Federal Budget cuts almost $2 billion from clean energy programs
The Australian government has in its latest Federal Budget stripped almost $2 billion from programs designed to accelerate the rollout of new clean energy systems.
Chinese researchers achieve world-record efficiency of 27.17% for inverted perovskite solar cell
The proposed inverted perovskite solar cell design reduces band misalignment and electron accumulation, suppressing recombination losses and enabling high efficiency in both small-area devices and scalable modules.
Firm solar and storage costs fall to $75/MWh, says IRENA
A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency finds that round‑the‑clock solar and wind paired with battery energy storage deliver power at lower cost than new fossil fuel generation in high‑quality resource regions.
Study finds PV plants reshape land surface conditions, reducing wind speed and increasing soil moisture
A China-based research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 147 studies on how solar PV systems alter land surface processes, covering 609 installations worldwide and 11 key climate variables.
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.
Field tests show tracker-based bifacial PV outperforms fixed-tilt counterparts with 13.5% higher ouput in desert enviroments
A Qatari research team found that utilising bifacial 2P horizontal single-axis tracking PV systems in desert conditions produced up to 13.5% more electricity than fixed-tilt systems over long-term field testing. The study also showed strong seasonal and technology-dependent performance, with tracker advantages varying with irradiance and weather conditions.
Queensland researchers develop lead-free perovskite material
University of Queensland researchers have developed a safe and scalable vapour-based manufacturing process for fabricating high-quality lead-free perovskite material with fewer performance-limiting defects.
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.
End-of-life solar panel circular economy research gets new $5 million home
Sydney researchers in partnership with industry have launched a solar panel recycling hub to improve solar panel waste circular economy technologies and resource extraction, adding another boost to Australia’s existing initiatives.
The world added 605 GW of new PV capacity in 2025, says IEA
Latest report from the International Energy Agency says last year’s 600 TWh increase in solar PV was the largest-yet electricity generation increase by any source in one year, outside of periods of post-crisis recovery.
