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The director of Clean Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, said there was cause for optimism but maintaining the pace of investment and developmentrequired much quicker approvals, construction and commissioning. “We need to get speed and scale way beyond current rates, particularly with extended delays to grid connection,” he said. Read more

“We need batteries to time shift demand from when solar is generating to when consumers are demanding it, and that is invaluable for grid stability.” Labor has committed $2.3 billion to subsidise the take-up of 1 million household batteries by 2030, providing up to 30 per cent off the upfront cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems. Read more

Albanese and Dutton’s pre-election stoush over the Port of Darwin made one thing clear – Australia remains deeply ambivalent about Chinese investment. Each promising to end the lease if elected, the major parties clearly believed a billion-dollar national security stunt would play well with the electorate. This, despite Dutton taking no issue with the lease as a cabinet minister in 2015, and multiple reviews by Australian security agencies finding insufficient grounds to terminate it. Read more

China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited (CATL) produces more than a third of all EV batteries sold worldwide and supplies major carmakers including Tesla, Volkswagen and Toyota. The listing was closely watched as the US-China tariff war upended the global trading system and hit carmakers hard. Read more

CATL is currently building its second European factory in Hungary, after opening a plant in Germany in early 2023. In December, the firm announced a tie-up with Chrysler-owner Stellantis to build a $4.3bn (£3.2bn) EV battery plant in Spain. The facility is set to be in operation by the end of next year. The firm invests heavily in new technology, with six research and development centres around the world. Read more

However, Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, a Sydney think-tank, noted that few Chinese cleantech companies would be as attractive to international investors. “CATL is an exception; even as they’ve delivered very strong growth, they’ve also delivered good profit margins,” he said, adding: “For the solar, wind and lithium companies . . . profit is one of the least important drivers.” Read more

In the wake of the Government’s announcement of its Cheaper Home Batteries Program, 60 Australian economists, energy analysts and policy specialists have signed a letter comparing the economic consequences of pursuing nuclear energy against those of subsidising distributed clean energy technologies, including batteries. Read more

Residential battery prices are yet to fall like industrial ones, Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley says, but they are becoming more reliable and long-lasting, making them better value. Read more

The rebate would only apply to people with rooftop solar, meaning people living in an apartment and renters could miss out. Buckley said he would like to see this revised and caveats put in place for apartment blocks, so that those households aren’t left behind. “I would hope this is just the next iteration of a number of policies to make sure we deal with apartment dwellers,” he said. “There could be split incentives for renters and landlords, and policies to deal with council regulations and strata titles.” Read more

n the lead-up to Australia’s election, the cost of living crisis remains a key issue. Labor has proposed a 30% subsidy on household batteries linked to solar energy, which could save individuals over $1,000 annually on electricity bills. However, some homes, especially apartments, may not benefit due to limitations in installing solar systems. Read more

If Labor wins the next election, it promises a 30% subsidy on home batteries, capped at one battery per household, with the subsidy renewed yearly. Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, supports the plan, noting that it could reduce battery costs, which can exceed $10,000, by around $3,000, benefiting households with significant savings. Read more

CEF observes continued price deflation in solar PV and batteries – prices dropped 20% for batteries, and Chinese panels plummeted by 37 to 46% in 2024. This cost reduction has turbocharged deployment rates, with almost 600GW of solar PV installed in 2024. Assuming continued growth in China deployments, 700GW this year seems likely, and CEF projects this will rise to 1,000GW per annum by 2030. BESS installation rates are expected to treble in this timeframe. With solar modules and battery manufacturing capacity at three times the current global installations, expectations of plateauing installations are entirely unlikely. Read more