Solar has been one of the success stories of the renewable energy market, enjoying rapid growth as developers have rushed in to satisfy rising demand for power. But the sector is facing a moment of change, as the industry matures and governments in the US and China, the two largest markets, shift their policies.
Faced with the fresh uncertainty, developers are reining in their growth plans and instead relying more heavily on battery storage and long-term contracts to manage price volatility and secure predictable returns.
New solar capacity additions rose 16 per cent this year, according to BloombergNEF — a significant increase, but the slowest in several years.