SolarQuotes Blog

A Fire Next to My Home Battery: What We Learnt


At 12:15 pm on a Monday, my wife Sue rang and told me our home battery was on fire.

When it was clear that Sue and our family dog were safely out of our home, and the firies were on their way. One of my first thoughts was:

“Oh, great. The Murdoch media and my mate Jamie are going to have a field day with this.”

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Everything Electric Sydney 2026: EV Roundup

Crowd at Everything Electric Sydney 2026.

Even before Everything Electric Sydney got underway, electric vehicles were already in the news. In August, battery-electric vehicles surpassed petrol and diesel cars for the first time in Australia, with more than 27,000 sold in a single month. That’s nearly a quarter of all new cars sold.

Three different exhibitors mentioned that figure during the exhibition, which proves just how significant this milestone is for the industry.

The program reached a similar level of excitement. The organisers stated that it was the largest Everything Electric event yet in Australia, with more new car launches than any other Everything Electric event worldwide. Here are the vehicles that drew our attention.

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Victoria’s Midday Power Saver: Will 3 Free Hours Catch On?

Victoria Midday Saver

Victoria’s Midday Power Saver offers three hours of free electricity from 1 October. The federal Solar Sharer initiative, already operating nationwide, has reportedly attracted only around 10,000 customers. With Victoria’s tariffs now finalised, there’s an opportunity to see what the state is offering and whether its approach might prove more attractive to households.

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New South Wales’ Best-Rated Solar Installers: 2026

Top-rated solar installers NSW 2026

Last year’s national champion is back in the running as we reveal the three solar installers NSW customers rated highest in 2026. The winners were determined using a weighted calculation of customer reviews published on the SolarQuotes website. This gives smaller companies with fewer reviews a fair chance against their bigger rivals.

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The Last Dumb Box In An Electrified Home

Look at what’s been bolted onto the typical Aussie home in the last decade. A solar inverter reporting panel output to your phone. A battery that trades with the grid while you sleep. A heat pump hot water system that heats from surplus solar, an EV charger with its own app. Then open the switchboard. […]

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How Getting Solar & Battery Systems Literally Empowers You

Back when I had long hair, solar was pretty basic, and so were the electricity supply, metering, and billing. It’s wistful thinking to imagine we’re going back to simpler times. But today, it makes sense to streamline and rein in your bills equally.

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Plug-In Solar: Has The Safety Problem Been Solved?

Plug-in solar for Australia

Plug-in solar has moved a step closer in Australia, with federal, state and territory energy ministers agreeing to explore pathways for its safe deployment. The UK now allows approved systems, while New Zealand is also moving towards legalisation. But there’s an electrical safety problem SolarQuotes raised when we looked at balcony solar in 2024. Two […]

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South Australia’s Best-Rated Solar Installers: 2026

Top rated solar installers 2026 South Australia

We’re launching our 2026 state installer awards in South Australia, where there’s a new number one in SolarQuotes’ annual rankings, knocking last year’s winner off the top spot. Here are the three installers SA customers rated highest in 2026.

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See You At Everything Electric Sydney This Weekend

The giant Everything Electric show returns to Sydney Showground this weekend, Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September, six months later than planned.

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Australia Has Installed Half a Million Batteries. Who’s Checking They’re Safe?

Peter Hannam quoted me in RenewEconomy on Friday, saying I expect there are hundreds of thousands of solar and battery systems out there that aren’t optimally installed or configured, some of them carrying real potential for dangerous outcomes.

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