Not all battery inverters are equal

Posted on December 13, 2019December 13, 2019 by Linda

With the installation of energy storage systems most people look at the battery and concentrate on that but in reality the battery inverter is an integral part of any energy storage system and will dictate much of the energy storage systems operations.

Often when an energy storage system isn’t working properly the fault lies with the inverter and not the battery.

Inverter power is measured in kVA or volt amps.

The battery inverter takes power from the solar PV array (solar inverter or MPPT) and battery which can be of different voltages and converts it to 240V for household of business use.

Solar inverters are designed to work with solar PV arrays and battery inverters are designed to work with energy storage batteries. Hybrid inverters are also coming onto the market that combine both solar PV and battery conversions.

Continue reading →

Voters say yes to renewables says Essential Research Australian poll

Posted on September 2, 2017August 31, 2017 by Linda

A recent Essential Research Australian 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.

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 says Essential Research Australian poll” →

How will Climate Change affect Australia?

Posted on July 16, 2017July 20, 2017 by Linda

Across Australia, extreme weather events are projected to worsen as the climate warms further.

Extreme heat is projected to increase across the entire continent, with significant increases in the length, intensity and frequency of heatwaves in many regions.

The time spent in drought is projected to increase across Australia, especially in southern Australia. Continue reading “How will Climate Change affect Australia?” →

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” →

Climate change and extreme weather events

Posted on April 5, 2017May 11, 2017 by Linda

Some of the most severe climate impacts the world has experienced have occurred in 2016.

Continue reading “Climate change and extreme weather events” →

Climate Change and the Victorian Bushfire Threat

Posted on March 28, 2017May 11, 2017 by Linda

Climate change is increasing the risk of bushfires in Victoria and lengthening fire seasons.

Extreme fire weather has increased since the 1970s in the east and south of Australia, including Victoria, with the fire season length extending from October to March.
Climate change is now making hot days hotter, and heatwaves longer and more frequent. Drought conditions have been increasing in Australia’s southeast.
Climate change is driving an increase in dangerous fire weather, which in turn is increasing the frequency and severity of bushfires.

Continue reading “Climate Change and the Victorian Bushfire Threat” →

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” →

100 Ideas for a Sustainable Lifestyle

Posted on September 19, 2016September 9, 2016 by Linda

There are lots of pieces in the puzzle of combating climate change and every little bit helps and most of the actions taken are by people taking a stand and taking action.

It goes beyond building environmentally friendly buildings with renewable energy, including storage to all aspects of your life including your diet.

There are so many great ways to contribute to a healthy planet. Some steps are larger than others; some are quick and some eco-friendly ideas take substantial planning. We’ll eventually talk about all these ideas at length but just to get you thinking here are 100 various ideas that can help your family go green.

Buy less stuff. Continue reading “100 Ideas for a Sustainable Lifestyle” →

You think global warming is a sham because ‘climate has changed before?’

Posted on September 15, 2016September 15, 2016 by Linda

A timeline of Earth’s average Temperature

since the last Ice Age glaciation.

Randall Munroe posted an XKCD comic that so perfectly sums up the illogical nature of the most pervasive argument against the existence of man-made global warming: “The climate has changed before.”

Let me complete that fallacy with its obvious conclusion: The climate has changed before, therefore man cannot be causing the climate to change now. This is kind of like saying “Wildfires have happened naturally before, so man cannot cause a wildfire.”

Yes, Earth’s climate has waffled around for as long as the planet has existed. But it has happened slowly over the course of millennia. Right now, our climate is changing faster than it ever has in 22,000 years, and we know why: we’re pumping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. We have known that these gases cause warming since the early 19th century. This is not a new science. But for some reason we’re still arguing about it.

Enough from me, though. Please just consider this comic. I hope you find it as funny and thoughtful as I did.