AllGrid Energy made a big splash last year after it announced a home battery storage product – the WattGrid – which the company claimed would rival Tesla’s much vaunted Powerwall. The […]
Category: Solar System Products
Solar Choice blog articles and reviews about components for solar power systems, including solar inverters, solar cells, solar modules, and solar batteries.
1 out of every 12 panels in Australia is a Trina panel (Q&A with Trina Solar)
Trina Solar is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels, and one of the biggest players in the Australian market. The company prides itself on its record for success and […]
One third of Aussies would invest in battery storage even with 5+ year payback: Report
A new report from The Australia Institute has found that one in four Australians would consider investing in solar and battery storage as a means to quit the electricity grid. […]
Adelaide Sustainable City Incentive off to strong start
Adelaide City Council says the response to its expanded low-carbon technology incentive scheme has got off to a strong start, with 1MW of solar PV installed since July 2015. The […]
NSW transmission network to install 1MW battery banks for commercial customers
NSW-based Transgrid has revealed plans to install a number of 1MW-sized battery storage systems at commercial customers, in a major push into smaller, grid-scale energy storage. Transgrid’s Anthony England said […]
Storage & community energy eyed as possible solutions to projected electricity demand growth in Mandurah, WA
WA network operator Western Power says it is seeking non-network solutions, that could include solar and storage and community energy, to try to avoid spending $30 million in a high-growth […]
On grid or off-grid? Some advice for a Solar Choice customer
We were recently in touch with a customer who was deliberating between whether to have his new-build home connected to the grid, or to go off-grid with a solar-plus-storage system. […]
Australian Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition 2016 roundup
The Australian Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition 2016 was held in the Australian Technology Park in Sydney last week. In addition to being a networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity, the event […]
Half of Aussie electricity demand will be met by small-scale solar & batteries: BNEF
Australia’s rooftop solar homes and businesses will not just be generating up to half of the country’s electricity needs in the future, but could play a key role in meeting […]
SA’s Coober Pedy to shift from diesel to renewables in Hydro Tas project
Hydro Tasmania has revealed that technologies the utility developed for the King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project will be used to help transform the remote, off-grid South Australian township of […]
2nd round of ACT government tender will bring solar + battery storage to 600 Canberra homes
The ACT government has announced that it will target around 600 Canberra homes and businesses in the second round of its battery storage tender. The new funding round will make […]
Energy storage in NSW after the Solar Bonus Feed-in Tariff Scheme
There are roughly 150,000 households in New South Wales who receive solar feed-in tariff payments under the state’s Solar Bonus Scheme. As the Sydney Morning Herald pointed out recently, before […]
In what situations does battery storage already make financial sense?
There is a phenomenal amount of buzz about home battery storage in Australia – it’s a hot topic because of the potential value proposition and the allure of energy independence. […]
Who needs batteries? How SolarImmersion puts your excess solar energy to work
Every day, thousands of Australia’s solar homes send excess solar power into the grid for little or no financial reward. SolarImmersion is a simple gadget that puts surplus solar energy […]
Aquion’s saltwater batteries: Affordable, safe, clean – and available in Australia
Aquion is a US-based battery manufacturer bringing a fresh approach to battery manufacturing. The company’s saltwater-based batteries are some of the most affordable, safest, and environmentally-friendly batteries on the planet, […]
Greens policy would put 31,000 EVs on Australian roads by 2021
The Greens have released a policy plan that aims to get 31,000 more electric vehicles on Australian roads by 2021 – up from little more than 1,000 now – and […]
Solar Choice visits one of the first Tesla Powerwall installations in Sydney’s Northern Beaches
Tesla’s Powerwall is the most well-known of the rapidly growing list of home battery storage devices in Australia which includes the likes of LG, Enphase, Aquion and a host of other […]
Australian Energy Storage Database (AESDB) to become ‘one stop shop’ for Aus storage project info
Yesterday the Australian Energy Storage Alliance (AESA) officially announced the launch of the Australian Energy Storage Database (AESDB), which will serve as the authoritative resource for existing and upcoming energy storage […]
Time of use vs flat rate tariffs for solar energy storage: Which makes more sense?
There are many important considerations when it comes to installing a battery storage system for your home. One of the most important ones is whether or not to switch electricity […]
A brain for your battery storage system: Q&A with Reposit Power
Reposit Power is a Canberra-based start-up that promises to be one of the key facilitators of Australia’s battery storage revolution. Their product is an $800 battery storage system control system […]
‘Tariff arbitrage’ with battery storage: What is it and how can it save you money?
For most people, the promise of home battery storage is mainly about the ability to save sunlight so that it can be used later, after the sun has set. ‘Tariff […]
LG introduces new two-sided, 60-cell, 300 watt solar panel
LG Solar has introduced a high-efficiency bifacial solar panel with a peak capacity of 300 watts and a total output capacity equivalent to 375W. The 60-cell NeON 2 BiFacial panel is the […]
Greens propose federal incentive for home battery storage
More than one million Australian households would install heavily discounted battery storage over the next five years under a scheme proposed by the Greens, as part of a new policy […]
GCL Poly launches multi-colour battery storage solution for Aus market
The world’s biggest supplier of silicon and solar cells, GCL Poly, has launched its new battery storage product onto the Australian market, taking on Tesla, LG, Enphase and a host of […]
Energex proposes ban on use of batteries, AC units & other white goods during ‘off-peak’ periods
Queensland government-owned network operator Energex has proposed banning battery storage, air conditioning and appliances such as washing machines and clothes dryers from off peak loads in a move that has […]
‘Maximum demand’ tariffs could speed arrival of mass market for battery storage
The point of mass uptake of battery storage in Australia may be closer than most people think, according to a new survey, although it would require a different tariff structure […]
Melbourne suburb to go off grid with solar and energy storage
A first-of-its kind trial in Australia will take part of a Melbourne suburb completely off grid using rooftop solar and battery storage. The trial planned by Victorian network operator Ausnet […]
Australia should lead on residential battery storage, as it has with solar: Hunt
Federal environment minister Greg Hunt says Australia should lead the world in the adoption of battery storage, in the same way it has done with rooftop solar. “Solar and storage […]
Neighbourhood battery storage pilot program launched in WA suburb of Alkimos Beach
Rooftop solar and battery storage could soon become standard features of new residential housing developments, depending on the success of a ground-breaking community-scale solar and energy storage trial in Western […]
ElectrIQ residential battery units bring smarts to the table
Palo Alto startup ElectrIQ Power is set to release a modular, all-in-one 10kWh battery storage energy management system in Q4 2016. They are looking for strategic partners in Australia. The […]
Over 5,000 ACT homes to get discounted battery storage under latest incentive round
More than 5,000 homes and businesses in the Australian Capital Territory will get discounted battery storage under the ACT’s latest round of capacity auctions for large-scale renewables. Around $25 million […]
