Every week, an insider from the Australian solar industry breaks down what's happening in solar, renewable technology, and the energy future — in plain English.
Before we get into the news, a quick note. Watts Weekly missed its usual Wednesday edition last week. Rather than publish two thin posts or pretend nothing happened, this is one combined catch-up covering the two weeks from 3 to 16 August.
Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar, but that leadership has largely been driven by households. According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, residential solar capacity in Australia sits at roughly 22 gigawatts. Businesses have installed only about 5.6 gigawatts, mostly in smaller systems below 100 kilowatts.
This week, Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator made an announcement that sounds like industry paperwork, but it should matter to every solar and battery owner.
Australia’s energy transition just passed a genuinely big milestone. The Australian Energy Market Operator, AEMO, confirmed this week that 9.1 gigawatts of new generation and storage capacity reached full output in the National Electricity Market during FY26. That is more than double the capacity that reached full output in FY25.
Evergreen, plain-English explainers on the topics readers ask us about most.
A state-by-state breakdown of every solar battery rebate available in Australia in 2026. Victoria, NSW, Queensland, SA, WA and more — what's real, what's expired, and whether the numbers actually work for your home.
What does a solar health check actually include? How much should it cost? And how do you spot the "free check" scams? A plain-English guide for Australian solar owners.
How much does it cost to replace a solar inverter in Australia? A full breakdown of hardware tiers, labour costs, the like-for-like replacement trap, and how long you should wait before acting.
Deep dives into solar news, market trends, and technology developments — written for people who actually want to understand.
A 5–10 minute audio summary of each week's post, hosted directly on the site. Listen on the walk to the office.
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Watts Weekly is written by a Product Manager working inside the Australian solar industry. No agenda. No brand deals. Just someone who works in the industry and thinks more people deserve to understand it.
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