Oceania

Australia has no shortage of brilliant researchers or world-class science. Across energy storage, grid reliability, green hydrogen and beyond, our institutions are producing discoveries with real potential to reshape how we power our country and our economy. Yet too often, having worked across research translation for nearly a decade, I’ve seen that potential stall before it reaches the people and industries that need it most.

The last of 330,000 PV panels has been installed at the Tauhei Solar Farm in New Zealand, marking a key milestone in the construction of what is set to be that country’s largest operational solar farm when it comes online later this year.

The 204 MW Edenvale Solar Park in Queensland’s Western Downs region has been identified by energy consultancy Rystad Energy as the best performing large-scale PV asset in Australia last month.

With data centre demand creating new challenges for network operators, Schneider Electric’s Farokh Ghadially outlines why the next phase of the transition isn’t just about adding more renewables, but managing a system that is more distributed, more data-heavy and less predictable.

Western Australia’s shift from coal and gas to renewables has taken a major step forward with the federal government backing more than 2 GW of new renewable energy and battery storage projects set to be built across the state.

China-headquartered solar panel and energy storage solutions manufacturer Risen Energy has announced its RisenStack Pro Modular ESS has passed Australia’s new C&I energy storage certification – covering electrical safety, EMC, and functional safety, and complies with Australian standards.

University of Queensland researchers have developed a safe and scalable vapour-based manufacturing process for fabricating high-quality lead-free perovskite material with fewer performance-limiting defects.

The New South Wales government’s $5 million electric vehicle fleets incentive kick-start fund allocation still has $2.2 million in the coffers, with the application date to apply closing on 29 May 2026.

The federal government has reported that 350,000 households, small businesses and community organisations have installed battery energy storage systems in the past 10 months, under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.

The Western Australia government will commit $1.4 billion to support clean energy transmission and network services projects to help deliver an increasing supply of renewable energy ahead of state-owned coal-fired power plant closure dates.