Solar Quotes Blog

New LG Chem RESU Batteries: Smaller, More Powerful And Cheaper Than A Powerwall

The vital statistics of the 48 Volt LG Chem RESU battery systems.

If you are in the market for a home battery and are tempted to buy a Powerwall, then I urge you to also consider the new range of LG Chem batteries announced last week. Whilst LG have been unable to compete with Elon Musk for mainstream media coverage, the LG Chem RESU, or Residential Energy […]

[Continue reading…]

Australian Politicians Confuse Wind Power And Powerful Winds

wind vs wind power

Yesterday all of South Australia was blacked out and parts of the state are still without grid power today. This occurred because a powerful storm damaged transmission lines and the entire state grid automatically shut down as a safety precaution to prevent more damage. Restarting a grid after a complete shutdown is complex and requires […]

[Continue reading…]

Is Solar Panel Cleaning A Waste Of Time And Money?

a bird shitting on a solar panel

The day your solar panels are installed is the day you will get the best performance out of them.  After that it is all down hill. Admittedly, it is a very shallow hill and it might take over 40 years to get to the bottom, but day one is going to be as good as […]

[Continue reading…]

Misleading Statements On Sunrise Hurt Solar Industry

On Sunday morning the program Sunrise had a segment on solar power and battery storage. While I am glad whenever popular TV takes the opportunity to educate people on these topics, that wasn’t what happened here. It was the opposite of education, as anyone watching it could easily come away believing the following three things: […]

[Continue reading…]

Goodwe’s GW2500-BP DC Converter: The Cheapest Way To Retrofit Batteries?

goodwe bp

If you own a solar system and want to add batteries then, in theory, the cheapest way to do this is to simply plug your batteries into your existing solar inverter. The solar inverter can then convert the batteries’ DC power into AC power, just like it does for your solar. Unfortunately, in practice, regular solar […]

[Continue reading…]

Cheapest Electricity Plans For Solar Owners Revealed

ronald's head exploding

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, electricity bills are confusing. If you are one of those rare people who don’t find electricity bills confusing, then I have two things to say to you. Firstly, “Good for you”. Secondly, “When are you returning to your home planet?” because I find it hard to […]

[Continue reading…]

Does Battery Storage Help Or Hurt The Environment?

an eco-warrior dreaming about a powerwall

Millions of Australians have installed rooftop solar to help the environment and save money. Many are hoping home battery storage will soon let them do the same. The cost of home energy storage is falling rapidly and it may not be long before it pays for itself.  But at its current price it will not […]

[Continue reading…]

Going off grid with Redflow’s ZCell? Here’s how to handle the ‘maintenance purge’.

Yesterday, Aussie solar veteran Tony Smith left an interesting question at the bottom of our ZCell battery review. Tony asked, for an off grid application, how to handle the fact that the ZCell battery needs to shut down so it can perform maintenance mode every week or so:

[Continue reading…]

Aquion Battery Review: Safe… But Limited Power & Efficiency

DIY Salt Water Battery

UPDATE MARCH 2017: As of March 8, 2017, Aquion has filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code UPDATE JULY 2017 : Aquion Energy is resuming operations Keen on storing your excess solar in a big battery? Worried about having a big box of toxic and/or flammable chemicals in your home? […]

[Continue reading…]

Victoria’s Residential Demand Tariffs: Designed To Cripple Rooftop Solar?

an evil genius pasting demand tariffs to a solar panel

Residential demand tariffs are now available in Australia, and I recommend you watch out for them. If you are a modest user of grid electricity, as many solar owners are, they have the ability to blow your electricity bill through the ceiling.

[Continue reading…]
Get the latest solar, battery and EV charger news straight to your inbox every Tuesday