New research from US-based consultancy McKinsey & Company has found that battery storage is already a “profitable” investment for some customers, across a range of “certain applications”. According to the […]
GreenSync’s tech will seamlessly manage demand, batteries for community in Vic pilot project
The plans of United Energy and Melbourne smart energy start-up GreenSync to leverage community solar, battery storage and demand management technologies to address problems of network constraint on Victoria’s Mornington […]
Commercial Solar PV Price Index: August 2016
The average price of a commercial solar systems fell marginally between July and August to $1.28/W, according to figures from Solar Choice’s installer network database. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) […]
WA government moves to make solar PPAs more accessible
See this explanatory article on Solar PPAs The Western Australian government has announced changes to state energy market regulations that will boost the uptake of rooftop solar and make the […]
Victorian utility to deploy distributed batteries to defer network upgrade costs
Victorian utility United Energy will partner with Melbourne start-up GreenSync to deliver a community-based demand response and energy storage project on the Mornington Peninsula, to defer the need for costly […]
ResiLinked: A free online platform to track solar system maintenance, safety and more
ResiLinked is a free online platform for home owners and managers to keep track of maintenance and connect with service providers. ResiLinked is particularly useful for homes with (or looking […]
Three-year trial will pit 8x lithium battery products against one another
A three-year battery storage trial that will test eight leading technologies under Australian conditions was officially launched in the ACT on Wednesday, at the Canberra Institute of Technology’s Bruce Campus. […]
Millennials keen on solar, storage & the grid of the future: Survey
What do Millennials want from their energy company? That is the question a recent Accenture survey has sought to address, and the findings are a clarion call to those utilities […]
Four years of tracking residential solar system prices: What’s changed?
August 2016 marked four years since Solar Choice published our first Solar PV Price Index. What are some of the noteworthy trends we’ve seen over this period? What is the Solar […]
USA’s SolarCity reveals plans for integrated solar roof product
US solar installer and manufacturer SolarCity has revealed plans to start making building integrated solar roofing and to target Australia as a key market for cheap and efficient solar and […]
Sonnen’s Eco in Australia: An all-in-one, modular, German-made battery storage system for homes
Sonnen is a German home battery storage system developer that has one of the most robust & attractive products on the Australian market. The Sonnen Eco is an expandable, all-in-one […]
South Australia’s minimum solar feed-in tariff could be nixed under ESCOSA proposal
Rooftop solar households in South Australia face losing the 6.8c/kWh feed-in tariff after the state pricing regulator revealed it was working on a draft proposal to remove the minimum retail […]
US study shows coal jobs could be replaced with solar jobs – with implications for Australia
A new study out of the US has quantified the costs and benefits of retraining American coal workers for employment in the solar PV industry, and the results are encouraging […]
Installing a battery bank for a grid-connected home? Smaller is probably better
If you are in a grid-connected home and want to get batteries for your rooftop solar system, you’re probably wondering how much capacity to have installed. Although the ultimate answer […]
Solar battery storage in South Australia
Roughly one in three homes in South Australia is equipped with a solar PV system. While the main motivating factors for going solar to date have been generous government incentives (especially […]
Victorian government asks for public input on approach to state renewables target
Victoria’s state government has called for input from business and the community on the design of its renewable energy auction scheme, a key plank of its renewable energy target of […]
Tesla moves to acquire SolarCity
Elon Musk’s desire to create a clean energy and transport powerhouse is one step closer after independent board members approved Tesla’s offer to acquire SolarCity last Monday. The all-stock deal […]
Residential Solar PV Price Index – August 2016
This month marks a full four years of our publishing of the Solar PV Price Index. When we first started keeping track of average system prices back in 2012, it […]
Market operator says grid can accommodate more wind & solar with the right regulation
The Australian Energy Market Operator has denied claims Australia cannot accommodate any more wind and solar, and says the main challenge will be in designing the appropriate market signals and […]
SA government announces plans for clean energy auction with focus on batteries & ‘dispatchable’ renewables
The South Australian government has announced plans for a new clean energy auction, saying it intends to target battery storage and other “dispatchable” renewables to supply around one-quarter of the […]
Grid-scale battery storage proposed as solution to electricity market woes
A leading Australian energy policy expert has called for the adoption of grid-scale battery storage on Australia’s National Electricity Market, as an “immediate” solution to bringing increasing amounts renewables onto […]
5 arguments for solar-without-storage: Why would you wait to install batteries?
Solar battery storage is a hot topic in Australia these days thanks to a combination of global technology and market developments, as well as the peculiar story rooftop solar in […]
Thinking about going off-grid? Keep these points in mind
With the dawn of the age of (nearly) affordable battery storage, more and more Australian homes are considering the possibility of disconnecting from the electricity grid; or the first time, off-grid […]
Exasperated with high electricity prices, Aussie homes & businesses go solar & mull batteries
A new survey has found that Australian households and small businesses are sick of high and unpredictable electricity prices and have lost faith in the ability of the key market […]
NSW’s Ausgrid to streamline process & reduce costs of going solar
Installing rooftop solar and battery storage is set to become cheaper and easier for some NSW households, after network operator Ausgrid announced plans to fast-track the application process for residential energy […]
What is battery ‘end of life’?
‘End of life’ is one of the key specifications that you should keep in mind as you compare battery storage options for your home. How is battery end of life […]
Solar becoming competitive with wind as ACT moves towards renewables target
Submissions to the ACT’s latest “next generation” renewable energy tender indicate solar power is now competitive with wind energy, possibly suggesting a future shift in Australia’s roll-out of renewable energy […]
In world first, solar-powered plane completes trip around the globe
The ground-breaking around the world flight of solar powered electric airplane Solar Impulse has been completed, with the aircraft touching down in Abu Dhabi after flying more than 42,000km in […]
Ergon publishes 10-point ‘reality check’ list for would-be off-gridders
Queensland utility Ergon energy has decided to address the issue of grid electricity defection by publishing a 10-step guide for consumers considering the idea. Ergon, which doubles as the main […]
How interest in home battery storage has grown in Australia (proof in charts)
There are only so many ways to start writing an article with some variation of ‘interest in battery storage in Australia is growing rapidly’ without repeating yourself, but that’s exactly what […]
Commercial Solar PV Price Index: July 2016
The average price for a commercial solar PV system dropped noticeably between June and July 2016, according to figures from Solar Choice’s installer network database. While prices for each month […]
