Australia’s data centre boom is going to need an extraordinary amount of electricity. Without the right rules, households and small businesses could end up sharing the bill. [Read more…]
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Solar Backup: Super Series Vs Perfect Parallel Connections
Parallel supply to the house on the left – Series connection on the right
Everyone buying solar wants lower bills, but adding expensive batteries should be more about a reliable supply than straight-up bean-counting.
The solar industry has, for a long time, glossed over a pretty basic point in battery-backed systems, so strap in while we explain the difference between series and parallel-connected supplies, and why it matters.
How Many Chances Should You Give Your Solar Installer?
Most of us want to believe the best in people.
If your solar installer says they’re waiting on stock, you’ll probably accept it. If they ask for a few more weeks, you’ll give them a few more weeks.
But when does patience stop being reasonable?
That’s the question NSW homeowner Mark Barnes eventually found himself asking after seven months of delays, a missed installation date and, after cancelling his battery order, still waiting for the return of his $6,500 deposit. [Read more…]
If Your Battery Dies, Your Bills Will Rocket. Here’s Who Should Pay.
A fortnight ago, 7.30 aired an investigation into Solar Power Nation, a retailer the ABC reports is under investigation by authorities in Queensland, NSW and South Australia after hundreds of complaints.
One customer, Amin Khorram, paid $13,000 for a battery system. Only one of the two inverters was installed, so he got 5 kW of the promised 10 kW and couldn’t charge or discharge his batteries fast enough to get all the savings he expected. He chased the company for eight months. The missing inverter finally appeared last month, as his QCAT hearing date approached. Funny, that. [Read more…]
Kilowatts vs Kilowatt-Hours: The Mix-Up That Never Dies
I first wrote about this back in 2012. Fourteen years later, I’m still writing about it. That should tell you something about how sticky this confusion is. [Read more…]
Why Adding A Battery Module Isn’t As Simple As Lego
Looking at a modular home battery, adding another module appears about as difficult as stacking another Lego brick. Lift the new battery into place, stack it on top of the others, plug it in and away you go.
How hard can it be? It’s probably why the question pops up every now and then in online owner forums. [Read more…]
Australia’s Battery Boom Hits 500,000. What’s Changed?
Australia has now installed more than 500,000 batteries under the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
It’s an impressive number for a scheme that’s a little over a year old, and one Energy Minister Chris Bowen was understandably keen to celebrate.
“Every battery installed means another household getting more value from their rooftop solar, and another job for the local installers and small businesses delivering this rollout across the country,” Bowen said.
But half a million batteries later, it’s worth looking beyond the milestone. The program hasn’t just put a lot of batteries on walls. It has changed Australia’s home energy market remarkably quickly.
[Read more…]
Solar Power Nation Clean Bowled By Hundreds Of Complaints
A major solar retailer operating under four different names – and promoted by retired cricketer Michael Clarke – faces multiple investigations after copping hundreds of complaints, ranging from allegations of dodgy worksmanship to unrefunded deposit payments for installs that never happened.
[Read more…]
Insulating An Apartment With Strata: What’s Allowed?
The parts of your apartment you can insulate depend on four main factors:
- Whether you own or rent
- Whether the work affects common property
- Whether it changes the building’s outside look
- Which state you live in
These points will help you figure out what you can do right away, what needs approval, and what isn’t allowed at all.
Aldi Solar Expands West As Growing Pains Mount
Aldi Solar is expanding, with people in Western Australia and South Australia now able to get in line. But there are plenty of red flags to be aware of before getting a solar and battery system from a discount supermarket.
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