Posts By Kim Wainwright On SolarQuotes

Government Expands Solar Rebates For Commercial Rooftops

August 6, 2026 2026-08-05T15:06:24 by 4 Comments

Commercial solar panels

The federal government has announced a major expansion of Australia’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), opening the door for much larger commercial rooftop solar systems to receive the same type of upfront incentive that helped drive Australia’s household solar boom.

Under the proposal, the SRES threshold would increase tenfold from 100 kilowatts to 1 megawatt, allowing many medium-sized businesses, farms and community organisations to access an upfront discount on the cost of installing rooftop solar. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Solar

What 20,000 Homes Reveal About Solar Batteries

July 30, 2026 2026-07-29T11:16:33 by 14 Comments

AEMO imports exports report 2026

If you’ve ever wondered what difference a home battery actually makes to the way your home interacts with the grid, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has some new real-world data.

Buried in the latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics report is a comparison of 20,000 Australian homes that examines how households with rooftop solar and those with both solar and a battery imported and exported electricity during the second quarter of 2026.

The comparison reveals just how dramatically a battery can reduce a home’s reliance on the grid during the busy evening period, when electricity demand is typically highest.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage

Australia Needs More Electricians. Can Big Sister Help?

July 29, 2026 2026-07-28T13:30:57 by 11 Comments

Big sister programAustralia needs more electricians, and one organisation believes helping more women complete their apprenticeships is part of the answer.

Big Sister is working with apprentices, employers and training providers to improve the number of women entering electrical trades and, just as importantly, staying long enough to become qualified.

The work comes as demand grows for electricians capable of installing solar, home batteries, EV chargers and the other equipment needed to electrify Australian homes.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Installation

Can You Be Confident Joining A Virtual Power Plant?

July 21, 2026 2026-07-27T10:47:30 by 28 Comments

Home batteries can lower electricity bills, and those benefits can be even greater when batteries are coordinated through virtual power plants (VPPs).

But a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) points out that asking people to hand over some control of a battery they’ve paid for requires confidence that it will be used in their best interests. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency

Is A Neighbour’s Home Battery Keeping Your Lights On?

July 15, 2026 2026-07-20T17:13:56 by 6 Comments

AEMO ESOO report 2026

Home batteries are often promoted as a way to keep the lights on when the grid goes down.

But according to a new report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), they may increasingly be helping keep the grid up in the first place. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage

Virtual Energy Network Trial Delivers Higher Solar Returns

July 10, 2026 2026-07-09T16:57:50 by 10 Comments

Virtual energy network study

A three-year Australian trial involving almost 300 households has found participants paid less for imported electricity, earned more from their solar exports and became more confident the energy system was working fairly. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency

Finding A Solar Installer In Your Suburb

July 1, 2026 2026-07-06T16:44:21 by 4 Comments

Neighbourhood solar installer finder

If you’re thinking about installing solar, one of the first questions is usually, “Who’s a good installer in my area?” Closely followed by, “How much should I expect to pay?” and “Are there any local rules I should know about?”

To make those questions easier to answer, SolarQuotes has launched suburb pages covering locations across Australia. Each page brings together reviews of active SolarQuotes-vetted installers, average installation prices, network information and other useful details in one place. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Installation

Spilt Milk? AEMC Pushes Simpler Electricity Pricing

June 23, 2026 2026-06-22T10:59:28 by 25 Comments

AEMC simpler electricity pricing

Electricity pricing has become so complicated that Australia’s energy rule-maker wants future power plans to be as easy to understand as buying milk.

That’s one of the key messages from a major Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) review released last week, which sets out a long-term roadmap for simplifying electricity pricing as rooftop solar, home batteries and electric vehicles become increasingly common. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

NSW Launches $15,000 Interest-Free Home Energy Loans

June 18, 2026 2026-06-22T15:48:25 by 14 Comments

NSW Home Energy Saver Program

NSW households earning up to $210,000 a year can now access interest-free loans of up to $15,000 for solar, batteries and a range of home energy upgrades, under a new $557 million state government program. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

Kerbside EV Charging Options Surge Across Australia

June 17, 2026 2026-06-16T15:33:48 by 8 Comments

EV kerbside charging 2026

Two years ago, SolarQuotes explored one of the trickier challenges facing would-be EV owners: how do you charge an electric car if you don’t have a driveway?

The solutions ranged from cable covers and drainpipes to charge gullies and elevated cable systems. There was no shortage of ideas, and the comments section quickly filled with alternative suggestions, objections and debate.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Electric Vehicles
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