David Fickling, Columnist

The ‘Anything-But-Solar’ Trade Is the Future of Solar

March 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM UTC

David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering climate change and energy. Previously, he worked for Bloomberg News, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

The shift away from a pure-play solar panel model.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

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What’s the hot new thing in the solar industry? Double-sided panels? Flexible modules? Photovoltaic fencing?

Judging by the biggest companies in the sector, right now it’s something much more basic: Making anything but solar panels.