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Do cheaper solar batteries sound good to you? You’ll probably like steadfast solar supporter Dr. Helen Haines’ new draft legislation, introduced yesterday.<\/p>\n
There’s a lot of interest in home batteries<\/a> in Australia – SolarQuotes’ solar battery comparison table<\/a> is one of the more popular pages on this web site. But many Australians would be in for a dose of sticker shock when they see estimated pricing. Like solar panels were some years ago, batteries are a currently a big investment.<\/p>\n Independent Federal Member for Indi1<\/a><\/sup> Helen Haines yesterday tabled new legislation that would slash the cost of a home energy storage system by up to $3,000. It would do this by batteries being considered eligible technology to create certificates under the Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) scheme – the scheme that provides for Australia’s very popular “solar rebate<\/a>“.<\/p>\n \u201cMy policy would deliver 15 times more capacity than the Government will get from the new gas-power station it is building in the Hunter Valley,\u201d said Dr Haines, referring to the controversial Kurri Kurri power station.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The big difference of course is batteries don’t generate energy, they store it. But Dr. Haines points out these batteries would collectively act as a giant sponge, soaking up solar energy goodness during the day for release at night (or when otherwise needed) – reducing the (perceived) need for more gas power<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr. Haines also says:<\/p>\n \u201cThere is huge potential for households to save money with renewable energy, and the cost of batteries is one of the biggest barriers to unlocking those savings,” said Dr. Haines<\/a>. “My plan would remove that barrier.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But the cost of batteries isn’t a barrier to saving money with renewable energy as solar-only provides incredible bang for buck and rapid payback in most circumstances. Batteries can provide even bigger electricity bill savings, but it’s their payback time that remains a challenge. A $3,000 subsidy would certainly go quite a way towards addressing that.<\/p>\n If you want to see the difference in payback between solar power only and panels + storage, take SQ’s solar and battery calculator<\/a> for a spin. It will calculate your overall payback, but also show you how savings and payback are affected by a battery and solar panels separately. You’ll be able to fiddle with system costs to see the difference a $3,000 subsidy will make.<\/p>\n Scoring the full $3,000 would depend on “how big the battery is and how you use it.”<\/p>\n In terms of size (capacity), Dr. Haines says a 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall 2<\/a> would eligible for around $3,000 subsidy.<\/p>\n The “how you use it” bit has me wondering if as the bill is debated, it may end up meaning you need to join a Virtual Power Plant (VPP)<\/a>, although this isn’t mentioned anywhere in the document as it currently stands.<\/p>\n Dr. Haines said having a home battery means lower power bills and:<\/p>\n “It means taking back control from the power companies over your power usage.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If VPPs were involved, that requires giving control of the battery to a third-party<\/a>, something Australians looking for more energy independence may not be particularly keen on.<\/p>\n On the issue of STCs, the number of certificates an individual home battery can create will be determined by the annual electricity discharge of the battery (in megawatt hours – to be determined) multiplied by the “deeming rate” (measured in years). So, the subsidy would drop over time.<\/p>\n The proposed deeming periods:<\/p>\n The issue is home battery warranties tend to be 5 – 10 years and capacity degrades over time\/use – and both these aspects will require consideration. The results of long-term battery testing<\/a> to date haven’t been particularly encouraging. But as residential energy storage technology evolves, this should (hopefully) generally improve.<\/p>\n Dr. Haines also called on the Government to introduce a new program of no-interest loans for low-income households to purchase solar and battery installations. Given the “bang-for-buck” situation, even just getting more solar on these rooftops would be a great thing.<\/p>\n The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) worked with Dr. Haines on the Cheaper Home Batteries Bill and put forward their own amendment that would offer additional rebates to low-income people for the cost of power. On a related note, ACOSS is holding a webinar<\/a> on February 22 in relation to “OurPower”, its vision for clean, affordable, dependable energy for all.<\/p>\n Given the number of solar households in Australia (3 million+), the interest in batteries and an election around the corner, it was a pretty good time to table this bill. While there’s not enough time before the election to pass it, it will be interesting to see what the powers-that-be and those who aspire to be signal what they intend to do with it.<\/p>\n The text of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) Bill 2022 along with explanatory memoranda can be found here<\/a>, and here’s the speech Dr. Haines delivered when introducing it:<\/p>\nThe Fine Print<\/h2>\n
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Additional Support For Low Income Households<\/h2>\n