Depth of discharge (DoD) is one of the key figures to keep in mind when selecting batteries for a solar energy system. What is depth of discharge and how should […]
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.
How Trump could be great for battery storage
Deutsche Bank has described the global battery market as being at an inflection point, with global consumption expected to treble from 70Gwh in 2015 to 210GWh by 2018, and then […]
Solar and battery energy storage in Perth, WA
Approximately 25-30% of the homes in the Perth area have solar PV systems on their roofs according to the APVI – many of these households are interested in installing a […]
Battery storage could seriously disrupt fossil fuel industry: Report
A new report from global credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings has warned that battery storage is showing serious potential to “displace current technology far more rapidly than anticipated.” The report, […]
Is Tesla’s Powerwall 2 the cheapest lithium battery for homes?
Tesla is selling second generation lithium-ion batteries at retail prices that are cheaper than the average manufacturing cost at most companies, setting a pace for the industry that is beating […]
Proposed tariff would keep solar households connected to the grid
Australia’s main network lobby hopes to encourage more than one million households with solar and storage to stay connected to the main networks, rather than quit the grid, with the […]
US grid-scale energy storage developer to setup base in Australia
A US grid-scale energy storage developer is looking to set up a collaborative research base in Australia, and possibly a manufacturing hub, as it begins to test its liquid metal […]
Are you a home battery storage early adopter?
The age of grid-connected home battery storage is upon us. While battery price points aren’t yet low enough for us to start seeing mass uptake, they are low enough to […]
LG Chem’s range of battery storage banks in Australia
LG Chem is one of the clear leaders in Australia’s burgeoning home battery storage market. The company’s RESU lithium battery made a big splash when it was introduced last year […]
At what point will home battery storage become a ‘no brainer’ investment?
Home battery storage prices are coming down, bringing this increasingly sought-after technology closer to mass affordability. Early adopters are already getting their batteries installed around the country, and it’s only a […]
NSW Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariffs end this year: What are your options?
On December 31 2016, recipients of NSW Solar Bonus Scheme will cease to receive bill credits for their exported solar energy. The Solar Bonus Scheme (which closed to new applications in […]
JinkoSolar introduces modules with ‘next generation’ power optimisation
Panel manufacturer JinkoSolar claims to have solved the issue of partial shading of solar panels with its new line of JinkoMX modules, which use an advanced power optimisation technology called […]
Q&A with Redflow’s Simon Hackett – Future of Solar Batteries
Redflow’s ZCell is one of the most is one of the most in-demand battery storage products on the Australian market; it also stands out for being one of the only […]
Should you get battery storage? Advice from three experts
Should you get battery storage for your home? And if you do, what should you get? Opinions differ, but there is plenty of good advice out there. Here are three […]
What’s the best solar panel orientation for home battery charging?
We know that the tilt and orientation of your solar panels can make a difference when it comes to solar PV system energy yields, but what impact do these factors have […]
Can your home solar batteries be recycled?
Battery storage system numbers are expected to skyrocket in Australia in the coming years. But despite their association with clean energy and as a key facilitator of renewables, the environmental-friendliness […]
Solar energy battery storage in Brisbane: Compare installers & prices
Interest in battery storage for solar energy among Brisbane residents has skyrocketed in the last year, with Solar Choice reporting a 90% increase increase in battery-related traffic between 2015 and […]
Wattwatchers wins Australian Technology Competition
Wattwatchers, a Sydney-based “internet of things” energy management start-up has been selected by judges as one of two winners of this year’s Australian Technology Competition. The developer of the web-based […]
Advice for shopping for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia
Tesla’s Powerwall is the most sought-after home battery storage device in Australia, thanks in great part to its association with American electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors and its visionary chief […]
Home battery storage keeps the lights on in SA blackout
One of the promises of home battery storage was realised during South Australia’s historic blackout yesterday: Homes with batteries were able to keep the lights on even as surrounding building […]
South Australia’s 16c/kWh solar feed-in tariff ends 30 September 2016
South Australia‘s 16c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) solar feed-in tariff will be the first state-backed incentive of its kind to cease payments. The 16c/kWh rate – referred to as the ‘Transitional […]
NSW to become battery storage hotspot after Solar Bonus expires, IPART survey confirms
A NSW survey on rooftop solar households in the state has confirmed what the battery storage industry has been predicting for months now – that the market for residential energy […]
How many times per day should you cycle your batteries?
There are a lot of different ways to potentially get value out of a home battery storage system. Something that not many storage system shoppers realises is that it is possible to charge/discharge […]
Solar Choice launches battery storage product lifespan comparison tool
Solar Choice published a new tool that aims to make Australia’s nascent battery storage market a bit easier to navigate. With dozens of products now available throughout the country but […]
Reflow’s ZCell residential battery installations to start next month
The first batch of residential battery storage systems from Australian company Redflow is due to be delivered to customers next month, after a shipment of the ZCell units arrived in […]
Battery storage for home solar systems: Compare system prices
Battery storage is the next step in the evolution of home solar energy systems. More and more Australian households are considering batteries – in combination with a solar PV system […]
Aquion ‘saltwater’ battery-powered nanogrid deployed for Chicago university
An innovative solar and salt-water battery storage powered AC/DC nanogrid has been installed at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, US. The nanogrid, which will power the IIT’s ‘s […]
New electricity market rule a mixed bag for distributed battery storage
Australia’s main energy market policy maker has okayed a rule change that could accelerate the use of battery storage for grid stability, as more renewables enter the market. The Australian […]
Enphase says orders for AC Battery up as NSW Solar Bonus Scheme closure approaches
Enphase Energy says orders for its first battery storage offering have jumped to more than 70,000 units, led by New South Wales households responding to the end of premium feed-in […]
Speed of the rise of battery storage being underestimated by market operator: Corbell
Conservative estimates on the value of battery storage from the Australian Energy Market Operator highlight the institutional barriers faced by Australia as it seeks to shift to a low-carbon grid, […]
Solar & batteries could be value-competitive with grid electricity in WA ‘within one year’
New research suggests that the cross-over point between the value of solar and storage and grid prices for Australian households may occur within one year. That is the conclusion of […]
