battery energy storage capacity crosses 1 GWh.

ACME Solar Holdings, through its wholly owned subsidiary ACME Surya Power, has commissioned the second phase of 35.714 MW/160.48 MWh of its 250 MW/1,103.392 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project located at Jaimalsar village in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan, India.

Data centers are using batteries to run more AI on the same grid connection.

ACME Solar Holdings Ltd (ACME Solar), through its various subsidiaries, has commissioned additional 155 MW/470.25 MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the Indian state of Rajasthan. With this addition, the company’s total commissioned BESS capacity reaches 297.67 MW/951.74 MWh, out of the total planned BESS capacity of 835 MW/3,114.64 MWh through these special-purpose vehicles.

The Nexis solution combines a flexibly configurable hybrid inverter with a modular high-voltage battery offering up to 14 kW charging capacity per stack. The inverter delivers 8–20 kW AC power, supports up to 200% DC oversizing, and features IP65-rated design with integrated backup power.

AI is transforming battery energy storage systems (BESS) through predictive load management, smart dispatch, and real-time performance optimisation – critical to India’s renewable energy ambitions.

Australia has become one of the world’s most attractive destinations for hyperscale data centers, ranking among the top five to 10 markets globally by capacity. Drivers include large land availability in Renewable Energy Zones, renewable penetration exceeding 40% across the National Electricity Market (NEM), geopolitical stability, Five Eyes membership, and proximity to Asia-Pacific demand hubs.

The AI revolution has given us the ability to create predictive analyses, autonomy, and resilience in our energy systems. This will allow for the transformation of decentralized and disconnected energy systems into a single integrated network providing flexible, adaptive solutions.

As India’s clean energy ambitions scale, investment will increasingly follow regions that can deliver outcomes, not just intent. Gujarat’s experience suggests that long-term renewable growth depends as much on institutional preparedness and grid integration as it does on natural resources.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.