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 […]
Investment in large-scale renewables on the rise, but Aus still unlikely to meet 2020 target
Large-scale renewable energy investment in Australia has hit its highest levels since 2013, although it remains well short of the level needed to meet the reduced renewable energy target in […]
‘Genie is out of the bottle’ for large-scale solar & storage projects
Australia could host some of the world’s biggest solar and battery storage projects, after local infrastructure investor Lyon Group revealed plans to develop a pipeline of more than 300MW of […]
LG Chem introduces stackable, modular lithium battery
South Korean battery maker LG Chem has released its new generation systems in Australia, promising they will offer more choice, and be cheaper, smaller, lighter, and with improved aesthetics. LG […]
Gas – not renewables – to blame for SA electricity price spikes
Conservative politicians have increased their calls for a review of renewable energy policies and the construction of new wind farms, while the conservative media continued to screech its opposition to […]
Can you go off-grid with solar and energy storage?
These days, almost everyone considering solar and battery storage is wondering if it’s possible to disconnect from the grid altogether; ‘going off-grid’ seems to be all the rage. Just how feasible […]
Electricity price inflation: What it means for going solar
Grid electricity prices fluctuate over time – and usually they increase. This has important implications for anyone considering going solar. This article covers the basics of what you need to know […]
Which retailer is offering the best electricity plan for solar customers in Sydney (July 2016)
Getting a higher feed-in tariff from your electricity retailer looks great on paper, but it does not necessarily mean that you will save more money on your electricity bills. We’ve taken […]
Melbourne ‘mini-suburb’ has a Tesla Powerwall in every home (units now on sale!)
Plans for what could be the world’s first “Tesla town” – a mini-suburb on the outskirts of the Melbourne CBD whose new-build homes will include rooftop solar and Tesla battery […]
