Historical Insights

Europe’s Record Solar Output Is Driving Negative Prices — and Shifting Value Toward Storage and Grid Flexibility

Europe generated a record 129 TWh of solar electricity in the second quarter of 2026, nearly 20% above any previous second quarter. Abundant midday output lowered marginal power prices but also produced more negative-price hours, curtailment and intraday volatility. Spain, Portugal and France recorded 596, 462 and 370 negative-price hours respectively in the first half of the year. The market signal is clear: the next stage of renewable competition is not only about adding generation, but about building storage, interconnection, demand response and more sophisticated trading capability.

Canada Enters a Trillion-Dollar Power Expansion Cycle: Clean Energy Investment Grows While Gas Retains a Balancing Role

Canada is preparing for a multi-decade expansion of its power system. The new national electricity strategy calls for roughly doubling generation and grid capacity by 2050, with estimated investment of about C$1 trillion. Wind, solar, storage, hydro and nuclear remain central, while gas-fired generation is retained as a balancing resource for peak demand, regional differences and rapid load growth from AI data centres. For suppliers and developers, opportunity will increasingly depend on provincial regulation, interconnection, financing, localization and long-term service capability.

U.S. Wind and Solar Subsidy Cuts Meet Rising AI Power Demand: Clean Electricity Costs Face New Pressure

The U.S. clean power market is entering a more difficult phase as wind and solar tax incentives are reduced while electricity demand from AI, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and electrification continues to rise. For clean energy developers, corporate power buyers, and overseas suppliers, the key issue is no longer only whether renewable energy is cheaper in theory, but whether projects can secure financing, supply chains, grid access, and delivery timelines under changing policy conditions.

Rising Power Prices Drive a Rooftop Solar Rush in the Philippines: Southeast Asia’s Distributed Energy Market Is Opening Faster

The Philippines Moves to Tighten Solar and Battery Product Certification: Southeast Asia's Market Access Bar Is Rising

China’s Solar Manufacturers Turn to Energy Storage as Panel Growth Slows

China’s leading solar panel manufacturers are accelerating their move into energy storage as photovoltaic panel sales face slower growth, weaker demand, and record-low prices. The shift reflects a broader market transition: solar companies are no longer competing only on panel supply, but increasingly on integrated solar-plus-storage solutions for global renewable energy projects.

Rising Aluminium Prices Add New Cost Pressure to U.S. Commercial Solar Projects

A sharp increase in aluminium prices is adding new cost pressure to U.S. commercial solar projects, especially because aluminium is widely used in mounting systems, frames, racks and balance-of-system components. For IKOS, the issue highlights a broader lesson for clean-energy deployment: renewable energy competitiveness depends not only on module prices, but also on metals, logistics, tariffs, financing and supply-chain resilience.

China’s Solar Exports to Africa and Southeast Asia Keep Rising Despite Price Concerns

HSBC’s $4 Billion Financing Plan Highlights the Next Stage of China’s Clean-Tech Global Expansion

Texas Solar Generation Expected to Surpass Coal for the First Time in 2026

Canada’s Plan to Double Electricity Grid Capacity by 2050 Signals Massive Long-Term Demand for Clean Energy Infrastructure

China's Clean-Tech Exports Gain Momentum as Energy Security Pressures Reshape Global Demand

Beijing Opens Public Consultation on Full-Process Supervision Measures for Renewable Energy Use in Construction Projects: Urban Green Building Governance Enters a More Refined Phase

Energy Security Reshapes the Clean Energy Transition: Opportunities and Boundaries for China-Canada Cooperation

EU CBAM Enters the Charging Phase: How Guangdong Exporters Can Turn Compliance Pressure into a Green Upgrade Opportunity

Zambia Launches Major Solar and Storage Project: Grid Stability Demand Accelerates in Emerging Markets

China's Power Market Enters a New Phase: Renewable Expansion and Capacity-Based Mechanisms

Global Energy Transition Accelerates: Tighter Regulation and Technological Breakthroughs Advance in Parallel