Carbon News | JinkoSolar: Photovoltaic Module Prices Expected to Drop Another 50% Over Next 5 Years

Global Zero Carbon The 'New Youth' of Carbon Neutrality 01 JinkoSolar: Photovoltaic Module Prices Expected to Drop Another 50% Over Next 5 Years On October 17, at JinkoSolar’s 2026 Global Technology Day, Jin Hao, Chief Technology Officer of JinkoSolar, stated that photovoltaic (PV) module prices have cumulatively declined by over 95% in the past two decades—and are projected to fall another 50% over the next five years. He noted that traditional cost-reduction pathways have largely run their course; future cost reductions will instead be driven primarily by technological innovation, adoption of low-cost metals, and AI-powered intelligent optimization. (Source: Glonass Finance) 02 NDRC: Supports Standalone Energy Storage as Market Participants in Power Spot Markets On October 19, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released the “Draft Basic Rules for Power Spot Markets (for Public Comment).” The document defines market participants as including power generation enterprises, electricity sales companies, power consumers (including those purchasing electricity via grid companies’ agency services), and new types of market entities—such as new energy storage systems, virtual power plants, load aggregators, smart microgrids, and green electricity direct-connection projects. Market operation institutions include power dispatching organizations and power trading institutions. The draft proposes promoting comprehensive participation of new market entities in power spot market competition, supporting them to respond dynamically to real-time market price signals. It explicitly supports joint bidding by renewable energy generators and their on-site co-located energy storage systems in power spot market activities—including bidding, clearing, dispatch, settlement, and performance evaluation. (Source: NDRC) 03 Tighter Regulatory Standards for PV Manufacturing Industry, with New Requirements on Carbon Management On October 16, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a public consultation notice titled “Opinions Solicited on the Draft ‘Regulatory Conditions for the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Industry’ and ‘Administrative Measures for the Announcement of Compliance in the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Industry’.” This draft revises the 2024 versions of both documents, resulting in the proposed “Regulatory Conditions for the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Industry (2026 Edition)” and “Administrative Measures for the Announcement of Compliance in the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Industry (2026 Edition).” Specifically, building upon the significantly raised thresholds already established in the 2024 editions, the 2026 drafts further tighten technical indicators, energy/water consumption limits, and environmental protection requirements. They also introduce new critical management requirements—including product spot checks, carbon footprint accounting, ESG disclosure, and supply chain management. (Source: MIIT) 04 Jiangsu’s First “Artificial Sun” Full-System Project Launched in Wuxi According to the Wuxi Daily, on October 17, the Ta-Yi Nuclear Energy Controlled Fusion Stellarator Project Launch Event was held. Jiangsu Province’s first controlled nuclear fusion project—the Ta-Yi Nuclear Energy Controlled Fusion Stellarator R&D and Verification Base—has been established in the Wuxi High-Tech Zone. Featuring a world-first “dual-mimic stellarator” configuration design, the project involves total investment exceeding RMB 2.5 billion, filling domestic gaps in large-scale stellarator development and commercial application. As the project launch unfolded, site implementation progressed concurrently. Ta-Yi Nuclear Energy Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. is Jiangsu Province’s first nuclear fusion full-system enterprise. “Artificial sun” is a colloquial term for controlled nuclear fusion devices. (Source: Wuxi Daily) 05 GCL Group and Ju Rong Group Sign LNG Project Cooperation Agreement in Ethiopia According to GCL Group, at 9:00 a.m. local time in Ethiopia on October 16, Wang Dong, Executive President of GCL Group and President of GCL Africa Industrial Group, and Lin Rongsheng, Chairman of China Ju Rong Group, led respective delegations to visit Ethiopia’s Ministry of Mines, where they met with newly appointed Minister of Mines Alemseged Paulos and held working talks.

Electric Vehicle Fleet Batteries Can Now "Work" for the Grid—and Earn Revenue

Behind your electricity bill, an energy transformation affecting everyone is underway. On October 19, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released the draft “Basic Rules for Power Spot Markets” for public comment—marking the first time that energy storage, virtual power plants, and green electricity direct-connection projects have been formally incorporated into a unified national market framework. This means that rooftop solar installations, EV charging stations, or even building-level energy storage systems within your industrial park could soon become active participants in electricity trading. This article explains—in five minutes—what this reform entails, and highlights three key shifts now unfolding across the wind and solar power industries. (This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.) Key Industry Developments Over the Past 48 Hours (Ranked by Importance) 1. NDRC Releases Draft “Basic Rules for Power Spot Markets,” Formally Integrating New Energy Storage, Virtual Power Plants, and Green Electricity Direct-Connection Projects into the Core Spot Market Framework Core Summary: On October 19, the National Development and Reform Commission launched a public consultation period—from October 19 to November 18—for its draft “Basic Rules for Power Spot Markets (for Public Comment).” The draft rules are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, and will remain valid for five years. Upon implementation, the 2023 trial version will be simultaneously repealed—signaling a rapid transition from “multiple regional pilots with divergent rules” toward a “unified national framework with long-term stability.” The most notable change is the formal inclusion of new market entities under the unified spot market framework, explicitly covering new energy storage systems, virtual power plants, load aggregators, smart microgrids, and green electricity direct-connection projects. The draft explicitly supports joint bidding by renewable energy generators and their co-located energy storage systems, enabling participation across all stages of the spot market—including bidding, clearing, dispatch, settlement, and performance evaluation. This provides nationwide institutional grounding for the “renewables + co-located storage” business model. On pricing mechanisms, the spot market will, in principle, adopt a nodal marginal pricing mechanism—using time-differentiated price signals and location-based node signals to guide market participants in optimizing generation and consumption behavior. Price differentials between renewable-rich zones, transmission-constrained areas, and load centers will become more pronounced. The new rules will also establish a generation unit operational cost compensation mechanism, strengthening coordination among medium- and long-term power markets, ancillary service markets, and spot markets—particularly regarding trading timelines, pricing, and settlement. For integrated source-grid-load-storage systems, virtual power plants, smart microgrids, and green electricity direct-connection projects constitute core components. Implementation of these rules means the market value of flexible resources will be systematically unlocked—and business models for co-located storage and load aggregation will face fundamental reassessment. Sources: National Development and Reform Commission; Media Interpretation: Nengjian (October 19), Tonghuashun Finance (October 19), Sina Finance (October 19) Reference Link (Nengjian Interpretation): https://http://dy.163.com/article/L9KJ7CQC0511E624.html Relevant Domain Tags: Power Markets / Source-Grid-Load-Storage Integration / Virtual Power Plants / New Energy Storage / Green Electricity Direct-Connection 2. Overseas Edition of People’s Daily Focuses on “Computing-Electricity Synergy”: Bidirectional Convergence of Green Electricity and Computing Power, with Source-Grid-Load-Storage Integrated Projects Serving as Critical Infrastructure

National Development and Reform Commission Seeks Feedback on Revised Electricity Spot Market Rules

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The National Development and Reform Commission released a draft of revised electricity spot market rules for public consultation until November 18. The new rules, effective January 1, 2027, aim to standardize market operations and replace the 2023 trial version.

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2026-10-20

National Development and Reform Commission Seeks Feedback on Revised Electricity Spot Market Rules

National Development and Reform Commission Seeks Feedback on Revised Electricity Spot Market Rules

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