Opinion & Analysis

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Digging into NSW’s generation mix reveals that the supply gap from coal exists remains substantial. Eraring currently contributes more to the state’s mix than grid-scale solar and wind combined during winter (28% vs 20%), while utility-scale batteries remain just 1% of the current supply mix, underscoring how early the firming build-out still is. From an investment standpoint, the scheduled retirement of coal capacity represents one of the strongest structural tailwinds in the Australian energy market.

Australia has rapidly become one of the world’s most attractive destination for hyperscale data centres, ranking within the top 5-10 markets globally by capacity. Several factors explain this rise: large land availability within Renewable Energy Zones, fast-growing renewable penetration surpassing 40% across the National Electricity Market, geopolitical stability, Australia’s status as a trusted Five Eyes jurisdiction, and proximity to Asia-Pacific demand centres.