Trying to minimise merch can be a challenge.

What’s known in the industry as Solar Christmas is over for another year. At each of these events we seem to have an underlying theme. It was batteries last year, and nondescript white 5kW boxes the year before.

So what was big this year? Stackable all-in-one solutions.
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A new $25m Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) scheme backing shared rooftop systems has launched, offering to cover half the cost of solar for multi-unit dwellings in NSW.

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A show of hands for a pop quiz after a training session

Has it really been a whole year since we last enjoyed the warm embrace¹ of the Melbourne convention center? It doesn’t feel like it but for those who couldn’t attend, please read on while I document a few random pictures from the enormously busy exhibition floor.

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For years now, Catch Power has offered what I think is the go-to consumption meter for single-phase houses. Now that the six-channel unit has arrived, your three-phase house can enjoy the same benefits. Electricity bills might be growing, but thankfully, Catch Power is adding features to its Catch Control faster than retailers can add zeroes to your bill.

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SEIA Adelaide venue.

It’s a tough job, but someone has to show up at the yacht club—strictly for work, of course. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) roadshow has just swung through Adelaide, and once again, I, your dedicated SolarQuotes installer and blogger, was there. Not for the cold beers and sea breeze, mind you, but to get the scoop on what’s new, from the who’s who in solar. Read on as I explain how this is both a fun day out and critical to maintaining industry excellence.
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In a surprising twist within the solar industry, Australian energy management hardware maker Catch Power has announced its acquisition of the Australian solar monitoring platform Solar Analytics. This move marks a significant shift in the landscape, given that I had anticipated the opposite—Solar Analytics acquiring Catch! Shows what I know. [Read more…]

Tesla Powerwall owners, you’ve seen your 13.5 kWh battery hit full charge by the early arvo, right? Then, watched your excess solar slipping away into the grid, earning peanuts. It feels like you’re chucking money into the air. [Read more…]

If you believe the internet, balcony or mini plug-in solar panel system sales are booming across Europe, yet there isn’t more than a whisper about them in Australia. [Read more…]

I’ve been a fan of the Aussie-developed Catch Solar Relay since it was first released in late 2020. [Read more…]

The future of energy is local, modular, and thrill-seeking – meet the microgrid, the little grid with big dreams of transforming how your appliances are powered and how your community copes with extreme weather. [Read more…]