Hansol Technics AIO Battery System: Don’t Call It A Samsung

October 31, 2017 2017-12-06T14:11:27 by 11 Comments

Samsung has decided to let their partner, Hansol Technics, take over their residential battery storage systems. However, the rebranding probably wasn’t done by someone cosplaying as Bob Ross.

There are now over 200 Samsung AIO battery systems installed in Australia, providing battery power to households both on-grid and off.  Their manufacturer, Samsung, is a giant, South Korean based, multinational conglomerate and if you’d like snag yourself a brand new AIO battery system from them, that’s terribly unfortunate, because you can’t have one.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage

Energy Storage Echo Chamber Has Greens And Coalition Working To Increase Emissions

October 24, 2017 2018-10-22T09:17:09 by 35 Comments
Greens MP and Liberal MP calling for storage subsidies

The Greens and the Libs agree on one thing at least: that storage should be subsidised. But should it?

The mainstream media has been full of news about energy storage over the last few months. [Read more…]

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Electric Cars Will Roll Over The Competition

September 29, 2017 2024-05-15T12:46:01 by 73 Comments
Tesla Superchargers

Tesla superchargers connected to Tesla S electric luxury vehicles in Adelaide sitting opposite Mitsubishi MiEVs.

The Electric Car Revolution Is Coming And Cannot Be Stopped

Electric cars are approaching a major milestone.  Soon they will reach 1% of total world vehicle production.

If you don’t think that’s a big deal, consider how quickly things changed once 1% of people had the internet or 1% had smartphones.  This might not seem like a reasonable comparison, as a brand new electric car costs more than twice as much as the latest iPhone, but things are definitely taking off. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage, Electric Vehicles Tagged With: ,

Peer Reviewed Study: Grid Connect Solar Helps Environment But Batteries Harm It

August 8, 2017 2017-08-08T14:14:24 by 98 Comments
academic in ivory tower

A paper published in ‘Nature’ has agreed with Ronald’s back of an envelope conclusions from last year: at the moment, most grid connected storage harms the environment.

Almost a year ago I wrote an article about how on-grid home battery storage does not help the environment but instead harms it by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and other types of pollution. I am raising this topic again, hoisting it above my head, and waving it around, because a scientific paper published in the journal Nature vindicates my position. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage

Channel 9’s Battery BS

July 7, 2017 2018-05-09T08:13:42 by 29 Comments
9 news and batteries

Channel 9 recently aired a segment with some very wild claims about battery payback.

“Hey everybody!  Is your cornflake bill getting you down?  Tired of spending a fortune on flaked corn?  Want to slash your monthly cornflake bill down to zero?  Well now you can, with the new Ron-Man Cornflake Storage Device.  This compact unit is capable of fitting inside a single car garage and holds a 10 year supply of cornflakes.  We guarantee you will never have to pay for another cornflake again for 10 whole years.  That’s right!  Free cornflakes for a decade!  All you need to do is pay $12,000 up front for the unit and a $1 a day cornflake management fee.  Who would have guessed free cornflakes could cost so little?” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage

SimpliPhi Battery Review: Highly Reliable Storage From The USA

June 20, 2017 2024-08-20T09:43:52 by 22 Comments

It is currently popular for all the cool kids to be down on the chances of the United States remaining a driving force in world history.  People are saying it has lost its way and only faces turmoil now Batman has passed away and Seinfeld has refused to hug Kesha.

But I have faith in the land that gave us Jim Henson and Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream.  I think America still has plenty to offer the world.  Sure, maybe nothing as good as Muppets and Chunky Monkey, but still some pretty neat stuff. For example, SimpliPhi batteries. [Read more…]

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Beware of Blended Payback: Solar Pays For Itself But Batteries Don’t Yet.

June 6, 2017 2017-06-23T15:44:05 by 57 Comments
a solar panel, a battery and a blender

We are seeing a lot of battery companies only quoting the payback of solar and batteries combined. But adding batteries makes payback worse. So always compare the payback of just solar.

I want you to know I have a great investment for you.  Believe me, it’s great.  I have all the best investments.  Trust me — it’s yuge!  If you invest in the Ronald Trump fund you will get an average return of over 4%.  I guarantee it!1  Just hand over your money and you’ll start making money!

What’s that?  You want me to actually explain what I will do with your money?  Trust me, you don’t want to worry your pretty little head about that!

What?  You do want to worry your pretty little head about that?  Alright then, what I will do is take your money and invest it in the Australian stock market.  Then each year I will take all the dividends and all the capital gains and I will reinvest half and I will take the other half in the form of $50 notes and burn them.  It will be great!  In 10 years you can have over a 50% return!

Wait a minute!  Calm down!  You say you don’t want me to burn half the money your investment makes?  I don’t understand why you are complaining.  You will still come out ahead! [Read more…]

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Does Rooftop Solar Hurt The Have Nots?

June 1, 2017 2023-01-31T11:42:29 by 12 Comments
a poor mother paying for a prince's solar

Do solar rebates result in the poor subsidising the rich?

If you spend a significant amount of time on the internet, which I can’t recommend as it is a silly place, then you may have come across people who claim rooftop solar is an enormous scam that depends on government subsidies unfairly taken from those who can’t install it, or choose not to. [Read more…]

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DCS Batteries Make Wild Payback Claims

April 20, 2017 2024-06-05T11:24:13 by 56 Comments
DCS battery and Croc Dundee

Australian battery company DCS are making wild claims about their battery.

Power is boring.

But the struggle to obtain it?  That is interesting.

In 10 year’s time powering homes with batteries may be so commonplace it will be boring.

But at the moment it’s not so dull. [Read more…]

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Tesla Says Powerwall 2’s Return Will Be 8-15%. Really?

April 11, 2017 2024-10-01T10:41:42 by 55 Comments
powerwall spruiker

Is it reasonable to expect a “8-15% return on investment” on a Powerwall 2?

Last month, Lyndon Rive, Tesla’s Vice President for Energy Products, stood up in front of a large group of people, including me, and promised the Powerwall 2 will deliver a return between 8% and 15%. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage Tagged With: , ,
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