Australia is already recognised as the principal global testing ground for battery storage technologies, which is why nearly all the major battery storage developers are releasing products here to take advantage of high network charges and the highest penetration of rooftop solar PV.
But which is the best product? That depends on what the consumer wants to do with the battery – go off-grid, provide back-up in case of a blackout, act as a hedge against time of use pricing, or simply to store their own solar energy for use at night.
The team led by Finn Peacock, from Solar Quotes, has developed what we think is the most comprehensive table that compares the numerous battery storage offerings in Australia – giving details on price, capacity, depth of discharge, dimensions, and purpose, and a list of pros and cons, and an overall assessment.
“As demand for solar battery storage starts to climb I’m getting more and more questions along the lines of: ‘I’m interested in batteries. What are my options – apart from a Powerwall’?,” Peacock says.
“A comprehensive answer to that question is hard, as new storage products are launched weekly. And trying to make an apples-for-apples comparison is even harder as many specifications are not online and even prices can be hard to get.”
Peacock says the aim of his Battery Storage Comparison Table is to eventually have every battery storage product available in Australia in the table, so their specifications and prices can be easily compared.
“When compiling this table we didn’t just get the required information from the manufacturer’s websites – because a lot of it is not there. My team had to call up and ask for much of the information you see presented in the table.
“Interestingly we found that when specifications are missing from a battery manufacturer’s website, it is usually because that particular number doesn’t compare favorably with the competition.”
And the initial findings? Peacock’s team votes in favour of the LG Chem Resu Product, a 6.4kWh lithium-ion product that retails for around $7,500, and has a 3.2kWh “expansion” product available.
“LG has put out, in our humble opinion, the best combination of price and performance currently available on the marketplace,” Peacock’s team notes.
Here is a taste of the table. Overall, there are 11 batteries storage products assesses, and 16 different criteria assessed. More can be found here.
“The table is our first effort,” says Peacock, and he says it will be updated monthly with new products as his team becomes aware of them. Presmably, this will include the new Australian offerings from Ecoult and Redflow. He’ll be updating those findings on this website.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of One Step Off The Grid, and also edits and founded Renew Economy and The Driven. He has been a journalist for 35 years and is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review.
