Australian telecommunications giant Telstra is taking on the nation’s major power utilites, with plans to roll out solar and battery storage technologies, and offer energy management services to millions of consumers.
Telstra has established a dedicated project team to be led by Ben Burge, the CEO of Powershop and Meridian Energy Australia.
The telco is flagging the possibility of offering home energy services – including solar and battery storage – as part of its bundled services that includes internet and telephone.
“We see energy as relevant to our Connected Home strategy, where more and more machines are connected in what is called the Internet of Things,” Telstra’s head of new business, Cynthia Whelan said in a corporate blog.
“We are looking at the opportunities to help customers monitor and manage many different aspects of the home, including energy.”
Whelan – appointed to her position last October – says the major focus for the new Telstra team will be solar energy and improvements in battery technology, and how this can dovetail with Telstra’s massive telecoms network, and its millions of consumers.
“As technology continues to transform the way we all work and live, new developments in solar energy and storage, software and connected home are opening up ways to make energy consumption more dynamic and efficient,” Whelan says.
© 2016 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
