Western Australia is moving to become the first state in Australia to legalise plug-in solar panels and batteries, potentially giving renters and apartment residents a way to generate their own electricity without installing a conventional rooftop solar system.

The Cook Government says households could save around $240 a year with plug-in solar, rising to $500 if they add a battery. But the systems aren’t legal yet. The government has released a draft technical standard for consultation, and questions remain about safety, installation restrictions and whether the promised savings will justify the cost. [Read more…]

Australia’s federal solar rebate has an expiry date. At the end of 2030, the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme that has helped put solar on millions of roofs is scheduled to finish.

That was always the plan. The interesting part is that, with just over four years left, Australia keeps finding new things for the scheme to do. [Read more…]

There’s a business model in the solar industry I’d love to see burn to the ground. Trouble is, fire is how it survives. [Read more…]

There’s never a dull moment in the solarcoaster, but a GroWatt manager took things up a notch last week by getting themselves arrested after a dalliance with the Clean Energy Council (CEC).

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Last week the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) published a 114 page report on the electricity market which uncovered the following insights:

• People bought lots of batteries after the battery rebate came out
• People with batteries have lower bills than people without
• People on VPPs have even lower bills.

[Read more…]

Electricity pricing has become so complicated that Australia’s energy rule-maker wants future power plans to be as easy to understand as buying milk.

That’s one of the key messages from a major Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) review released last week, which sets out a long-term roadmap for simplifying electricity pricing as rooftop solar, home batteries and electric vehicles become increasingly common. [Read more…]

NSW households earning up to $210,000 a year can now access interest-free loans of up to $15,000 for solar, batteries and a range of home energy upgrades, under a new $557 million state government program. [Read more…]

Victoria will reduce the income cap for its Solar Homes Program from 1 July 2026, tightening access to rebates for rooftop solar and energy-efficient hot water systems.

While rebate amounts will remain unchanged, fewer households will be eligible once the new income threshold comes into force. [Read more…]

Three hours of free electricity every day sounds like a pretty good deal on the face of it.

That’s the promise behind the Solar Sharer Offer, a new scheme launching in NSW, South-East Queensland and South Australia from July 2026.

In a recent SolarQuotes video, SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock breaks down what’s actually going on — and why “free power” isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. [Read more…]

The government just committed $42.7 million of your money to solve a problem a not-for-profit could fix itself tomorrow for zero tax dollars.

Let me tell you about Standards Australia.

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