Battery Drawdown power

Posted on May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 by Linda

Energy storage batteries come in a variety of different sizes and weights and each have different characteristics. Here is a comparison of the 2 safe, recyclable batteries currently available in Australia, FIAMM sodium nickel chloride (SoNick) or molten salt battery and Aquion salt water battery, with comparisons of size for a similar sized system from some other battery technologies.

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 power” →

Battery weights

Posted on May 12, 2017May 30, 2017 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 April 15, 2017May 11, 2017 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?” →

GridEdge and Earthworker meet with Peter Khalil

Posted on March 22, 2017May 11, 2017 by Linda

Recently John and Linda, along with several Earthworker members visited ALP member for Wills, Peter Khalil to discuss how he could offer support to Earthworker Co-operative in setting up their worker owned factory in Morwell.

Peter was excited about supporting a factory space in Wills/Moreland for Warehousing initially, then Recycling down the track. Continue reading “GridEdge and Earthworker meet with Peter Khalil” →

Aquion declares bankruptcy

Posted on March 9, 2017March 9, 2017 by Linda

Aquion, the Advanced Battery Startup Funded by Bill Gates and Kleiner Perkins, declares Bankruptcy.

Aquion’s saltwater battery was a safe fully recyclable energy storage battery that unfortunately was not able to live up to the expected results in the field that it was able to achieve in the factory testing.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Aquion-the-Bill-Gates-and-Kleiner-Perkins-Funded-Advanced-Battery-Startup>

This leaves the SoNick or Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries as the only safe fully recyclable energy storage battery currently available. SoNick batteries have been in production since 2003 and are already being used in many commercial applications and usage figures are coming from real life results rather than hoped for results from laboratory conditions. FIAMM as a company have been in operation since 1942 so are already a well-established company. Continue reading “Aquion declares bankruptcy” →

Voters say yes to renewables

Posted on March 5, 2017August 31, 2017 by Linda

A recent poll found that almost two out of three people agree that more renewable energy is the solution to future energy needs, and a similar amount approve of Labor’s 50 per cent renewable energy target. In other significant findings 71 per cent think the Federal Government is not doing enough to ensure affordable, reliable and clean energy for households and businesses and 45 per cent blame blackouts on failures of the energy market during extreme weather.

Key findings of the Essential Research survey of 1006 respondents conducted online from February 16 to 19:

Climate change: 60% (up 6% since December) agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 25% (down 2%) believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. By age groups, those aged under 35 split 70%/15% and those aged 55+ split 47%/40%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 72%/19%. Continue reading “Voters say yes to renewables” →

CSIRO says Australia can get to 100 per cent renewable energy

Posted on February 25, 2017 by Linda

The Australian government’s chief scientific body says there is no apparent technical impediment to reaching 100 per cent renewables for the national electricity grid, and levels of up to 30 per cent renewable energy should be considered as just “trivial” in current energy systems.

Renewables could benefit from more energy storage capacity in the electricity network. reupa/flickr, CC BY-NC

The CSIRO estimate was made in the Senate select committee into the “Resilience of electricity infrastructure in a warming world,” which is providing some fascinating insight that we will be reporting on (because mainstream media won’t). Continue reading “CSIRO says Australia can get to 100 per cent renewable energy” →

Lithium-ion battery storage may be banned inside Australian homes

Posted on February 13, 2017February 22, 2017 by Linda

Lithium-ion battery storage devices – including Tesla Powerwalls and other products – may be effectively banned from being installed inside homes and garages in Australia under new guidelines being drafted by Standards Australia. tesla powerwall 2

The move, if upheld, is likely to send shockwaves through the industry, with thousands of Australian households, including prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, already installing lithium ion battery storage devices and millions more predicted to do so in coming years.

Standards Australia, a voluntary body that draws on expertise from the industries involved and key stakeholders, is expected to release the draft guidelines in the next week or so. But news of its proposals has already leaked, causing concern that the decision could bring the industry to a halt. Continue reading “Lithium-ion battery storage may be banned inside Australian homes” →

CSIRO sees $100bn savings in zero carbon grid by 2050

Posted on December 12, 2016February 25, 2017 by Linda

A major new study by the CSIRO and the main networks lobby says a decarbonised energy grid by 2050, with half of generation produced and stored locally, will save billions in upfront capital costs and consumer bills, and deliver a secure electricity system.

In a direct rebuff to the renewable energy scare campaign and myth-making being played out in the political arena, the premier scientific body and Energy Networks Australia say that wind and solar will provide nearly all our electricity needs by 2050, and the system will be cheaper for all customers. Continue reading “CSIRO sees $100bn savings in zero carbon grid by 2050” →

Battle royale brews over battery storage and control of energy markets

Posted on October 25, 2016February 25, 2017 by Linda

Large energy users, battery storage developers and some small energy retailers are pushing for a change in energy market rules that could have dramatic consequences for the industry – levelling the playing field for battery storage, lowering prices for consumers, and wresting control of the energy markets from the big generators.

Soaring wholesale prices have become a major issue in Australia in recent months, defying logic (analyst David Leitch has described them as absurd), and raising concerns among many energy consumers.

The finger has been pointed at the bidding patterns of some major generators, which is one of the main reasons why the South Australian government wants to build a new cable to the eastern states, because it says it has “lost control” of energy pricing. (Although some media chooses to blame renewables).

The proposal to change a relatively obscure rule in the running of the energy markets is seen as an opportunity to wrest control from big, bulky, slow-response generators and encourage smarter, smaller, fast-response distributed generation, particularly battery storage and software for energy management systems.

The proposal comes from zinc smelter operator Sun Metals, which has asked the Australian Energy Market Commission to change the rule. Currently, pricing is set every five minutes, but financial settlement is made only every 30 minutes. Even the AEMC admits that this can distort the market, and push up prices unnecessarily.

An example is illustrated in the graph below, which explains why operators of big generators, particularly gas or diesel-fired peaking plants, may object to the rule change.

peaking plant prices