In which the Tesla Powerwall proves its worth, changing tariffs show the importance of solar self-consumption, and we weigh the implications for future EV charging.
Two years (and one major blackout) with my home battery and solar system
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Batteries with no solar: Changing market gives households new energy options
A time-of-use renewable energy retail offer has signed up hundreds of customers since its launch in South Australia, including homes with battery storage only.
Plenty of promise for solar households, but ESB report delivers no windfalls
Some mainstream media hot takes on the ESB's long-awaited market redesign paint solar households as big winners. But is that accurate?
“We’re going off grid:” Consumers want resilient systems after bushfire outages
Consumers say they want to go off-grid, or at least have smarter and more resilient community-based power supplies, after big outages caused by bushfires.
Small scale rooftop solar passes 15GW mark, Victoria tops 3GW despite Covid hit
The impact of the extended Covid-19 lockdown in New South Wales is starting to show in the state’s rooftop solar market. Victoria, meanwhile, is back on the up.
Second-hand panels: Australia’s massive wasted solar opportunity
Why are so many Australians sending perfectly good solar panels to the tip? Dr Nick Engerer asked the question on LinkedIn recently and the response was swift and resounding.
An energy expert’s guide to “perfect” home solar and storage
Solar, battery and VPP specialist shares his experience of building the “perfect” solar system, which helped flip his bill from a $500 debit to hundreds in credits.
Solar export tax proposal put on hold after flood of competing ideas
Regulator to have a longer think about rooftop solar export tax proposal after a flood of objections and alternative ideas.
AEMO looks to smarter ways of managing abundant rooftop solar
South Australia should place a sunset date on the rooftop solar cut-off mechanism, particularly once the SA-NSW inter-connector is operational.
Which home batteries are best? Lessons learned from five years of independent testing
Not all batteries are created equal. ITP Renewables' ARENA-backed Battery Test Centre in Canberra has been putting home batteries through their paces for five years. Here are the key lessons learned.
Rooftop solar resumes upward march, but what’s going on with NSW?
Latest data from SunWiz shows Australia's rooftop solar market is back on track in May, with the exception of some "worrying" figures coming out of NSW.
What blackout? Home batteries power through Queensland coal plant calamity
While debate builds around whether more big batteries could have saved the day in Queensland on Tuesday, the benefits of having home batteries during a coal plant explosion are crystal clear.
Australia’s “father of PV” says your next rooftop solar system might be tens of kilowatts
UNSW's Martin Green says the average Australian solar household will soon be installing "tens of kilowatts" on their rooftops, as costs continue to fall.
Solar tax could trigger a mass exodus from the grid, new survey says
Survey finds solar households overwhelmingly oppose the AEMC's proposed rooftop solar tax, but how many would rather quit the grid than pay to export their power?
