Posts By SolarQuotes Founder Finn Peacock

Why Solar Analytics Is Better Than The Fronius Smart Meter

April 30, 2019 2022-10-19T19:12:22 by 112 Comments
solar analytics and fronius smart meter

If you want consumption monitoring you should buy Solar Analytics instead of a Fronius Smart Meter. If you need Fronius export limiting you should buy both. Here’s why…

UPDATE: Solar Analytics now integrates with the Fronius Smart Meter. That means you don’t have to decide between Solar Analytics and Fronius Smart Meter anymore. You can buy a Fronius inverter with Fronius Smart Meter and then Solar Analytics can talk directly with the Fronius Smart Meter. No need to buy the Solar Analytics Hardware.

 

I love Fronius. The last solar power system I bought came with a Fronius Primo inverter. 1

I also love Solar Analytics. It is the best monitoring system I’ve ever used. I love the way it proactively tells you if there is a problem with your PV system. I love the number showing you how well your solar installation is performing from 0-100%. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Installation

BrownPower: Finally Some Innovative Thinking From The Coal Industry

April 1, 2019 2024-07-03T15:12:27 by 14 Comments
BrownPower - Accredited Coal-Fired Energy

Finally! Some innovation from the traditional energy industry.

During the recent kerfuffle about the Approved Solar Retailer scheme, I had an epiphany.

It dawned on me that the ‘new energy’ media landscape in Australia has become a victim of the ‘filter bubble’ culture – and is, in 2019, horribly lopsided. To be specific, scrolling through the news feeds there is very little coverage of what the other side of the energy industry are up to. Rather narcissistically the ‘Clean Energy’ industry only ever publish news about low emissions technology, blatantly ignoring any innovation from ‘the other side’. [Read more…]

Filed Under: General Solar & Storage News

Fact Checking An SA Government Press Release Spruiking Their Battery Subsidy

March 26, 2019 2019-03-26T16:24:41 by 26 Comments

SA home battery scheme

Last Sunday the South Australian State Government issued a press release spruiking its Home Battery Scheme.

It is clearly aimed at getting more South Australians to fork over thousands of dollars for a home battery, no doubt triggered by the fact that – at the current run rate – it will take 15 years for them to flog all 40,000 subsidies, despite throwing about $100,000 per month at advertising the Home Battery Scheme.

This will be a very simple blog post. I will simply rate each paragraph of the press release on my humble opinion of its truthfulness. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage

SolarQuotes Vodcast Episode 9: The Approved Solar Retailer Edition

March 26, 2019 2019-03-26T10:54:24 by 3 Comments

Round 9 of the SolarQuotes Vodcast, where Ronald and I address the worrying development of the CEC Approved Solar Retailer Scheme (ASR) becoming effectively mandatory in Victoria, plus other recent solar news. [Read more…]

Filed Under: General Solar & Storage News

Off-Site Solar Scheme: Don’t Buy AGL’s Golden Handcuffs

March 25, 2019 2019-03-26T08:41:15 by 11 Comments
AGL Offsite Solar - Solar Power For Renters

Tenants who ‘invest’ in AGL’s Offsite Solar are emotionally handcuffed to their tariffs for 7 years

If you are lucky enough to own an unshaded roof over your head, solar power is a no brainer.

Millions of homeowners have realised this and, for those who have done it right, they are living a life free of energy bill worries for the foreseeable future.

But what about the 30% of Australians who rent? They are seemingly stuck having to pay electricity retailers for overpriced, dirty grid electricity. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Innovations

SolarQuotes Vodcast Episode 8: Ronald On Drugs & Chocolate

March 18, 2019 2019-03-18T15:21:18 by Leave a Comment

In the 8th instalment of the SolarQuotes Vodcast, Ronald and Finn discuss taking drugs, eating chocolate and of course solar power stuff. Click on the timestamp to go to that part of the video. [Read more…]

Filed Under: General Solar & Storage News

SolarQuotes Vodcast #7 : Finn Gets In Trouble With The Police

March 12, 2019 2019-03-12T11:26:25 by 1 Comment

In this episode:

0:17 We discuss why the CEC Approved Solar Retailer Scheme might be about to enter a dangerous new phase.

0:17 Ronald dobs me in for getting a police caution on the streets of Adelaide.

And then we go through the last 7 days of solar news on the blog. [Read more…]

Filed Under: General Solar & Storage News

Making Approved Solar Retailer Status Mandatory in Victoria Would Be Disastrous

March 12, 2019 2024-12-10T09:26:50 by 20 Comments

Approved Solar Retailers In Victoria

In Orwell’s Animal Farm, animals were told that doing extra work was voluntary, yet those who didn’t volunteer got their rations reduced.

In November 2013 the Clean Energy Council told solar companies that becoming an Approved Solar Retailer (ASR), which requires extra work, was voluntary. But in 2018  solar companies that had not signed up started to lose their opportunity to benefit from participation in state government solar rebate and zero interest loan schemes.

Beware of schemes that claim to be voluntary but force you into applying by other means. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy

SolarQuotes Vodcast Episode #6

March 6, 2019 2019-03-06T18:43:36 by Leave a Comment

Join Ronald and I from the SolarQuotes office in Adelaide CBD where we discuss the previous week’s happenings on the blog: [Read more…]

Filed Under: General Solar & Storage News

SolarQuotes Vodcast Episode #5

February 25, 2019 2019-02-25T16:50:43 by 2 Comments

Last Friday Ronald and I sat down in SQHQ to discuss the previous 7 days on the blog. Here are the posts we discussed, along with links to the relevant place in the video. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage
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