Australian solar installer fined $6,000 over unsafe battery installs
A solar installation company has been fined $9,000 by an Australian court after pleading guilty to unsafe installation of residential battery energy storage systems at five properties, including one that caused a minor house fire.
Stellar reveals scale of 2 GW solar ingot and wafer manufacturing plant
Plans to establish Australia’s first commercial-scale solar ingot and wafer manufacturing plant near Townsville in north Queensland are advancing with developer Stellar PV providing an early glimpse of the proposed 2 GW facility.
Australia adds 7 GW of renewables in 2025, stays on track for 2030 target
Australian Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the country is on track to meet the government’s flagship target of 82% renewable energy by 2030 after solar, wind, and other renewables supplied about 50% of all power in the electricity grid in the final quarter of 2025.
Australian state’s utility-scale solar tops 1 TWh in December
Solar farms in New South Wales led the way for Australia’s utility-scale PV energy output in December 2025, generating 1,052 GWh of renewable electricity.
How to avoid ‘long tail’ effects in large-scale PV plants
New UNSW research found that about 20% of solar modules in large PV plants degrade much faster than expected. They recommend holistic strategies such as robust materials, advanced designs, and proactive monitoring to decouple degradation pathways and prevent cascading failures.
Australia makes gains in electric vehicle uptake
Australia recorded a sharp rise in electric vehicle sales in 2025, with new-car sales data showing nearly 157,000 EVs were purchased nationwide, up 38% from the previous year.
Australia’s biggest battery starts commercial operations
The first stage of the biggest approved battery project in Australia is now fully operational with Origin Energy announcing the initial stage of the 700 MW / 3,160 MWh battery energy storage system being built next to its Eraring coal-fired generator in New South Wales has commenced commercial operations.
Pacific Energy advances renewable power project for town in Australia
Pacific Energy has installed 16,700 solar panels at a 9.6 MW solar farm forming part of a hybrid power system in Exmouth, Western Australia.
Localized polysilicon thinning improves TOPCon solar cell performance
UNSW researchers boosted TOPCon solar cell efficiency by locally thinning the rear poly-Si layer, reducing parasitic absorption while preserving wafer integrity. The champion cell built with this approach achieved 25.10% efficiency with improved bifaciality and maintained strong passivation.
Australia adds 1.2 GWh of behind-the-meter battery storage in December
More than 1.2 GWh of new behind-the-meter energy storage capacity was installed across Australia in December 2025 as households and businesses sought to take advantage of the federal government’s revised AUD 7.2 billion ($4.9 billion) Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
