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Cracked glass is a terminal event for a solar module. Allowing water in and current out, a cracked module needs to be replaced, which makes it a serious and urgent concern. A new report published by US experts sheds some light on an increased prevalence of module cracking.

Residential battery installations in Western Australia look set to get a major boost, after a campaign promise made by WA Labor leader Roger Cook on Saturday. The policy would see residential battery customers receive either a $5000 or $7500 grant, lower income households access to interest-free loans, and $50 million allocated to support local battery system assembly.

The federal government has stepped up its promotion of residential electrification, in what could provide a boost to home solar and battery deployment. Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has instructed the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to look at funding more community electrification programs.

Looking back on another dynamic year in the Australian solar and energy storage industry, it is clear that lithium-ion batteries have taken centre stage as the key enabling technology for the energy transition.

GoodWe is pleased to announce the arrival of the ET G2 Series in Australia and New Zealand, a 6-15kW three-phase high-voltage hybrid inverter tailored to meet the evolving energy needs of modern households. The latest addition to GoodWe’s product portfolio has been thoughtfully designed to offer homeowners a reliable and efficient solution for increasing energy consumption. With expanded power options of 12kW and 15kW, the ET G2 delivers enhanced performance while blending seamlessly into residential settings with its sleek and modern design.

AEMO has called for an expansion of its power to switch off rooftop solar to maintain system stability. Residential batteries are ideally placed to provide a solution for the grid and consumers alike.

Four million and more than 25 gigawatts (GW); these are big numbers and they represent meaningful change. Australia’s solar industry serving the rooftop segment should be mightily proud of this world-leading achievement.

The rapid adoption of the next generation of PV cells and modules has brought the issue of UV induced degradation (UVID) back as a topic of discussion. Manufacturers and laboratories are working to develop a better understanding of the phenonium and ways to ensure the latest generation of TOPCon modules go the distance.

PV cell and module manufacturing moves fast. As we’ve observed previously on this blog, both new cell and module technologies are making the transition from pilot to commercial production at breakneck pace.

GoodWe is excited to announce the relaunch of its HT Series, a 100-120kW commercial solution, now featuring easy smart commissioning and several cutting-edge upgrades. New smart accessories allow up to 80 inverters in parallel to allow for more flexibility and scalability in commercial-scale applications.

There are signs everywhere that distributed energy storage (BESS) installations are about to undergo a rapid acceleration. Attractive solar feed-in tariffs are a thing of the past, electricity pricing for consumers is in flux, and batteries are finally coming down in cost.

An independent testing program and market analysis from Germany has demonstrated how leading residential battery and inverter manufacturers are achieving impressive system efficiency and performance. Improvements delivering results include both reducing power consumption in standby mode and increasing efficiency under low load.

There are signs that Australian residential battery installations are set to rapidly increase. The appetite among the general public is there, and the conditions for growth are in place, writes Durmus Yildiz, the Managing Director of BayWa r.e. Solar Systems.

Solar battery installations continued to accelerate in Australia in 2023. In fact, it was a “record setting year”, enthused SunWiz in its latest “Australian Battery Market Report”. The analysis found that residential battery installations topped 57,000 in 2023 – strong growth of 21% over the previous year.

There are strong signs that the next era for the solar industry has dawned. And while the expansion of rooftop solar to previously unimagined levels is worthy of celebration, there are new risks in this new, low-cost solar world.

The solar story in 2023 was one of rapidly falling solar module prices. After a period that combined supply-chain disruptions with strong demand to cause a price spike, 2023 saw prices take a tumble. And while cheaper modules can open rooftop solar to an increasing number of households, it can also bring with it significant risks.

Australian solar retailers and installers made great gains in 2023. Sub-100kW installations finished just shy of 3.15GW in 2022, second only in volume to the record-setting year of 2021 by only 65MW.

There is no doubt that 2023 has seen rooftop solar establish itself as the Australian energy system’s major stars. And with success comes new challenges.