As Australia accelerates its transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy system, one truth is becoming increasingly clear: the future of energy infrastructure must be built not just for communities, but with them.

Australia has no shortage of brilliant researchers or world-class science. Across energy storage, grid reliability, green hydrogen and beyond, our institutions are producing discoveries with real potential to reshape how we power our country and our economy. Yet too often, having worked across research translation for nearly a decade, I’ve seen that potential stall before it reaches the people and industries that need it most.

With data centre demand creating new challenges for network operators, Schneider Electric’s Farokh Ghadially outlines why the next phase of the transition isn’t just about adding more renewables, but managing a system that is more distributed, more data-heavy and less predictable.

Q4 2025 in South Australia saw grid-connected loads with spot price exposure actually being paid to use electricity about half the time (46%) – and that electricity was overwhelmingly (80%) supplied by renewables. This demonstrates a shift from managing demand to quietly needing it. Particularly in regions like South Australia, there is growing demand for demand.

Solcast, a DNV company, reports that March in Australia was unusually wet and disrupted, with frequent tropical cyclones, polar air intrusions, and repeated low-pressure systems causing widespread cloud, storms, and record cold in the southeast. Solar irradiance was mixed: below average in the south due to persistent cloud and storms, but near or above average on some northern and coastal regions where breaks between systems allowed recovery.

Queensland-based solar distributor One Stop Warehouse has signed a 1 GWh deal with inverter and energy storage systems solutions company KSTAR Australia to distribute its residential battery storage solutions.

A remote Western Australia First Nations community with its sights set on reducing diesel dependence and energy insecurity has had a solar and 3.25 MW battery energy storage project approved for development.

Changes on May 1 to the federal government’s cheaper home battery rebate triggered a frenzy of registrations to the scheme across Australia in April 2026 as households dived in last minute to take advantage of subsidies, with registrations peaking at a record 2.4 GWh capacity.

A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency finds that round‑the‑clock solar and wind paired with battery storage deliver power at lower cost than new fossil fuel generation in high‑quality resource regions.

Anker Solix has launched a residential energy storage solution featuring a 7 kWh modular battery with 5 kW bidirectional inverter.

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.

France-headquartered grid-scale solar and battery storage system developer Neoen Australia has begun operation of its 350 MW Culcairn Solar Farm in New South Wales, one of numerous assets adding to its goal of 10 GW capacity in Australia by 2030.

German inverter and battery manufacturer SMA Solar Technology has confirmed its withdrawal from the Australian residential and commercial market, with CEO Jürgen Reinert declaring the company will instead focus on large-scale infrastructure, grid-forming technology and hybrid integration.

Chinese PV technology manufacturer Trina Solar has launched an “Australia specific” variant of its Vertex S+ modules featuring a power output of 515 W and a maximum efficiency of 24.65%.

Indonesia’s PLN has launched a tender for a 1,225 MW solar project that will be spread across several regions of the country. The state-owned utility has not publicly announced a closing date.

Longi claims to have achieved the world’s highest efficiency for a silicon solar cell. The result was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin.

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.

China-headquartered solar panel and energy storage solutions manufacturer Risen Energy has announced its RisenStack Pro Modular ESS has passed Australia’s new C&I energy storage certification – covering electrical safety, EMC, and functional safety, and complies with Australian standards.

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.

The federal government has reported that 350,000 households, small businesses and community organisations have installed battery energy storage systems in the past 10 months, under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.

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.

Sungrow has released a mining microgrid power solutions white paper in partnership with TÜV Rheinland and the China Electrotechnical Society covering application scenarios from 2.5 MW up to more than 100 MW.

The Clean Energy Council is phasing in new standards for its approved PV modules list with all new panel applications to meet an updated safety standard from 1 May.

Western Australian Firebird Metals has been awarded $2 million through ARENA and the Battery Breakthrough Initiative to develop a demonstration-scale facility that processes manganese concentrate into cathode materials for batteries.

China’s solar industry has launched its first TOPCon-focused patent pool, led by Trina Solar, JA Solar, and JinkoSolar, to streamline licensing, reduce disputes, and strengthen IP coordination at home and abroad.

New South Wales will introduce new legislation designed to accelerate the delivery of critical solar, wind, battery energy storage, and network projects to support the state’s transition from coal-fired power to renewable energy.

Australia’s rooftop solar market climbed by 31% in the past month with the latest data revealing that a record 442 MW of small-scale PV capacity was installed across the country in April 2026.

Chinese miner Citic Pacific has flicked the switch on a new solar and battery microgrid that is now helping power its Fortescue River mining accommodation precinct in Western Australia’s northwest.

The collaboration is the start of CATL’s widening ambitions in the energy storage space as becomes more forward integrated and expands its offerings using local partners.

Western Australia’s shift from coal and gas to renewables has taken a major step forward with the federal government backing more than 2 GW of new renewable energy and battery storage projects set to be built across the state.