Maryland Energy Administration launches $200 million Megawatts for Maryland clean energy auction

The Maryland Energy Administration is launching Megawatts for Maryland, a $200 million auction program to build new clean energy generation over the next two years, established through the Utility RELIEF Act signed by Gov. Wes Moore earlier this year. The program can draw up to $100 million annually from the state's Strategic Energy Investment Fund and will award grants to renewable energy generation and storage developers to curb development and construction costs. The press release states the program was developed to fill in for the investment tax credits the Trump administration ended through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

EnergySage report finds U.S. residential solar quotes up 3.2% in first half of 2026 as third-party ownership expands

EnergySage's Home Electrification Marketplace Report, based on quotes submitted through its marketplace from January to June 2026, found the median quoted residential solar price reached $2.57/W, a 3.2% increase from $2.49/W in the second half of 2025, while solar-only pricing stayed flat at $2.62/W. The share of installers quoting third-party ownership products rose from about 14% in January to 41% by the end of June, after the Section 25D residential tax credit expired at the end of 2025; EnergySage says qualifying third-party-owned projects can still access federal commercial tax incentives through 2027.

EnergySage report: U.S. residential solar quotes rise 3.2% to $2.57/W in first half of 2026

EnergySage's Home Electrification Marketplace Report states that the median quoted U.S. residential solar price rose 3.2% to $2.57/W in the first half of 2026, from $2.49/W in the second half of 2025, based on quotes submitted through its marketplace between January and June 2026. Solar-only pricing stayed flat at $2.62/W, while the solar portion of solar-plus-storage quotes rose nearly 5% to $2.55/W, excluding battery cost. The share of installers quoting third-party ownership products rose from about 14% in January to 41% by the end of June, after the Section 25D residential tax credit expired at the end of 2025.

China solar module prices hold at $0.107/W as proposed price floors draw skepticism

China's TOPCon module export prices held steady for a second week despite a proposal by eight major polysilicon manufacturers, discussed at an October 11 meeting in Hangzhou, for minimum selling prices of CNY 0.79/W for TOPCon modules and CNY 0.86/W for back-contact modules, alongside a minimum polysilicon price of CNY 43/kg inclusive of tax. The OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released October 20 put the Chinese Module Marker for TOPCon modules below 645 W at $0.107/W FOB China, unchanged, with Q1 2027 forward prices at $0.106/W.

China solar module prices hold at $0.107/W as proposed price floors draw skepticism

China's TOPCon module export prices held steady for a second week, with the OPIS Chinese Module Marker for TOPCon modules below 645 W from China unchanged at $0.107/W FOB China in the Oct. 20 OPIS Global Solar Markets Report, despite a proposal by eight major polysilicon manufacturers at an Oct. 11 meeting in Hangzhou for minimum selling prices of CNY 0.79/W for TOPCon modules, CNY 0.86/W for back-contact modules and CNY 43/kg for polysilicon, inclusive of tax. Trade sources questioned whether the floors could be sustained, since industry self-discipline agreements are not legally enforceable price controls.

T1 Energy announces Commerce waiver to import up to 1.725 GW of solar cells ahead of Section 232 tariffs

T1 Energy, a Texas-based module maker, announced it received a Department of Commerce waiver allowing it to import up to 1.725 GW of solar cells for its module assembly operations in Wilmer, Texas, without penalty for stockpiling under the Section 232 tariffs that take effect December 4, 2026, when polysilicon and silicon-based solar products become subject to a 15% tariff alongside minimum import prices. Ahead of that date, Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security issued an emergency rule setting criteria for evidence of stockpiling, import prohibition penalties for noncompliance and a process for companies to obtain a waiver.

T1 Energy says Commerce granted Section 232 stockpiling waiver for 1.725 GW of solar cell imports

T1 Energy announced that the Department of Commerce granted it a waiver allowing it to import up to 1.725 GW of solar cells for its module assembly operations in Wilmer, Texas, without penalty for stockpiling under the Section 232 tariffs that take effect December 4, 2026, when polysilicon and silicon-based solar products become subject to a 15% tariff and minimum import prices. Ahead of that date, Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security issued an emergency rule setting criteria for evidence of stockpiling, import prohibition penalties for noncompliance and a process for companies to obtain a waiver.

LevelTen reports solar PPA prices rose 4.9% in Q3 2026, partly on Section 232 tariffs

LevelTen Energy reports that the average solar power purchase agreement price rose 4.9% to $64.23/MWh in the third quarter of 2026, up 6% year-over-year, with tariffs driving most of the recent increase. Sarah Wolf, LevelTen's director of North America transactions, said the Section 232 tariffs announced in early August could add $3/MWh to $7/MWh once they take effect later this year, and that much of the quarterly increase is anticipatory as buyers try to secure contracts before then. Wind PPA prices were relatively flat in the quarter but up 13.8% year-over-year, held back by federal permitting challenges.

China's MIIT proposes stricter solar cell and module efficiency standards in draft 2026 specifications

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released for public consultation on Oct. 16 draft 2026 Photovoltaic Manufacturing Industry Specifications that would replace the 2024 rules and raise minimum average conversion efficiencies, with the consultation open until Nov. 15. New and expanded cell lines would need 26.2% for n-type TOPCon, 26.0% for HJT and 26.6% for BC, up from a uniform 26.0% for new n-type cells; existing lines would need 25.3% for TOPCon and HJT and 25.6% for BC, against 25.0% previously.

Qcells plans U.S.-made aluminum frames for Q.Tron AC and Q.Peak Duo AC residential panels by end of 2026

Qcells announced plans to launch versions of its Q.Tron AC and Q.Peak Duo AC residential solar panel lines with aluminum frames extruded, anodized and fabricated at Aluko Group's facility in Halls, Tennessee, by the end of 2026. Qcells says the domestic frames are aimed at helping residential installers and third-party ownership providers qualify for the Investment Tax Credit domestic content bonus adder, which under Treasury Department guidance requires solar hardware to meet specific domestic manufacturing thresholds for the 10% bonus. Aluko's Lauderdale County, Tennessee plant is expected to reach full commercial production by the end of 2026, with planned annual capacity to support 4 GW of solar modules.

USITC finds material injury from solar imports from India, Indonesia and Laos

The USITC's final vote finds material injury from solar imports from India, Indonesia and Laos, following Commerce's affirmative dumping and subsidy findings, securing issuance of federal antidumping and countervailing duty orders. The item does not state the cash deposit rates or the effective date of the orders.

Linton files patent suit against JSG over crystal pullers for 10 GW Texas solar line

Linton Crystal Technologies filed a patent infringement complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Chinese machinery manufacturer Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical and Electrical (JSG), alleging JSG infringed its patented seed-lifting and rotating systems used in Czochralski crystal pullers. Linton claims JSG won a contract to supply crystal-growth furnaces for a 10 GW photovoltaic production line in Texas using the contested designs and began importing the equipment, with deliveries scheduled in 2026. Tesla is not named as a defendant; the case, Linton Crystal Technologies Corp. v. Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical and Electrical Co., Ltd., is pending before Judge Rodney Gilstrap in the Marshall Division.

USITC finds injury from solar cell imports from India, Indonesia and Laos

The U.S. International Trade Commission found in a Wednesday vote that U.S. solar manufacturing has been injured by imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from India, Indonesia and Laos, aligning with Commerce's finding last month and setting up Commerce to finalize antidumping and countervailing duty orders. Counsel for petitioner the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade said dumping margins for India were 123% for all producers and countervailing duty rates 126%, and that the alliance expects final orders on Nov. 2. The ITC said it will release its full report on Nov. 23.

Qcells to offer U.S.-made aluminum frames on Q.TRON AC and Q.PEAK DUO AC residential panels

Qcells announced it will offer domestic-frame options for its Q.TRON AC and Q.PEAK DUO AC residential solar panels in the United States, with aluminum frames extruded, anodized and fabricated in Tennessee by ALUKO Group at its Halls, Tennessee facility. Qcells says the frames will help meet minimum domestic content requirements for certain third-party owned solar projects. The facility is expected to begin full production by the end of 2026, with planned annual capacity to support 4 GW of solar panels; ALUKO plans 285 new full-time jobs and more than $107 million invested in Tennessee within five years.

USITC finds material injury from solar cell imports from India, Indonesia and Laos

The USITC issued a final affirmative injury determination in its Solar IV investigation into crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India, Indonesia and Laos, clearing the way for Commerce to issue AD/CVD orders in early November 2026. Combined rates reach as high as 249% for India, 268% for Indonesia and 219% for Laos, stacking on existing executive tariffs and Section 232 minimum import price floors. Final dumping margins are 123.04% for all Indian producers, 94.36% for all Indonesian producers and 65.43% for all Lao exporters, with countervailing rates of 126.09% for India, 73.2% to 173.7% for Indonesia and 82.03% to 153.67% for Laos.

China proposes export ban on perovskite and tandem solar manufacturing technology

China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology proposed on Oct. 16, under Joint Announcement No. 48 of 2026, adding 12 photovoltaic technologies to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export, covering perovskite-silicon tandem cell processes for wafers of at least 182 mm and efficiencies of 30% or higher, slot-die coating at widths of at least 1.1 meters, single-junction perovskite modules of at least 1 square meter at 18% or higher, and tandem modules of the same area at 28% or higher.

USITC finds material injury in Solar IV case on cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos

The USITC issued a final affirmative injury determination in its Solar IV investigation into crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India, Indonesia and Laos, finding that dumped and subsidized imports materially injure domestic solar manufacturers. Commerce is scheduled to issue AD and CVD orders in early November 2026, with combined rates as high as 249% for India, 268% for Indonesia and 219% for Laos. Final dumping margins are 123.04% for all Indian producers with a 126.09% countervailing rate, 94.36% for all Indonesian exporters with countervailing rates of 73.2% to 173.7%, and 65.43% for all Laotian exporters with countervailing rates of 82.03% to 153.67%.

Qcells to launch residential solar panels with U.S.-made aluminum frames by end of 2026

Qcells announced plans to launch new versions of its residential solar panel series, including the Q.TRON AC and Q.PEAK DUO AC lines, featuring aluminum frames extruded, anodized and fabricated at ALUKO Group's facility in Halls, Tennessee, by the end of 2026. The company says the domestic frames are aimed at helping residential installers and third-party ownership providers qualify for the Investment Tax Credit domestic content bonus adder, which under Treasury Department guidance requires solar hardware to meet specific domestic manufacturing thresholds for the 10% bonus. The statutory domestic content threshold for clean energy projects begins stepping up toward 55% for projects commencing construction in 2027.

China proposes export ban on perovskite and tandem solar manufacturing technology

China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology proposed on Oct. 16, under Joint Announcement No. 48 of 2026, adding 12 photovoltaic technologies to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export, covering perovskite-silicon tandem cell processes for wafers of at least 182 mm and efficiencies of 30% or higher, slot-die coating at widths of at least 1.1 meters, and single-junction perovskite modules of at least 1 square meter at 18% or higher.

OPIS reports China TOPCon cell prices fell after Golden Week as industry weighs proposed price floors

The OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released Oct. 13 shows FOB China TOPCon M10 cell prices fell 0.86% week on week to $0.0463/W and TOPCon 210R cells fell 0.66% to $0.0454/W, ending two weeks of stability and leaving both formats about 13% below late-August peaks. A trader source said U.S. restrictions on stockpiling, under a temporary rule covering polysilicon and its derivatives ahead of Section 232 measures taking effect Dec. 4, were expected to further weaken overseas demand.

USITC makes affirmative final injury determination on solar cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos

The U.S. International Trade Commission issued an affirmative final injury determination in the AD/CVD investigations of silicon solar cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos, finding that the domestic solar panel manufacturing industry has been harmed by unfairly priced imports from the three countries. Commerce issued its final tariff calculations last month and will issue the AD/CVD orders on November 2, after which CBP will begin collecting cash deposits on subject solar cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos. The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade petitioned for the investigation in July 2025, alleging that manufacturers relocated operations to the three countries to avoid existing tariffs.

USITC makes affirmative final injury determinations on solar cells from India, Indonesia and Laos

The USITC determined on October 14, 2026 that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from India, Indonesia and Laos that Commerce found sold at less than fair value and subsidized, in Inv. Nos. 701-TA-772-774 and 731-TA-1756-1758 (Final). As a result, Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on these products from the three countries. The USITC made negative critical circumstances determinations for certain imports from India and Laos and affirmative critical circumstances determinations for certain imports from Indonesia.

CIT denies GameChange Solar challenge to scope ruling on off-grid solar charging modules from China

The U.S. Court of International Trade denied GameChange Solar Corp.'s motion for judgment on the agency record in Court No. 24-00174, upholding Commerce's final scope ruling that the company's off-grid solar charging module is within the scope of the 2012 antidumping and countervailing duty orders on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from China. In Slip Op. 26-125, Judge Timothy C. Stanceu found the plain scope language dispositive and rejected GameChange's arguments that Commerce failed to identify specific scope language and that the consumer good and off-grid CSPV panel exclusions applied.

pv magazine analysis: U.S. solar tracker suppliers shift to integrated systems via M&A

pv magazine reports that U.S. solar tracker suppliers are pursuing mergers and acquisitions to expand beyond trackers into adjacent components, citing NextPower, Array Technologies and GameChange Energy as the leading acquirers, with NextPower spending more than $1.1 billion. The article attributes the shift to a saturated domestic tracker market, forecast declining U.S. tracker shipments from 2026 to 2035, and the roughly 10% share of utility-scale solar capex that mounting systems represent. It also cites the Section 45X credit and the 10% domestic content bonus as incentives to manufacture in the United States, and notes the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered into force in January 2026.

China's solar anti-involution campaign adds mandatory efficiency and energy standards from Jan. 1, 2027

China's anti-involution campaign against below-cost competition in solar manufacturing now combines CPIA's standardized cost-accounting model, an Aug. 6 pledge by eight polysilicon producers representing more than 90% of effective capacity to price at or above full cost, and three mandatory national standards taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. The standards cap polysilicon energy consumption at 6.3 kg of standard coal equivalent per kilogram and set minimum Grade 3 module conversion efficiency of 23.2% for TOPCon and HJT and 23.5% for BC. The Silicon Industry Branch estimates effective polysilicon capacity will fall to about 2.4 million MT after restructuring, 16.4% below end-2024 levels.

pv magazine roundup: sodium-ion specs, California plug-in solar law and U.S. solar manufacturing financing

pv magazine USA's weekly roundup reports that the U.S. energy storage market is developing its own sodium-ion specification amid federal domestic content policies, FEOC sourcing rules and UL 9540A testing, and that California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 868, allowing portable solar devices to connect through a receptacle. It also reports that the New York Public Service Commission approved a two-year meter socket adapter pilot, that more than 70% of announced U.S. solar manufacturing expansion plans are not yet financed, and that a Wood Mackenzie report finds four-hour storage cheaper than open-cycle gas in 43 modeled markets while tariffs threaten near-term U.S. gains.

Report: US polysilicon minimum import price increase may slip past Dec. 4

Industry checks reported by pv magazine indicate that an increase in US minimum import prices under the polysilicon Section 232 framework may not occur until after Dec. 4, with implementation potentially moving into early 2027, reflecting Commerce's desire to observe how the initial proclamation operates and to gather further investor feedback. The report says Commerce and CBP are expected to scrutinize imports declared at the minimum price, and shipments may be detained while the underlying transaction is verified.

China wafer prices hold steady as BIS stockpiling rule curbs U.S.-bound demand

China's N-type M10 and 210R wafer FOB prices were unchanged week on week at $0.149/pc and $0.153/pc, per the OPIS Global Solar Markets Report released Oct. 6, with wafer inventories estimated at around 25 GW. A temporary final rule issued in late September by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security restricts stockpiling of polysilicon and polysilicon derivatives ahead of Section 232 import adjustments taking effect Dec. 4, 2026, covering imports during the transition period from Sept. 22 to Dec. 3.

Wood Mackenzie report finds four-hour battery storage cheaper than gas peakers in 43 markets, with U.S. and Canada facing tariff-driven cost headwinds

Wood Mackenzie's latest Levelized Cost of Electricity report finds four-hour battery storage has fallen below open-cycle gas turbines on cost in all 43 global markets modeled, and single-axis tracker solar is the lowest-cost new-build source in 43 of 48 markets. North America is the exception: near-term solar costs in the U.S. and Canada remain elevated under tariffs, AD/CVD actions and Section 232 import restrictions, with module prices projected to climb about 5% annually through 2030, residential and commercial module prices up 6% in 2027 and a further 14% in 2028, and utility-scale developers buffered by 168 GW of safe-harbored capacity.

Wood Mackenzie: four-hour battery storage now cheaper than gas peakers in markets worldwide

Wood Mackenzie published an analysis finding that the levelized cost of electricity for four-hour battery storage is now cheaper than gas peakers in markets across the globe, and a spokesperson told Utility Dive that in the United States, for a 2026 commercial operation date, four-hour battery storage is 65% to 75% cheaper than new open-cycle gas turbine peakers, depending on whether state-level carbon pricing applies. The firm projects gas turbine prices rising to $600/kW by the end of 2027, a 195% increase since 2019, and says four-hour storage in the Middle East and Africa will fall 33% to $80/MWh by 2035.

Wood Mackenzie report finds four-hour battery storage cheaper than gas turbines in all 43 modeled markets

Wood Mackenzie's latest global levelized cost of electricity report states that four-hour battery storage is now less expensive to install than open-cycle gas turbines in all 43 markets where both technologies were modeled, with storage in the Middle East and Africa forecast to fall 33% to $80/MWh by 2035 from $120/MWh in 2026. The report says single-axis tracker solar is the lowest-cost new-build technology in 43 of 48 modeled markets, and that in North America near-term solar costs face pressure from tariffs, antidumping and countervailing duty actions and new Section 232 import restrictions, with utility-scale solar partially protected by 168 GW of safe-harboured capacity.

pv magazine analysis: U.S. cell fab build-out quality matters more than technology choice

In a pv magazine USA analysis, Ryan Kennedy writes that counting announced c-Si cell capacity and focusing on the technology selected by the first U.S. cell fabs misses the key issue, which he says is building high-quality, performance-leading cell factories. The article forecasts quarterly U.S. c-Si cell production through Q4 2027, with upside and downside scenarios, from the new Solar Manufacturing USA Quarterly report, and notes the analysis follows the Solar Manufacturing USA 2026 event in Austin, Texas on 22-23 September.

First Solar sues JA Solar and American Panel Solutions over TOPCon patents

First Solar, Inc. filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd., four of its affiliates and U.S.-based distributor American Panel Solutions, LLC (AMPS), alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074, which covers manufacturing methods for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) crystalline silicon solar cells. First Solar seeks monetary damages and permanent injunctive relief to halt the import, assembly and sale of the disputed TOPCon modules in the U.S. The filing follows First Solar's withdrawal of its Section 337 complaint at the USITC; neither JA Solar nor representatives for Corning and AMPS immediately responded.

pv magazine analysis forecasts U.S. module production through 2027 amid Section 232 cell-import uncertainty

In a pv magazine USA analysis, Ryan Kennedy presents the Solar Manufacturing USA Quarterly report's bottom-up forecast of domestic U.S. module production to the end of 2027, tracking capex and output for more than 40 companies. The analysis says the largest swing factor is imported solar cell volumes ahead of and after Section 232 at the start of December, and that 2026 volumes remain unknown. It adds that the forecast's downside would apply if project offtake falls short of production targets or buyers push back on cells under MIP conditions.

First Solar files TOPCon patent infringement lawsuit against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions

First Solar filed a lawsuit in U.S. district court against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,130,074, which covers methods of manufacturing TOPCon silicon solar cells. First Solar said it is also pursuing TOPCon patent lawsuits against Canadian Solar, Jinko Solar, T1 Energy and Trina Solar, and it voluntarily terminated a Section 337 investigation at the International Trade Commission last month in favor of patent infringement lawsuits.

In case you missed it: Solar stories of the week

Global polysilicon prices hold steady as China price gains meet buyer resistance

McKinsey report finds fragmented trade raises U.S. solar and storage costs

McKinsey & Company's Global Energy Perspective 2026 finds that under its "Fragmented Energy Order" scenario, tariffs and trade restrictions raise U.S. clean-technology costs, with battery energy storage facing the largest premium among low-carbon assets at a 40% to 50% increase in capital expenditure, driven by cathode material tariffs, critical mineral bottlenecks and supply chain localization barriers. The report says broad duties on steel and aluminum add indirect capital costs to balance-of-system components, including aluminum frames, which it puts at roughly 14% of total solar panel production costs, and steel used in ground-mounted tracking and racking.

U.S. Commerce temporary final rule restricts polysilicon stockpiling ahead of Section 232 import adjustments

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a temporary final rule restricting stockpiling of polysilicon and its derivatives ahead of Section 232 import adjustments taking effect on Dec. 4, 2026, covering imports during the transition period from Sept. 22 to Dec. 3. The rule followed trade data showing a sharp increase in polysilicon imports after the Section 232 measures were released in early August. One market participant said the rule could curb China-origin wafers, cells and modules entering through circumvention channels involving smaller traders and companies, with limited direct impact on global polysilicon demand.

Utility Dive: Facilities use Section 48E investment tax credits for energy projects

Utility Dive reports that facilities are using Section 48E federal investment tax credits to finance renewable and storage projects, citing a Colorado hospital that expects $4 million to $8 million in credits on a $65 million project. The article says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut the credit for several technologies, but solar remains eligible when paired with battery storage and geothermal credits were left in place, and that nonprofits and public facilities receive the benefit as a direct Treasury payment while private companies can sell credits at roughly 85 to 93 cents on the dollar.