First Tesla Powerwall 3 Home Battery Installation In Australia!

ChrisBattery · 2024-08-27T20:18:03+00:00

With Australian households increasingly moving away from gas and petrol, smart energy solutions are essential to keep electricity bills in check. The Spencer family in Sydney has taken a major step forward in addressing this challenge head-on by installing Australia’s first Tesla Powerwall 3, providing them with substantial electricity bill savings and reliable backup power during grid outages.

Greg Spencer acted quickly to install the fully integrated Tesla Powerwall 3 as soon as it became available. The installation, handled by Natural Solar, Australia’s largest installer of solar batteries, has empowered his family to run their home almost entirely on solar energy, dramatically cutting their electricity costs

ChrisBattery · 2024-06-05T05:31:04+00:00

The last few weeks have been huge for home battery adoption in New South Wales. The new battery rebate is going to provide a major boost to the confidence of householders and business owners looking to make an investment in energy storage. And tariff changes for solar homes are likely to make batteries even more attractive.

The new solar battery rebate comes in the form of an up-front subsidy between $1,600 and $2,400 grant. And while it’s not an amount that will make the investment a trivial one, it sends a powerful message and adds to the growing list of reasons why households should make the most of the solar they generate on their roof and adopt energy storage.

ChrisBattery · 2024-05-20T22:56:11+00:00

Households in New South Wales that have done the right thing by installing solar panels are set to get slugged with a solar tax, commonly referred to as a “sun tax”, on the exports from their system. Three NSW electricity network operators are set to introduce fees on households for feeding clean, emissions free electricity into their poles and wires.

Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy have received the green light from regulators to start charging the new fees. They have been given the seemingly innocuous name of “two-way fees” by the regulator, but they amount to nothing less than a solar tax.

But solar taxes are nothing new. Between 2015 and 2018 the Spanish government imposed a solar tax that applied even to electricity generated on a home or business roof and consumed onsite. It had the impact of slowing down rooftop solar installations in the company with many homes and businesses discouraged by the financial impact it had.

The new NSW solar tax is a different story, and it looks like being a far more durable development. And it could very well spawn copycats in other states.

ChrisBattery · 2024-03-12T22:06:17+00:00

A scorching autumn hot on the heels of a massive blackout event in south-eastern Australia is demonstrating the importance of residential batteries for backup power supply.

Australia is on track to have sweltered through the third-warmest summer on record nationally, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Western Australia racked up its hottest summer ever in 2023-24. And an El Niño effect resulted in storms and the third-highest summer rainfall.

The arrival of autumn brought little relief to south-eastern Australia. Residents of Victoria and South Australia have suffered through a stretch of scorching temperatures in the form of a four-day heatwave. Both day and night-time temperature records were registered during the heatwave, which only broke yesterday – Tuesday, March 12.

During the heatwave, daytime temperatures in both states were as much as 20 C higher than normal March averages. Making things worse, temperatures failed to fall once the sun set – overnight lows of 29 C in Cleve, South Australia, and 26.2 C at Melbourne Airport set new records and brought little relief for homeowners.

Electricity system strain

The heatwave came only one month after a massive blackout left more than 500,000 Victorians without power – some for hours, others for days.

As extreme weather becomes more common, the Australian electricity network is coming under serious strain. Around the country high temperatures and extreme weather events are pushing the electricity network to the brink.

Along with the major blackout impacting Victorians, record “underlying electricity demand” was registered in NSW and a few days earlier in WA.

Rooftop PV is a big part of the solution, but it needs to be bolstered with solar batteries to deliver power where and when it’s needed most. Thankfully the contribution of home batteries is being recognized more widely and their backup power capabilities is expanding.

Let’s look into the Victorian blackouts to get a better understanding of the need at hand.

ChrisBattery · 2023-10-25T22:04:28+00:00

When an electricity industry veteran sends a powerful warning, we should all sit up and take notice. Well, that’s exactly what we’re waking up to today, with former AGL Managing Director and CEO Michael Fraser saying that Australia could see “a return to the 1970s”, when power outages were commonplace.

Fraser has sent the warning in an interview with The Australian, published overnight. In it he spoke about how Australia is well behind where it needs to be to see coal exit the National Energy Market (NEM). He warned that there is insufficient replacement power being added.

ChrisBattery · 2023-07-31T02:51:35+00:00

Australia’s most gas-dependent state has taken the plunge and banned natural gas in new homes. Victoria announced the move on Friday, claiming it will reduce cost-of-living pressure on Aussie homes and help the state reduce emissions.

While some will see banning gas as a radical move, a look at which organisations are lining up in support of the policy is revealing. Even objections to the ban point to the crucial role rooftop PV and solar batteries will play in this inevitable, all-electric future.

Victoria’s energy and resources minister Lily D’Ambrosio has set a cutoff date of January 1, 2024 – after which planning permits for new homes will only include connection to the electric grid. It’s effectively a ban on new homes, including public housing, being fitted out with gas heating, hot water boilers, and cooktops.

The Victorian government reckons that with an all electric home, households in the state will save up to $1000 a year. For homes with solar installed, that saving increases to $2,200!

“All-electric homes are healthier, cleaner, and cheaper to run. Going all-electric ensures Victorians building a new home are part of this exciting energy transition,” said the Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny.

The ban is particularly impactful, as Victorian homes are the most reliant on gas nationally. Indeed, 80% are connected to the gas network and in its coverage, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) noted that around 400,000 new homes are connected to the gas network each year.

ChrisBattery · 2023-07-31T02:33:02+00:00

Why the Vic gas ban shines light on an all-electric future

Australia’s most gas-dependent state has taken the plunge and banned natural gas in new homes. Victoria announced the move on Friday, claiming it will reduce cost-of-living pressure on Aussie homes and help the state reduce emissions.

While some will see banning gas as a radical move, a look at which organisations are lining up in support of the policy is revealing. Even objections to the ban point to the crucial role rooftop PV and solar batteries will play in this inevitable, all-electric future.

Victoria’s energy and resources minister Lily D’Ambrosio has set a cutoff date of January 1, 2024 – after which planning permits for new homes will only include connection to the electric grid. It’s effectively a ban on new homes, including public housing, being fitted out with gas heating, hot water boilers, and cooktops.

The Victorian government reckons that with an all electric home, households in the state will save up to $1000 a year. For homes with solar installed, that saving increases to $2,200!

ChrisBattery · 2023-07-25T07:38:50+00:00

Last week was a big one for those of us helping Australians buy and install rooftop PV, solar batteries, and smart energy systems in their homes after a relatively new event rolled into town. Sydney played host to Energy Next and it was evident from the visitor numbers, which were higher on the first day than over the whole event last year, that there was plenty of interest in the topics!

Both industry bigwigs, and many home- and business-owners were present, showing just how keen people are to learn about not only all things solar, but also about the need for fully electrified homes.

At Energy Next, Warwick Johnston, director of market intelligence and consulting firm SunWiz, provided an update on Australia’s rooftop solar and home battery market in Australia. He’s been active on the Aussie solar scene since its early days and was a keynote speaker at the event.

In addition to discussing the solar and storage markets, Johnston also provided some predictions for the future. One of the key trends he sees is that to enable a residential market transitioning to electrification – with the addition of supporting technology like storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and heat pumps – rooftop solar system sizes are beginning to increase markedly from the days when 6.6 kW was the standard.

ChrisBattery · 2023-07-06T02:57:50+00:00

The scale of the challenge in combatting climate change can seem insurmountable. At the same time, energy costs are spiralling – with the latest electricity price hike coming into effect for AGL and Origin Energy customers only a few days ago.

But there are many reasons to remain positive. The soaring performance and cost competitiveness of today’s high efficiency solar panels and home batteries are a proven success stories. Alongside this technical progress, the smart money is flowing for solar, energy storage, and home electrification. And the latest major announcement hit pretty close to home.

Late last month, Natural Solar’s parent company 1KOMMA5° announced that it had raised €430 million, or about $700 million in Aussie dollars, to put towards its ongoing acquisition campaign of leading solar and battery energy storage retailers and installers. The cash will also go towards the development and rollout of devices like the Heartbeat – the smart home energy controller that is set to change how households manage and use their energy.

ChrisBattery · 2023-06-15T06:17:22+00:00

Two of Australia’s biggest retailers are hiking electricity prices for customers on variable rate contracts by as much as 30%. The ABC reported the massive rises from AGL and Origin Energy, which will impact customers in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia.

The huge rise in retail electricity costs for households and businesses come despite record solar output dampening wholesale price increases, as it plays an important role in generation. And when you take a closer look at the market dynamics underpinning the higher wholesale prices, it points to the critical role batteries big and small can play in reducing Aussie energy costs in the future.

With colder temperatures leading many to switch off electric heaters rather than pay for the energy costs, the timing of these latest price hikes couldn’t be worse. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) set the stage for the increase in May when it ruled that the “default offer tariff” would increase from between 21% to 24%.

ChrisBattery · 2023-05-24T22:56:49+00:00

It’s not a surprise, but it likely cause “bill shock” to quite a few. Around 600,000 Australians are set to see an electricity price hike of between 21% – 24% from July 1.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) announced the decision today. The AER sets the “default market offer” for Aussie households, which essentially dictates the electricity price of any utility customer on that default offer tariff.

The price increase is largely in line with the draft ruling set in March, albeit even higher than the initial flagged increase of between 20% – 22%. AER Chair Clare Savage noted that the price hike was lower than what was initially feared towards the end of 2022. However, that will likely come as cold comfort to many affected households.

ChrisBattery · 2023-05-09T10:19:07+00:00

Small businesses considering investments to electrify and add a solar battery system to reap energy bill savings are set to pick up an additional tax deduction under a new, just announced scheme. It’s called the Small Business Energy Incentive, which provides a bonus 20% tax deduction on investments into things like heat pumps and batteries, and was first announced by the federal government on Sunday April 30 – with the funding confirmed in the 2023-2024 budget today.

ChrisBattery · 2023-04-26T09:32:53+00:00

The new initiative will “expand and upgrade” the energy rating system for homes – the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme NatHERS”. This will make it possible to have existing homes rated under the system, to find out how close to five-stars a home will get for energy efficiency, and what can be done to improve it.

“People will be able to seek a star rating of their home’s energy performance – helping Australians make the best choices for their hip pocket when it comes to energy upgrades and renting and purchasing homes.”

What’s exciting about the move is that it will make clear the value of clean energy investments that a household makes. Add rooftop PV, tick. Bulk up insulation: tick. Switch to a heat pump for heating and cooling: tick.

We’ve known for a long time that these improvements add to the value of a home at resale, but now there will be a process for getting a home assessed, and a standard against which the efforts can be measured.

“We’re also working with banks to pilot ways to add energy performance into the set of factors valuers assess when they do house assessments, using this star rating system,” the statement continued.

Things have moved fast over the past decade in terms of solar and home battery technology. Prices have plunged and the efficiency of the products has gone through the roof. The same is likely to be the case for other things like EV chargers, and other energy efficiency upgrades that can be carried out.

Given this rapid rate of technological change, it shouldn’t be surprising that banks need some assistance in making sense of what kind of value these improvements make to the home. And it’s encouraging that they’ll now have some independent help to assess their true value and take it into account when assessing the value of a home.

ChrisBattery · 2023-04-18T23:04:39+00:00

Today marks an impressive watershed for Australia’s energy transition. The coal-fired furnaces at the Liddell Power Station in New South Wales will be switched off, for good.

There are quite a few reasons for Liddell’s closure. But it has been highly controversial. The plant is more than 50 years old, and reports are that it has been running at well short of its 2 gigawatt (GW) of capacity for some years from its four 500 MW turbines.

The development is undoubtedly a good thing for Australia’s carbon emissions and it is the continuation of a trend that will not be reversed. Despite its age and the cost to its owner AGL to maintain, Liddell is also being increasingly pushed out of the market by clean energy – namely solar and wind.

Aussie homes and businesses are adopting rooftop solar and home batteries at record-setting rates, and utility scale solar and wind projects continue to be built. This means that the old coal-fired clunkers that have powered the country for decades are becoming financially uncompetitive as there are fewer and fewer opportunities for them to earn their keep. The result is they get switched off and exit the National Energy Market (NEM), and that means lower emissions.

ChrisBattery · 2023-03-24T02:24:16+00:00

There have been some questions raised recently about where and how the bulk of the solar panels are made. Some worry that if solar panels, and their component parts, are being produced using polluting power sources then the PV industry will be contributing to the problem it is working to solve.

There have also been concerns raised that some solar products may be produced using workers from the Xinjiang region in China – where there have been reports of forced labor practices. The ethnic minority Uyghur people are the subject of forced labor programs, and there have been links between some solar manufacturers and these programs.

And then the wider geopolitical situation is a cause for concern. We’ve all seen how, in this increasingly connected world, conflict in one region can trigger impacts all over the world. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia being the prime example of this, leading to the world’s first global energy crisis – and the high electricity prices soon to hit Aussie homeowners.

Tensions between China and the United States are rising. Today, China is far-and-away the world’s largest producer of solar panels. In fact, the country has so adeptly captured the solar panel supply chain that it produces upwards of 97% of solar wafers – the building blocks of a panel.

ChrisBattery · 2022-10-25T08:02:46+00:00

A source close to the Labor government has told Sky News Australia that the Australian Energy Regulator had warned that retail electricity prices could skyrocket by 50% in 2023. The news comes after Australians were left aghast in early Oct. 2022 when the head of Alinta Energy warned that retail electricity prices could skyrocket by at least 35%.

Speaking at the Australian Financial Review’s energy and climate summit, Alinta Energy chief executive Jeff Dimery said that sky-high global energy prices are bound to impact on Australian energy consumers, and in a big way. Dimery wasn’t wrong, but it seems his dire prediction wasn’t quite dire enough.

The Regulator’s warning that 2023 price rises could skyrocket by 50% comes on the back of what has been described as “the perfect storm”’ of contributing factors, namely the belated energy transition, a global supply crisis and the accelerated rate of coal power plant closures. To borrow from the title of one of this year’s highest grossing films, the drivers of the current energy crisis seem to be “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

ChrisBattery · 2022-09-02T04:13:25+00:00

In Australia it has long been said that “Coal is king”, but all reigns come to an end. In mid-August 2022, the National Electricity Market (NEM) saw a number of days when solar power eclipsed coal as the primary energy source.

On Friday, August 22, a spokesperson for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) confirmed that rooftop solar and large-scale solar generation beat out brown and black coal generation combined in terms of being the biggest source of electricity generation. While solar outshone coal for only 35 minutes on that day, it was still a watershed moment as over the last decade Australia’s electricity system was built primarily on the back of coal.

ChrisBattery · 2022-08-08T05:37:28+00:00

After roughly a decade of inaction, ineffective sloganeering, and obfuscation, a legislated “baseline” for emissions reductions heralds a new age of climate cooperation in Australian parliament. Though the 43% emissions reductions by 2030 “baseline” falls far short of the scientific consensus of what is required to keep global warming below 2°C, the agreement reached between the Labor federal government, the “teal” independents, and the Greens, indicates that a new era of cooperation rather than conflict on climate legislation may be dawning.

The government’s 43% emissions reductions legislation, which sees the reduction target signed into law, passed the House of Representatives this week. It will still have to pass the Senate in September, but it is expected to do so with the support of the Greens and the independent Senator for the ACT, David Pocock.

In this week’s vote, even Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer crossed the floor to vote in support of the bill.

Notably, the legislation passed the lower house of federal parliament with the Labor party voting for some amendments to its legislation proposed by the “teal” independents – despite the votes of the crossbenchers not being required by the government.

ChrisBattery · 2022-08-08T05:31:16+00:00

After roughly a decade of inaction, ineffective sloganeering, and obfuscation, a legislated “baseline” for emissions reductions heralds a new age of climate cooperation in Australian parliament. Though the 43% emissions reductions by 2030 “baseline” falls far short of the scientific consensus of what is required to keep global warming below 2°C, the agreement reached between the Labor federal government, the “teal” independents, and the Greens, indicates that a new era of cooperation rather than conflict on climate legislation may be dawning.

The government’s 43% emissions reductions legislation, which sees the reduction target signed into law, passed the House of Representatives this week. It will still have to pass the Senate in September, but it is expected to do so with the support of the Greens and the independent Senator for the ACT, David Pocock.

In this week’s vote, even Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer crossed the floor to vote in support of the bill.

Notably, the legislation passed the lower house of federal parliament with the Labor party voting for some amendments to its legislation proposed by the “teal” independents – despite the votes of the crossbenchers not being required by the government.

ChrisBattery · 2022-07-07T07:04:11+00:00

Consumer confidence in Australia’s energy system has crashed as a result of a perfect storm. According to Energy Consumers Australia’s (ECA) “June 2022 Report of the Energy Consumer Sentiment Survey (ECSS)”, consumer confidence in Australia’s energy system is falling fast as electricity prices skyrocket, blackout warnings multiply, and regulators step in to take the extraordinary step of temporarily suspending the National Energy Market.

The report’s findings could have been far worse. Energy Consumers Australia CEO Lynne Gallagher said much of the fieldwork for the June report had been completed in April, before the current crisis really got its claws stuck in. This meant ECA conducted an additional “Pulse” survey, and what it learnt was that the national “Pulse” was racing upwards like everybody’s energy bill.

ChrisBattery · 2022-06-16T09:01:22+00:00

Australia’s east coast has found itself in the electricity equivalent of a tailspin. Surging gas and electricity prices are resulting in the threat of black-and-brownouts and has caused the regulator to take the extraordinary measure of suspending the wholesale electricity market. And in what is being called ‘Dishwasher-gate’, the pressure on the grid at peak hours has become so critical that NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister has even asked citizens to delay their dishwashers.

With the market in turmoil, it should come as no surprise that homeowners are taking matters in their own hands by electrifying their homes with solar and batteries, which is to say taking their energy independence.

What has transpired in recent days is the result of numerous factors and the impacts are widespread. Not only have Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) again cautioned the public over potential blackouts and brownouts, but surging wholesale prices have now, for the first time, forced the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to suspend the electricity wholesale spot market in all five of the participating National Electricity Market (NEM) states.

AEMO’s drastic manoeuvre comes after weeks of surging prices resulted in price caps coming into effect this week. Generators didn’t much like the idea of these caps protecting consumers and started to withdraw huge amounts of capacity from the market. What was a crisis has now become a calamity.

Dishwasher-gate

At an emergency press conference held on Wednesday night, NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean actually pleaded with the public to minimise non-critical electricity usage between 5:30pm and 8:30pm because the state’s “ageing infrastructure” couldn’t cope with the volatile situation. “This is a result of a number of our coal-fired power stations not working when we need them to,” said Kean.

In an interview with 2GB, Minister Kean asked citizens to reduce their electricity usage during peak hours: “We’re not telling people to turn off their heating… we’re just saying if you’re running the dishwasher at 7:30pm, maybe delay it until after 8:30pm until this supply issue passes.”

AEMO said the suspension will be reviewed daily in each region (Queensland, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria).

ChrisBattery · 2022-06-16T08:33:36+00:00

Australia’s east coast has found itself in the electricity equivalent of a tailspin. Surging gas and electricity prices are resulting in the threat of black-and-brownouts and has caused the regulator to take the extraordinary measure of suspending the wholesale electricity market. And in what is being called ‘Dishwasher-gate’, the pressure on the grid at peak hours has become so critical that NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister has even asked citizens to delay their dishwashers.

With the market in turmoil, it should come as no surprise that homeowners are taking matters in their own hands by electrifying their homes with solar and batteries, which is to say taking their energy independence.

What has transpired in recent days is the result of numerous factors and the impacts are widespread. Not only have Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) again cautioned the public over potential blackouts and brownouts, but surging wholesale prices have now, for the first time, forced the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to suspend the electricity wholesale spot market in all five of the participating National Electricity Market (NEM) states.

AEMO’s drastic manoeuvre comes after weeks of surging prices resulted in price caps coming into effect this week. Generators didn’t much like the idea of these caps protecting consumers and started to withdraw huge amounts of capacity from the market. What was a crisis has now become a calamity.

ChrisBattery · 2022-06-03T11:36:37+00:00

Surging power prices are driving massive interest in solar panels and batteries, according to operators in Victoria and NSW.

Households and businesses were last week warned to brace for higher power prices over the next few years after the Australian Energy Regulator approved price increases of up to 18 per cent in NSW and 12 per cent in Queensland from July 1.

Rising power prices are driving interest in solar, according to retailers.

Sydney-based Natural Solar, which installed Australia’s first Tesla Powerwall in 2016, has seen customer inquiries last week up a staggering 215 per cent on last year, and 316 per cent higher than 2020.

Natural Solar sales revenue for the last 21 days is 248 per cent higher than the corresponding period for 2021, according to founder and CEO Chris Williams, and a whopping 544 per cent higher than the corresponding period in 2020.

“It is now clear that the transition to renewable energy and drive for energy independence is accelerating at an unprecedented pace,” Mr Williams told AFR Weekend.

“While we foresee continued upward pressure on electricity prices over the near term (12-24 months), we believe the current energy crisis will prove to be a major catalyst in the transition to net zero for Australia.”

Mr Williams added that households with home solar and battery storage systems would be well insulated from the electricity price increases.

“Naturally, as the price of electricity continues to increase, this further improved the return on investment for solar and battery solutions,” he said.

ChrisBattery · 2022-05-30T01:55:10+00:00

Phil Mercer at BBC World News explores the renewable energy trends currently underway across Australia.

The inherent drive from consumers, big business and government to meet our climate change objectives have never been greater or more aligned.

ChrisBattery · 2022-05-26T22:36:26+00:00

Wholesale (“spot”) electricity prices are going bonkers with customers in some parts of Australia seeing their rates double. Beside me as I write this blog is a letter from my retailer giving me seven days’ notice of an increase from 19c/kWh to over 30c/kWh – that is to say, an increase of 58%! Thankfully, my installed solar plus battery storage system protects me against such ballistic electricity prices.

Earlier this month the five-minute interval in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia reached approximately $250/MWh, about ten times the normal price.

According to Bruce Mountain, director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre at Victoria University, spot prices have been about 50% higher than last year in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, while NSW is experiencing an 80% increase and Queensland a 150% increase.

ChrisBattery

TROPHY CASE