One Step Off The Grid
Solar, storage and distributed energy news
Australian consumers want to embrace energy technologies like solar and storage that offer them cheaper electricity and greater energy independence – and power industry incumbents to meet this new wave of demand, or lose their grip on the market.
New report predicts ‘mass adoption’ of battery storage by Australian solar households could be just five years away, as costs fall by more than 60%. And household storage could play a key role in a 50% renewables target.
SMA managing director Mark Twidell says the real solar revolution will arrive with smart management technology, allowing the average prosumer of the future to buy from the grid, sell their solar power, and manage their consumption.
Totally Renewable Yackandandah to use highly successful crowd funding model to install 90kW solar at local not-for-profit health care centre.
The first battery offering from Enphase has launched in Australia – a market the leading US tech company says could be first to achieve battery ‘parity.’
Powershop CEO Ben Burge sees the rush to rooftop solar as a symptom of the same problem that has made his upstart power retailer such a success – customer disaffection with the Australian energy cartel. But he’s worried the solar revolution could have a sting in its tail for consumers.
When one house installed solar panels in the Queensland suburb of Carina, households around it soon followed suit.
New projects in Queensland illustrate the perfect fit of Australia’s rapidly expanding aged care industry, and commercial solar.
IPART says beware of retailers offering high solar tariffs – some customers might be better off going with retailer that offers no tariff because of other not-so-hidden charges.
Redflow says it has cut costs of its zinc bromide flow batteries by 50%, will have ‘plug n play’ storage for homes by early 2016.
