China has begun taxing lithium-ion batteries at 2% from Sept. 1, 2026, ending a decade-long exemption; the rate will rise to 4% in September 2027, while emerging technologies such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries remain temporarily exempt. The tax applies to cells, packs and battery clusters—not complete BESS—and is expected to modestly raise domestic storage costs, while directly exported batteries remain exempt.

The global solar PV O&M market reached 348 GW in 2025, with the 15 largest providers controlling 57% of managed capacity as consolidation accelerated. NovaSource remained the global leader, while rapid portfolio growth reshaped provider rankings and regional markets.

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on Monday, ending 21 years of national-team duty that were capped by winning the World Cup in 2022, securing his place in the pantheon of the game's greatest ever players.

Super El Niño drove a sharp north–south irradiance divide across South America in winter 2026, with sunnier conditions in the north and persistent cloud reducing solar irradiance across much of the south. Two rare August snowstorms in Chile’s Atacama Desert also caused likely snow-related losses for solar PV assets, alongside severe rainfall, flooding, and mudslides.

Chinese inverter manufacturers reported mixed first-half 2026 results, as energy storage emerged as a key growth driver, offsetting weaker demand across some traditional inverter segments.