This post is about a choice most people do not realise they are making.
When Nobody Designs Anything Anymore
Four Battery Backup Myths That Need To Die
Fifteen years ago, one of the hardest parts of selling solar was explaining why your panels shut down in a blackout. No grid meant no power, even on a sunny day.
Today, batteries fix that. Yet I am seeing thousands of homes getting large batteries with either no backup at all or poorly designed backup. That’s because – as batteries go mainstream – a set of myths has taken hold.
Let’s knock them over.
[Read more…]
The Feed-In Tariff Is Dead. Long Live the Feed-In Tariff.
For years, solar owners had it easy. You looked for the highest solar feed-in tariff. You checked the usage rate and the daily charge were not silly. You picked the winning tariff and moved on.
That world is gone. [Read more…]
The Rebate Paid for Battery Brawn, Not Brains
Big batteries are going in fast. Too many are being left dumb, unsupported, and unable to earn their keep.
I was on ABC Adelaide this week to talk about the battery rebate. First question was easy. Has it been popular?
Hell yes.
Roughly 150,000 batteries in six months. That is a staggering number.
How To Integrate Air Conditioning With Solar
If you want to control your air conditioner properly with solar, it helps to understand how the thing actually works. As an ex-control systems engineer, this is right up my alley. Let’s break it down.
[Read more…]
Supersize Me: The Rise of the McBattery
Aussies love big things.
After the rebate, battery systems are heading the same way. [Read more…]
Is Enphase On A Highway To Hell, Or Back In Black?
I went to the AC/DC PWR UP! gig in Adelaide last weekend. There are two ways to look at that show.
We Don’t Do PR. Sorry For The Confusion.
There’s a long-running problem with running SolarQuotes1. When you write about smart ideas or gear that works well, the phones light up. Manufacturers call to say thanks. They invite you to factories. They offer free gear to test and keep. They love the spotlight when it suits them.
[Read more…]
Sigenergy’s Hot Streak Was Not Meant To Be This Hot
Sigenergy has spent the year talking big. Fast growth. Innovative tech. A cheer squad of consumers and industry commentators that treats any doubt as a personal slight. That mood set the stage for what we are seeing now.
Three ‘Free’ Hours Of Power: Seizing The Means Of Solar Production?
You’re likely sick of the headlines by now: “Three hours of free power for everyone!”
Most readers of those headlines will assume three free hours of energy are about to land in their current plan, like magic. They won’t. Instead, it looks like the plan is to force each retailer to offer at least one “free-hours” plan among all their others.
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