An inquest has heard the federal government was warned by Master Electricians Australia (MEA) within a week of the first insulation-related death that there would be more fatalities if the Home Insulation Program (HIP) was not amended. [ + ]

The federal government’s review of the Renewable Energy Target has shown that the scheme is highly effective in driving the transition of the Australian energy sector, the Clean Energy Council has said. [ + ]

ABB has won an order from Enel, Italy’s largest power company and one of Europe’s leading utilities, to supply its Symphony Plus automation and control system to serve one of the major units at the Grazia Deledda Sulcis power plant on the island of Sardinia. [ + ]

Cost-effective battery storage for residential and commercial renewable energy systems is a step closer following an Australian Government investment of $480,000 to test a world-leading battery technology. [ + ]

Online ticket sales have opened for SPARC International Lighting Event 2013, to be held in Sydney from 4-6 June. It is an opportunity to see, touch and experience cutting-edge lighting technology, attend educational seminars by world-leading lighting specialists and to enjoy social networking events. The event once again aligns with Vivid Sydney, an annual celebration of light, music and ideas. [ + ]

The Australian Solar Council has welcomed the government’s response to the Review of the Renewable Energy Target, calling it a significant boost to investor confidence and certainty. [ + ]

The new Master Electrician Energy Efficiency course is important training for those wanting to build their business by entering the rapidly growing energy efficiency market. The course covers a wide range of concepts to give electricians the confidence to provide energy-efficient solutions to their customers. [ + ]

‘Compact, lightweight and flexible’ will be the focus of the display by Olympus Industrial Business Unit (IBD) at Austech 2013 in May. The company’s display will feature some of the smallest models in its industry-leading portfolio of innovative test, measurement and imaging instruments. [ + ]

More than 800 electrical contractors gathered during the March weekend of the 2013 Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, there to attend the Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s ‘Gear up for the Future’ business session. [ + ]

NBN Co has awarded a contract to Visionstream, a subsidiary of Leighton Holdings Limited, to roll out fibre-optic broadband in Victoria, Queensland and southern NSW. The contract is valued at up to $334 million over two years, with two one-year options to renew, and adds to the existing NBN construction efforts of Silcar in NSW and Queensland and Transfield in Victoria. [ + ]

SkillsConnect Australia is now offering Certificate III in Telecommunications Digital Reception Technology in locations across Australia. Thanks to a new partnership with Matchmaster Communications, this complete certificate is now available at a reduced price due to a generous government subsidy. [ + ]

Master Electricians Australia (MEA) advises that the federal government has announced an extension of its $57.5 million Apprentice Kickstart Initiative. The Kickstart Initiative was introduced late last year and has been extended until 30 April 2013. Employers are set to benefit from this program, receiving almost a 50% boost to existing incentives for employing an apprentice. [ + ]

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that there were 85 days lost per 1000 employees in 2012 throughout the construction sector - a rise of 25% on the previous year. [ + ]

AMMA has criticised the government’s attack on 457 visa arrangements, saying the unions’ antiskilled migration campaign is actually putting Australian jobs and projects at risk. [ + ]

The latest research in mesoscale atmospheric modelling, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, suggests that the generating capacity of large-scale wind farms has been overestimated. [ + ]