TLDR: You’ll save more money if you go to the effort of buying your own, bigger solar power system rather than surrendering your roof’s profits to Energy Australia. [Read more…]
You Won’t Believe How Dumb The NSW Government’s New Battery Calculator Is
The NSW Government’s Solar Battery Calculator is up and running.
This would only be a good thing if it was up and running out the door, never to be seen again.
It had one job to do — inform NSW families if a home battery makes financial sense for them — and it fails miserably. Worse, it fails in exactly the wrong direction. [Read more…]
NSW Government Publishes Pernicious 71-Page Battery Guide
Guess what! You can now read another tax-payer funded document that does more harm than good.
The NSW Government has published the NSW Home Solar Battery Guide 2020. It’s supposed to help the people of NSW and Australia decide if getting batteries is right for them.
I have read the report and have concluded that it is insane. [Read more…]
Why Have Home Battery Forecasts Been Staggeringly Wrong For Years?
When I was a kid, the past wrote checks for the future reality couldn’t cash. I never got a flying car, let alone a jetpack, and a picture book I had promised me the 2020 Olympics would be on the moon. Well, it’s 2020 now and we don’t even have an Olympics, let alone a moon colony to hold it in. [Read more…]
Community Batteries Benefit The Grid More Says Latest Research
The ACT government reckons there’s a gap between the household battery and grid-scale batteries: community batteries, either owned by or at least serving the needs of collectives of households. [Read more…]
SA Home Battery Scheme’s New Calculator Gives Dismal Results (If You Can Find It)
Finally, after one and a half years, the South Australian Home Battery scheme has added a battery calculator to their site. [Read more…]
Will SA’s “Solar Sponge” Tariff Make ‘Batteries Without Solar’ Worthwhile?
Update 9th April 2020: South Australia Power Networks has informed us the Solar Sponge tariff is available now for people with smart meters, but very few electricity retailers are offering it.1 It was to become standard on the 1st of July, but this may be delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
In October 2019 South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) announced they would introduce a new “Solar Sponge” tariff promising electricity in the middle of the day at one quarter their usual rate. As a result, some people have claimed this will let a battery pay for itself, even if the home doesn’t have solar panels. Are they nuts? Not completely. [Read more…]
AEMO Judgement On SA VPPs: Yes, They Help The Grid And Turn A Profit
South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant isn’t just delivering electricity to consumers in that state – it’s also proven successful at helping the SA grid respond to grid-scale events. And that grid-response is a profitable sideline for the VPP. [Read more…]
SolarQuotes’ Virtual Power Plant Comparison Table Is Up And Running
Do you own a home battery, or are planning to get one? Then I have good news. The SolarQuotes Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Comparison Table is up and running. So if you are interested in joining a VPP, you’d better go catch it. [Read more…]
Does Solar Victoria’s “Case Study” Violate Australian Consumer Law?
On the 16th of January 2020 Solar Victoria published what they called a “case study” under the Latest News section on their web site. It’s about a person who is happy with their new solar battery system. On the face of it, that seems a lot better than someone who is unhappy with their battery system, but I suspect the person who bought it may have been misled and won’t be so happy with their purchase after they learn the truth. [Read more…]
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