Battery storage uptake by households surges as grid costs soar
Battery storage systems being installed in Australia look set to confirm earlier predictions that battery installations will treble in 2017. Continue reading “Creating Energy Independance”
Battery storage systems being installed in Australia look set to confirm earlier predictions that battery installations will treble in 2017.
New data from the SunWiz 2017 Mid-Year Battery Report shows more than 7000 battery installations took place across Australia in the first six month of 2017. By contrast there were 6500 installations recorded for all of 2016. Current projections say Australia is headed for a total of more than 20,000 energy storage battery installations by the end of 2017. Continue reading “Battery storage uptake by households surges as grid costs soar”
Australian States are powering ahead on climate targets despite federal inaction
Australian states and territories are powering ahead, developing policies that will meet the federal government’s internationally agreed greenhouse gas emission targets, with South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania leading the race.
Continue reading “Australia’s energy market is changing”
Excellent video about the life-cycle of E-Waste. The same principle applies to many of the energy storage batteries currently on the market.
We need companies to be accountable for all areas of their products from health effects of people in third world countries producing products, to toxic products in their use, and recyclability of products at end of life .
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.
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”
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.
(See also out story CSIRO, networks put lie to conservative campaign against wind and solar).
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”
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.
Continue reading “Battle royale brews over battery storage and control of energy markets”
It’s not technology or science that is going to save us on this planet.
What will save us is the ethical transformation of our societies.
This is so true and why we see so much interest in community power and so much other grassroots action. This is why, in Australia, domestic solar and energy storage is growing so much faster than government projects.
It’s time to transform energy generation in your society. Do your bit.
As Margaret Mead says “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”
“The rapid uptake of batteries is going to drive a very Australian energy revolution,” and “It is being driven by grassroots consumer demand rather than any consistent national policy.
“It is gathering momentum because of
Ian and John with the 9.6 kW SoNick battery on display. The SoNick battery has no toxic materials or gasses, either in its manufacture or use which is a big advantage over most of the other energy storage batteries currently available. It also is 100% recyclable with a recycling program already in place which is a definite advantage to people that are environmentally conscious which is the case with most early adopters of energy storage. Continue reading “Discussing the SoNick battery”