Market Watch

From China’s bullish manufacturers to Malaysia’s blossoming ecosystem and Taiwan’s downstream ambitions, Asia has come to shape the fortunes of global solar. José Rojo charts the continent’s dazzling ascent after visiting all three markets in late 2019.

Despite several years of incredible momentum in the Australian solar market, energy policy wars raging in Canberra are prompting investors to take pause. What does the election of Prime Minister Scott Morrison – who famously brandished a lump of coal in parliament to show his support – and a federal renewables policy void mean for the industry? Cecilia Keating reports.

Simple economics are starting to overcome a reluctance to consider renewable energy in a region dominated for decades by powerful fossil fuel interests. Catherine Early reports.

For the past two years, Taiwan’s PV manufacturers have been weathering a heavy storm prompted by shifting global demand for their wares. But as Carrie Xiao reports, government efforts to stimulate a local end market for PV is proving to be a potential lifeline

Europe’s centrist star Macron has ambitions to lead a continent-wide comeback of solar manufacturing. Can political will alone shatter the dominance of low-priced Asian rivals? Paris’ plan is either Europe’s second chance or a quest doomed to fail, depending on who José Rojo asks

The global solar boom is taking foreign players to Brazil and Mexico but the journey may not be for the faint hearted. Approached by José Rojo, operators of Latin America’s top two markets are keen to dispel myths of a region they say entails risks but also opportunities.

The US announced an exemption from Section 201 trade tariffs in June. But with a limited bifacial project pipeline in place and questions around supply, will the ruling really open the door to the technology? John Parnell investigates.

Photovoltaics International’s annual analysis of PV manufacturers, research and development (R&D) spending in 2018 includes 21 companies that were public listed on various stock exchanges around the world. R&D spending data was taken from audited annual financial reports and converted to US dollars at the time of the reports being published. The analysis in this 2018 report is intended to provide a good representation of global R&D spending trends in the PV wafer, cell and module segments of the upstream solar market.

Bogotá seems ready to kickstart its dormant renewable sector to bolster a hydroreliant power mix but auction delays suggest the road may be bumpy. José Rojo explores the factors behind the country’s slower PV awakening as Brazil, Mexico and other neighbours surged ahead.

The UK’s small-scale feed-in tariff closed to new applicants earlier this year, forcing policy makers and installers alike to run the rule over new models and legislation. Liam Stoker takes a look at the government’s Smart Export Guarantee and what it might mean for UK solar.