Australian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes wants the country’s politicians to start taking climate change more seriously. Cannon-Brookes, who made his fortune co-founding the enterprise software company Atlassian Corp., is pledging the firm will get all its power from renewable sources by 2025. 
- Bloomberg

The Queensland government has laid down regulations for solar farms that will allow only licensed electricians to install or remove PV panels. But the new rules will put hundreds of local jobs at risk and could bring some projects to a standstill, the CEC has warned.
- PV Magazine

Bank Australia, one of the country’s largest mutual banks, is calling on Australian business to lead a market-wide shift to renewable power as it becomes the second Australian company to sign up for the 100 per cent renewable power global business initiative, RE100. 
- Renew Economy

In a briefing looking into the renewable energy investment boom, BIS Oxford Economics estimates solar and wind will attract $20 billion of private investment in FY18 and FY19, spread over more than 70 projects. The consultants warn investment will slow beyond 2020 pointing to the upcoming Federal election as critically important for the future of Australia’s renewables pipeline.
- PV Magazine

Smart Energy 2019, NSW’s biggest solar, battery storage and renewable energy conference and exhibition kicks off this Tuesday, 2nd of April. 
- PV Magazine

Australia's solar industry is "effectively unregulated" and consumers are falling victim to "predatory" sales tactics which pressure them to buy expensive systems, according to new research.
- ABC News

A 30 kW vertical array has powered up at Australia’s Casey research station in Antarctica. The project is one the largest solar installations on the southernmost, ice-covered continent. 
- PV Magazine

Korean solar manufacturer Hanwha Q-Cells has lodged a lawsuit with the Federal Court of Australia against Chinese panel makers Jinko and Longi. 
- PV Magazine

New released statistics shows Australia making a major contribution to the global utility-scale solar PV uptake.
- PV Magazine

Labor leader Michael Daley has pledged to spend $100 million installing solar panels on hundreds of public schools across NSW. 
- Sydney Morning Herald

A new property development in Sydney’s north shore by Metro Property Development will be the first in Australia to offer residents $0 electricity bills by integrating battery power into each of the homes.
- Tech Guide

Up to 1000 landlords and their tenants have the chance to team up and cut power bills and emissions under a trial scheme in Bundaberg, Townsville and Gladstone.
- PV Magazine

According to CEC, the effectiveness and long heritage of one of Australia’s most well-established technologies, hydro power,  makes it a perfect partner to complement wind and solar in the country.
- Renewable Energy News

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has put Labor behind Snowy 2.0 - the hydro-electric project green-lighted by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday - but called for an increase in renewable energy to prevent the mega-project from being "a battery with no plug".
- Sydney Morning Herald

New research claims that Australia is installing renewable energy faster than any other country. The government also recently announced they are taking even more steps to reduce national carbon footprint by planting one billion trees by 2050.
- Good News Network

Energy experts in Australia have issued a joint statement warning the Australian government that energy bottlenecks risk the country meeting its emissions targets.
- Power Technology

Electricity company EnergyAustralia is launching a $15 million program to help charities slash their power bills by installing free solar panels and battery systems, turning them into mini-power plants.
- The Sydney Morning Herald

Both major parties in the election race for the Australian state of New South Wales have put forward plans focusing on solar and storage for households, with some mixed but mostly positive reaction from the industry.
- PV Tech

The latest Green Energy Markets report says renewable power levels punched through the 20 per cent market share threshold in 2018 as new wind and solar farms are built and more households install rooftop solar systems.
- The Sydney Morning Herald

Australia is on track to meet its Paris climate commitments five years earlier than expected — in 2025 — according to new research from the Australian National University.
- PV Magazine