There’s a strange certainty creeping into battery talk lately. The idea that DC coupling is the grown-up option, and AC coupling is something we did back when we didn’t know any better. I keep seeing installers and Facebook pundits claiming the only proper way to attach a battery to a house is with a DC-coupled system. Anything else is framed as inefficient, messy, a historical mistake or just deeply uncool.
I don’t get it.
If you wanted to design the world’s harshest endurance test for home batteries, you wouldn’t build a lab. You’d build a normal Australian suburb. [Read more…]
This post is about a choice most people do not realise they are making.
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.
Finn Peacock (RSS) (370)
Ronald Brakels (RSS) (513)
Michael Bloch (RSS) (3363)
Staff Writer (RSS) (261)
Richard Chirgwin (RSS) (159)
Trevor Glen (RSS) (1)
Anthony Bennett (RSS) (230)
Kim Wainwright (RSS) (108)
Pat Southwell (RSS) (19)
Neerav Bhatt (RSS) (7)
Max Opray (RSS) (50)
Toby Hagon (RSS) (1)
Baran Yildiz (RSS) (2)
Tim Johnston (RSS) (4)
James Norman (RSS) (1)
Before You Go..Download the first chapter of The Good Solar Guide, authored by SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock, FREE! We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. |
RSS - Posts
Currently Raging Debates: