[SMM PV News] California Court Upholds NEM 3.0

The era of 'cheap imported batteries' is ending for the US energy storage sector as heavy tariffs and the OBBBA's strict sourcing requirements force a rapid shift toward domestic manufacturing. While storage fared better than solar under the new policy landscape, developers are grappling with rising upfront costs, long interconnection wait times, and revenue unpredictability. This high-risk environment led to the cancellation of 20 GWh in planned manufacturing capacity and 79 GW of battery storage projects in 2025. Industry leaders warn that a conservative shift in capital—favoring established multinationals over startups—threatens early-stage domestic innovation and risks ceding the US competitive edge to China.

European solar auctions and corporate PPAs added 92 GW of new capacity between 2022 and 2025, according to SolarPower Europe. After earlier struggles, auction-driven deployment rebounded to a record 25.2 GW in 2025, a 23% year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, corporate PPAs saw mixed results across the continent—dropping 56% in Germany but remaining strong in Spain, Italy, and Poland. Despite utility-scale growth, total EU solar installations in 2025 experienced a slight 0.7% decline to 65.1 GW. This marks the first annual drop since 2016, driven primarily by softened residential demand. With total capacity now at 406 GW, industry reports warn that reaching the bloc's 750 GW target by 2030 will require renewed policy support to address 'persistent inefficiencies' in auction designs.

Waaree Solar Americas has signed a $30 million agreement to purchase roughly 5.37 million Series B preferred shares in United Solar Holdings. The investment secures a long-term supply of 'fully traceable' polysilicon for Waaree's expanding US and global solar manufacturing operations. United Solar recently commenced production at its 100,000 metric ton plant in Oman's Sohar Freezone, a facility capable of supporting about 40 GW of annual module production. Backed by over $900 million in recent international debt funding, the Oman facility highlights the industry's growing focus on transparent upstream supply chains.