Articles written by Jonathan Gifford

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Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.
What makes batteries cheaper? The Cheaper Home Batteries Program came into effect on July 1. The AUD 2.3 billion ($1.5 billion) policy offers a discount of up to 30% on upfront residential battery cost in its first year, delivered through the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) – the same program that has subsidized sub-100 kW solar systems in Australia since 2001.
Jonathan Gifford
Dec 05, 2025
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Markets & Policy
Key takeaways from All Energy Australia 2025 Despite the ongoing challenge of solar price cannibalization, Australia’s PV marketplace appears set for a period of acceleration. Renewable energy targets, supportive policy, and looming coal closures will require ongoing solar and storage installations – and a large pipeline is taking shape.
Jonathan Gifford
Nov 03, 2025
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‘This group of people is not going to be thwarted’ Dick Swanson has left his fingerprints all over the modern solar industry. He is widely known for spreading the word on solar’s impressive learning curve with what has become known as Swanson’s Law, for developing the interdigitated back contact (IBC) cell, and for founding SunPower. In June, Swanson was named 2025 IEEE Photonics Society Aron Kressel Award Recipient and spoke with pv magazine to reflect on his work.
Jonathan Gifford
Sep 08, 2025
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Applications & Installations
Tariff uncertainty grips US battery development The Trump administration’s China tariffs have piled atop existing and developing trade barriers on battery energy storage systems, components, and materials – destabilizing the US energy storage industry. While existing inventories will allow project development to move forward in the short term, uncertainty extends across the supply chain, including to prospective manufacturers.
Jonathan Gifford
May 12, 2025
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Eyes in the sky Like solar panels, drones have become cheaper and more sophisticated – fast. ‘Drone-in-a-box’ operations offer PV project owners the option of having a resident drone on site, heralding a new era of automated utility-scale solar operations and maintenance (O&M).
Jonathan Gifford
May 02, 2025
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Applications & Installations
History repeats as Iberian blackout demonstrates urgent need for battery storage The vast blackout that gripped the Iberian Peninsula on April 28 has echoes of a similar event in an Australian state in 2016. The solution in both cases appears to be the same.
Jonathan Gifford
Apr 29, 2025
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Applications & Installations
Tariff uncertainty grips US battery development The Trump administration’s China tariffs have piled atop existing and developing trade barriers on battery energy storage systems, components, and materials – destabilizing the US energy storage industry. While existing inventories will allow project development to move forward in the short term, uncertainty extends across the supply chain, including to prospective manufacturers.
Jonathan Gifford
Apr 24, 2025
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Powerful sounds Live events can have a dark side to the good times, particularly when it comes to environmental impact such as carbon emissions or waste. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, with a new generation of batteries bolstering power supplies and increasingly flicking the switch on diesel gensets.
Jonathan Gifford
Apr 01, 2025
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Applications & Installations
European utility-scale battery installations ‘ramping up’ as solar cannibalization bites, Rystad finds With electricity market volatility increasing in many European countries, the opportunity for battery energy storage is expanding fast. Market analyst Rystad Energy expects battery installations to accelerate as project developers with falling solar capture prices and increasing frequency of negative price events.
Jonathan Gifford
Mar 31, 2025

Press releases

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LPKF
LPKF receives further major order from the solar industry
Nov 15, 2022
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Hanwha Q CELLS
Hanwha Q CELLS starts solar market offensive in Europe
Jul 03, 2017
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Tata Power Solar
Tata power Solar wins coveted India Solar Week Excellence Awards 2017
Jul 03, 2017
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Kaco new energy
KACO new energy is partnering with Microcare
Jun 12, 2017
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REC Group
REC Group and new Singapore Sustainability Academy join forces to combat climate change
Jun 12, 2017
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centrotherm international AG
centrotherm photovoltaics to change its name to centrotherm international
Jun 12, 2017
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Ingeteam Power Technology
Ingeteam Service continues its international expansion and strengthens its leadership position in O&M
Jun 12, 2017
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Kaco new energy
Kaco new energy prepares inverters for Japan
Feb 28, 2017
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Shanghai Aerospace Automobile Electromechanical Co., Ltd.
HT-SAAE launches a range of high-efficiency PV modules in Tokyo
Feb 28, 2017