Solar battery systems in 100 South Australian homes form a virtual power plant
Solar battery systems are slashing power bills in 100 South Australian homes as Tesla’s virtual power plant program kicks off. The announcement was made by the South Australian Government yesterday. Savings of up to 30 per cent on electricity bills are expected as the scheme rolls out to thousands of low income households in South Australia. […]
Chook poo a contender for baseload power source: Matt Canavan
Federal Minister for Resources Matt Canavan says he doesn’t care if baseload power source is coal, gas, solar, wind or “chook poo”. The Queensland LNP Senator told ABC’s RN Drive program that politicians need to put ideology and partisanship aside to fix the problem. He said the lack of baseload power in the grid must be addressed and […]
New Australian home battery standard to help households make better choices
A $3.12 million initiative will develop a new Australian home battery standard for batteries connected to rooftop solar power. Led by global certification body DNV GL, and backed by $1.4 million in ARENA funding, the project aims to help customers make the best decision when purchasing battery storage for homes and businesses. The proposed Australian Battery […]
Solar network cost CitiPower poll backfires as solar energy users flare up
A poll by Victorian electricity network owners asking who should pay for the main grid’s upkeep in respect to the solar network cost appears to have backfired. The jointly-owned CitiPower and Powercor network operators asked customers via Facebook who should pay for network upgrades – all customers, or just those with solar who export power […]
Industry bodies reject ACCC call to scrap rooftop solar subsidy
Two of the solar industry’s most respected bodies have lashed out at an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) proposal to scrap the national rooftop solar subsidy by 2021. The Clean Energy Council and Smart Energy Council both say the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) gives customers access to one of the few ways they […]
Solar electricity bill: Minister confronted on Q&A over high cost of coal-fired power
A panel member on the ABC’s Q&A program has confronted Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan with her solar electricity bill to show how she beats the cost of coal-fired power. Victoria Fielding, a South Australian marketer, showed the minister her latest electricity bill. Thanks to her solar power installation it was in credit by $1.18. Canavan is […]
ACCC and AER suggest industry reforms to cut electricity prices
A new ACCC report suggests a series of electricity network regulations is needed to cut electricity prices. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report claims electricity consumers are facing a market that is unfair, confusing, and in need of major reforms to be sustainable. The report suggests the following reforms: Consumers should be able to compare […]
Australia leads the world in residential energy storage: Chief Scientist Alan Finkel
Australia leads the charge in residential energy storage, according to a paper co-authored by the Federal Government’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. In 2017, Australia had nearly 21,000 storage batteries installed in homes across the country, the paper states. This figure is three times more than the total for 2016. Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said […]
Logan solar retailers invited to provide solar power to low-income Queensland families
The Queensland government is asking for expressions of interest from Logan solar energy retailers to deliver solar power systems to low-income families. The solar project targets families living in public housing in the City of Logan, south of Brisbane. Under the Logan solar scheme the electorates of Waterford, Coomera, Woodridge, Logan, Algester and Springwood are eligible […]
Brisbane home solar panel system owner defeats developer in court
A Brisbane home solar owner has won a solar stoush in Queensland’s Supreme Court over the placement of her solar panels. Pauline Tyler is celebrating the right to position her solar panels on the street-facing roof of her Brisbane property to gain maximum efficiency, according to Channel Nine News. As Energy Matters reported in March, […]