Grey clouds. Even the monitoring has a distinctly British flavour.

Recently, I had the pleasure of walking the halls at the All Energy Solar Conference in Melbourne. For those in the industry, we affectionately call it “Solar Xmess” because it’s the one time of year when we can all get together and passionately debate the finer points over a beer. Some might argue that our drinking industry has a solar problem, but that’s a topic for another day. [Read more…]

Amber Electric, the upstart electricity retailer that allows consumers to play the wholesale electricity market, recently sent out an email to its Tesla Powerwall customers, and it’s a mix of good and bad news. [Read more…]

Meet Sean, a bloke from Brighton, South Australia who loves his gadgets as much as his missus loves their new spa. Despite 8kW of solar panels, Sean had an energy bill that’d make a grown man cry. So, what did he do? Buckled down, got smart, and supercharged his battery setup. Here’s the lowdown: [Read more…]

There she be…  Powerwall 3

Photos are doing the rounds of a Tesla Powerwall 3 installed in the wilds of Burgeristan (the USA) , so I thought I’d add a few words to the stream of excited comments. [Read more…]

The green parts are thanks to SolarQuotes. In normal operation, grid energy goes in the hybrid inverter through the red line, out along the brown line, and into the home’s essential circuits via the green line. If the inverter fails, it can simply be bypassed with the green switch.

Home batteries used to be a niche market for tech enthusiasts and those needing emergency power. But as battery-backed hybrid solar systems proliferate, the solar industry is learning that even the best plans can go awry. [Read more…]

Is ‘Made in China’ a deal-breaker for you when it comes to solar batteries? [Read more…]

Basking in sunlight from dawn to dusk, Western Australia is a great place for solar panels. But not everyone can install solar, which got me thinking. Is WA a great place for batteries without solar panels? [Read more…]

Solar panels and batteries might sound like a match made in energy heaven, but some people install batteries without solar panels. What gives? [Read more…]

The short answer: Expect a home battery in a temperate climate with typical use to last 15 – 17 years. Solar batteries exposed to higher temperatures, and worked hard every day, could have an effective life of 12 – 14 years. [Read more…]

While we often talk about solar battery capacity, let’s take a detour and explore their physical dimensions – yes, their actual size. It may seem like an odd question to some, but understanding the dimensions can make all the difference if you’re short on space. [Read more…]