Opinion & Analysis

Australia has led the charge in solar energy, setting the standard for solar panel adoption worldwide. The Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2024 report published by the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme shows that more than 30% of Australia’s households are fitted with rooftop solar PV units, harnessing the sun’s power to meet their energy needs.

The federal government has unveiled new details of its plan to create a $1.2 billion critical mineral reserve. Three minerals will initially be the focus: antimony, gallium and rare earths (a group of 17 different elements).

As many PV plants approach the midpoint in their typical lifespan of 25 to 35 years, the industry faces crucial decisions about what comes next. Much of the focus so far has been on managing modules, particularly on recovering their silicon and other materials. But the conversation must also extend to mounting structures. As the backbone of all solar plants, these structures represent a significant share of material use and a plant’s embodied carbon footprint.

In a new update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that early 2026 will bring mixed solar conditions globally, with strong prospects in eastern Australia and eastern China, but cloudier-than-normal outlooks for much of Europe, Asia, and parts of the United States early in the year.

The International Solar Energy Society explains how Australia’s rapid expansion of solar and wind energy has not increased wholesale electricity prices, which have remained stable since 2016. Rooftop solar, now widespread and highly cost-effective, provides the country with resilient, low-emission power, making all-electric homes increasingly independent from the grid.

Over the weekend the federal government announced major changes to its $2.3 billion home battery subsidy program. The changes include nearly $5 billion in extra funding and adjustments to the financial support provided for different-sized batteries. They follow recent reporting that the program is subsidising unnecessarily large home batteries and blowing out in cost.

Post-COP30 analysis has centred on the contentious debate over fossil-fuel phase-out wording. Yet the most significant development for the solar sector was not part of the negotiating text at all.

The Australian electricity industry has transformed over the past two decades, driven by the rise of household solar and other renewable energy sources. Since 2010, supported by government incentives and improving technology, rooftop solar installations have surged.

The federal government’s $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program is subsidising unnecessarily large energy storage systems and blowing out in cost.

Primary energy – which refers to the raw energy in fuels and natural resources – is often used to show how much energy we use but as a measure it is misleading and makes the clean energy switch seem much harder than it actually is.