Standards Australia will soon decide whether to allow home lithium battery banks to be installed in a garage or external wall – or whether they’ll be required to live in […]
Tag: energy storage
Interested in batteries? NSW Government’s Home Solar Battery Guide is a must-read – no matter which state you live in
Earlier this year the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment commissioned Total Environment Centre, Alternative Technology Association and Zumio to produce a guidebook for state residents interested in […]
Introducing our new Home Solar & Battery Storage Systems Guide
Over the years Solar Choice has published thousands of articles on the topic of solar power and (more recently) battery storage. Much of this knowledge is spread across various parts […]
Big improvements to our Solar & Battery Sizing & Payback Estimator tool
It’s been well over a year since we first released our Solar & Battery Sizing & Payback Estimator tool in February 2016. Through its life so far, this handy tool has […]
Newly formed battery giant Fluence aims to take on Tesla
Energy giants AES and Siemens have combined their energy storage divisions to take on upstarts like Tesla and other industry rivals, in an effort to dominate the soaring global battery […]
A guide to community microgrids
carbonTRACK Community microgrids are a way for neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities to meet their energy needs locally. Increasingly, community microgrids are being eyed as an option even in areas where […]
Ampetus Super Lithium: Modular, cost-competitive battery bank for homes
Ampetus Energy is an Australian battery storage system developer offering one of the most cost-effective battery products currently available: the Ampetus Super Lithium battery. The battery comes with a 10 […]
sonnenFlat: sonnen’s ‘free’ / flat-rate electricity plan looks great. Is it worth it?
German battery system maker sonnen has launched its ground-breaking sonnenFlat package – a retail electricity offer available to anyone with at least a 5kW solar system and a sonnen battery system […]
sonnen launches battery-driven plan to take retailers ‘out of business’
German battery storage developer sonen has described this month’s near 20 per cent jump in the cost of grid power around Australia as “perfect” timing for the rollout of its […]
7 good reasons to install battery storage now
There are now dozens of home battery storage product options to choose from on the Australian market. Prices are coming down quickly, and as electricity prices rise (as they are […]
Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition 2017: Roundup
Every June for the last three years I’ve attended the Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition in Sydney. This year the event took place on 14-15th at Sydney’s new Convention and […]
Retrofitting battery storage to an existing solar PV system: What to consider
Lots of Australian homes are expected to install battery storage in the coming years. Many of these homes will install brand new solar-plus-storage systems, but quite a few will be […]
Levelised cost of storage: A better way to compare battery value
When it comes to choosing batteries for home or commercial battery storage, it can be difficult to sift through the multitude of options to find the IDEAL battery for your […]
Could distributed battery systems ‘blackstart’ the grid?
Solar Choice recently received a comment from a visitor to our site asking about whether distributed battery storage systems – using Reposit Power‘s battery management technology – could be used […]
How much can you really save with ‘selective export’ of solar & battery energy?
Now that solar feed-in tariff rates are so low across the country, there’s little reason for a solar system owner to send their energy back into the grid, as they […]
‘No more energy bills’ with solar? Buyer beware
Rooftop solar panels are a fantastic investment in Australia, but be realistic in your expectations “Eliminate your energy bills!” is a phrase – sometimes used in solar sales pitches – that […]
Adelaide City’s solar & energy storage incentives
Since 1 July 2015, the City of Adelaide has been offering some of the most generous incentives for solar power in Australia – and the one of the only incentives for […]
Is home solar battery storage a good match and your energy consumption habits?
Each household uses different amounts of electricity in different patterns throughout the day. Some consumption patterns are more conducive to battery storage as an investment, and knowing your consumption habits […]
Localvolts’ vision for a truly peer-to-peer electricity market
There are now well over 1.5 million households in Australia with solar PV systems on their roofs, altogether comprising over 6 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generation capacity – about the […]
Aquion Energy files for chapter 11 bankruptcy
US ‘saltwater’ battery manufacturer Aquion Energy has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a press release issued by the company overnight. Chapter 11 bankruptcy, sometimes referred to as ‘reorganisation’ […]
Believe the Hype: Australia’s Battery Market set to skyrocket
For quite some time I’d dismissed the hype about the attractiveness of installing grid-connected batteries in Australia. Yes, everyone loves the idea of energy independence, and would love to give […]
Batteries with benefits: How Reposit Power customers are maximising battery value
Reposit Power is an Australian battery technology company whose name has become synonymous with battery storage value maximisation. The company’s software does two important things for homes with battery storage […]
The heat wave sent spot market prices soaring: What does it mean for solar?
Wholesale electricity prices on Australia’s eastern seaboard went through the roof this past weekend as homes as businesses pumped their air conditioners in an attempt to stave off the brutal […]
Tesla’s Powerwall 2 in Australia: Advice for shoppers
Tesla leapfrogged its competitors last year with the announcement of its new generation of battery storage product: Powerwall 2. Tesla’s Powerwall 2 is a more powerful and sophisticated version of […]
Solar battery storage in Melbourne, Vic: Compare prices & installers
As prices fall, a growing number of Melbourne households are becoming interested in installing battery storage for solar energy. It is now possible to compare battery storage installers and prices in […]
Solar battery storage in Canberra, ACT
Battery storage for residential solar energy is becoming increasingly popular in Australia – including in Canberra, ACT. If you’re a Canberra resident looking to install a battery storage system for […]
Let’s talk about ‘energy throughput’: Should it replace battery ‘cycle life’?
Australians households are fairly solar-savvy lot. With a solar panel for every human being in the country, Australia is a world leader in solar uptake, and there’s tons of information online […]
Power vs energy in home battery storage systems
Different battery storage products have different specifications and capabilities, making them better or less well-suited for various applications. In this article we’ll talk about ‘power batteries’ vs ‘energy batteries’ – […]
Why depth of discharge matters in solar battery storage system selection
Depth of discharge (DoD) is one of the key figures to keep in mind when selecting batteries for a solar energy system. What is depth of discharge and how should […]
BYD Battery: An Independent Review by Solar Choice
Background on BYD – Company History BYD’s size, reputation and experience help to make the B-Box a potentially attractive option for anyone considering batteries for home energy storage. In addition […]
Solar and battery energy storage in Perth, WA
Approximately 25-30% of the homes in the Perth area have solar PV systems on their roofs according to the APVI – many of these households are interested in installing a […]
