PODCAST: The year’s biggest stories in solar and energy storage and looking ahead to 2021

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
Image: Iberdrola.

In this final episode of the Solar Media Podcast for 2020, Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe reflect on the biggest stories of the year and gaze into their crystal balls for 2021.

We reflect on how capacity expansion announcements and new technologies took the upstream solar sector into a new era, how the net zero movement spread and, yes, what impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the industry supply chain. In energy storage, we discuss why California was rarely out of the headlines, some of the world’s biggest projects and a ‘mysterious’ new contender in the long-duration space.

There’s also time to reflect on some of the lighter stories of 2020, and both Liam and Andy provide their predictions for 2021.

The podcast can be streamed below:

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Alternatively, you can subscribe and listen to the podcast on the Solar Media Editor’s Channel, which is now on all popular audio channels, including;

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts

The Solar Media Podcast will be back in January for an entirely new season, but Andy, Liam and the rest of the Solar Media editorial team wish all of our listeners a happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

3 November 2026
Málaga, Spain
Understanding technology and supplier selection for Europe’s utility-scale PV market in 2027. PV ModuleTech Europe 2026 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of PV module, inverter and battery supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, supply chain traceability, quality assurance, factory auditing, system reliability, and supplier bankability.

Read Next

October 1, 2026
Queensland’s average wholesale electricity price fell by 40% in the 2025-26 financial year, a drop CleanCo Queensland attributes to BESS.
September 30, 2026
Three US utilities, Ameren Missouri, DTE Energy in Michigan, and Black Hills Energy in Colorado have recently submitted IRPs with highlighted BESS project additions.
September 30, 2026
IPP Northland Power has announced that its 80MW/160MWh Jurassic energy storage project in Cypress County, Alberta, CA, has achieved commercial operations.
September 30, 2026
Gotion and Volkswagen AG will establish three joint ventures to manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and battery materials in Valencia (Spain), Surany (Slovakia), and Kenitra (Morocco).
September 30, 2026
Spain’s recent proposal for data centres could be the catalyst the country’s energy storage market has been waiting for, argues Ignacio López Martín from developer Capflex Energía.