When Snowy 2.0 is in the news, it’s usually about money. The cost of the huge project has gone well beyond the initial $6 billion estimate and will now cost more than $12 billion.

A comprehensive new report from IEA PVPS Task 12 reveals how countries around the world are managing the growing volumes of end-of-life solar modules, implementing regulations and scaling recycling infrastructure to handle the expected increment in PV waste over the coming decades.

Inverters must withstand the high levels of heat generated when operating, otherwise system performance and reliability could be at risk. Cody Schoener of Dow Performance Silicones argues using silicone-based materials for inverters can improve thermal management and fire protection, while offering thermal stability, environmental resistance, electrical isolation and support for operational efficiency.

Australians love rooftop solar power. About 4 million homes have solar panels on their roofs, and we generate more solar energy per person than any other country. But affordability pressures on homeowners are holding them back from installing rooftop solar on millions of homes. Without this, Australia could struggle to meet its goal of generating more than 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030.

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates data centres will consume 6% of Australia’s grid-supplied electricity by 2030. To put that in context, that’s more than the current share of Australia’s healthcare and social assistance industry. The power-hungry nature of these facilities presents major problems for the energy grid.

Schneider Electric has introduced a modular 200 kWh battery energy storage system for commercial and industrial (C&I) users, scalable up to 2 MWh across 10 units.

Singapore’s Equator Renewables Asia (ERA) and China’s CRE International Co. Ltd (CREI) will jointly develop a 900 MW solar and 1.2 GWh battery project in Indonesia, with 400 MW (AC) slated for export to Singapore.

Australia is the third-largest market worldwide for large-scale energy storage by capacity and is blitzing the field in per capita battery storage installations, with more than 1 GWh per million people – double that of nearest rival the United Kingdom.

Toyota Manufacturing UK says it is leading a consortium to investigate the feasibility of a lightweight micro-mobility electric vehicle with a PV roof, digital connectivity, and sustainable components.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) reported a 24% rise in new generation and storage capacity across the National Electricity Market (NEM), reaching 56.6 GW, as grid-scale batteries and hybrid solar projects drive growth.

Australian startup SolarCloud has launched a cloud-based model that virtualises rooftop solar ownership, allowing consumers to access a share of existing commercial solar capacity without installation, strata approval or physical infrastructure.

In less than four months since 1 July 2025, the Australian government’s Cheaper Home Batteries program has directly increased home battery capacity across the country by more than 50% and delivered 2 GWh of battery storage through 100,000 installations.

South Korea has announced plans to introduce legislation by 2026 to expand the deployment of agrivoltaics, enabling broader use of solar panels on agricultural land.

The New Zealand government has brought into force that a building consent is not required to install rooftop solar panels on any building, though conditions apply and installations must comply with the country’s building code.

A new First Nations Clean Energy Network in collaboration with Ernst and Young report recommends investors in clean energy projects in Australia accelerate and enjoy the value add-ons and economic benefits that partnering with First Nations groups can bring.

A ring-fencing waiver has been issued to electricity distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy, to enable a kerbside electric vehicle charging trial in Victoria until mid-2031, which will include at least 5% vehicle-to-grid chargers.

Australian energy storage manufacturer RedEarth Energy Storage is set to bring its Australian-made vehicle-to-grid electric vehicle charge to market, and has also released two next generation products from its smart energy ecosystem.

Victoria-headquartered battery technology company Relectrify has received $25 million ARENA backing to help deploy it’s CellSwitch inverterless technology, which promises to deliver 20% more energy over a battery system’s lifetime.

Victoria-based microgrid manufacturer PHNXX has broken into the United States market, teaming with microgrid system and software manufacturer Paired Power to launch a portable solar-powered stand-alone power system that can be installed and generating electricity within a single day.

Queensland company EV Fire Protection is eyeing global markets after securing independent verification for what it says is the world’s first fixed suppression system engineered specifically for electric vehicle fires.

Pioneering solar researcher Martin Green has received arguably one of the world’s top awards for engineers and scientists in recognition of his achievements in photovoltaics and driving the global shift to renewables.

Aging utility-scale solar projects are driving interest in tracker repowering, while asset owners weigh costs against gains in performance and longevity.

The latest report from the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Program highlights that 2024 was another record year for solar installations globally but large overcapacities of solar cell, module and wafer manufacturing continued.

A Chinese research group claims to have achieved remarkable efficiency and stability in a solar cell based on a perovskite absorber incorporating MXene, a novel type of 2D material known for its excellent conductivity, chemical stability, and thermal resilience. The device reportedly retained 80% of its initial efficiency after 500 hours.

The New South Wales government has granted planning approval to the 500 MWdc / 435 MW solar farm componant of Ark Energy’s Richmond Valley hybrid project, which will be co-located with a 475 MW / 2,200 MWh battery energy storage system.

A 179 MW solar farm and 100 MW / 200 MWh battery energy storage project planned for the North Island of New Zealand has won approval from an independent panel, with a commercial decision now able to take place if the project remains viable in light of conditions applied to the build and operation.

Utility-scale batteries are rising to the challenge of guaranteeing network reliability as the clean energy transition continues, with Australia having now surpassed the United Kingdom to become the third-largest market for large-scale battery energy storage systems globally, behind China and the United States.

The world’s largest battery-electric ship has reached a new milestone with shipbuilder Incat Tasmania confirming that one of the vessel’s four battery rooms is now receiving electrical charge ahead of sea trials later this year.

Renewables developer Global Power Generation Australia is seeking federal government approval to develop a 290 MW solar farm and 180 MW / 360 MWh battery energy storage system in Queensland’s Fraser Coast region.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales are building and validating a prototype of their AI-enabled wireless sensing system that can spot dangerous heat in lithium-ion batteries before it progresses to thermal runaway.