New South Wales is rolling out two of the biggest renewable energy tenders in the state’s history, seeking 2.5 GW of new generation capacity in addition to 12.5 GWh of long-duration energy storage.

Renewables developer and electricity retailer Flow Power has added almost 20 MW of new solar and 45 MWh of battery energy storage to its operational portfolio with the commissioning of three projects in South Australia.

The dynamics that dictate how the price of electricity is set in Australia have been transformed in the last year, not by policy, but by the unusual characteristics of batteries. Unlike any generator before it, batteries are capable of playing both sides of the price-setting equation: supply and demand. Newly compiled data reveals the extent to which the National Electricity Market’s price-setting agenda has been utterly reconfigured.

Australia is in the grip of a consumer-led energy storage boom with new figures showing more than 400,000 batteries representing 11.2 GWh of storage capacity have been installed nationwide in the past 10 months.

Solar module manufacturer and polysilicon producer GCL Technology is expanding into lithium-ion battery storage based on LFP materials as part of a shift toward a “multi-product” new energy platform.

Australian battery technology developer Li-S Energy has secured key approvals to airfreight prototype lithium-sulfur cells from Australia to the United States – opening a direct pathway into the world’s largest defence market.

Manufacturing major Trinasolar has signed a supply agreement with Solar Juice that has the potential to deliver 10% of Australia’s annual rooftop PV installation volume over the next three years.

Australia’s residential solar market continues to expand at pace, supported by high household adoption and growing integration of battery storage systems. The latest data shows approximately 217,000 new rooftop solar systems have been installed over the past 12 months with an estimated 42% of Australian homes now fitted with solar. The country maintains its position as the No.1 globally ranked market for rooftop solar adoption, with an average residential system size of 6.6 kW.

Danish renewables developer European Energy says the first of almost 200,000 PV modules have been installed at the 100 MW Winton North solar plant being constructed in northeast Victoria with the project on track to begin operations next year.

Australia is in the grip of a record-breaking battery rush. Last week Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced that more than 380,000 home batteries have been installed since July last year. That’s over 100,000 more than the total installed between 2020 and mid-2025. The reason for the rush: government subsidies, which cut the upfront cost by about 30%.