A recent survey in Australia revealed 34% of respondents were considering installing solar panels and 27% are contemplating battery storage.
While uptake of solar power in Australia has been strong for years, there are still plenty of rooftops around the country being under-utilised. This valuable rooftop real estate could be put to good use in generating electricity – and it seems there are still plenty of households interested in doing so within the next 5 years.
The results of the survey, carried out for Energy Consumers Australia and KPMG, were first reported in The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday.
With regard to battery storage, 41% of those considering purchasing batteries strongly agreed less dependence on mains electricity was a factor in their decision.
Other factors included reducing household electricity bills, making the most of solar-generated electricity and issues relating to the level of solar feed in tariffs.
The major factor in a decision to install solar panels was reducing household energy bills (60% strongly agreed), followed by reducing dependence on mains supplied electricity (32% strongly agreed).
Australia is expected to be a significant player in the global battery storage arena, with penetration forecast to bypass 5 percent of installed power capacity in 2025 according to a report from IHS Markit last year.
In 2015, GTM Research forecast Australia will hit 244 megawatts of annual installed battery capacity by 2020; primarily driven by the residential market.
The number of energy storage options for Australians has grown rapidly over the last 12 months, with proven solutions such as Tesla Powerwall 2, Enphase AC Battery and sonnen battery systems now available.
According to Australia solar and storage provider Energy Matters, a household can reduce its reliance on mains grid electricity by up to 80 percent with a PV + storage system; depending on various factors including installation scenario and consumption profile.
Energy Matters offers an easy to use online solar + battery calculator that can help Australians gauge the potential benefit of installing energy storage.
The company is currently running a special offer on solar power systems featuring a German-made 6kWh sonnenBatterie Eco for the price of a 4kWh unit. SonnenBatterie Eco, Europe’s best-selling home battery, is manufactured by sonnen; which recently added to its list of accolades with a win in the prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize.
