With solar module oversupply triggering a price freefall in 2023 and no recovery in sight, market consolidation, inventory pile-up, technology shifts, and challenges to reshoring PV manufacturing are set to affect all levels of the solar supply chain.

Economic cooperation between India and Australia may open doors for investment in clean energy technology but challenges still abound in a competitive global market. Vibhuti Garg and Shantanu Srivastava, of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, discuss the role that public funding and resource pooling could play in supporting manufacturing ambitions.

Also on the rise: Global solar cell and module manufacturing capacity grew by about 550 GW in 2023; Malaysia launches incentive scheme for residential solar; new solar module recycling process; and more.

Sourcing solar and energy storage locally will reduce some supply chain risks but it also opens the door to a new set of questions for prospective investors. Here, pv magazine takes a look at the United States market that could provide lessons for Australia as it seeks to build a domestic solar manufacturing industry.

Also on the rise: California crosses 10 GW battery storage threshold; Philippines set to add almost 2 GW of new solar in 2024; CATL unveils Ev with 1,000km range; and more.

As rising renewables penetration and electrification place ever more strain on the world’s grids, the use of grid-forming inverters, rather than grid-following models, will play a vital role in network stability.

The need for long-duration energy storage in a net-zero world is undeniable but with conventional battery prices tumbling, can anything dislodge the mainstream grip of lithium ion? S&P Global’s Susan Taylor provides an update on non-lithium storage technologies.

Following the launch of its DeepBlue 4.0 Pro module series at Shanghai’s SNEC expo last year, manufacturing heavyweight JA Solar has revealed some of its latest line’s key performance improvements at a technology forum in Sydney this month. Performance highlights include module efficiencies of 22.8%, decreased degradation, improved temperature coefficients, and better low-light performance.

Chinese solar manufacturer Longi has responded to recent media reports claiming that it might cut 30% of its global workforce.

With solar panel prices tumbling, project developers will need to be vigilant about quality. Comprehensive product testing could be a vital safeguard as PV manufacturers struggle to retain their margins, according to Everoze’s Martin Laing and Gauthier Dambrine.