News

Plans to build a 26 GW solar, wind, and green hydrogen project in Western Australia’s Pilbara are set to accelerate with the federal government providing a $21 million funding injection to further advance the project.

Cargill, the world’s largest agricultural commodities trader, has launched its first utility-scale renewable energy project in Australia, switching on a 2.58 MW solar array at its Newcastle oilseed processing facility.

The IP66-rated Aura 5000 energy storage system features bidirectional inverter functionality and an AC output of up to 2.5 kW.

Researchers at NREL found that UV exposure can cause significant, partly non-recoverable degradation in TOPCon solar cells, with strong cell-to-cell and intra-cell variability linked to passivation and processing inconsistencies. While some UV-related losses recover quickly under light and are unlikely to affect field performance, the findings highlight gaps in current qualification tests and the need for improved UV aging standards.

Spanish building integrated PV manufacturer Onyx Solar is delivering a custom building integrated PV system featuring almost 1,800 solar glass ‘louvres’ designed to help power Australian tech giant Atlassian’s new 39-storey headquarters in downtown Sydney with 100% renewable energy.

Plans to build a 100 MW solar farm and 45 MW, two-hour capacity battery energy storage system in the Yass Valley have been given fresh impetus with a New South Wales court dismissing concerns the project will affect the region’s rural character.

UNSW researchers identified a new damp-heat degradation mechanism in TOPCon modules with laser-fired contacts, driven primarily by rear-side recombination and open-circuit voltage loss rather than series-resistance increase. The study highlights that magnesium in white EVA encapsulants accelerates degradation, guiding improved encapsulant and backsheet selection for more reliable modules in humid environments.

Cubenergy has launched FlexCombo 2.0, a scalable battery energy storage system for utility, commercial, and industrial applications, offering up to 16 MWh capacity with LFP batteries. Its modular design, advanced BMS, and cloud-based operations enable easy installation, seamless expansion, and efficient grid integration, according to the manufacturer.

Investment in utility-scale solar in Australia dropped 35% in the second half of 2025 compared to the previous six months with Bloomberg New Energy Finance saying the growth of rooftop solar and a booming battery market are among the reasons for the precipitous decline.

Snowy Hydro has commissioned a fourth tunnel boring machine for its Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project in New South Wales as it seeks to prevent any further delay to the start-up of the renewable energy mega-project.