Australia’s data centre sector is booming, driven by AI and digital growth – but so too are the energy and regulatory challenges.

Green hydrogen is touted by some as the future – a way for Australia to slowly replace its reliance on fossil fuel exports. The energy-dense gas has the potential to reduce emissions in sectors challenging to decarbonise, such as steelmaking and fertiliser manufacturing.

IEA PVPS Task 16 recently introduced SolarStations.org, a global catalogue of solar irradiance monitoring stations designed for researchers, developers, and policymakers. This openly available resource catalogues more than 800 multi-component stations – of which more than 400 are currently active – offering a comprehensive view of high-quality ground-based solar data.

Indonesia has the resources to quickly increase the share of renewables in its power mix, including abundant solar, geothermal and pumped storage potential to help stabilize the grid. The government has introduced policies to attract foreign investment, including through the Just Energy Transition Partnership, but it is still sending mixed signals about phasing out coal in favor of renewables.

In the recent Australian election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party returned to power with a key campaign promise for a national rebate on home battery systems. This is an important and necessary step in the country’s transition to a cleaner, smarter energy future, but for those of us working on vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) like JET Charge, there’s a question that naturally follows: what does this mean for V2G uptake?

Seven regional Victoria battery storage projects, all at the commissioning phase, will be the first to connect to Victorian distributor Powercor’s high voltage distributed energy resource management system, adding stability to the grid.

While attempting to address suparradiance in Dicke quantum batteries to leverage their fast charging qualities, researchers at RMIT University and the CSIRO have developed a method to extend the lifetime of quantum batteries by 1,000 times.

AGL Energy has acquired the 150 MW solar, 90 MW thermal, and 720 MWh of storage Yadnarie Project from Dutch developer Photon Energy, and follows the project’s development approval received in June.

The Australian government has announced $60 million in new funding for research and development projects that promise to accelerate cost reductions for PV technology and help meet the stretch target for “ultra low-cost” solar production.

An expanded 199 kW rooftop solar system and energy management system featuring 14 power meters is helping a Victorian college slash its annual energy costs with projections tipping savings of more than $21,000 per annum.

Zen Energy’s plan to build a 100 MW solar project and 200 MW battery with up to eight hours of storage capacity in southeast Queensland has been waved through the federal environmental approvals process.

Tesla has unveiled its largest electric vehicle charger solar canopy in Australia, pulling the wraps off an 80 kW PV array alongside the Pacific Highway in northern New South Wales.

K2 Systems has introduced two new pitched roof mounting components for residential solar: the SingleHook 3S Light, made of aluminum and stainless steel; and the InsertionRail 2.0, an aluminum mounting rail.

Deye has developed a new power conversion system optimised for solar integration, with modules ranging from 100 kW to 125 kW. The Chinese manufacturer says the PCS supports flexible system design and targets commercial and industrial applications.

SunCable has welcomed the federal government’s decision to renew major project status for its Australia-Asia PowerLink project that would send up to 6 GW of renewable power from the Northern Territory to industries and urban centres in Darwin and Singapore.

Cavendish Renewable Technology has launched an advanced hybrid electrolysis platform that it says blends the strengths of solid oxide and alkaline technologies and addresses the pain points of green hydrogen adoption.

Scientists in India have proposed to design new tandem solar cells using transition metal dichalcogenide as an absorber material for the bottom PV device. Their simulations showed these tandem cells may reach an efficiency of more than 35%.

In grids increasingly dominated by renewables, grid-forming technology is emerging as critical tool for maintaining stability and ensuring reliable power system operation. In this interview with ESS News, Rui Sun, Sungrow’s Deputy General Manager-Grid Technology Center, explains how grid-forming works, why it matters, and where the technology is already proving its value. He elaborates on technical challenges, regulatory gaps, and why grid-forming could soon become the new industry standard.

Australian company Solspan has unveiled a vertical solar wall system that it says will enable the dual purposing of agricultural land, helping to address land use concerns associated with the rollout of renewable energy projects.

United States-headquartered manufacturer GameChange Solar says its Genius Tracker TF supports slopes of up to 1.7 degrees between posts, thereby reducing land grading costs.

Over $2.6 million have been allocated to renewable energy research products involving perovskite cell commercialisation, battery cell aging, next-gen anode technology, electric vehicle charger security, and solving distributed energy resource network constraint complexity.

Risen Energy says it has achieved an average power output of 740 W for its mass-produced heterojunction solar module, with certified cell efficiency of 26.61% and module efficiency of 24.81%, according to China’s Fujian Metrology Institute. Encapsulation losses were limited to 1.8%.

Australian-owned developer Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has announced that its 373 MW Cleve Hill Solar Park – the largest solar plant in the United Kingdom to date – is now exporting 100% of its capacity to the grid. Under construction, co-located energy storage is to come online later.

The Chinese manufacturer said the result was confirmed by TÜV Rheinland. It was achieved through a sunken pyramid structure that reportedly achieves selective-texture on the non-electrode area of rear-side and a zebra-crossing passivation contact structure that is said to ensure excellent passivation.

Queensland battery manufacturer Vaulta has partnered with American company eFinery Energy to explore the feasibility of deploying its battery systems in the United States and establishing a licensed assembly facility in that country.

Thai energy company Banpu has snapped up a 50% stake in the 350 MW / 1,400 MWh Wooreen battery energy storage system being built in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley as the Bangkok-based coal producer ramps up investments in renewable energy.

Global Power Generation Australia is preparing to add another renewable energy project to its construction pipeline with the Victorian government fast-tracking approval for a 400 MWh battery to be built in the state’s southwest.

British Solar Renewables has reached financial close on a 12-project solar portfolio with three co-located battery assets. The $718 million financial package covers 536 MW of PV capacity and 146 MWh of energy storage in the United Kingdom and Australia.

CIMIC Group company CPB Contractors has launched a guidebook targeting its supply chain and sub-contractors to encourage unity in the construction sector to actively reduce emissions and use clean energy solutions.

Australia’s largest energy gentailer AGL has bought 100% of South Australia’s public housing virtual power plant from Tesla with intentions to integrate it with its VPP network on the east coast.