Repsol and Sunfire are advancing 200 MW of renewable hydrogen projects in Spain, while new collaborations and funding across Europe and India aim to accelerate electrolyzer development and hydrogen infrastructure.

Repsol has approved its second 100 MW electrolyzer at the Petronor industrial complex in Bilbao. “The electrolyzer will have the capacity to produce up to 15,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually, which will mainly be used at the company’s Petronor refinery outside Bilbao in Northern Spain,” said the Spanish oil and gas company, adding that the new plant for producing renewable hydrogen will require an investment of €292 million ($347.9 million). The company did not explain the timing of the installation.

Sunfire said it will supply two 100 MW electrolyzers for renewable hydrogen projects in Spain. The first project, led by Repsol and Enagás Renovable, will install a 100 MW electrolyzer near Repsol’s industrial complex in Cartagena. The second 100 MW plant will be located at Petronor’s refinery in Muskiz (Bilbao), which is owned by Repsol and Kutxabank,” said the German company. For each of the two 100 MW projects, Sunfire will deliver ten of its 10 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer modules.

Matteco and Dunia Innovations have kicked off a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of catalyst layers used inside AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) electrolyzers. “Matteco contributes deep expertise in electrocatalysts, functional inks, and scalable electrodes, while Dunia brings its AI-guided experimentation platform, which helps test and compare many different material options quickly and consistently, under conditions that reflect how real electrolyzers operate,” said Spain-based Matteco. Dunia Innovations is based in Germany.

The European Commission said it will allocate nearly €650 million in grants to help finance 14 cross-border energy infrastructure projects. More than €176 million will be dedicated to boost hydrogen infrastructure. “The grant of €120 million for the hydrogen storage in Gronau project in Germany marks the first time CEF funding will be used for a works project for hydrogen,” said the European executive body, adding that other hydrogen projects in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Slovakia will receive grants to support studies.

Tubos Reunidos (TR) said it is developing a seamless pipe that meets the specific requirements of the hydrogen sector. “The project aims to develop a 1.25 MW experimental portable electrolyzer, conceived as an enabling solution for the supply of green hydrogen to final industrial users,” said Eurometal, the European federation of steel tubes and metals distribution and trading. “The initiative is being led by a Basque consortium including Tubos Reunidos, ArcelorMittal Sestao, Sarralle, ABC Compresores, Matz-Erreka, Flubetech Coatings, Mugape, Sener, Team Group, Torraval Cooling, and Zigor Corporación.”

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and thyssenkrupp nucera have entered into a new cooperation to accelerate the development of green hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX) markets in India. “India is one of the most promising future markets for green hydrogen electrolysis. This cooperation enables us to deepen our understanding of the local market and engage more closely with India’s hydrogen ecosystem. It also reflects our strong commitment to supporting India’s ambitious National Green Hydrogen Mission,” said Kiran Paul Joseph, CEO of thyssenkrupp nucera India.

Greenzo Energy India has secured the contract for India’s first port-based 5 MW Green Hydrogen Plant at Deendayal Port, Kandla. The project has been awarded to Oswal Greenzo Energies, the JV between Oswal Energies Limited and Greenzo Energy India Limited. “Designed on an EPC basis, the project is scalable beyond the initial 5 MW up to 10 MW and is expected to produce approximately 800 tonnes of green hydrogen annually,” said Greenzo Energy.

Orlen has entered into cooperation agreements with three Finnish partners for the production and supply of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives. “The agreements signed with ABO Energy Suomi, Nordic Ren-Gas and VolagHy Kuopio SPV will help secure hydrogen supplies during a period of growing demand in the years ahead,” said Orlen.

Powerhouse Energy (PHE) has secured a site on Silverwood Business Park in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on which the company submitted a planning application for a 40-ton per day (TPD) waste-to hydrogen facility. The site, 1.98 acres, will use a pilot unit.

UK-based Octopus Energy has agreed to set up a joint venture in China focused on spot power trading, in a bid to scale renewable electricity volumes as market reforms and demand growth accelerate.

Octopus Energy Group said it has partnered with China’s PCG Power to create a new company, Bitong Energy, to trade renewable energy across China’s electricity market. The joint venture was announced during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing in the final week of January.

Bitong Energy will combine PCG Power’s experience in commercial and industrial renewable energy with Octopus Energy’s technology for green energy trading and optimization. The company aims to annually trade up to 140 TWh of renewable power by 2030, with projected profits of around GBP 50 million ($68.7 million) per year, half of which will return to the United Kingdom.

The venture will launch in Guangdong province, China’s leading spot market, and expand nationwide as additional regions open. Octopus Energy said in an online statement that it will deploy its software to optimize the performance of batteries and renewable generation.

China’s electricity demand is expected to rise by about one-third over the next five years, with government mandates requiring at least 10% of electricity to be traded on spot markets this year, according to Octopus Energy.

The China joint venture follows earlier partnerships and capital commitments that have supported the UK energy supplier’s expansion beyond retail supply into energy software and clean energy infrastructure. Recent transactions in Europe and the United Kingdom show that the company aims to combine proprietary technology with institutional capital and industrial partners.

In July 2025, UK workplace pension provider Smart Pension committed GBP 330 million to two clean-energy funds managed by Octopus Energy Generation, targeting renewable energy projects and energy transition technologies in the United Kingdom. The allocation includes financing the United Kingdom’s first investor-funded ground-source heat pump network.

And in September, South Korea’s LG Electronics announced plans to integrate its high-efficiency heat pumps with Octopus Energy’s AI-driven Kraken energy software platform for key European markets, including the United Kingdom and Germany. The collaboration aims to optimize residential heating and cooling by linking heat pumps with Kraken’s grid-responsive controls to reduce energy costs and improve renewable integration.

Polysilicon trading in China remained largely inactive, with production cuts accelerating and wafer prices falling week on week, while downstream cell prices continued to rise and module prices held steady, according to a trade group representing China's nonferrous metals sector.

The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMA) said polysilicon trading remained largely stalled, with only limited exploratory orders completed. One leading producer has halted operations, while two others have implemented production cuts. January output is expected to fall by about 15% month on month, broadly in line with wafer production schedules, with February output forecast at 82,000 to 85,000 metric tons. The association said most wafer prices declined week on week, with average transaction prices at CNY 1.26 per piece for n-type G10L wafers, down 3.82%; CNY 1.32 for n-type G12R wafers, down 7.04%; and CNY 1.52 for n-type G12 wafers, down 8.43%. Downstream cell prices rose to CNY 0.41/W to CNY 0.45/W, up 4.88%, while module prices were stable at CNY 0.71/W to CNY 0.75/W.

Hoymiles has signed a supply contract with Indian renewable energy solutions provider KOSOL Energie to deliver 360 MW of its HMS series microinverters in 2026. The company said the products are optimized for India’s high-temperature, high-humidity, and high-irradiance conditions, as well as for larger module formats, large-scale commercial and industrial rooftops, and complex grid environments.

Boway Alloy has issued a profit warning, forecasting full-year 2025 net profit attributable to shareholders of CNY 100 million to CNY 150 million, down 88.9% to 92.6% year on year. The China-listed parent of Vietnam-based Boviet Solar said the decline reflects impairment charges linked to high US anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Vietnam-manufactured products, which made relocating production uneconomic, as well as reduced subsidies and order losses at its United States subsidiary following passage of the United States “Big and Beautiful” Act. Boway Alloy said it is exploring equity divestment options.

PowerChina has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract through its Colombia branch for a 251 MW solar project in Santander province, Colombia. The scope includes PV plant development, equipment supply, installation and commissioning, with a string inverter plus tracking system configuration intended to improve generation efficiency and operational stability.

Deye said it submitted an application on Jan. 27 to issue H shares and list on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company said its listing application materials were published on the exchange’s website the same day.

Pacifico Energy Chief Operating Officer Kevin Pratt says projects such as the planned 7 GW GW Ranch microgrid in Texas highlight a shift toward private grids as developers seek faster, more reliable ways to meet surging power demand from data centers and industry.

From pv magazine USA

Electricity demand is here and climbing, and solar generation is being pressed on reliability and affordability like never before. Developers are looking at opportunities pragmatically and investing in generation to meet demand using the most cost-effective solution for the location. Solar is showing that it can still perform on its own merits.

Beyond the availability of fuel sources is the issue of interconnection and grid availability. Large-scale solar projects that pencil in terms of levelized cost of energy over the lifespan of the installation are running into scheduling issues involving grid interconnection queues that may be years long. Delays are not relegated to renewable energy. Developers looking to build combined-cycle gas-fired facilities are reporting similar wait times for delivery of suitable turbines.

Kevin Pratt, chief operation officer of developer Pacifico Energy, told pv magazine USA that the combination of increasing demand, grid interconnection queues and equipment supply chains are making off-grid, behind-the-meter generation on larger scales more attractive. Not all of this can be laid at the door of rising demand from data centers.

“The reason why we’re bullish on private grids, and microgrids generally, is because of the response we’ve seen in the market,” Pratt said. “Even before the big data center push that’s come along, we’ve had clients needing reliable power in a number of different scenarios. We decided that we needed to be forward thinking on this. So, you talk about chicken and egg. The demand wasn’t there yet, but we did think it was coming.”

Pratt cited customer requirements from about three years ago, where modest operations relatively speaking were not able to secure utility access to increased capacity. These included a business park in Southern California, a residential complex in Hawaii and aerospace company in Los Angeles that want to expand its existing operation.

Technologies have advanced to the point where a variety of generating sources such as solar, hydrogen fuel cells and linear generators – like those produced by Mainspring – are available for urban environments and non-attainment areas where environmental regulations and codes are very strict. Combined with storage, Pratt said, these options enable customers to circumvent a lot of permitting and interconnection queues by getting as much of their generation as they can handle behind the meter.

Microgrids no longer imply modest size, with new projects scaling up into the hundreds of megawatts and even gigawatt size. Pacifico is building its GW Ranch project in Pecos County, Texas, as a behind-the-meter generation facility for data centers specializing in artificial intelligence development. This project is building in phases, with 1 GW scheduled to be operational in 2028, and the full facility being online in 2030.

The primary generation sources for GW ranch will be simple-cycle gas turbines, which are not as efficient as combined-cycle turbines but access to natural gas is not an issue in that part of West Texas. Combined-cycle generators, which produce steam, also require more water and the GW Ranch project will not require access to off-site water. Moreover, as indicated previously, combined-cycle turbines are in high demand at present, with long wait times, and Pratt said Pacifico was lucky to have secured the generators earmarked for GW Ranch. 

The project will also incorporate 1.8 GW of on-site battery storage. But what about solar?

“For our big GW Ranch project, we do have in our design about a GW worth of solar on site as well,” Pratt said. “We’ve designed it. We’ve planned for it. Solar has kind of been our bread and butter, so that’s very natural to us. But we will leave it up to the customer. And ultimately, what’s driving decision making is speed: speed to reliable power.”

While some advocates view solar and fossil fuels as a zero-sum competition, consumers are more pragmatic. At the same time, renewable energy, particularly photovoltaic solar, has shown that it is not only effective in many applications, it is the only reliable source in many parts of the United States.

“Anything west of El Paso, gas is hard to come by,” Pratt said. “In California and Arizona there’s a lot of demand. In Arizona, they are reshoring manufacturing and bringing semiconductor manufacturing there. People want to put data centers there. They need off-grid power, but situation off grid is pretty challenging because they don’t have the gas availability.”

This is an opportunity for solar plus storage to shine in competition with other sources. For example, the recently announced Pioneer Clean Energy Center in Yuma County, Arizona, under development by BrightNight and Cordelio Power, will supply 300 MW of solar plus 1,200 MWh of storage to bolster local infrastructure for Arizona Public Service. While grid connected, the project demonstrates that large-scale solar remains competitively attractive.

According to Pratt, increasing electricity demand from manufacturers needing to scale up and the new generation of “hyperscale” data centers will make private microgrids and behind-the meter generation, whether paired with grid interconnection or not, more important in the U.S. energy landscape. Quoting a study from the National Center for Energy Analytics, Pratt hundreds of data centers each with power requirements in excess of 300 MW are being planned.

“You talk about the decision to go private grid or utility grid; that’s really the struggle I see,” he said. “It’s not simply generation. It’s how to get the power to where it’s needed. Those lines are overtaxed already. Massive upgrades are required in transmission and substations to deliver the electricity. And new transmission is really slow and hard to get. So, I think microgrids are going to be a big part of the solution going forward.”

Solar developers will have to make their case to customers needing more power that the demonstrable benefits of PV plus storage at the utility scale could be theirs without the need to jump through permitting hoops or wait on interminable interconnection queues. And no wait for gas turbines, either.

Nine generation and battery projects totaling 1.8 GW reached full output in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator.

From pv magazine Australia

New data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) shows two solar farms and seven battery energy storage projects totalling 1.8 GW of capacity reached full output in the NEM in the October-December period.

AEMO’s latest Connections Scorecard shows the pipeline of new generation and energy storage projects going through the connection process in the NEM reached a record 64 GW in the last quarter, up 7.4 GW or 14%, on the previous quarter.

During the fourth quarter, 26 GW of new connection applications were submitted and 3.8 GW of applications across 18 projects were approved. In addition, 1.9 GW of plant across 10 solar, solar and battery hybrid, hydro, and standalone battery projects was registered and connected to the NEM, enabling them to move into the final stages of commissioning and operational readiness.

AEMO Onboarding and Connections Group Manager Margarida Pimentel said the standout result in the fourth quarter was the nine projects that achieved full output.

The 1.8 GW of new capacity commissioned to full output in the quarter takes the cumulative project capacity commissioned in the 2026 financial year to date (FYTD) to 3.8 GW, 89% more than the same time last year.

“These results highlight both the maturity of the pipeline and the sector’s increasing capability to deliver,” Pimentel said. “Reaching 1.8 GW of new plant at full output this quarter is a significant achievement and underlines the collaborative effort between project proponents, network service providers and AEMO in progressing new infrastructure safely and efficiently.”

The nine projects to reach full output in the last quarter included Neoen’s 350 MW Culcairn Solar Farm in New South Wales (NSW) and Metlen Energy and Metals’ 120 MW Munna Creek Solar Farm in Queensland.

Seven battery energy storage projects also progressed through commissioning to reach full output during the quarter. These included the 600 MW Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub in Victoria, the 300 MW Tarong and 205 MW Brendale projects in Queensland, the 111 MW Templers battery in South Australia, and the 65 MW Smithfield battery project in NSW.

The Scorecard shows that battery storage continues to dominate the investment pipeline, accounting for 46% of all projects progressing through the connection process in the NEM.

Hybrid solar and battery projects account for 19.7% of projects in the pipeline, with wind (16%), solar (11.9%), hydro (4.7%) and gas (1.4%) making up the remainder.

“The growth in battery storage will complement renewable generation by storing low‑cost, low‑emissions electricity during the day for release to support demand during the evening peak,” Pimentel said, adding that the December quarter demonstrated strong progress across every stage of the connections process. “The ongoing increase to 64 GW in the connections pipeline shows that confidence in Australia’s renewable energy transition remains strong,” she said.

Survey data from the US-based Solar and Fire Education training program show that 98% of participating firefighters would recommend microinverter-based rooftop solar systems, citing safety advantages linked to all-AC system design.

From pv magazine USA

The Solar and Fire Education (SAFE) program, an initiative led by retired Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Captain Richard Birt, has released new survey data regarding first responder preferences for rooftop solar inverter architecture.

The program, which provides hands-on training to help fire departments navigate the complexities of modern energy systems, found that after receiving specialized education, more than 98% of participating firefighters said they recommend microinverter-based solar energy systems.

The survey results reflect feedback from hundreds of firefighters across multiple US states. Birt, a 30-year veteran of the fire service, founded SAFE to bridge the gap between rapidly evolving renewable technology and traditional fireground tactics.

Enphase Energy, a California-based global energy technology company that consults with SAFE on its training modules, shared the findings to highlight how system design impacts emergency response.

Survey details provided by the SAFE program disclose that Birt is a paid consultant of Enphase Energy, that the survey was not designed as a scientific study, and that responses were voluntary and came from a self-selected group of individuals.

A primary concern for first responders during a residential fire is the presence of high-voltage direct current (DC) on the roof. Traditional string inverter systems typically involve long runs of DC wiring that remain energized as long as the sun is shining, creating a potential hazard for firefighters who may need to vent a roof or navigate around equipment, said the report.

Enphase’s microinverter architecture converts DC to alternating current (AC) at the individual panel level. This “all-AC” design ensures that high-voltage DC is restricted to the back of the solar module itself, rather than traveling through long conduits across the structure.

The training also highlights the role of rapid shutdown, a safety requirement mandated by the National Electrical Code (NEC). Rapid shutdown is designed to reduce voltage to safe levels within seconds of a system being disconnected, protecting emergency personnel.

Because Enphase microinverters integrate rapid shutdown at the panel level, the systems do not require the additional external components, such as DC optimizers or rapid shutdown transmitters, said the report. Enphase said this simplified architecture helps ensure NEC compliance “out of the box” while reducing the number of potential failure points in the safety chain.

The SAFE program features instructional content from active fire service members, including Captain Andrew Martinez of the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department. Martinez noted that his department is working to incorporate these findings into its official Safety Policy and Guidelines manual, specifically considering the benefits of systems that avoid high-voltage DC runs.

To date, Enphase has shipped approximately 84.8 million microinverters globally, with more than 5 million systems deployed in over 160 countries.

Helioplant will leverage SolarEdge’s inverter and power optimization technology to power its cross-shaped bifacial solar system specially designed for snowy Alpine regions with high elevation. They anticipate ski resorts will be a big market for the solution which uses SolarEdge's technology to overcome shading issues caused by the cross-structure.

The first large-scale installation combining SolarEdge technology and Helioplant’s design is already under construction, and on completion the 6.3 MW system will power three ski resorts in Sölden, Austria.

SolarEdge and Helioplant foresee significant demand for their system from ski resorts located in snowy, mountainous areas where conventional PV installations are a challenge. Standard linear PV systems tend to lose productivity with extreme Alpine conditions, such as snow drifts caused by rapidly changing wind conditions. They are also often difficult, and therefore more expensive, to build in challenging terrain areas.

Helioplant’s cross design, which resembles a tree or a flagpole with four wings, features 15 or 16 bifacial modules depending on the slope. The cross-shaped structure creates air turbulence even at low wind speeds, which prevents snow build-up from accumulating and decreasing efficiency. Snow around the base of the tree-like structure reflects light to the underside of the modules to further boost energy yields in what is known as the albedo effect.

Helioplant piloted an installation with 12 bifacial tree-like structures at 2,850 m in Sölden underneath the Tiefenbach glacier in Austria’s Ötztal Valley in 2023. The PV system powered a ski-lift for an entire season, reducing reliance on grid electricity. It was powered by SolarEdge’s technology.

The 6.3 MW installation now under construction in Austria has around 800 of Helioplant’s structures set at an altitude of 2,850 m to 3,000 m. Completion is expected in the second half of this year, and the installation will cover around one third of the three ski resorts’ annual energy needs – approximately 28 GWh.

Patrick Janak, Head of C&I DACH at SolarEdge said that by combining Helioplant's bifacial structures with SolarEdge inverter and power optimizer technology, the two companies “are bringing superior economics to the table to unlock this largely untapped market.” He claimed that conventional PV systems would not work in this scenario.

“Bifacial PV systems are ideal for alpine regions because they can capture both direct sunlight and reflected light from snow, boosting overall energy yields. With our patented cross-shaped support structure, our solar panels stay snow-free providing maximum yields of clean solar energy to offset the high electricity demands of busy ski resorts. With around 6,000 ski resorts worldwide, there is enormous market potential,” said Florian Jamschek, Co-Founder of Helioplant.

Jamschek added that SolarEdge's technology made it possible to address the problem of shading on the panels which he said is exacerbated by the tree-like structure. “While our tree-like structure for bifacial PV addresses the challenges of solar in high-altitude alpine regions, it also is susceptible to more shading on the panels. The only solution to overcome this problem and maximize energy yields was to incorporate SolarEdge technology. This means we can deliver on our promise to supply reliable and stable clean energy that ski resorts can rely on to offset their high energy demands.”

During testing at Estonia’s 100 MW Kiisa battery park, both EstLink 1 and EstLink 2 tripped, triggering the most severe disturbance to the regional power grid since desynchronization from the Russian electricity system. As a result, nearly 1 GW of capacity was lost within seconds. The park’s owner has since publicly pointed to the battery manufacturer.

From ESS News

A disturbance in Estonia’s power system on Jan. 20 forced both EstLink interconnections between Estonia and Finland offline, cutting roughly 1,000 MW of capacity, equivalent to about 20% of the Baltic region’s winter electricity load.

The shortfall was initially covered by support from the continental European grid, as the 500 MW AC connection between Poland and Lithuania operated at double its rated capacity to compensate. Later, reserve capacity within the Baltic states was deployed.

The oscillations were triggered by a 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage system in Kiisa, just south of Tallinn, one of the largest battery storage systems in the Baltics. The incident occurred during final grid connection testing, which caused the DC cables to trip.

The €100 million facility, developed by Estonian company Evecon in partnership with French firms Corsica Sole and Mirova, features 54 battery containers supplied by Nidec Conversion.

To continue reading, please visit our ESS News website. 

Solar Energy Expo 2026, Poland’s flagship PV-plus-storage trade fair, returned this month with a small show-floor footprint but a sharp focus on flexibility and market reform, as well as the storage, inverter and grid-forming technologies shaping the nation’s next phase of grid integration.

Solar Energy Expo 2026 opened to visitors from Jan. 13 to 15 at Ptak Warsaw Expo, an exhibition center in the southwestern suburbs of the Polish capital. The sprawling complex – bordered on one side by an expressway and on the other by dense forest teeming with wild boar – only opened two halls for Poland's premier storage and solar event this year, leaving wide stretches of empty or partitioned‑off floor space.

That said, the slimmed-down affair – relatively low-key by global trade-fair standards – still held its own as one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most important regional renewables events – a claim backed by numbers. According to the event organizer, the fifth edition of Solar Energy Expo attracted 20,176 industry visitors, up 11% year on year, including 2,087 from foreign countries. It featured 315 exhibitors across 40,000 m² of exhibition space.

The 2026 edition of the solar fair was also held in tandem with the fifth PIME Storage Energy Summit, a pairing that shifted the week’s focus squarely onto storage policy, flexibility markets, and system‑planning debates. The storage summit has grown into one of Poland’s most influential energy‑system forums, and this year’s program reflected a sector in transition.

Poland’s solar market continues to expand at one of the fastest rates in Europe. The country surpassed 20 GW of cumulative PV capacity at the end of 2024 and reached 21.8 GW by the first quarter of 2025, according to the Instytut Energetyki Odnawialnej (IEO), Poland's leading independent think tank specializing in renewable energy. Annual PV additions hit 3.7 GW in 2024, with the IEO projecting similar growth in 2025 and 2026 as utility‑scale projects take a larger share of the market.

Meanwhile, Poland’s energy‑market reform drive is gathering real momentum as electrification accelerates across transport, heating and industry. Consulting firm Arthur D. Little projects national electricity demand rising from 154 TWh in 2024 to as much as 210 TWh to 230 TWh by 2040 – a structural shift that tightens the screws on a system already strained by coal retirements. That surge is forcing policymakers and system operators to confront the limits of the current market design and move beyond incremental fixes, accelerating reforms that can unlock flexibility, scale storage and modernize the mechanisms that keep the grid balanced.

Against that backdrop, summit panels examined the evolution of national energy policy, the impact of EU‑level flexibility mandates and the technical requirements for integrating storage into a grid increasingly shaped by variable renewables. Speakers framed storage as essential infrastructure for system security, balancing and resilience.

Unlike past editions of the conference, the panelists avoided speculative capacity claims. Poland currently has no official national storage target, though upcoming EU flexibility‑market rules will require the government to assess and plan for its storage needs. The panel discussions primarily centered on whether Poland should prioritize large centralized assets or accelerate distributed deployments, and how flexibility requirements will influence investment decisions.

Market‑mechanism reform emerged as a second major topic of discussion. The panelists dissected grid‑forming capabilities, flexibility products, connection‑cost adjustments and the qualification processes facing aggregators.

Several contributors argued that current reforms still fall short of enabling new entrants, while others pointed to slow permitting and grid‑connection procedures as a bottleneck for the scale of storage Poland will require. Business‑side concerns surfaced as well, with observers noting the dominance of Asian suppliers and warning that cost‑driven procurement could undermine long‑term system stability without stronger design standards and cybersecurity oversight.

On the trade‑show floor, exhibitors reflected a market diversifying across scale and technology. Utility‑scale developers and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors – including PGE Polska, Greencells, Photon Energy, BayWa re, Statkraft, Northland Power and Axpo – signaled continued momentum behind large PV and hybrid projects.

Battery and storage‑technology suppliers formed another major cluster. LG Energy Solution showcased its focus on upstream manufacturing, while Alpha ESS promoted its modular Storion systems for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers alongside utility‑scale offerings. Inverter and hybrid‑system makers such as BT Storage, Growatt, Fox ESS, Deye and Sigenergy also showcased solutions spanning the residential to C&I segments.

Systems integrators and balance‑of‑system specialists were out in force, with CORAB and SL Rack promoting their mounting‑system engineering solutons, while Wamtechnik and Elsta.pl showcased their expanding roles in battery energy storage system (BESS) integration. Ingeteam and Rawicom rounded out the segment by promoting their control-system know-how through energy management system (EMS) and battery management system (BMS) platforms designed for the increasingly complex demands of hybrid projects.

Smaller players such as Byotta, Volt Power (Soleos), SunSynk and Eenovance brought niche components and integration services to the table. And domestic PV brands were also out in force, with ML System, MarvenSolar.pl, Polak PV, Proton Solar, Paneclaw, Marstek Keno, Volvetia, Grodno, Runergy and Dome Solar showcasing modules, mounting hardware and distribution offerings tailored to Polish installers and EPC contractors.

Across conference rooms and exhibition aisles, the message was consistent: storage is shifting from a promising add‑on to a central pillar of Poland’s energy transition. Regulatory clarity, market access and flexibility compensation remain unfinished business, but even with a smaller footprint, the expo revealed an industry pushing ahead – cautious about policy gaps, confident in long‑term demand, and increasingly aware that the next phase of growth will hinge on how effectively storage is integrated into the national system.

The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation to assess whether a €61 million ($71.6 million) arbitration award in favor of Malta-based ACF Renewable Energy is compatible with EU State aid rules.

The European Commission said it will investigate an arbitration award ordering Bulgaria to pay €61.04 million plus interest to ACF Renewable Energy Ltd., which invested in a Bulgarian solar plant under a 2011 renewable energy support scheme.

Bulgaria modified the scheme in 2013 and 2014, prompting ACF to pursue arbitration. The arbitral tribunal found Bulgaria breached the Energy Charter Treaty and awarded compensation in January 2024. Bulgaria notified the European Commission but has not paid the sum.

The European Commission said its preliminary view at this stage is that implementing the award would constitute state aid under Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, making it potentially incompatible with the internal market. The investigation will also consider whether the award breaches EU treaty provisions on the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The probe allows Bulgaria and interested parties to submit comments. It does not indicate the European Commission’s final decision.

EU law generally prohibits intra-EU investor-state arbitration under bilateral investment treaties or the Energy Charter Treaty, following the 2018 Achmea judgment and the 2021 Komstroy ruling. The EU formally withdrew from the Energy Charter Treaty in June 2025.

The European Commission said that legal protections for investors remain through national courts and EU law, and member states must ensure renewable energy support measures are stable and do not undermine the economic viability of projects.

In December 2025, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Energy awarded more than 4 GWh of energy storage capacity across 31 projects under its RESTORE 2 procurement plan, committing BGN 228.9 million ($137.2 million) to develop standalone renewable energy storage infrastructure nationally.

And in October 2025, International Power Supply switched on Bulgaria’s first battery energy storage system (BESS) manufacturing facility near Sofia with an initial annual capacity of 3 GWh, with plans to expand to 5 GWh by the second quarter of 2026.

The European Commission is advancing market matching for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen by inviting European offtakers to signal supply interest under the Hydrogen Mechanism, while Germany’s electrolysis rollout continues to lag official targets despite new EU-backed funding schemes.

The European Commission said it is inviting European offtakers to express interest in supply offers under the Hydrogen Mechanism, adding that the current phase runs until March 20, 2026, under the EU Energy and Raw Materials Platform that links buyers with suppliers of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and derivatives including ammonia, methanol, eMethane and electro-sustainable aviation fuel, after companies submitted supply offers from more than 260 projects from Nov. 12, 2025, to Jan. 2, 2026, with the European Commission set to outline further details at an online webinar on Jan. 27. Separately, the European Commission has also approved a €200 million ($234.9 million) German plan to support the production of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives in Canada. “The scheme will support the construction of up to 300 MW of electrolysis capacity. The aid will be awarded through a competitive bidding process, planned to be concluded in 2027,” wrote the European executive body.

The Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI) said Germany’s rollout of electrolysis capacity is progressing far more slowly than planned. The institute said installed electrolyser capacity currently stands at 181 MW, with a further 1.3 GW having reached a final investment decision (FID) or being under construction. On that basis, EWI said total operating capacity could reach up to 1.5 GW by the end of 2027, leaving Germany on course to fall well short of its target of 10 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030.

BKW plans to take a 40%stake in the planned hydrogen-ready (H2-ready) gas-fired power plant at the Hamm site (North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany. “BKW is developing the project together with the German municipal utility cooperation Trianel,” said the German company. “The location offers ideal conditions: sufficient space, existing grid and gas connections, and a well-developed infrastructure.”

Lhyfe said it expects to increase by 70% its installed renewable hydrogen production capacity in 2026. The French company currently has four renewable hydrogen production sites installed in France and Germany (21 MW). “Lhyfe has been supplying France’s first motorway hydrogen station accessible to heavy goods vehicles, operated by TEAL Mobility, since November 2025”, said the company this week, underlining that the four sites received RFNBO certifications in May and September 2025.

Honda Motor said it has decided to discontinue production, before the end of 2026, of the current model of fuel cell system now produced at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing, a joint venture between Honda and General Motors (GM). “After the discontinuation, Honda will utilize the next-generation fuel-cell system being developed independently by Honda”, said the Japanese company, referring to the joint venture established in January 2017 in Brownstown, Michigan.

Australia’s federal government will invest AUD 24.7 million ($16.9 million) over three years in a national pilot to recycle end-of-life solar panels, aiming to reduce landfill disposal and recover valuable materials from the country’s growing rooftop solar fleet.

From pv magazine Australia

The federal government has announced it will invest AUD 24.7 million over three years to deliver a national pilot for recycling solar panels that will help address the growing waste issues as they reach end of life.

The pilot program will establish up to 100 collection sites across the country, aiming to improve the management of end-of-life PV modules as Australia’s solar fleet continues to expand and mature. It will also support the development of a circular economy, allowing material and strategic minerals like copper, silver, silicon and aluminium to be recovered and reused rather than lost to landfill.

More than 4.2 million rooftop solar systems have been installed across Australia and an estimated 4 million panels are being decommissioned each year but government analysis shows only 17% of those panels are currently being recycled.

“Most panels are either stockpiled, dumped in landfill or exported for reuse,” Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said. “These materials can be repurposed to support the clean energy transition and help reduce what we send to landfill.”

The government commitment comes after a Productivity Commission report into Australia’s circular economy recommended the government “urgently establish” a national recycling scheme for solar panels and investigate the merits of a similar scheme for electric vehicle batteries.

“Currently, neither solar PV systems nor EV batteries are managed in a consistent or comprehensive way once they are considered to have reached their end of life,” the report says. “Though some private recycling services exist in Australia … only 17% of solar panel components are recycled with the remaining 83% of materials treated as waste.”

The Productivity Commission said the key barrier to the growth of a solar recycling industry is the cost of recycling the panels, which it estimated is about six times the cost of sending them to landfill.

Darren Johannesen, executive general manager of sustainability at the Smart Energy Council, said the program would transform a growing waste challenge into a major economic opportunity.

“Solar panels are not a waste problem, rather a critical resource,” he said. “They contain precious materials like silver, copper, aluminium, silicon and high-grade glass, commodities critical to our clean energy shift.”

“Implementing a national stewardship scheme, which we hope and expect will follow the pilot, will trigger an urban-mining boom, and a new wave of smart energy investment in jobs and growth.”

The Australian government estimates the creation of a national product stewardship scheme for small-scale solar PV systems could unlock up to $7.3 billion in economic benefits through reduced waste and reuse of materials.

Energy storage for homes — anchored by hybrid inverter systems — will lead the next phase of solar growth in India. Not as an upgrade, but as a necessity for a nation building toward energy independence by 2047.

From pv magazine India

Every major shift in India’s energy story has started quietly — inside homes.

Before policy frameworks, before megawatt targets, before national missions, it is the household that first feels the strain: flickering lights during voltage dips, appliances restarting after outages, work disrupted by power interruptions, and the growing discomfort of energy uncertainty in an otherwise digital, always-on life.

Rooftop solar promised freedom from this uncertainty. And to a large extent, it delivered. But as solar adoption has scaled, a deeper truth has emerged: energy generation without energy control is only half the solution. The next phase of India’s solar growth will not be led by panels alone—it will be led by storage, intelligence, and integration.

This is where hybrid inverter systems step in.

India’s power grid today faces a different kind of pressure than it did a decade ago. Solar generation peaks during the day, often when household demand is low. This creates reverse power flows, voltage fluctuations, and localised grid stress — especially in high rooftop penetration zones.

The result is paradoxical: more solar on rooftops, yet less predictability inside homes.

Traditional on-grid systems shut down during outages. Diesel generators still require manual or delayed switchover—often 30 seconds to several minutes, which is enough to disrupt production, damage sensitive equipment, or break workflow continuity. In an economy where households and small institutions are deeply integrated into productivity, this gap is no longer tolerable.

India doesn’t just need more solar. It requires solar that behaves intelligently.

Policy shift

The direction is becoming clearer. Initiatives like the PM Surya Ghar Yojana are not just about expanding rooftop capacity; they signal a move toward distributed, household-level energy resilience. Storage is no longer an afterthought — it is the stabilising layer that allows solar to scale without destabilising the grid.

This matters because India’s economic structure is fundamentally household-driven. Nearly 60% of GDP comes from households, whether through consumption, home-based work, small enterprises, or services. If households are unstable from an energy perspective, the economy absorbs that instability.

As India moves toward its ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047, energy independence will not be achieved only through large power plants or grid-scale storage. It will be built home by home.

Hybrid inverter systems are often misunderstood as just “inverters with batteries.” In reality, they are something far more consequential.

They act as the operating system of the home energy ecosystem — orchestrating solar generation, battery storage, and grid interaction in real time. Instead of passively responding to power availability, hybrid systems actively decide how energy should flow, where it should be stored, and when it should be used.

In doing so, they transform solar from a generation asset into a living, adaptive energy system.

By 2026, hybrid inverters have emerged as the intelligent core of home energy—moving solar adoption beyond installation toward optimisation, resilience, and long-term value.

Hybrid systems

Energy Independence That Actually Works – Hybrid systems ensure seamless continuity during grid outages by switching instantly to stored energy. There is no downtime, no manual intervention, and no reliance on fossil-based backup. For households, this changes the meaning of reliability.

Self-Consumption Becomes the Priority – Instead of exporting excess solar at low compensation and buying power back at higher tariffs later, homes can store energy and use it when it matters most. This shift — from grid dependency to self-optimisation — is central to the next solar phase.

Economic Resilience in a Changing Tariff Landscape – As electricity tariffs rise and demand-based pricing becomes more common, hybrid systems could protect households by using stored solar during peak periods. Energy becomes predictable — even when prices are not.

Built for the Future, Not Just Today – Hybrid architectures are modular by design. Homes can start small and scale—adding batteries, EV charging, or higher solar capacity over time. This adaptability is critical in an era where energy needs are evolving rapidly.

What makes this moment different is maturity.

Modern hybrid systems are powered by advanced software and AI-driven energy management, capable of learning usage patterns, forecasting weather, and optimising storage behaviour. High conversion efficiencies minimise losses, while grid-support features such as voltage and frequency stabilisation allow homes to act as micro-balancing units for the grid.

In effect, households move from being passive endpoints to active contributors in energy stability.

India’s 2047 Vision

India’s long-term energy ambitions are bold: massive renewable capacity, reduced fossil dependence, and eventual net-zero alignment. But these goals cannot be met through generation alone.

Storage — especially decentralised storage — will define success.

Hybrid inverter systems enable exactly what India needs at scale:

• Rooftop solar growth without grid instability
• Reliable power in regions with fluctuating supply
• Reduced dependence on diesel and backup fuels
• Smarter energy behaviour aligned with economic growth

They support a future where millions of homes are not just consuming power, but managing it responsibly and intelligently.

Beyond the policy frameworks and technical advantages lies a simpler truth.

Hybrid systems mark the transition from “having solar” to living with energy confidence.

They offer that assurance — not through excess capacity, but through intelligence and balance.

And that is why energy storage for homes — anchored by hybrid inverter systems — will lead the next phase of solar growth in India. Not as an upgrade, but as a necessity for a nation building toward energy independence by 2047.

US industry experts trace the evolution of PV rapid shutdown rules and outline how recent updates to UL 3741 are reshaping compliance pathways for rooftop and commercial solar in the United States.

From pv magazine USA

Rules requiring rapid shutdown of PV systems installed on buildings in the United States have been part of the National Electrical Code since 2014, and exist primarily to protect firefighters and first responders from harm when they must work around rooftop PV arrays.

Industry compliance with these rules, which govern the requirement to reduce the voltage in the wires both inside and outside the boundary of an array within a certain amount of time after the system is shut down, has largely been maintained through the use of module-level rapid shutdown devices that mount under each solar panel in an array.

However, as thinking has evolved around the safety and simplicity of PV systems, so have the rules surrounding rapid shutdown. New requirements for “PV Hazard Control Systems” allow compliance with the rules as long as components within the array have been certified under the UL 3741 standard.

This evolution was the subject of a recent webinar hosted by Ryan Mayfield of Mayfield Renewables, a technical consulting and engineering firm that also hosts education and training seminars approved for continuing education credits by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Mayfield was joined on the call by three experts on PV rapid shutdown requirements:

• Yann Schwarz, VP of Systems Engineering and Compliance at Enstall and a member of the UL 3741 technical committee
• Glenn Woodruff, Product Marketing Manager with Iron Ridge
• Derek Mast, a solar technician and creator of the UL 3741 knowledge base at pvhazardcontrol.com

The full webinar is now available on YouTube and embedded below:

With the establishment of PV rapid shutdown requirements in 2014, module-level rapid shutdown became the norm for residential rooftop solar installations, while many builders of commercial PV arrays turned to placing string inverters within 10 feet of the array boundary to comply with the rules.

Following adjustments to the rules in the 2017 NEC, module-level rapid shutdown became the dominant method of compliance across the industry.

Some in the solar industry — including panelist Derek Mast — argue that employing these module-level shutdown devices results in PV systems with too many potential points of failure. The PV Hazard Control System rules exist to provide an alternative method of compliance with the shutdown requirements.

“UL 3741 represents hope that we can avoid using too many components to satisfy safety regulations,” writes Mast on his website. However, he points out, it is essential to understand that “everything in a UL-3741-listed array needs to be specifically listed with everything else” for the most common path to certification.

Therefore, complying with PV Hazard Control System standards requires its own complex understanding of how components in a system work together to meet the NEC safety requirements. Growing this understanding among a diverse mix of solar industry colleagues, code officers, and local inspectors was the reason behind hosting the AMA webinar.

Building awareness

The Mayfield panel of experts opened the webinar by discussing the facts behind rapid shutdown requirements and tracing the historical evolution of the UL 3741 standard over time.

The conversation then turned to significant changes introduced in the latest revision of UL 3741 approved by ANSI on October 20, 2025. These include more specific requirements for components like wire management devices, barriers, and polymeric materials pulled from other UL standards, along with improved testing methods.

The panel also addressed the three paths to UL 3741 compliance for rapid shutdown components:

• Path 1: The 165V Component Listing is a simplified, equipment-agnostic path. As long as the PV string voltage under fault conditions does not exceed 165 volts, any compatible modules and racking can be used without a specific system-level listing. The panelists stressed the importance of this threshold. The 165V figure is based on analysis of whether a firefighter wearing PPE would see leakage current that does not exceed a safe 40mA level even under worst-case fault scenarios.
• Path 2: The 1000V System Listing is a more complex but common path where a specific combination of components including modules, racking systems, inverters and even wire management hardware are tested and listed to work together, never allowing leakage current to exceed the safe threshold. Listing under this path allows PV strings within the system to get to higher voltages (1000V for commercial and 600V for residential). Most mounting system manufacturers have adopted this approach, creating what panelist Yann Schwarz described as “a complicated set of Legos” that must be assembled exactly as specified to be compliant. Mast pointed out that path 2 is the reason his website exists, as he strives to provide a full accounting for all the various components that are certified to work together in systems under UL 3741.
• Path 3: Enhanced Fault Protection was introduced in the latest revision of UL 3741, and allows for a full system listing that may avoid firefighter interaction testing by designing out the possibility of faults from the start. Schwarz explained this path was created because system-level testing of every possible component combination can be incredibly “costly and time consuming.” This new path emphasizes the use of inherently safe materials as a more efficient route to compliance.

For now, path 2 still provides the most common route to UL 3741 compliance. Schwarz gave viewers a peek behind the curtain of the standard development, asserting that changes to UL 3741 compliance testing “simplify the process and make it closer to the original intent.”

He outlined three tests performed on PV arrays in UL 3741 compliance testing that closely resemble the kinds of “accidental interactions” firefighters may have with a PV array:

• Falling onto the array
• Stepping on the array
• Falling with a firefighter tool

Schwarz highlighted the importance of consistency in these testing methods, pointing out that only by including all the components of a PV array (racking, mounts, wire management, etc.) can these tests be made repeatable, and therefore valid.

Other panelists expanded upon this view, with Mast pointing out that the path to compliance runs through racking manufacturers, whose installation guides will specify which other components must be used to maintain compliance. He cautioned installation managers to “make sure you’re training the installers to actually look at the installation manual. It’s not just ‘install it and use whatever wire management technique you would like.’”

Mayfield agreed, saying “Understanding the means and methods of installing is really the critical piece here. If you’re never read (the full UL 3741 standard), I’m not going to blame you. But if you never read the manual, I will absolutely blame you.”

Expanding adoption

Transitioning the commercial and residential solar industry away from the methods of rapid shutdown compliance to which they have become accustomed is a long-term endeavor, but despite the complicated nature of UL 3741 compliance, adoption is growing among installers.

Panelist Glenn Woodruff says his team is focusing on simplifying and streamlining installation instructions for installers and bringing more interchangeability of compliant products. He explained that he sees a willingness to become educated about UL 3741 among local inspectors at authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), but says that financing companies may want a higher level of diligence regarding compliance before being willing to back projects.

Woodruff and Mayfield agreed they see between 20% and 30% of installations now including 3741-complaint systems, and are hopeful that number will grow over time.

The full UL 3741 AMA webinar will be published to the Mayfield Renewables YouTube channel, and Mayfield also offers a full-length class on the UL 3741 standard.

China’s leading stationary storage battery manufacturers are accelerating the rollout of 500 Ah-plus lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, betting that larger formats can cut system complexity and lift energy density in 6 MWh-class containers, even as safety, yield, and standardization challenges intensify.

From ESS News

China’s top stationary storage cell makers have accelerated the rollout of 500Ah-plus LFP formats since 2025, positioning “big cells” as a near-term pathway to reduce balance-of-system complexity and lift container-level energy density.

CATL is promoting a 587Ah energy storage cell as part of its large-format roadmap. The company cites a volumetric energy density of 434 Wh/L and a cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles. CATL said it made its first deliveries in June 2025 and has installed four production lines at its Jining facility in Shandong province, with total annual capacity of 60 GWh. It also reported cumulative shipments of more than 2 GWh by December 2025.

EVE Energy is pushing its Mr. Big 628Ah product line into the market, positioning the cells around higher integration efficiency for long-duration storage systems.

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