When solar system owners shop around for an electricity retailer, the first thing they tend to look at is the solar feed-in tariff rate that the retailer offers. The fact […]
Category: Solar System Products
Solar Choice blog articles and reviews about components for solar power systems, including solar inverters, solar cells, solar modules, and solar batteries.
Let’s follow Turnbull’s lead on solar & storage to keep the lights on
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is proud of the upgraded 14kW rooftop solar array and 14kWh battery storage system installed at his harbourside mansion in Sydney’s Point Piper: “My son Alex is very […]
How to read a Solar battery storage specifications sheet?
Talking about home battery storage can be confusing, and if you’re confused you’re unlikely to feel confident about making a big investment like a home battery bank. There are quite a […]
Solar panel reliability testing: More relevant than tier ranking for solar homes & businesses?
Deciding whether you’re happy with a solar installers’ panel offering can be tricky business in a market flooded with different options (as is the case in Australia). Fortunately, DNV GL […]
Retrofitting battery storage in Brisbane: Some example case studies
We recently published an article containing a number of example case studies about retrofitting solar battery storage in Sydney. This time around we’ll be taking a look at the case […]
VSUN to launch vanadium flow battery for homes
ASX-listed mining group Australian Vanadium has firmed up plans to target Australia’s energy storage market via its vanadium redox flow battery offshoot, VSUN Energy, and catch the wave of home solar and […]
A customer survey compares battery quality and brand recognition
When it comes to energy storage, Australia has captured the world’s attention and is a testing ground for battery products and sales strategies that will ultimately be rolled out across […]
SA to install 30MW battery bank
South Australia is set to install another large-scale battery storage system, this time to be located on the Yorke Peninsula in, as part of a renewables-based mini-grid with the nearby Wattle […]
In response to ‘battery bunker’ standards debacle, AEMC recommends new body to oversee distributed energy
The Australian Energy Market Commission has called for the creation of a new regulatory body to oversee the distributed energy generation market, including storage technology. In its final report on […]
The ‘energy awareness factor’ and how it helps households save money
For most of us, for most of our lives, electricity bills and our consumption have both been something of a black box. We know that we get a bill every […]
I’m (finally) going to live in a solar-powered home
After nearly a decade working in Australia’s solar industry, I’m finally getting in on the action on a personal level. From next week I’m moving to Newcastle and will be […]
What are the best cities for home solar battery storage? (August 2017 update)
Having just published an article on the state of Australia’s battery storage market at the beginning of 2017 (recently updated), we decided we would endeavour to shed a bit more light […]
Is home solar battery storage worth it in 2017? (August update)
Since 2015 Australians have been talking about home battery storage being on the cusp of financial viability. Are home batteries worth the investment in 2017? We’ve crunched the number for […]
Battery safety standards decision looms large over industry
Standards Australia will soon decide whether to allow home lithium battery banks to be installed in a garage or external wall – or whether they’ll be required to live in […]
Interested in batteries? NSW Government’s Home Solar Battery Guide is a must-read – no matter which state you live in
Earlier this year the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment commissioned Total Environment Centre, Alternative Technology Association and Zumio to produce a guidebook for state residents interested in […]
Introducing our new Home Solar & Battery Storage Systems Guide
Over the years Solar Choice has published thousands of articles on the topic of solar power and (more recently) battery storage. Much of this knowledge is spread across various parts […]
Big improvements to our Solar & Battery Sizing & Payback Estimator tool
It’s been well over a year since we first released our Solar & Battery Sizing & Payback Estimator tool in February 2016. Through its life so far, this handy tool has […]
Newly formed battery giant Fluence aims to take on Tesla
Energy giants AES and Siemens have combined their energy storage divisions to take on upstarts like Tesla and other industry rivals, in an effort to dominate the soaring global battery […]
A guide to community microgrids
carbonTRACK Community microgrids are a way for neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities to meet their energy needs locally. Increasingly, community microgrids are being eyed as an option even in areas where […]
Walnut Energy: Battery solutions for commercial, industrial & grid-scale applications
Walnut Energy is an Australian developer of containerised battery storage solutions for medium to large-scale commercial and industrial premises – not to mention power plants and microgrids. Their battery storage […]
Ampetus Super Lithium: Modular, cost-competitive battery bank for homes
Ampetus Energy is an Australian battery storage system developer offering one of the most cost-effective battery products currently available: the Ampetus Super Lithium battery. The battery comes with a 10 […]
sonnenFlat: sonnen’s ‘free’ / flat-rate electricity plan looks great. Is it worth it?
German battery system maker sonnen has launched its ground-breaking sonnenFlat package – a retail electricity offer available to anyone with at least a 5kW solar system and a sonnen battery system […]
Retrofitting battery storage in Sydney: Some example case studies
You are a solar PV system owner who is now considering adding battery storage. The options you have depend on a number of factors, and there are a range of […]
sonnen launches battery-driven plan to take retailers ‘out of business’
German battery storage developer sonen has described this month’s near 20 per cent jump in the cost of grid power around Australia as “perfect” timing for the rollout of its […]
7 good reasons to install battery storage now
There are now dozens of home battery storage product options to choose from on the Australian market. Prices are coming down quickly, and as electricity prices rise (as they are […]
Water heating on a timer vs solar diverter: A case study
The article below, written by Scott Young of CATCH Power, provides a look into the world of hot water diverters, which use excess solar energy to drive the element in […]
Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition 2017: Roundup
Every June for the last three years I’ve attended the Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition in Sydney. This year the event took place on 14-15th at Sydney’s new Convention and […]
Add more solar panels or get batteries? A customer case study
Being a nation-wide advice & comparison service for rooftop solar, Solar Choice regularly receives enquiries from customers from people all over the country. We recently received a call from a […]
Diversification the key to a resilient energy market
Australia’s energy markets are becoming more complex due to battery storage and rooftop solar, and diversifying the mix of energy sources can ensure the grid remains resilient, according to Dr […]
Peer-to-peer trading with solar & batteries: What to look for
‘Peer-to-peer energy trading’ is a buzzword that is thrown around quite a bit in Australia as the number of solar & battery storage systems grows. What is peer-to-peer energy trading […]
Battery storage: Retrofit or new build with solar?
If you’re considering installing battery storage for your grid-connected home, you probably find yourself in one of two situations: You’ve already got a solar PV system on your roof and want to add […]
