About Finn PeacockI'm a Chartered Electrical Engineer, Solar and Energy Efficiency nut, dad, and the founder of SolarQuotes.com.au. I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it’s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last "real job" was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I’ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.
Fifteen years ago, one of the hardest parts of selling solar was explaining why your panels shut down in a blackout. No grid meant no power, even on a sunny day.
Today, batteries fix that. Yet I am seeing thousands of homes getting large batteries with either no backup at all or poorly designed backup. That’s because – as batteries go mainstream – a set of myths has taken hold.
Let’s knock them over.
For years, solar owners had it easy. You looked for the highest solar feed-in tariff. You checked the usage rate and the daily charge were not silly. You picked the winning tariff and moved on.
That world is gone.
Big batteries are going in fast. Too many are being left dumb, unsupported, and unable to earn their keep.
I was on ABC Adelaide this week to talk about the battery rebate. First question was easy. Has it been popular?
Hell yes.
Roughly 150,000 batteries in six months. That is a staggering number.
If you want to control your air conditioner properly with solar, it helps to understand how the thing actually works. As an ex-control systems engineer, this is right up my alley. Let’s break it down.
Aussies love big things.
After the rebate, battery systems are heading the same way. [Read more…]
I went to the AC/DC PWR UP! gig in Adelaide last weekend. There are two ways to look at that show.
There’s a long-running problem with running SolarQuotes1. When you write about smart ideas or gear that works well, the phones light up. Manufacturers call to say thanks. They invite you to factories. They offer free gear to test and keep. They love the spotlight when it suits them.
Sigenergy has spent the year talking big. Fast growth. Innovative tech. A cheer squad of consumers and industry commentators that treats any doubt as a personal slight. That mood set the stage for what we are seeing now.
You’re likely sick of the headlines by now: “Three hours of free power for everyone!”
Most readers of those headlines will assume three free hours of energy are about to land in their current plan, like magic. They won’t. Instead, it looks like the plan is to force each retailer to offer at least one “free-hours” plan among all their others.
Solar and batteries are great. But they’re not a get-out-of-jail card for bad houses.
Today I saw someone ask online:
“Should I spend $20k on double glazing or $20k on solar + battery and run the air-con 24/7 when necessary?”
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