Posts By Ronald Brakels, Author & Fact-Checker At SolarQuotes

SolarQuotes’ Virtual Power Plant Comparison Table Is Up And Running

Are you willing to trade control of your home battery for cash payments? Then a Virtual Power Plant may be for you. Our VPP table lets you compare offers.

Do you own a home battery, or are planning to get one? Then I have good news.  The SolarQuotes Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Comparison Table is up and running.  So if you are interested in joining a VPP, you’d better go catch it. [Read more…]

SMA Says Their Inverter’s ShadeFix Software Reduces Effects Of Shade

SMA ShadeFix review

SMA’s ShadeFix doesn’t fix shade but reduces some of its secondary effects.

A couple of weeks go a reader asked me to write about ShadeFix.  ShadeFix is the software German manufacturer SMA include in their solar inverters.  This request made me feel a bit stupid because I had no idea what ShadeFix was. [Read more…]

Coronavirus: More Lives Saved Than Lost Due To Lower Air Pollution

coronavirus: COVID-19 and coal power

The coronavirus, or COVID-19 as all the cool epidemiologists are calling it these days, has at time of writing killed over 2,600 people in China and quarantine measures taken to slow its spread have led to the greatest economic downturn that country has seen since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.

But in the wake of all this suffering and disruption, there is a silver lining saving many more lives than the virus is taking.  With power stations consuming half the coal they were at this time last year and road travel way down, lives saved from reduced air pollution should easily exceed those lost to the virus. [Read more…]

Does Solar Victoria’s “Case Study” Violate Australian Consumer Law?

Solar Victoria case study

Solar Victoria’s marketing department wanted to spruik their solar battery rebate. Did they choose to mislead or inform the public?

On the 16th of January 2020 Solar Victoria published what they called a “case study” under the Latest News section on their web site.  It’s about a person who is happy with their new solar battery system.  On the face of it, that seems a lot better than someone who is unhappy with their battery system, but I suspect the person who bought it may have been misled and won’t be so happy with their purchase after they learn the truth. [Read more…]

Has Chief Scientist Alan Finkel Got It Wrong On Hydrogen And Natural Gas?

Chief Scientist Dr. Alan Finkel - Hydrogen

On Wednesday last week Australia’s Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel, gave a talk on Australia’s energy future at the National Press Club.  While there’s no doubt Australia’s Chief Scientist is a smart cookie, I think a couple of predictions he made are fairly obviously wrong. [Read more…]

Solar Panels With Water Channels: Good For Roof Slopes Under 10 Degrees

Solar panel water channels

Under 10 degrees tilt? Try groovy solar panels made by Winaico (and others).

It’s really bucketing down here in Queensland right now.  I’m relieved because until this evening there was a remote but real possibility of everything going all orange and wavy and really hot.  I have friends coming over from Taiwan and I’d be most dreadfully embarrassed if all we had to offer them was a fine selection of ashes. [Read more…]

Victorians Can Get $50 From The Victorian Energy Compare Website Because We Are A Nation Of Idiots

Victorian Energy Compare website $50 bribe

Victorians can get $50 from the Victorian Energy Compare website until the 30th of June 2020 because they’d rather waste money on bribes than allow real competition.

If you live in Victoria and have an electricity or gas account in your name, you can get $50 from the Victorian Government.  Why are they handing out $50 to every household that asks for it? [Read more…]

The Canberra Battery Test Centre’s 7th Report: 83% Faulty

Solar battery test winners

Of 18 batteries tested, 7 didn’t need repair or replacement and only 3 batteries passed the testing without issue: Sony Fortelion, Samsung AIO, and Pylontech. Sony was the best performer by my reckoning.

Good news!  The Canberra Battery Test Centre have released their 7th report.  I admit I’m a little behind in reporting this because it wasn’t released this month, or last month, or even the month before that.  It came out all the way back in September.  But it’s their fault I’m so late writing about it.  [Read more…]

SolarQuotes’ New Retail Electricity Plan Comparison Tool Can Save You Money — It Let Me Afford Pizza

Electricity plan comparison tool

Introducing Solarquotes New Retail Electricity Plan Comparison Tool:  It Will Pay For Pizza!

I’m paying way too much for electricity.  It’s driving me broke!  Financially I was doing okay until I told everyone I’d buy them pizza and it end up costing me $90.  How can pizza cost $90?  It’s dough, tomato sauce, ham, pineapple, and maybe some corn if you’re Japanese.  How can that be $90?  We only had four of them! [Read more…]

AEMC Report — Electricity Prices To Fall Thanks To Renewable Energy

Wind energy and solar power - AEMC

Electricity Prices To Fall Thanks To Wind And Solar Power — But Not In WA!

If you don’t live in Western Australia I have good news.  A report released on December the 9th by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) says electricity prices will fall in all states except WA.

[Read more…]

Get the latest solar, battery and EV charger news straight to your inbox every Tuesday