Solar Choice

From the category archives:

State Government solar feed-in tariffs

The impressive numbers behind the Tesla ‘big battery’ in SA

May 15, 2018

The 100MW big battery installed by Tesla in South Australia has taken a 55 per cent share in the state’s frequency and ancillary services market, and lowered prices in that market by 90 per cent, new data has shown. The stunning numbers on the economics of Australia’s first large-scale battery were presented by McKinsey and […]

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Sanjeev Gupta talks energy storage

May 14, 2018

As solar and energy storage technologies become more competitive, they will revolutionise how energy is consumed globally, especially in Australia, says businessman Sanjeev Gupta, who has cemented his place as a champion of renewables in Australia following recent investments in the energy sector. Sanjeev Gupta is the Executive Chairman of the GFG Alliance, majority shareholder of SIMEC ZEN […]

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Residential solar PPA in Perth property development a ‘game changer’

May 14, 2018

A residential property development in Perth’s northern suburbs is offering home buyers a rooftop solar deal that promises to cut their daytime power costs by 40 per cent. The solar power purchase agreement, a first of its kind for Western Australia, is being trialled at Yolk Property Group’s Amble Estate in Girrawheen – a mix […]

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CHOICE launches energy savings service: Should you sign up?

May 11, 2018

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Consumer advocacy researchers at CHOICE have launched a service which they claim will help to ensure that customers never pay more than they have to for electricity. The program, called CHOICE Transformer, costs about $100 per year but saves their customers $505 on average – possibly much more. Once a customer is signed up, CHOICE […]

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NSW solar feed-in tariff rates to drop from 1 July 2018: What does it all mean?

May 9, 2018

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NSW’s regulator IPART has released its draft report for its recommendations for the state’s benchmark solar feed-in tariff range, to come into effect from 1 July 2018. The recommended ‘flat’ or ‘anytime’ feed-in rate will drop significantly from the current 11-15c/kWh down to 7.5c/kWh. Meanwhile, loosely following suit with Victoria, IPART has also made recommendations […]

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Major free showcase of energy storage technologies

May 8, 2018

More than 60 leading companies in the Australian and global energy storage industry will come together at the Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition (AES 2018) on 23-24 May to explore the innovative energy storage technologies currently in the market and look at what’s next for the sector. The exhibition will be held at the […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – May 2018

May 4, 2018

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This month saw the most significant changes to battery installation prices since we started keeping track last November, thanks in part to an influx of data from companies in the Solar Choice network as they update their details for our price comparisons. While April saw an average increase in prices due to the addition of […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for May 2018

May 3, 2018

Commercial solar system prices continue their (very) gradual decline, according to pricing data from Solar Choice’s network of installers. The average indexed price continues to sit at around $1.16/W – down from about $1.23/W a year ago. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the tables below include incentives available through the federal Renewable […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – May 2018

May 3, 2018

Average residential solar system prices continue to sit at about $1.35 per watt ($/W) for the second month in a row, despite a number of pricing updates from installers in the network across the country. A basic 5kW solar system – one of the most popular sizes – costs just under $5,700 on average, while ‘premium’ and […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for April 2018

April 23, 2018

Average commercial solar system prices continue to sit at about $1.17/W for the second month in a row, according to data from the Solar Choice installer network database. 100kW and 70kW system prices come in at around $1.10/W nationally, while 10kW & 30kW are between $1.20-$1.30/W. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – April 2018

April 23, 2018

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This month’s data saw changes only in the larger two size categories that we track (i.e. 11-15kWh and 16-20kWh), where average prices actually increased slightly, due partially to the addition of high-end products from sonnen. For the time being our ‘Are We There Yet?’ Meter continues to track only battery prices in the best case scenarios […]

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Gannawarra Solar Farm connects to grid (battery coming soon)

April 18, 2018

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The 60MW Ganawarra project in north-west Victoria – the state’s biggest solar farm, to date – has been connected to the grid, and will soon begin on the installation of a new Tesla big battery, to make it one of the biggest solar-storage installations in the world. Ganawarra, jointly owned by Wirsol Energy and Edify […]

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All new ACT government vehicles to be electric

April 18, 2018

The ACT government has again taken a lead on green policy in Australia and unveiled the nation’s most ambitious transition plan to electric vehicles, including a mandate for all newly leased government vehicles to be zero emissions from 2021. The new transport strategy, unveiled by energy minister Shane Rattenbury, includes a study of solar-powered charging […]

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The biggest barrier to microgrids

April 13, 2018

The establishment of viable business cases for different applications is the main barrier to the continued uptake of microgrids in Australia, according to Greg Allen, Executive General Manager, Carnegie Clean Energy. Mr Allen has 20 years experience in engineering, specifically in business development and operational experience in the industrial plant and equipment, and solar industries. At Carnegie Clean Energy […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – April 2018

April 12, 2018

Average solar system prices again fell slightly between March and April, down to about $1.35 per watt, the lowest we’ve seen since the beginning of the year, but not as low as the record of $1.30/W set in December of 2017. For April 2018, 5kW systems are coming in at about $5,700 out-of-pocket on average for […]

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Over 20,000 battery storage systems installed in Aus in 2017: SunWiz

March 29, 2018

Battery market 2017

After an extended period of research, SunWiz has released its much-anticipated Australian Battery Market Report for 2018. As Australia’s leading provider of solar market research, SunWiz’s position of a trusted independent market analyst means top companies trust us and have shared their information and unique insights. This report provides unprecedented transparency into what is otherwise an […]

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5 interesting alternatives to the ‘Big 3’ electricity retailers

March 27, 2018

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If you want to reduce your electricity bills, the first place you should look is your choice of electricity retailer, which is the company that sells you electricity. Although some people are unaware of it, in most parts of Australia you’re not stuck with a monopolistic ‘utility’ – you can pick and choose from a […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – March 2018

March 26, 2018

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With another month of minimal changes to battery pricing in our database, we’ve used the opportunity to again alter the presentation of our ‘Our We There Yet’ Meter to focus on the situations where batteries are looking most attractive, as most of the figures for other situations are still out of the ballpark. In particular, […]

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Gannawarra Solar Farm to get one of two new Victorian ‘big batteries’

March 23, 2018

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Following on the heels of South Australia, Victoria is set to become home to two ‘big batteries’ of its own. The grid-scale battery banks – one manufactured by Tesla and the other by Fluence – will help to ease pressure on the electricity network in the western part of the state, while also helping to […]

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Regulator to suggest reductions to NSW feed-in tariff

March 22, 2018

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Solar households in New South Wales look set to be penalised for the lower electricity prices their rooftop PV has helped to deliver, with the state’s pricing regulator proposing a cut to the feed-in tariff by around 3c/kWh. In an issues paper published this week, NSW’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal flagged plans to cut […]

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15kW solar systems: A great size for homes & businesses (if you can fit one on your roof)

March 20, 2018

15kW solar systems are a great system size for homes with high levels of energy consumption or businesses with small to middling energy needs – provided that they have sufficient roof space to install one. This article takes you through (almost) everything you might want to know about 15kW solar systems, including how much space […]

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New SA government to scale back Tesla VPP plans, introduce battery incentive

March 19, 2018

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The newly elected South Australia premier, the Liberal Steven Marshall, has made his first promise – his government intends to scale back the Tesla plan for the world’s biggest “virtual power plant” that would install batteries in low income households for no cost. The Tesla plan – which aims to install 5kW of solar and […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for March 2018

March 19, 2018

Average prices for commercial-scale solar systems continue to hang around $1.17 per watt, down from about $1.21/W this time last year, and down from about $1.30/W in 2016. 100kW systems are averaging about $1.10/W, while 10kW systems come in at around $1.28/W. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the tables below include incentives […]

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Why doesn’t my electricity retailer give me a 25c solar feed-in tariff?

March 19, 2018

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Why don’t retailers offer higher solar feed-in rates? Does it matter if feed-in tariff rates are low? What are some of the alternative approaches to conventional feed-in tariffs that are beginning to appear in the Australian market? These are important questions to ask when considering going solar in Australia these days. We take a look at […]

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Our presentation to Ku-ring-gai Council

March 19, 2018

On Wednesday 14 March, James gave a presentation to about 60 residents of Ku-ring-gai Council in Sydney. Anyone who is interested can view the slides from the presentation here. Ku-ring-gai Council has a progressive and ambitious environmental agenda, with an ‘environment levy’ that allows the council to undertake a range of sustainability-focussed projects – including […]

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Five myths about South Australia’s renewable energy

March 15, 2018

The South Australia election is just two days away, and the renewable energy myths are flying thick and strong. In so far as the election will be decided by energy policy, we though it was opportune to have a look at these myths in detail. Renewable energy has caused South Australia to have the highest […]

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Powershop to pay battery owners under new Grid Impact plan. What’s the go?

March 15, 2018

Electricity retailer Powershop and battery control technology developer Reposit Power have come together to offer a first-of-kind product to battery storage system owners in Australia. Anyone with a (Reposit-equipped) battery storage system living in New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland can sign up for the program (called Grid Impact) to become part of a massive, […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – March 2018

March 14, 2018

Average solar system prices dipped slightly between February and March 2018 – coming in at about $1.38 per watt as opposed to $1.40/W last month – according to the most recent data from Solar Choice’s installer network database. While average prices decreased for most capital cities, Sydney and Canberra saw slight increases, due in part to changes […]

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Victoria town’s breakthrough deal on network tariffs as it pursues 100% renewables

March 7, 2018

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The regional Victorian town of Newstead has negotiated new network charges with electricity distributor, Powercor, to to help clear the way to building a small solar farm and sharing the output with the community. The ground-breaking deal puts in place a two-year trial on new network fees that allows the community to install solar and […]

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Victoria regulator finalises new time-varying tariffs for solar exports

February 28, 2018

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Victoria’s solar feed-in tariff is set to shift to a time-varying model, after the details of the of the new scheme – an Australian first – were finalised by Victoria’s Essential Services Commission. The new solar FiT, to be introduced in July 1, 2018, will require retailers to pay a minimum 29c/kWh for exports between […]

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Xenophon’s SA BEST unveils community electricity co-op plan

February 28, 2018

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Nick Xenophon’s SA Best party has unveiled an energy policy plan to cut South Australia’s power prices by up to 20 per cent by setting up a community electricity co-op. Unveiled on Tuesday, ahead of the March 17 state election, the plan is to use a co-operative model of community electricity trusts to give power […]

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