Tag: renewableenergy

Why is energy storage pushed as needing an ROI

Posted on by Linda

Why is energy storage pushed as needing an ROI but water tanks are sold to help the environment.

It is interesting that many people looking at battery storage look on it as an investment with a ROI when this philosophy isn’t used for any other household appliances. Nobody ever asks what is the ROI of a fridge or a car.

When water shortages are an issue, people are encouraged to purchase water tanks to supplement water storage supplies, however there is never mention of ROI for these, possibly because if water tanks were purchased to reduce the cost of water rather than to protect the environment they would never pay for themselves. Continue reading “Why is energy storage pushed as needing an ROI” →

Climate of the Nation 2017 Australian attitudes on climate change

Posted on by Linda

 

 

  1. Climate Change: The majority of Australians agree that climate change is occurring (71 %) and accept the scientific consensus that human activity is the main cause (57 %).
  2. Action: The majority of Australians want Australia to address climate change because they see strong economic, environmental and social benefits and opportunities in the shift to a clean economy (73 %).

Continue reading “Climate of the Nation 2017 Australian attitudes on climate change” →

Battery Drawdown Capabilities

Posted on by Linda

 

Energy storage batteries come in a variety of different sizes and weights and each have different characteristics.  Here is a comparison of some different battery technologies currently available in Australia with an indication of the amount of power that can be drawn down.

You can see from this image that size is not necessarily a good indication of the power that is available to be used from a battery. Some batteries have much better energy density than others.

Another thing to consider is how much power you can actually draw from the battery at any point in time. Our SoNick battery can draw 150 amps for 4 hours continuously but some other batteries are very limited in the amount of power that can be used, maybe only with enough to boil a kettle and little more. Continue reading “Battery Drawdown Capabilities” →

Battery Storage Possibilities

Posted on by Linda

 

Many households and businesses already attach battery storage to their clean energy systems. Now is the time to grow the industry, encourage the take-up of storage and help make Australia a renewable energy leader. With public interest high, now is the time for a targeted, five-year support package to drive down costs and put battery storage in reach of every household and business. Continue reading “Battery Storage Possibilities” →

How much battery capacity do you need?

Posted on by Linda

 

When people start looking at energy battery storage one thing they often ask is I have “x” kW solar on my roof at the moment, how much battery storage do I need?

This isn’t an easy question to answer and there definitely isn’t a one size fits all answer. If someone tries to sell you a battery without asking about your lifestyle and what your needs are then walk away. Chances are they are just trying to sell you their battery and not really working towards what is best for you. The cheapest battery upfront may turn out to be more expensive in the long run if the battery technology isn’t matched to your needs.

The amount of storage isn’t really related to the amount of solar you have on your roof (although it is definitely part of the equation) but it is more to do with how much power you use on a daily basis, how long you want backup power for and what appliances you want to operate from the battery. Continue reading “How much battery capacity do you need?” →

So much conflicting information on battery storage

Posted on by Linda

 

When consumers go online to compare different batteries there is so much conflicting information available it is very difficult to get a clear picture of what is available and to understand what is happening in the industry. What is important is you compare similar products and don’t just listen to what salespeople are telling you.

If a product has been in use for a number of years the quoted figures are more likely to be reliable than if a product is new and hasn’t yet been tested in real life conditions. Generally batteries are tested in factories at 25 degrees. This can produce different results than are experienced in real life when temperatures vary widely.

Currently there are no relevant battery standards in Australia Continue reading “So much conflicting information on battery storage” →

Why do people look at battery storage?

Posted on by Linda

With battery storage set to grow in the next few years there are many people that are interested in looking at this technology but there are also a wide variety of reasons that people are doing so.

Up until now most people that have used batteries to store their energy have been those that have been in situations where it was not possible, either for economical or proximity reasons to connect to the electricity grid. However, there are now many more reasons that people are considering battery storage and many more questions people are asking about the batteries they are looking at.

Over the last 5 – 10 years there has been a big push to install rooftop solar panels to capture electricity to use on the building the panels are installed on. This was encouraged by governments as they introduced feed-in tariffs to encourage people to install solar. This was so successful, as the general public took up these offers that governments soon decreased the feed-in tariffs and now they are extremely low or non-existent, depending on your state. Continue reading “Why do people look at battery storage?” →

Battery Recyclability

Posted on by Linda

 

One of the things that you should consider when putting battery storage on your home is whether or not the battery will be recyclable at the end of its life.

Often, one of the reasons that people put solar panels on their house and put in battery storage to collect the excess usage is to protect the environment and reduce the need for coal powered power stations.

This can be counterproductive if you choose a battery that is made from toxic materials or has components that can’t be recycled. Continue reading “Battery Recyclability” →

Battery weights

Posted on by Linda

 

Different battery technologies are different weights as well as different sizes. This may be relevant depending on where you want to store your energy storage batteries.

Energy storage batteries come in a variety of different sizes and weights and each have different characteristics.  In the above graphic several batteries are a similar weight, however you may need a number of batteries to provide the same output power which could increase the installation size and weight considerably.
Continue reading “Battery weights” →

What is your states renewable energy target?

Posted on by Linda

Different Australian states are taking action in different ways to move to a renewable energy future, despite the lack of action being taken at a Federal level.

In Australia, as in other countries where Federal government’s should be taking action to meet their commitments to the Paris agreement and they are not, local governments and grassroots consumers are leading the way.

This is not ideal but is reality.
Continue reading “What is your states renewable energy target?” →