China will scrap value-added tax export rebates for PV products from April 1, 2026, while cutting battery rebates ahead of a full phaseout, raising export costs for manufacturers and potentially pulling shipments forward into early 2026.

Tariffs continue to reshape the U.S. storage market. Rising costs for overseas systems have created new incentives to integrate equipment domestically, and many developers are turning to US firms to assemble battery systems. Integration capacity can scale faster than battery cell manufacturing, but not without risk. Unlike cell plants, where automated processes keep variations in check, battery assembly and integration depends on people, as Jeff Zwijack from Intertek CEA explains.

“It’s a changed world in the renewables space,” said Stefan Reisinger, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright.

A comprehensive new report from IEA PVPS Task 12 reveals how countries around the world are managing the growing volumes of end-of-life solar modules, implementing regulations and scaling recycling infrastructure to handle the expected increment in PV waste over the coming decades.