AUSTRALIA

Sharing is power: do the neighbourly thing when it comes to solar

25 million households have solar panels

University of South Australia

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Australian researchers have found that households with solar panels could boost their returns by selling surplus power directly to their neighbours, known as peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing, helping to stabilise the electricity grid and negotiating a better price than retailers currently offer.

Worldwide, around 25 million households already rely on solar panels, with forecasts predicting 100 million by 2030. In 2024, the world installed an estimated 597 GW of solar power, a 33% increase compared to 2023.

Australia has one of the highest rates of solar panels per head of population, with almost 40% of Australian houses (4.1 million homes) equipped with panels. The country's embrace of renewable energy has a downside, however. Due to the enormous amount of energy being produced, Australia's electricity grid is now overloaded with excess energy, driving down the feed-in tariff for most households, with some now questioning the economic value of solar.

In a bid to make it more attractive and encourage the uptake of renewable energy, the Federal Government has recently implemented a $2.3 billion scheme to subsidise the installation of home batteries, but a new study shows that adding battery storage doesn’t always deliver extra benefits.

A collaboration between the University of South Australia (UniSA) and Deakin University has compared four different energy models that could help households and energy policymakers design more efficient, community-based solar systems.

The research, published in Renewable Energy, explores the technical and economic benefits of integrating batteries and P2P energy sharing into grid-connected residential photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Using real-world data from a 10kW solar-powered home in Geelong, the study simulated energy generation, consumption and sharing across four models over 12 months, including interactions with three neighbouring consumers.

The models included:

• Peer-to-grid (P2G) – exporting excess energy to the grid
• P2G with batteries – storing surplus energy before selling to the grid
• Peer-to-peer (P2P) – sharing surplus energy with nearby householders at an agreed price
• P2P with batteries – storing energy for self-use, then sharing remaining surplus with neighbours

Lead author UniSA researcher Dr Kevin Wang says the findings show that P2P energy sharing delivers significant benefits compared to traditional grid export arrangements, particularly when feed-in tariffs are low.

“Under current conditions in Victoria, the feed-in tariff is less than 5 cents per kilowatt hour, while the retail price is around 28 cents. Selling surplus PV energy directly to neighbours at a mutually agreed price in between can be more profitable for solar householders and still cheaper for buyers,” Dr Wang says.

Local P2P energy sharing also improves grid stability, balancing supply and demand, because less surplus energy is exported to the grid, which is primarily built to distribute power rather than receive it.

The results showed:

• Batteries boost self-consumption but not profits: Adding a 5kW battery lifted self-consumption to 22% and reduced grid imports but did not help the neighbour. Due to the high initial purchase cost of batteries, the householder did not generate any profits.
• P2P energy sharing reduces grid reliance: Neighbours who participated in peer-to-peer energy sharing saw their grid electricity consumption drop by more than 30%
• No batteries or P2P energy sharing: The householder exported almost 12,800 kWh to the grid annually, with self-consumption rates of just 14.6%
• Batteries plus P2P energy sharing: P2P energy sharing with a 5kWh battery raised self-consumption to nearly 38% but reduced the surplus available to neighbours because battery charging took priority.
• Optimal battery size matters: The shortest payback period – 12 years – was achieved with a 7.5 kWh battery under the P2P model.
• Sensitivity to market: The study’s sensitivity analysis revealed that factors such as equipment costs, discount rates and energy sharing prices significantly influence the financial viability of PV-battery systems.

“Our modelling revealed that under current conditions, P2P energy sharing coupled with a 10kWh battery could deliver the highest return – $4929 – for solar owners over 20 years,” Dr Wang says.

“In contrast, all peer-to-grid scenarios resulted in negative returns over the same period due to low feed-in tariffs and high battery costs.

“Battery size proved critical. Systems with oversized batteries saw returns diminish due to higher capital and maintenance costs and reduced surplus energy.”

Co-author Professor Chunlu Liu from Deakin University says the study highlights a trade-off between battery use and community sharing.

“When batteries are used, they benefit the solar owner by reducing their grid reliance, but this can limit the amount of energy shared with neighbours because they are fully charged before any surplus energy is shared. The challenge is to find a balance that works for everyone,” Prof Liu says.

The researchers suggest that further gains in solar self-consumption could be made by integrating other technologies, such as heat pumps or thermal storage, to absorb excess PV energy that would otherwise be exported.

With Australia’s solar uptake the highest in the world, the authors say that models like P2P energy sharing could help relieve pressure on the grid while improving the economics of home solar.

“Our analysis shows that if P2P energy sharing prices are set between the feed-in tariff and retail rates, both sellers and buyers can come out ahead,” according to co-author Professor Mark Luther. “But market rules and technical systems need to support these transactions at scale.”

The team hopes their work will inform policy and investment decisions as the energy sector transitions to decentralised, low-carbon systems.

‘Technical and economic analyses of grid-connected residential PV considering batteries and peer-to-peer energy sharing’ is authored by Kevin Wang, Mark Luther, Peter Horan, Jane Matthews and Chunlu Liu. DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123494

Journal

Renewable Energy

DOI

10.1016/j.renene.2025.123494 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Technical and economic analyses of grid-connected residential PV considering batteries and peer-to-peer energy sharing

 

Macquarie’s solar silver solution strikes gold

University partners with Lithium Universe to commercialize new recycling technology for solar panels

Macquarie University

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Macquarie University has licensed breakthrough silver extraction technology to ASX-listed Lithium Universe in a partnership that could transform how Australia recycles solar panels.

The silver trapped inside Australia’s discarded solar panels equates to the country’s biggest silver mine, according to researchers who have developed a new way to extract this valuable metal without destroying the panels.

Dr Binesh Puthen Veettil and Dr David Payne are co-leaders of a team from Macquarie University’s School of Engineering who hold a provisional patent for a precision method which extracts silver components, while still leaving other materials intact for reuse.

This technique complements the team’s patented solar-panel microwave-powered delamination technology, also licensed by Lithium Universe under the commercial partnership.

“We can selectively remove silver without touching other metals like aluminium, and without impacting the silicon cells and other components,” Dr Veettil says. “Our solution is like a pressure washer for removing silver.”

The technology addresses a growing waste problem as more and more solar panels reach the end of their 25-year lifespan. The Australian Energy Council states global solar panel waste will reach 60-78 million tonnes by 2050, with Australia alone accumulating one million tonnes by 2035.

Each panel contains about 20 grams of silver worth A$36 (US$23), but conventional recycling methods destroy the panels to extract it. Only 15 per cent of used solar panels are currently recycled.

Rising demand for silver

As industries globally from electronics to renewable energy compete for silver, demand is surging by seven per cent annually, projected to reach around 20 million kg in 2025.

The market faces a shortage of 3.3 million kg this year as mining struggles to keep pace.

Silver prices have more than doubled from just under US$600 (A$920) per kilogram in 2018 to US$1250 (A$1913) per kilogram today.

ASX-listed Lithium Universe has acquired global rights to the Macquarie technology through an exclusive licensing agreement worth more than A$500,000 (US$320,000) over 20 years.

Precision Extraction Process

The Macquarie team’s Jet Electrochemical Silver Extraction (JESE) technology works like a precision cleaning tool, directing a thin stream of weak acid directly onto the silver in solar panels, dissolving the metal in seconds while leaving everything else untouched.

“The silicon wafer remains intact and uncontaminated, making it suitable for reuse in semiconductor manufacturing,” Dr Veettil says.

Traditional recycling grinds entire panels into powder then uses harsh chemicals, destroying all components. The Macquarie method preserves glass sheets and silicon wafers while extracting pure silver.

The silver extraction technology works alongside the team’s innovative solar panel delamination, licensed by Lithium Universe in July, which uses microwave energy to separate glass, silicon and other components without grinding or a high-temperature furnace.

Together, these technologies can recover intact glass sheets, preserve silicon wafers and extract pure silver from each panel, with greater than 77 per cent current efficiency and with minimal waste.

Lithium Universe will complete research and development before commercial deployment is in place, by 2032, paying annual licensing fees and sales royalty.

“We have built a strong, solutions-focused partnership combining Macquarie’s world-class research with our commercial vision,” says Mr Tan.

“Together, we are delivering a breakthrough recycling solution that recovers high-purity silver while preserving wafer integrity,” he adds.

Dr Veettil says the technology could potentially later expand to extract other valuable metals including gallium, indium and copper from discarded solar panels.

“This collaboration shows the impact university research can have when paired with industry vision,” says Professor Sam Muller, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

“As Australia moves toward its target of 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030, we’re not just solving the solar waste problem – we’re creating a new resource stream to meet worldwide demand.”

Watch a video outlining the new technology here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0l6lWpwrfE

Dr Binesh P Veettil is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at Macquarie University.

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Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

CTHULHU STUDIES

Ancient cephalopod, new insight: Nautilus reveals unexpected sex chromosome system

Harvard University

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Nautilus pompilius in its natural environment

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Credit: Marjorie Awai

Nautiloids—a lineage of ancient, externally-shelled cephalopods that diverged from their octopus and squid relatives over 400 million years ago—once dominated our oceans. Today, this living fossil is restricted to a handful of species in the Southern Indo-Pacific, making it one of the few marine invertebrates listed under CITES appendix II of species in need of protection from over-exploitation..

Although no one had previously investigated sex determination systems in cephalopods, recent research suggested a ZZ/Z0 system, where males are homozygous (having two identical sex chromosomes) and females are hemizygous (having only one sex chromosome). This system was believed to have originated approximately 480 million years ago in the last common ancestor of all cephalopods, thus making it one of the oldest conserved sex determination systems known in animals.

However, a new study published in Current Biology, challenges this in modern cephalopods. Instead, researchers discovered the first evidence of an XX/XY system in chambered nautiluses. This genetic mechanism is more similar to that found in humans, mammals and many other animals, where males are the heterogametic sex (XY).

The international team of researchers led by Professor David Combosch of the Marine Laboratory at the University of Guam, with co-author Professor Gonzalo Giribet in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, analyzed three distinct genomic datasets. These included 28 low-coverage whole genomes and 63 restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) datasets sourced from six species and nine populations of nautiloids.

Using Bayesian analyses, sex-specific differences in genome coverage, and patterns of heterozygosity, they identified one DNA segment as an X chromosome and pinpointed five additional DNA segments as likely Y-linked regions. These five Y-scaffolds contain 36 genes, most of which were either male-specific or significantly enriched in males.

“This is the first time anyone has identified X- or Y-linked sequences in a cephalopod,” Giribet noted. “Our findings suggest that sex chromosomes in mollusks are far more dynamic and lineage-specific than previously assumed.”

To investigate the biological relevance of these genes, the researchers performed functional annotation and BLAST protein searches using a stringent e-value threshold. Many genes showed homology to human genes with known expression in reproductive tissues or links to sex-related traits, as documented in genome-wide association studies. Further Gene Ontology enrichment analysis supported the idea that these genes are involved in sex-specific functions. The team also identified chromosome #4 as the X chromosome rather than Z chromosome as previously assumed.

Despite the breakthrough, the study faced key limitations. The lack of a chromosome-level genome for male nautiluses limited the researchers’ ability to fully characterize the structure and evolution of the sex chromosomes. Still, this work lays the foundation for further genomic exploration across other cephalopod lineages and has broader implication for cephalopod biology and conservation. Several nautilus species are currently listed as vulnerable due to overharvesting and habitat loss. A better understanding of their genetics, including sex determination mechanisms, could directly inform future conservation and management efforts.

By revealing that nautiluses possess an XX/XY sex determination system, this research not only revises assumptions about cephalopod genetics, but also contributes a critical piece to the broader puzzle of sex chromosome evolution in animals.

“Our results rewrite our understanding of cephalopod sex determination and help clarify the evolutionary history of these fascinating animals,” Combosch said. “It reminds us that, in the natural world, even the most fundamental biological systems can evolve quickly and in unexpected ways.”

####

The female is on the left and the male is on the right, with its spadix (arrow) protruding towards the female

Credit

Marjorie Awai

Journal

Current Biology

DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2025.07.047 

Article Title

Nautilus sex determination is unique among cephalopods

Article Publication Date

14-Aug-2025

Antarctica’s changing threat landscape underscores the need for coordinated action

University of Adelaide

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Antarctic ice and icebergs. Credit: Madison Farrant *Photo for use with this story only

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Credit: Credit: Madison Farrant

In the face of growing global pressures, a new report from Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), including University of Adelaide researchers, highlights the opportunity to strengthen and future-proof Antarctic governance by responding to emerging conservation threats with coordinated, proactive measures.

With input from 131 experts in more than 40 countries, with backgrounds across science, policy and conservation, the report identified 10 emerging threats that could challenge Antarctic conservation efforts in the coming decade.

Among the threats identified is the likelihood of more extreme precipitation events, including snowfall and rainfall, a potential reduction in cooperation among the Antarctic Treaty Parties, and the potential militarisation of the region.

There are also speculative, but still concerning, possibilities, such as iceberg harvesting and agricultural expansion.

A particularly notable finding is the emergence of global disruptions as a distinct threat category – encompassing events like pandemics and geopolitical conflicts between Treaty Parties, which can undermine scientific collaboration, environmental monitoring, and diplomatic engagement.

“We find that persistent environmental and geopolitical pressures continue to shape the region’s conservation challenges,” said SAEF Research Fellow Dr Zachary Carter, from the University of Adelaide and QUT, who led the research.

“But we also identify a suite of new threats that reflect broader global social and environmental developments. Our findings highlight how increasingly interconnected global systems are exerting influence on the region.”

Published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the report replaces a landmark horizon scan of Antarctic conservation issues first published in 2012, offering a timely reassessment more than a decade later.

A key issue identified is the growing difficulty the Antarctic Treaty System faces in responding to emerging threats, particularly those driven by global environmental and geopolitical change.

“Our findings highlight a structural vulnerability in the governance regime responsible for conservation across the Antarctic region,” said Dr Carter.

“This is particularly concerning given that many of the most serious emerging threats originate outside the region and fall beyond the system’s current jurisdiction.”

Dr Carter warned that the Treaty System’s capacity must be strengthened to address external pressures, or Antarctica’s management risks becoming increasingly reactive, dealing with crises only after they emerge rather than working to prevent them.

“We must remember, Antarctica is not just a remote wilderness; it plays a pivotal role in the Earth’s climate system, ocean circulation, and global biodiversity,” he said.

“By leveraging the Treaty’s existing provisions for international cooperation, there’s real potential to strengthen the system and ensure Antarctica remains protected in the face of emerging global challenges.

“This is an opportunity to rethink how we strengthen protection of one of the world’s most globally significant environments before the consequences become irreversible. Because in the end, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.”

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DOI

10.1038/s41559-025-02814-4 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Emerging threats to Antarctic conservation

Article Publication Date

15-Aug-2025

 

Climate models reveal human influence behind stalled pacific cycle

University of Colorado at Boulder

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A new CU Boulder-led study has revealed that recent changes in North Pacific Ocean temperatures—long believed to be the result of natural variability—are in fact being driven by human-generated greenhouse gas and industrial aerosol emissions. These oceanic shifts are directly linked to the prolonged megadrought gripping the American Southwest, and this research published August 13th in Nature suggests it may not ease for another 30 years.

“Our results show that the drought and ocean patterns we’re seeing today are not just natural fluctuations—they’re largely driven by human activity,” said Jeremy Klavans, postdoctoral researcher in CU Boulder’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and lead author of the study.

Cracking a long-standing climate puzzle

For over a century, scientists have tracked a climate cycle in the North Pacific known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which alternates every few decades between a warm "positive" phase and a cool "negative" phase. In its negative phase—where cooler waters hug the U.S. West Coast—storm tracks shift northward and rainfall in the western U.S. decreases significantly.

Until now, the PDO was assumed to be governed almost entirely by natural internal processes, such as air-sea interactions. Even the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated with high confidence that the PDO is not influenced by human activity.

But using a new suite of over 500 climate model simulations, Klavans and his team found that since the 1950s, over half of the variability in the PDO can be attributed to human emissions, including both greenhouse gases and aerosols. Prior to 1950, these patterns were mostly driven by natural processes.

The PDO is stuck—and that’s a problem

The PDO has remained locked in a negative phase since the 1990s—an unusually long period for what is typically a fluctuating cycle. This prolonged cool phase has been a major driver of the ongoing megadrought in the western U.S., drying out the region by pushing precipitation-bearing storms farther north and reducing overall moisture in the air.
“If the PDO were purely natural, we would have expected it to shift back to positive after the strong El Niño in 2015,” Klavans said. “Instead, it flipped briefly and then reverted—suggesting something deeper and undiscovered is holding it in place.”

New tools, new understanding

This breakthrough was made possible by advances in climate modeling that helped scientists correct for an issue in models known as the “signal-to-noise paradox.” This study finds that most climate models have historically overestimated natural variability while underestimating the effects of human-driven external forcing.

“Once we corrected for that imbalance, it became clear that human emissions are the dominant factor behind the current PDO pattern and the West’s extreme dryness,” Klavans said.

Pedro DiNezio, a professor at the University of Colorado and co-author of the study, added: “Our work shows that on decadal timescales, climate models have been underestimating how sensitive regional climates are to external forcing.”

Worst drought in over 1,200 years—and no relief in sight

The implications of this work are sobering. Research shows the American Southwest is in the midst of its driest 20-year period in at least 1,200 years. About 93% of the western U.S. is currently in drought, with 70% experiencing severe conditions.

The study warns that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at current rates, the PDO will likely stay in its negative phase, and the region’s water crisis will deepen.

“This isn't a temporary dry spell,” Klavans said. “It’s a climate-driven transformation of the region’s water system. Planners and policymakers need to treat it as such.”

Global consequences

The findings may also extend beyond the Pacific. Similar patterns exist in other ocean basins—like the North Atlantic Oscillation, which is tied to droughts in parts of Europe, including Spain.

“Our methods have the potential to drastically improve predictions of climate impacts – including precipitation trends across the globe” Amy Clement, a professor at the University of Miami and co-author of this study added. “That kind of foresight is critical for planning and adapting to a changing climate.”
 

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Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-025-09368-2 

Unveiling the molecular survival strategies of earth’s most abundant marine bacteria — A paradigm shift in life sciences

Prof. Paola Laurino became a finalist in the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough 2025 in Life Sciences

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University

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OIST Associate Professor Paola Laurino

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Credit: OIST

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Associate Professor Paola Laurino has been selected as one of the top 10 global awardees in the Life Sciences category of the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough, presented by Germany’s Falling Walls Foundation.  

The Falling Walls Foundation celebrates scientific excellence and its societal impact by recognizing breakthrough research across nine categories, including life sciences, physics, engineering, and technology. Each year, the foundation selects projects that offer innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.

Prof Laurino joined OIST in 2017 and leads the Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit at OIST. This year, her unit’s research project, “Ocean Microbes’ Survival Secrets,” is one among the ten winners of this year’s Falling Walls Science breakthroughs in life sciences. The study, published in Nature (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07924-w), reveals the molecular mechanisms that enable SAR11, the most abundant marine bacteria on earth, to survive and thrive in nutrient-poor environments. The research demonstrates how SAR11 utilizes ultra-high-affinity transporters to efficiently capture carbon sources, shedding light on global nutrient uptake patterns driven by microbial life.

“Our experiments revealed distinct properties of transport proteins that help SAR11 bacteria survive in nutrient-poor environments—insights that would not have been apparent from genomic data alone,” said Prof. Laurino. “We already knew that SAR11 plays a central role in global nutrient cycles, such as carbon and sulfur exchange, but by comprehensively mapping its transport proteins, we now have a much clearer understanding of how this microbe fits into and influences these essential processes."

The findings offer new insights into how microbes shape global biogeochemical cycles and open up possibilities for environmental modeling, restoration strategies, and the design of nutrient-capture systems. The work also paves the way for new frontiers in systems biology and synthetic biology, with long-term implications for climate science, ecosystem management, and molecular innovation.

This award marks the second time that an OIST researcher has received this honor, following Prof. Keshav Dani’s recognition in the Physics category in 2023.

On September 16, the Falling Walls Foundation will announce the Science Breakthrough Laureate of the Year 2025 from among the top 10 finalists in each category. The laureate will present their work at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin on November 9.