Opinion & Analysis

As the world looks for ways to tackle climate change, Australia has invested heavily in green hydrogen, which is shaping as the best option to strip carbon emissions from some industrial processes, such as iron-making and ammonia production. But making the dream a reality in Australia is proving difficult.

Australia’s data centre sector is booming, driven by AI and digital growth – but so too are the energy and regulatory challenges.

Green hydrogen is touted by some as the future – a way for Australia to slowly replace its reliance on fossil fuel exports. The energy-dense gas has the potential to reduce emissions in sectors challenging to decarbonise, such as steelmaking and fertiliser manufacturing.

IEA PVPS Task 16 recently introduced SolarStations.org, a global catalogue of solar irradiance monitoring stations designed for researchers, developers, and policymakers. This openly available resource catalogues more than 800 multi-component stations – of which more than 400 are currently active – offering a comprehensive view of high-quality ground-based solar data.

Indonesia has the resources to quickly increase the share of renewables in its power mix, including abundant solar, geothermal and pumped storage potential to help stabilize the grid. The government has introduced policies to attract foreign investment, including through the Just Energy Transition Partnership, but it is still sending mixed signals about phasing out coal in favor of renewables.

In the recent Australian election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party returned to power with a key campaign promise for a national rebate on home battery systems. This is an important and necessary step in the country’s transition to a cleaner, smarter energy future, but for those of us working on vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) like JET Charge, there’s a question that naturally follows: what does this mean for V2G uptake?

The Albanese Government’s $2.3 billion solar battery rebate scheme is one of the most exciting developments Australia’s energy sector has seen in years but if we don’t get the rollout right from day one, we risk undermining everything this scheme stands for and repeating the disastrous mistakes of the Pink Batts program.

The Australian residential battery market is heating up — and beneath the surface, a new set of performance metrics is emerging as decisive for brand success. While some manufacturers chase short-term growth by dropping prices, the real battle for sustainable market share is being fought on deeper metrics: share of installer adoption, share of installer portfolio, and customer loyalty.

Solar manufacturers are pursuing the next-generation crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV cell technology. Back-contact (xBC) technologies including TOPCon back-contact (TBC), HJT back-contact (HBC), and HJT TOPCon back-contact (HTBC) have emerged as leading candidates, attracting attention for their superior conversion efficiency and aesthetic module designs.

Australia’s grant system is working exactly as designed. And that’s the problem. Right now, if you’re a small business or a not-for-profit, there’s likely a funding stream available to help you test an idea, buy equipment or build capability. If you’re a multinational or a university, there’s even more. But if you sit in the middle, a commercially viable, medium-sized business with proven success, and the capacity to deliver major outcomes, you’re often left with nothing. This isn’t sour grapes, it’s missed opportunities.