Post-COP30 analysis has centred on the contentious debate over fossil-fuel phase-out wording. Yet the most significant development for the solar sector was not part of the negotiating text at all.

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.

The Australian arm of Malaysian engineering group Gamuda has been tapped by renewables developer Yanara to deliver a 360 MW solar farm and 600 MWh battery energy storage project in southwest Victoria.

The Australian government has announced a major expansion of its Cheaper Home Batteries program, raising the funding allocation from the original $2.3 billion to approximately $7.2 billion over the next four years.

The Queensland government has launched its Supercharged Solar for Renters program which provides eligible landlords with rebates of up to $3,500 to install solar systems on their rental properties anywhere in the state.

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.

Gokin has launched back-contact solar modules ranging from 480 W to 780 W for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects. The series supports 1,500 V systems and reaches efficiencies of up to 24.8%.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new Astro 7 TOPCon module features an innovative self-cleaning frame and a power conversion efficiency of 23.2%.

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.

UGL, a member of the CIMIC Group, has been selected by Neoen and Tesla to construct Stage 3 of Neoen’s Western Downs 305 MW / 1,220 MWh battery in Queensland.

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.

Excellence was on display across all eight categories in the pv magazine Awards 2025 with plenty of innovation in both established and new market segments. From world-firsts to second-life solutions, this year’s winners brought cutting edge solutions to challenges facing solar and storage. The time has come to reveal the winners and highly commended finalists…

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.

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.

China’s Enerflow will partner with Perth-based firm Jenmi Investments to jointly develop a 350 MW / 1,200 MWh long-duration storage project, marking a major step for vanadium flow battery technology in the Australian grid.

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.

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.

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.