Italian energy agency GSE said upcoming FerX renewable energy auctions planned for 2026 and 2027 will allocate 10GW of PV capacity and 16GW of wind power. The goal is to hold one auction by the end of this year and two more in 2027, pending final EU approval. The first FerX auction awarded 7.7GW of PV capacity at an average price of EUR 0.05682/kWh, while the second solar auction allocated 1.1GW and was the first to apply NZIA resilience criteria, excluding Chinese modules, cells and inverters for PV projects above 1MW. SMM believes Italy’s FerX scheme is supporting renewable deployment while strengthening Europe’s push for localized and diversified clean energy supply chains.

Taoyuan in Chinese Taiwan has issued local guidelines for solar projects to strengthen environmental protection, safety management and panel recycling. The rules require self-inspections for projects on hillsides or environmentally sensitive areas, encourage early communication with local residents, and introduce third-party equipment checks after operation begins. Operators must also prepare damaged-panel storage plans after natural disasters. SMM believes the move reflects tighter local oversight on PV project siting, O&M safety and end-of-life recycling in Chinese Taiwan.

The European Commission revealed plans on April 23, 2026, to restrict funding for PV projects using inverters from "high-risk" countries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This ban affects projects funded by the EIB and EIF, as well as grid-connected projects in neighboring regions. Citing cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure, EU officials argue that inverters act as the "brain" of power grids and require tighter oversight. While switching to non-Chinese suppliers like Huawei or Sungrow may increase total project costs by less than 2%, the EU is moving forward with a phased-out approach scheduled to fully take effect by April 2027.

The European Commission has moved to restrict funding for solar projects utilizing inverters from "high-risk vendors" to bolster cybersecurity. Effective immediately, new guidelines require compliance with strict security standards. Pipeline projects have specific transition windows (notification by May 1, 2026), while non-EU-connected projects must phase out high-risk hardware by April 15, 2027. This decision follows growing EU concern regarding over-reliance on limited inverter suppliers and potential security vulnerabilities, echoing recent preventative measures taken by nations including Lithuania and the Netherlands.

As of March 31, Italy had 3,670 PV grid connection applications totaling 144 GW, according to the grid operator Terna. Ready-to-build (RtB) solar projects increased to 210 applications representing 9.34 GW. Solar accounts for 62.5% of renewable connection applications and 44.64% of the total 322.67 GW renewable capacity requested. Regionally, Puglia leads in number of PV applications, while Sicily ranks first by capacity at 37.39 GW. Approved PV projects reached 1,139 applications totaling 46.49 GW. Integrated storage requests remained stable, while stand-alone storage declined slightly. Meanwhile, data center connection requests rose to 480 projects totaling 82.63 GW, reflecting rising electricity demand from digital infrastructure.

Recently, the State Grid New Energy Cloud published the results of the unified competitive bidding for mechanism electricity prices in Zhejiang Province for 2026. The PV mechanism electricity price was 0.3816 yuan/kWh, with the shortlisted mechanism electricity volume totaling 4.29 billion kWh and 31,024 shortlisted projects. The vast majority of the projects were distributed PV projects, with only 24 centralized PV projects shortlisted.

Major power developer China Huaneng has announced the results of its construction and installation tender covering 2.18 GW of PV projects in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province. The tender includes more than 20 sub-projects with 1,890 MW AC and 2,182.64 MWp DC capacity, divided into 5 packages covering civil works, installation of PV arrays, booster stations, and collection lines, as well as land and environmental coordination. Winning bid prices ranged from RMB 0.657/W to RMB 0.721/W.

Mexico's Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) has launched a consultation on proposed updates to its distributed generation (DG) framework, officially recognizing energy storage within DG facilities for the first time. While maintaining the general 500 kW limit, the draft clarifies capacity measurement (AC vs. DC) for hybrid systems and introduces stricter technical requirements for grid interconnection and impact assessments. It also updates metering and settlement rules to accommodate surplus energy from storage-equipped setups. In a broader push for renewables, President Claudia Sheinbaum unveiled a 2025-30 expansion plan in February, targeting 13.02 GW of new power capacity over six years, which includes 4.67 GW of solar PV projects backed by a $4.9 billion investment.

Recently, Shandong, Shanxi, and other regions issued notices to adjust or revoke certain wind power and PV power generation projects, involving the adjustment of PV investment layouts by multiple central state-owned enterprises and state-owned enterprises. Industry insiders pointed out that behind this change are multiple adjustments in policy orientation, market conditions, and corporate strategy. It also reflects that China’s new energy industry has reached a critical watershed on the path toward “high-quality development,” with the industry landscape, technological routes, and development models all undergoing comprehensive restructuring.

Recently, geopolitical turbulence in the Middle East has emerged, bringing a certain degree of impact to the overall overseas PV market. Below, we provide an in-depth analysis of the current Middle East PV market from various perspectives: