With the increasing pressure to decarbonise the energy system while preserving arable land and biodiversity, agrivoltaics is quickly becoming a vital pathway towards sustainable development. A new report from the IEA PVPS Task 13 lays out a compelling vision for how solar energy and agriculture can not only coexist but thrive together.

In recent years, the world has experienced a significant surge in the number of data centres, resulting in a rise in energy demand, posing both challenges and opportunities for the global energy sector.

With module sizes increasing, labour shortages worsening and workplace safety risks escalating, automation is a necessity.

Around the world, more and more electric vehicles are hitting the road. Last year, more than 17 million battery-electric and hybrid vehicles were sold. Early forecasts suggest this year’s figure might reach 20 million. Nearly 20% of all cars sold today are electric.

A re-elected Albanese government will take the unprecedented step of buying or obtaining options over key critical minerals to protect Australia’s national interest and boost its economic resilience.

New South Wales has launched a new tender seeking 1 GW of long-duration energy storage projects that are each able to continuously dispatch power for at least eight hours at their registered capacity.

Australian government initiative REnew Pacific in partnership with disaster relief organisation Respond Global are installing 20 off-grid solar power systems and refurbishing 20 additional health facilities in Vanuatu, to enable reliable 24/7 electricity in some of the island nation’s most remote communities.

United States scientists have combined quantum computing with model predictive control to manage the energy of two solar-equipped university buildings in New York.

Further reducing their reliance on diesel fuel and pre-paid power cards, the remote Northern Territory community of Borroloola in the state’s Gulf Country is building a microgrid called the Ngardara Project, to enable affordable, reliable power for it’s residents.

Australian energy giant AGL has added two pumped hydro projects with a combined capacity of almost 1.4 GW, each with 10 hours of energy storage, to its development pipeline as it works to transition its energy portfolio from coal-fired power generation to backed-up renewables.

Ten large-scale solar, wind, and battery projects have been given the green light to connect to the electricity grid in the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone as the New South Wales government continues to progress the REZ to reality.

The latest data from Rystad Energy demonstrates why Queensland is known as the Sunshine State with the jurisdiction home to the country’s five best-performing utility-scale solar PV power plants in April.

Australia’s solar sector is poised for significant growth in the next five years with a new report projecting utility-scale PV will exceed 50 GW total capacity by 2030, up from about 10 GW current operational capacity.

New data released by the Australian Energy Market Operator details the growing reach of clean energy technologies with renewables, including grid-scale and rooftop solar providing 43% of the supply mix in the nation’s main grid during the first three months of the year.

The Taiwanese government has proposed new rules requiring PV installations on most new, expanded, or renovated buildings. The draft standards aim to boost renewable energy and decarbonisation by setting minimum solar capacity requirements, with potential exemptions for insufficient sunlight or technical issues.

Energy storage specialist Powin has launched Pod Max, a 6.26 MWh containerised lithium-ferro-phosphate battery system that delivers 25% more energy density than its standard 5 MWh product. The liquid-cooled unit targets grid-scale applications.

The new products are available in seven versions with power output ranging from 630 W to 660 W and power conversion efficiency spanning from 23.3% to 24.4%.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales have teamed with international colleagues to develop a metallisation technique for TOPCon solar cells that can reportedly reduce silver usage in the devices’ rear side by 85%.

Longi has developed the Hi-MO S10, a residential heterojunction (HJT) back-contact solar module with 25% efficiency, combining 27.6%-efficient cells with up to 510 W output and 252.3 W/m² power density.

Western Australia-based Carnegie Clean Energy has inked an agreement that will see it explore the development of its wave power generation technology in waters off the coast of southcentral Alaska.

The battery unit of the Chinese PV manufacturer said its new large-scale battery has a lifecycle of more than 12,000 cycles. The system has a nominal capacity of 5 MWh and a roundtrip efficiency of up to 95%.

India manufacturer Credence Solar has unveiled the Hyper Nova N TOPCon module series available in power outputs from 580 W to 600 W with front-side power conversion efficiency of 22.45% to 23.25%, respectively.

New research from the University of New South Wales have found that the Special Injected Metallisation (JSIM) technique developed by Chinese manufacturer Jolywood can considerably increase TOPCon solar cell efficiency. The scientists described precisely how laser-assisted firing enhances cell performance, reportedly filling critical gaps in industrial TOPCon cell optimisation.

Panasonic has told its installation partners that it will no longer produce products for the residential solar and storage markets but will continue to offer warranty and installation support for existing and ongoing projects.

Researchers in Iran developed a passive solar module cooling method using silicon carbide porous ceramic. When combined with phase change materials, the technique reportedly boosts panel performance by up to 7.4%.

The work schedules of Australia’s battery retailers and installers will likely get busy in the coming months with Labor’s win in the federal election paving the way for the introduction of a $2.3 billion national battery subsidy scheme.

Victoria’s largest urban solar farm has been officially switched on at La Trobe University’s Melbourne campus, marking a major milestone in the university’s ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2029.

Eku Energy, jointly owned by Australian financial services group Macquarie, has seen it’s Japanese subsidiary successfully bid for a long-term power source auction two months after a similar long-term energy services agreement was awarded in Australia for its Griffith BESS.

A Queensland university has released findings from its first stage hydrogen production pilot plant that uses solar energy, battery storage and a microgrid to produce hydrogen from non-drinkable water, such as seawater.

Energy from three new community batteries to be built by Melbourne-based Yarra Energy Foundation will be managed by Victorian electricity company Diamond Energy’s virtual power plant.