Amberman Soars When Renewables Rule the Grid

Electricity retailer Amber’s 50-metre-high inflatable tube person, claimed to be the world’s tallest, is currently letting Melbournians know when renewables are making up the majority of grid supply.

Amber, founded in 2017, is a little different to most electricity retailers. The company offers customers access to real-time wholesale electricity prices for a flat monthly subscription fee (currently $22). The Amber app allows consumers to benefit from lower electricity costs during periods when renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are abundant.

But it works both ways – as wholesale prices go up when renewables drop, Amber customers are also exposed to those to a degree. However, Amber says that over the course of each quarter customers will never pay more than its Bill Guarantee rates on average for usage, or they will credit the difference.

For solar owners, Amber’s “real-time” feed-in tariff reflects the actual market value of exported solar energy in their region, which fluctuates through the day. But the biggest benefits are for solar + battery owners, who can charge up when grid prices drop (and sometimes go negative), then sell that excess cheap power back when prices peak under its SmartShift program.

There’s also Amber for EVs, which enables EV owners to charge when energy is free (or close to it).

It’s certainly not for everyone and requires a bit of hands-on effort. SQ’s Jono, who has a 6.6kW solar system and a SolarEdge Home Battery,  is a Smartshift customer. You can read about his experiences at the 6-month and 12-month mark to get an idea if Amber may be right for you. Amber is currently available throughout VIC, NSW, SA, SE QLD, and ACT to customers of selected networks.

Why Amberman?

Amberman inflates whenever the amount of renewable energy in the grid reaches more than 50% of the total supply. When fossil fuelled-energy dominates in the grid, he loses his puff. Currently installed in Melbourne’s CBD, there’s a live webcam stream available while he’s there.

The campaign is an extension of the team’s long-running effort to find the best ways to visually bring the rather dry topic of wholesale energy prices to life (and attract customers of course).

“Plus, at a time when there’s a lot of bad news flooding our feeds, we loved the idea of making an important message engaging, fun and most importantly, actionable,” says Amber. “By raving in the sky when it’s a good time to use cheap renewable energy, we reckon Amberman ticks all three.”

Made from recycled nylon, the 50-metre-tall prop was first tested away from the prying eyes (of humans anyway) on a farm south of Melbourne after the design was given the thumbs-up by an engineer in the field of fluid dynamics. It took a seamstress specialising in working with inflatables three days to turn the nylon into the finished product.

Amberman’s performances could extend beyond this week, with the firm currently encouraging suggestions from the public on where to take it next. Amber has also had miniature 3D-printed “Ambis” produced, which light up and change colour to indicate when it’s the best time to use cheap renewable energy. If you’re a customer and ask really nicely, perhaps you can score one.