Firm solar and storage costs fall to $74/MWh, says IRENA
A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency finds that round‑the‑clock solar and wind paired with battery storage deliver power at lower cost than new fossil fuel generation in high‑quality resource regions.
UNE accelerates silicon wafer recycling using AI computations and robotics
Researchers from the University of New England’s Australian Institute for Strategic Artificial Intelligence are using artificial intelligence and powerful supercomputers to assess potential solvents to separate silicon wafers with minimal contamination.
Trina launches Australia-specific solar module for rooftop market
Chinese PV technology manufacturer Trina Solar has launched an “Australia specific” variant of its Vertex S+ modules featuring a power output of 515 W and a maximum efficiency of 24.65%.
Rooftop solar surges to new high on back of battery boom
Australia’s rooftop solar market climbed by 31% in the past month with the latest data revealing that a record 442 MW of small-scale PV capacity was installed across the country in April 2026.
Premier Energies unveils 600-630 W all-black TOPCon solar modules
The Indian manufacturer said its new all-black panel series features a power conversion efficiency of up to 23.32% and a bifaciality factor of up to 85%.
350,000 installations in 10 months under Cheaper Home Batteries Program
The federal government has reported that 350,000 households, small businesses and community organisations have installed battery energy storage systems in the past 10 months, under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
Grid-scale and distributed solar break quarterly generation records: AEMO
In Q1 2026, grid-scale solar generation jumped 648 MW compared to the same period in 2025, recording an all-time quarterly high of 2,706 MW output, according to new figures released by AEMO in its Quarterly Energy Dynamics Q1 2026 report.
Low-power ride-through tech keeps green hydrogen flowing in standalone PV–electrolyser
A UNSW-led research team proposed two low-power ride-through strategies for standalone PV–electrolyzer systems to maintain stability during sudden solar power fluctuations without using battery storage.
Cooling PV modules with hydrogel-coated paper
A Vietnamese research team has developed a low-cost passive cooling system for PV modules based on hydrogel-coated paper that combines water flow and interfacial evaporation to reduce operating temperatures. Outdoor tests showed temperature reductions of up to 14 C and efficiency gains of up to 16.8%, with stable operation achieved using both freshwater and natural seawater.
Solar rebound effect could raise Europe’s electricity demand 5% by 2050
Research from Germany’s FernUniversität Hagen finds the solar rebound effect, caused by households increasing their total electricity consumption after installing a solar system, is currently a blind stop in Europe’s energy system planning and abatement scenarios.
