Electrical Connection

The rapid expansion of Australia’s data centre sector is increasing competition for skilled electricians, communications technicians and construction trades, with the Housing Industry Association (HIA) and National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) calling for urgent action to grow the workforce.

Australian households installed record numbers of rooftop solar systems and home batteries in the first half of 2026, according to the Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) latest Rooftop Solar and Storage Report. The report found that 180,878 rooftop solar systems were installed between January and June, representing a 35% increase on the same period in 2025 and the strongest six-month result since 2021.

The PHEV commercial vehicle space continues to expand, with JAC confirming its new plug-in hybrid Hunter derivative of the T9 dual-cab will wear the sharpest price tag in the segment. Priced from $49,988 before on-roads for the Hunter Pro variant, JAC’s petrol-electric lobs into the market as the only offering with a sub-$50K retail price. Even the up-spec Hunter X is a value-oriented machine, with its $54,844 MSRP putting it around $1,000 under that of the BYD Shark 6 dual-cab chassis.

GENERAL Australia has launched anywAiR technology Zoneconnex, a WiFi-enabled zoning solution for ducted air conditioning systems in residential and light commercial applications. Zoneconnex provides independent control of up to ten zones, with airflow adjustable in 5% increments to help users direct conditioned air to the areas that need it.

Yes, labour shortages are real. Yes, skills gaps exist. But there’s also another challenge that can have a significant impact on productivity: Fragmented information systems. What Samsung’s hearing from its customers on their construction sites is that valuable time is being lost by chasing paperwork, re-entering data across different platforms or trying to keep site teams and office decision-makers aligned.

Standards Australia is concluding its Standards Australia Training platform, with new enrolments no longer being accepted. The platform was introduced to provide standards-aligned learning and has given Standards Australia insights to inform future product and service development. Standards Australia says it remains focused on supporting existing users during the transition.

A Perth electrical worker has been fined $4,500 and ordered to pay a further $770 in costs after taking on electrical contracting work without holding an electrical contractor’s licence. The worker was engaged by property owners in Wanerie to carry out electrical installation work for a solar power system.

Seven in ten Australian technology decision-makers believe further investment in digital and energy infrastructure will be needed to realise the economic benefits of AI, according to new research from Schneider Electric. The findings are based on a national survey of 566 Australian business decision-makers, including 207 technology decision-makers, examining how organisations are preparing their infrastructure for AI and other high-density computing workloads.

Chery will soon branch out from cut-price hatchbacks and family SUVs, with the company confirming initial specifications for its incoming mid-size body-on-frame ute, the Stockman. Formerly codenamed ‘KP31’, the Stockman isn’t just Chery’s first workhorse for Western markets: It’ll also break ground as the first diesel-electric plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utility in Australia.

Australia’s housing shortage cannot be addressed without tackling a shortage of skilled tradespeople, according to a new Housing Industry Association (HIA) report, Australia’s Future is Built by Tradies, identifying a shortfall of around 83,000 workers across the residential construction industry.