The Australian electricity industry has transformed over the past two decades, driven by the rise of household solar and other renewable energy sources. Since 2010, supported by government incentives and improving technology, rooftop solar installations have surged.

The federal government’s $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program is subsidising unnecessarily large energy storage systems and blowing out in cost.

Primary energy – which refers to the raw energy in fuels and natural resources – is often used to show how much energy we use but as a measure it is misleading and makes the clean energy switch seem much harder than it actually is.

Around the world, businesses are entering a new era of accountability. The shift toward mandatory climate-related financial disclosures is transforming how organisations understand and govern key drivers of financial performance.

In 2021, Australia’s Coalition government pledged to reach net zero by 2050. Four years later, the Coalition have reversed course. After successive election losses, the Liberal and National parties have settled on a new climate strategy: give up on net zero and keep coal plants running longer.

Solar energy forecasting company Solstice AI research has found a 10% improvement in weather / solar forecasting accuracy would generate an extra $38 million per year in profit for Australia’s utility solar, and worldwide, $9.5 billion.

China-headquartered solar technology manufacturer AIKO Energy has gifted a rooftop solar system to a birds of prey rehabilitation refuge in Tasmania, using it’s Neostar 2P 475W panels.

Industry analysts say a new Beijing-based coordination platform created by China’s top polysilicon producers signals a turn toward managed capacity, as the sector tries to halt a steep price slide and mounting consolidation pressures.

Sydney-based energy gentailer Alinta Energy has been purchased from owner, Hong Kong conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises by Singaporean energy company Sembcorp Industries for $6.5 billion.

Potentia Energy has completed an approximately$830 million portfolio financing package supporting its operating renewable energy assets and the delivery of new projects across Australia, comprising more than 600 MW capacity.

Renolit France has introduced the Alkor Bright reflective membrane for bifacial rooftop PV systems, offering high solar reflectivity and durability for flat or pitched roofs. The membrane helps keep buildings cooler while boosting the energy output of bifacial solar modules.

Acciona Energia says the 380 MW Aldoga Solar Farm in Queensland has reached full commercial operations just eight months after the last of the 432,000 solar panels was installed.

Neoen Australia has pressed go on construction of the 305 MW / 1,220 MWh next stage of its Western Downs battery energy storage system in Queensland and backed that by signing two new virtual battery contracts for a combined 250 MWh.

A draft blueprint for Australia’s energy market calls for 120 GW of grid-scale solar and wind, 87 GW of rooftop PV, 55 GW of dispatchable storage and 6,000 kilometres of new transmission infrastructure by 2050 to replace retiring coal plants, meet a near doubling of electricity demand, and deliver on government emissions and renewable energy targets.

Offgrid power systems based on solar generation and battery storage are to be deployed in 21 of Western Australia’s most isolated communities as part of a $27 million investment by the state government.

Pertamina Power has teamed up with HyET Solaris to validate the commercial feasibility of producing and marketing HyET’s lightweight and flexible solar products in Indonesia, by developing a 50 MW per year factory pilot.

Researchers in China developed a monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell using a steric-complementary interface design, achieving a certified efficiency of 32.12% and enhanced long-term stability. This strategy optimises molecular fit in the perovskite lattice, improving both charge transport and device longevity.

An international research team led by the Australian National University and Chinese module manufacturer Longi has investigated antimony-doped Czochralski-grown silicon ingots as an alternative to phosphorous-doped ingots in the manufacturing of PV wafers and has found they exhibit slightly higher mechanical strength.

An international team of researchers led by engineering consultancy RINA Australia has completed a preliminary techno-economic study on the global potential for offshore floating PV. The results provide project cost benchmarking, country-specific economic assumptions, and a global assessment of offshore solar’s levelised cost of electricity.

Australian solar distributor OSW Group has enhanced its free solar, battery design and installation business tool, GreenSketch version 3.0 with new AI-powered features, that simplify and accelerate workflows.

Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic is testing its glass-based perovskite solar PV technology in office windows made by YKK AP, a construction and building materials company.

Offered primarily as a 10 MW unit, the new product is also available in a 5.5 MW version for customers with specific requirements.

Chinese manufacturer Sunman is to build a 500 MW per annum solar module production facility in the New South Wales Hunter Valley after securing funding support from both the state and federal governments.

JinkoSolar says it has increased the efficiency rating for its perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells from 34.22% to 34.76%, confirmed by China’s National PV Metric and Testing Centre.

The Chinese manufacturer said the higher-voltage design of the new module reduces cable, combiner, pile-foundation, and land-use requirements, delivering balance-of-system savings of up to CNY 0.15 ($0.032)/W in western China. The module offers a power output of 730 W to 770 W and a conversion efficiency of up to 24.8%.

One of Australia’s biggest battery energy storage projects has powered up with renewables developer Equis Australia confirming that the 600 MW / 1.6 GWh Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub in Victoria is now fully operational.

Singapore-based renewables developer Vena Energy has broken ground on a 408 MWh battery energy storage system that is being built alongside an existing 182 MW of solar generation and a 41.5 MWh battery at Tailem Bend in South Australia.

Energy utility AGL has commenced construction of the 500 MW / 2,000 MWh Tomago battery energy storage system in the New South Wales Hunter region with works expected to be completed in 2027.

For the first time, renewable energy accounted for the majority of energy on Western Australia’s South West Interconnected System in November at 55.78%.

The Salvation Army Australia has completed an agrivoltaic, and its first, solar farm near Melbourne, with the aim to reduce its carbon footprint while boosting its ability to help those most in need.