SolarQuotes Blog

EV Vs Petrol: Calculate Your Fuel Savings

EV vs petrol fuel calculator

How much cheaper is it to drive an electric vehicle than a petrol car? The answer depends on what you drive, what you pay for energy, and how you charge your EV.

Charging from the grid can already offer substantial savings, but rooftop solar and free-electricity periods can make quite a difference.

SolarQuotes recently released an EV Charging Cost Calculator that lets you compare these options using your own figures. We’ve put it through its paces with three examples to show how it works and what the results mean. [Continue reading…]

Solar Power Nation Suspended From Rebate Scheme

Pop up advertising the federal battery rebate with cricket player Michael Clarke.

The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has permanently suspended Solar Power Nation from the federal solar rebate scheme. This means the Sydney-based retailer can no longer issue the federal solar and battery rebates as an upfront discount to customers.

This is the biggest setback so far for a company that, as we reported in August, has faced hundreds of complaints and investigations across three states. Solar Power Nation, legally known as 1 Solar Australia Pty Ltd, has 60 days to ask the CER to review the decision.

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Mission Impossible: Finding A Good VPP For My Sister

A home in the bush with solar

Earlier this year, out of the goodness of my heart — along with a fervent desire for that heart to remain within my chest —  I worked out what battery size my sister should buy for her home in rural NSW. Now I’ve been told I have to decide which VPP she should join. For […]

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Showdown Over Battery Rebate & EV Incentive Cuts

Proposed battery rebate cuts

Treasury is preparing savings measures as pressure grows to cut the federal battery rebate and EV subsidy in the face of inflation, but clean energy advocates caution that the measures are putting downward pressure on electricity and fuel prices.

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NSW Energy Loans Cut As Victoria’s Gas War Heats Up

The NSW government is tightening access to its zero-interest energy loans program, with the program set to be available only to households earning $150,000 or less from November 10. It comes as the Victorian election heats up, with the Liberal opposition pledging to cancel an impending ban on gas connections for new homes.

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Renters Are Finally Getting A Shot At Home Batteries. Let’s Not Stuff It Up.

WA is about to become the first state to legalise plug-in solar and batteries. The draft standard, modelled on Germany’s rules, is open for comment until 9 December.

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Emergency Backstop Mechanism: Slamming The Brakes On Your Solar

Power grid with SolarQuotes written in the upper right.

Rooftop solar generates around 14% of Australia’s electricity demand, as more than one in three freestanding households own a system. Our electricity system operator needs an emergency plan for the rare occasions when multiple things go wrong, and uncontrolled rooftop solar generation threatens system security. NSW is set to be the latest Australian state to […]

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SolarEdge Cuts The Cord On Australia

After decades of polarising installers with their uniquely capable range of inverters, solar panels, batteries & EV chargers, SolarEdge has called time on Australia. Orders will be accepted for the next fortnight for delivery by December 18th at the latest, so if you have plans to expand an existing system, you’ll have to hop to […]

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New Batteries, V2L & Why Your Home Should Be An Esky

Solar industry Christmas has just rolled around again, and like the rest of the renewable industry it just keeps growing. From insulation tips to the latest solar gear, here’s an account of this installer’s adventures at All Energy Australia in Melbourne.

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WA’s Plug-In Solar Plan Sparks Hope For Renters

WA plug-in solar

Western Australia is moving to become the first state in Australia to legalise plug-in solar panels and batteries, potentially giving renters and apartment residents a way to generate their own electricity without installing a conventional rooftop solar system. The Cook Government says households could save around $240 a year with plug-in solar, rising to $500 […]

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