Posts By Michael Bloch On SolarQuotes

About Michael Bloch

Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since.

Chinese Solar Panel And Battery Prices Could Head Higher Soon

Chinese solar panel and battery prices

Currently super-cheap solar panels will be a bit more expensive and the federal home battery rebate buy less capacity if changes to China’s export tax rebates are passed on to Australian solar shoppers. [Read more…]

Volvo EX30 EV Recall: Thousands Of Vehicles Involved

Volvo EX30 recall in Australia

All Volvo EX30 electric vehicles manufactured in 2024 are being recalled in Australia due to an issue that could potentially lead to a fire. And there’s no real fix yet. Here’s what we know. [Read more…]

WA Home Battery Installation Tally Soars

Home battery installations in Western Australia.

The home battery installation count in Western Australia is rapidly increasing, as too is the national total according to an update from Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. [Read more…]

Rooftop Solar Taming Australia’s Summer Sizzle

Rooftop solar performance during heatwave

Air-conditioners were working hard during the recent heatwave that affected large parts of Australia — and rooftop solar power systems did their bit to alleviate strain on the mains grid while making air-con use greener and cheaper. [Read more…]

Australian Ingenuity: Better Solar Panel Silver Recovery

Solar panels - silver reclamation and recycling

University of Newcastle researchers state they have developed a super-efficient method for the recovery of high-grade silver from end-of-life solar panels. [Read more…]

Solar Panel Degradation Testing: A Sting In The Long Tail

Solar panel performance

Current testing standards have been called into question after new research indicating 20% of solar panels tested in a study had 1.5 times worse than average degradation rate. [Read more…]

Longi Shunning Silver For Solar Panels

Longi ditching silver

Chinese solar panel manufacturing goliath Longi has reportedly decided to cease using silver in the manufacturing of its back-contact solar cells. [Read more…]

Surprise In Top Solar Inverter Manufacturer Rankings

Top solar inverter manufacturers - H1 2025

Wood Mackenzie’s latest inverter manufacturer rankings note a firm high up on its leader board that’s a surprise inclusion given the challenges the company faces. [Read more…]

Old Solar Panels Living Up To Performance Warranty Promises

Performance testing results of old solar panels.

A bunch of solar panels installed in the 1990’s have undergone testing; the results of which indicate maximum degradation levels stipulated in long performance warranties are realistic. [Read more…]

Home Battery Boom Smashes 2025 Forecasts: See The Numbers

Home battery installations - 2025

Installations in 2025 under the Albanese Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program (CHBP) surpassed even some previous optimistic estimates. [Read more…]

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