Flat By Tea Time: Why A Small Battery Is A Big Problem

House with grocery delivery and solar and battery
Having noticed a few different hardware retailers and grocery shops making moves into the home battery market, it seems prudent to point out the pitfalls of cheap small systems.

Recently we detailed why bigger isn’t always better, but this time around I’d like to explain how we arrive at just right.

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How To Use The Rebate To Expand Your Battery

A series of batteries connected to an inverter

The federal battery rebate isn’t just for new home battery systems: it can also be used to expand existing batteries. Here’s how to do it.

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Eye-Popping Home Battery Installation Stats Revealed

Solar battery installations in Australia

Statistics released by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) on Friday indicate Australians wasted no time taking advantage of the federal government’s national home battery rebate. [Read more…]

Federal Battery Rebate On Track To Run Out Of Funding

Installation of a home battery Extraordinary uptake in response to the federal battery rebate means the scheme is likely to chew through its announced $2.3bn funding pool well ahead of schedule. SolarQuotes can reveal that the Albanese government has earmarked additional funding, but this still doesn’t make up the projected shortfall.

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Battery Capacity Confusion: Here’s What The Jargon Really Means

Home battery capacity jargon explainer

Failing to understand jargon like the difference between ‘nominal’ and ‘useable’ capacity can leave homeowners with less battery storage than expected and even disqualify their batteries from the federal rebate. Here’s what it all means and why it matters. [Read more…]

Bunnings Launches Solar And Battery System ‘Subscriptions’

Zelora solar and battery systems

Australian hardware and homewares giant Bunnings is broadening its activities in the home electrification arena, backing a new brand offering solar energy and battery packages on a subscription basis or that can be purchased outright. [Read more…]

Don’t Blow Your Rebate On A Battery That’s Too Big To Fill

On the back of the federal rebate, huge batteries are on sale for bargain prices. There’s a catch to many of these deals however: you can’t possibly hope to actually charge these monster batteries to capacity as they are paired with completely inadequate inverters. Here’s what to watch out for.

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The Rebate Cowboys Are Back: Don’t Get Taken For A Ride

A website promoting the federal battery rebateThe Cheaper Home Batteries Program is triggering a Wild West of misleading ads, dodgy installations, poor-quality products, and fake government websites. We’ve seen this all before with the solar rebate: here’s how to avoid falling for the same traps with the new battery incentive.

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Phase Shift: Don’t Let SigEnergy Become A Cult

A man selling a Sigenergy productSigEnergy reckons they’ve grabbed 30% of Australia’s home battery market. From basically nothing just over a year ago, that’s pretty bloody impressive.

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VPPs Have Pros & Cons — But Watch Out For The Cons!

terms and conditions for a app

Thanks to the federal battery rebate and multiple state incentives, many new battery owners will soon be wondering if they should join a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).  While the pros can make it worthwhile, you have to look out for a huge list of cons before signing up.

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