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Opinion & analysis

Supply chain constraints, not demand, will define the solar decade

As global solar installations approach 600 GW, the industry is shifting from a technology-driven market to one defined by the industrial capacity and supply chain resilience required to meet record demand.

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The battery cost disconnect

For years, the battery energy storage (BESS) story has followed a familiar script: costs fall, deployment accelerates, economics improve. Even when cell costs rose and system prices briefly flattened during the 2021-22 lithium price spike, the narrative largely held. Paola Perez Peña, senior principal analyst at S&P Global Energy, examines why the latest jump in lithium prices has only had limited impacts on overall BESS costs so far.

Resisting rust in solar

Over a 30-year asset life, corrosion can evolve into a structural, electrical, and fire safety issue. Corrosion drives up operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, reduces resilience to extreme events, and in some cases, can force premature decommissioning or complete structural replacement Intertek CEA’s Nicholas Hudson and Ankil Sanghvi advise on best practices.

Prepare for launch: Solar powers the $600 billion space industry

Human activities in space have been solar powered for more than 70 years. Now, as the space industry accelerates, new opportunities are emerging for specialized solar manufacturers, writes Jake Veloza of Eternal Sun Wavelabs. The extreme and unforgiving conditions of space demand a high level of performance and durability, and accurate testing methods will be needed to get these new solutions off the ground.

Solar and wind take over global power growth in 2025

In 2025, solar and wind dominated global energy growth, delivering around six times more new capacity than all other power sources combined and supplying nearly all new electricity demand. With rapid expansion led by countries like Australia and several European nations, solar and wind are now the fastest-growing and central drivers of the global energy transition.

Navigating the new NERC requirements for vendor remote access

As of April 1, 2026, the enforcement of NERC Reliability Standard CIP-003-9 mandates that renewable energy operators transition from informal vendor management to a rigorous, evidence-based cybersecurity framework for all low-impact assets.

De-risking distributed solar: Foundations are a critical bottleneck

As solar deployment accelerates across the United States, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms are facing a persistent challenge: early-stage construction risks, particularly in foundations, continue to disrupt project timelines.

Rewiring global energy security

In today’s geopolitical landscape, the most credible path to national, economic, and energy security is rapid electrification powered by renewables and smart grids, argues Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA).

Managing cyber risks in the era of decentralized energy

The move toward decentralized energy resources offers resilience and flexibility in power generation, but it also introduces new complexities that demand proactive security measures.

New York can’t afford to wait: we need modern meter socket adapter rules now

New York is facing a dual crisis of energy affordability and bottlenecks to new generation interconnection. The New York Public Service Commission can take action to make affordable technologies available to New Yorkers.

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