One Step Off The Grid
Solar, storage and distributed energy news
Network operators have responded to the uptake of solar PV and energy efficiency by lifting fixed charges nearly four-fold. Now, in an apparent attempt to foil the uptake of battery storage, the networks want consumers to pay for the grid, whether they are connected or not.
A community owned retailer plans to do what the big utilities cannot do – and help lead an energy revolution based around local generation, solar and storage, and community-based renewable energy.
New 6.4kWh system from LG Chem brings costs at top end of the range down towards $1,000kWh, reinforcing the growing wedge between solar and storage and grid prices.
RenewEconomy is proud to introduce its new consumer-focused publication, One Step Off The Grid – helping households, businesses and communities navigate the energy revolution.
Large businesses often cut good deals for electricity from utilities, but rooftop solar is now offering returns of 18% per annum, and the market is poised to boom.
Leading BNEF analyst says solar + storage unstoppable, because they are already cheaper for Australian households to install than electricity from the grid.
Attempt by Abbott government to stop Clean Energy Finance Corporation co-financing rooftop solar is likely to make rooftop solar a lot more more expensive for those homes and businesses who have yet to install the technology, and who cannot afford to buy the systems outright.
Some 160,000 homes in NSW will lose their premium feed in tariffs for solar in 18 months. Here’s why battery storage may look an attractive option.
South Australia government doubles funding available for City of Adelaide battery storage initiative, potentially injecting 600kWh of storage into CBD.
AGL Energy is offering battery storage systems at a steep discount to even wholesale prices. But there may be method to their madness, locking in customers for the long term and reaping benefits from battery storage systems. But it underpins the potential for battery storage costs to fall quickly and sharply.
