One Step Off The Grid
Solar, storage and distributed energy news
W.A. energy minister Mike Nahan has done an about-face and predicted that solar will dominate the future. But the state owned utilities require solar households to sign contracts promising not to install battery storage or purchase electric vehicles.
The New South Wales pricing regulator has slashed the value of solar feed-in tariffs in the state in what appears to be a deliberate move to push consumers to adopt battery storage, and to lock in long-term deals with major retailers.
Redflow chairman Simon Hackett says market for battery storage “running hot” and predicts they will be as common place as broadband within a decade. His goal is to deliver software to make flow batteries easy to use. And if utilities try to fight this with higher tariffs, good luck with that.
A new electricity retailer that will focus on smart meters, rooftop solar and battery storage is about to emerge in Australia as the shift to decentralized energy models accelerates across the country.
New community-owned retailer Enova releases its prospectus, championing local ownership and a 100% renewable energy target in a market dominated by big players, out-of-area projects and fossil fuel interests.
Low energy users in Queensland are being hit with huge tariffs, while energy guzzlers are being rewarded with tariffs one third of the price.
$US100/kWh: It’s the magical number that has been painted as something of a Holy Grail for the battery storage industry, but can it be done?
Only one big corporate in Australia has vowed to go 100 per cent renewable energy. And IKEA, which appears to be more than half way there, says it is saving money doing so.
If you are an Australian householder and you haven’t already got your order in for a Tesla PowerWall battery storage system, you may have to wait a while.
Households can take powerful and decisive action on emissions that will also save them money – install rooftop solar, and may be even battery storage. The power is shifting, quite literally, to the people.
