The Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program’s second round of hearings has begun in Brisbane. The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has welcomed the investigation. [ + ]

The recent start of construction on the first of two large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in outback New South Wales shows the importance of renewable energy targets and funding. [ + ]

Finance is now available for energy-efficiency retrofits of commercial property. Significant additional Environmental Upgrade Agreement finance is available through an agreement between the CEFC and National Australia Bank. [ + ]

Educational programs are helping to increase awareness of the dangers of counterfeit products and providing the tools needed to make informed purchasing decisions, key learnings that will help increase electrical safety, according to the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) and Eaton's joint survey of IEC members. [ + ]

LEDs are expected to have captured up to 90% of the lighting market by 2020, with LED retrofit lamps for use in standard bulb fittings likely to overtake traditional energy-saving bulbs for the first time from 2015. [ + ]

Global Marine Systems has ordered Nexans' fibre-optic cable for three major telecommunications projects in Northern Europe. [ + ]

Good literacy and numeracy skills are essential for anyone wanting to become an electrician. The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), therefore, welcomes the government's commitment to raising the bar in this regard and endorses their focus on the Trades pathway for people striving for a career in the electrical industry. [ + ]

US scientists have achieved an LED milestone, creating the thinnest-possible LED yet. The LED is based on two-dimensional flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than current technology allows. [ + ]

ABB has installed a 100 kW rooftop photovoltaic (PV) power system at its Moorebank site in NSW. This is the second ABB site to install a rooftop PV system. [ + ]

IES: The Lighting Society (IESANZ) is presenting Enlightenment: The Basics of Efficient Lighting - an introductory course in energy-efficient lighting. [ + ]

An urgent safety warning has been issued after two solar products were found to have a risk of fire or electric shock. The products involved are certain models of PVPower DC Isolators and NHP-branded DC Solar Isolated Switches. [ + ]

German researchers are working to investigate the technology required to manage fleets of electric vehicles (EVs). [ + ]

If you're interested in speaking at Clean Energy Week, you're in luck: the call for papers deadline has been extended to 15 March. Early bird registrations for the event are also now open. [ + ]

Former Labor minister Martin Ferguson's support of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) has been welcomed by the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA). [ + ]

The ACI Connect conference, to be held in Melbourne from 9-10 April, has an exciting line-up of speakers and will feature industry workshops, case studies, technical presentations and panel discussions. [ + ]