New method offers low-cost solution for improving PV system performance
An Australian research team has developed a five-step, rule-based method that detects and classifies underperformance in PV systems using only AC-side inverter data. Validated across more than 1,000 systems, the approach offers a low-cost, low-intervention solution for improving reliability, fault response, and PV system performance.
Rooftop solar boom creating documentation crisis
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar penetration. More than four million homes now generate power from their own roofs, and battery uptake continues to accelerate nationally. This is a triumph for clean energy, and a global example.
Victorian orchard project points out long-term trade-offs of agrivoltaics
A four-year study found that overhead solar panels in a Victorian pear orchard reduced sun and hail damage but decreased fruit yield and blush colouration. While energy production and tree stress resilience improved, the findings highlight trade-offs for agrivoltaic systems, with potential applicability to other fruit crops like apples and cherries.
NSW transformer manufacturer lands $22 million expansion grant
A New South Wales-based manufacturer of power and distribution transformers has been granted $22 million from the state government as part of a $52 million outlay to “supercharge” renewable energy manufacturing sectors.
Researchers harvest energy using piezo-active nylon
RMIT University researchers have opened the door of possibility for self-powered sensors on roads and other electronic devices by generating piezoelectricity using a flexible nylon-film device.
Residential batteries boom in Victorian regional city
The regional Victorian city of Bendigo has outpaced Melbourne for its uptake of residential batteries under the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries program.
Big battery capacity jumps globally 12-fold in four years
The global capacity of utility-scale batteries has increased by more than 12 times between 2020 and 2024, according to the International Energy Agency Electricity 2026 report.
450 MW Queensland solar farm to progress without further federal assessment
The Australian government has given the 450 MW Wooderson Solar Farm in Central Queensland a green light to progress without further federal assessment.
Anatomy of a camel curve: how home BESS is reshaping the NEM
Is the NEM on the cusp of a “Bactrian camel curve” in which small-scale behind-the-meter storage splits the evening peak? Within just six months of Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, small-scale storage is already at a point where it could be supplying up to half of the output of Australia’s largest coal plant, Eraring, during peak load.
Australian battery manufacturer lands funds for expansion plans
Perth-headquartered energy storage and battery-based power systems specialist Magellan Power has teamed with specialist investment manager Viburnum Funds to boost its manufacturing capabilities and fund expansion in Australia and internationally.
