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…]

Liberal backbencher Craig Kelly is upset the SA big battery is not magical.

Craig Kelly is…

• A Liberal Member of Parliament.
• A supporter of health damaging and environmentally destructive coal power.
• The only Federal MP with a nuclear reactor lodged in his seat.
• A man who resembles a big cuddly koala bear with a shaved face.

Recently he published a 419 word essay on his facebook page titled, “THE GREAT BATTERY CONJOB EXPOSED”. [Read more…]

The results show some big name batteries performing pretty poorly…

The Lithium Ion Battery Test Centre in Canberra has released a new report.  They released it 5 months ago but I’ll make apologies for tardy reporting later.  [Read more…]

Yesterday I visited a pop-up Tesla store in Adelaide.

Tesla has told me they can provide a fully installed Powerwall 2 in South Australia for $9,300 after the state’s $6,000 battery subsidy.  The three phase version will cost “a few hundred dollars more” and there is a 12 week waiting period. [Read more…]

The Hornsdale Power Reserve or “Tesla Big Battery” is One! And it’s been quite successful.

The Tesla Big Battery in South Australia came online last year on the first of December.  It’s now one year and 18 days old.  Despite the involvement of Elon Musk and Tesla it’s not actually called the Tesla Big Battery.  Its real name is the Hornsdale Power Reserve.  Personally, if I had been asked, I would have called it Elonia Princess of Power, but I wasn’t consulted and so my naming talents continue to be squandered. [Read more…]

Don’t Rush Into Getting A $3,000 QLD Battery Grant:  It Can Cost You Dearly.

Yesterday a Queenslander asked me for advice.  This is not unusual.  I’m originally from Queensland, so I understand their primitive ways.  I also take care to maintain their respect by never making fun of my home state and only ever saying things about it that are factually true.  Such as the plants want to kill you.

This Queenslander asked me if he should take advantage of his state’s $3,000 battery grant scheme.  [Read more…]

The Alpha ESS Storion SMILE battery is the second battery eligible for the SA Battery ‘rebate’. But is it worth considering?

Update: SQ’s in-house installer, Anthony, has more recently written about the Alpha ESS SMILE5 battery here.

Alpha ESS is a Chinese manufacturer of home battery systems.  Because they have promised to do some assembly in Adelaide they are now the second company eligible to receive South Australia’s substantial home battery subsidy, as reported by Michael here. More batteries will become eligible in January. [Read more…]

On Wednesday shadow Prime Minister, Bill Shorten, gave some details on the plans for energy Labor will throw into motion if they win the next election.  According to all the little people inside my TV, this election will occur within 6 months but it may be almost a year away. [Read more…]