Resolving copper’s manufacturing barriers could break solar’s silver dependence
For decades, copper was the material the solar industry knew it needed but could not manufacture at scale. That barrier has been lifted. What follows matters for every rooftop, every supply chain, and every gigawatt the energy transition still requires.
Why grid visibility is becoming critical to the energy transition
As Australia accelerates its shift toward renewable energy, attention has largely focused on generation – scaling solar, deploying storage, and integrating distributed energy resources. But a quieter constraint is emerging beneath this transformation: the grid’s limited ability to see its own condition in real time.
How one local council helped 1,200 low-income residents finance rooftop solar
Most of Australia’s existing homes are old, uncomfortable, and expensive to run. Too many are energy inefficient, and rising electricity and gas prices are making things worse. Mainstream programs are supporting home energy upgrades but the transition isn’t happening quickly enough and risks leaving behind the households that could benefit most. New research shows how local initiatives can make solar and electrification more accessible.
Growing EV popularity is leading to queues at fast chargers. Could a kerbside charger network help?
The war on Iran has made crystal clear how shaky our reliance on fossil fuels is. It’s no surprise electric vehicles and transport have become more appealing. In Australia, sales of electric vehicles surged 40–50% in March.
Rooftop solar boom left apartment residents behind. Here’s how to fix it
Most Australians now understand the basic promise of rooftop solar: lower power bills, cleaner electricity and, for some households, the option to charge an electric vehicle at home for far less than the cost of petrol. But that promise was built around a particular kind of housing – the detached house with a privately controlled roof, a private meter board and a driveway or garage where the owner can install whatever equipment they need.
Wettest February since 2011 cuts irradiance across most of Australia
As part of its regular update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Australia’s wettest February in 15 years produced solar irradiance deficits of 15–30% across the country’s central and eastern regions.
Coordination looms as next challenge for Australia’s energy transition
Australia and New Zealand’s electricity networks are entering a new phase of the energy transition. For more than a decade the focus has been on building renewable generation and connecting it to the grid. That effort continues, and it will remain essential. But for many network operators the harder task now lies elsewhere: managing how an increasingly complex system works together.
Oil reserves last for weeks. Solar panels last for decades
Oil and gas prices are shooting up as war in the Middle East cuts down the supply of fossil fuels available, in what has been described as “the largest supply disruption in the history of oil markets.” While the effects of the energy crisis are being felt far and wide, it is making the case for renewables clear.
Battery rebates: what’s working and what still needs attention
The federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program is being hailed as a clean energy win with almost 280,000 batteries and about 7 MW of capacity installed across Australian since the scheme was launched in mid-2025. While the scheme is delivering results, there are still areas of concern.
Are microgrids answer to remote communities’ energy conumdrum?
The conflict in Iran has triggered global disruptions to energy and liquid fuel markets, including here in Australia. Among the more vulnerable are those in remote and rural diesel-dependent communities where renewables-based microgrids offer an option for reliable and secure energy supply.
