Results from Energy Consumers Australia’s latest ECBS survey provides insights into interest and action in relation to home solar, batteries and EV uptake.
Based on fieldwork completed in the middle of August, ECA’s latest Energy Consumer Behaviour Survey was carried out with a sample size of 2,384 households.
In terms of Australians considering purchasing a solar power system, battery storage or an EV at some point (but not soon), the following is how things stacked up in 2022 compared to 2021.
- Solar: 17% (15%)
- Batteries: 24% (21%)
- Electric Vehicle: 23% (18%)
33% of respondents already had solar panels and 9% a home battery. With regard to a purchase within the next 12 months:
- Solar: 5% (5%)
- Batteries: 3% (3%)
- Electric Vehicle: 4% (3%)
… things are static except on the EV front. That’s interesting given electricity price rises prior to the survey. And while there are more power price increases likely on the way, many Australians wouldn’t have been aware of that situation at the time the ECBS survey was carried out.
So, how about purchases in last 12 months?
- Solar: 7% (7%)
- Batteries: 2% (3%)
- Electric Vehicle: 1% (2%)
SolarQuotes saw a significant increase in interest in getting quotes starting around late May. It remained elevated for a while and then tapered off a bit before returning with a vengeance early last week. This was driven by extensive media coverage on predicted further power price hikes. Whether the latest spike in interest will be just a quick sugar-hit and will settle to still-elevated levels or drop back further remains to be seen.
Barriers To Uptake
Commenting on the ECBS findings, Energy Consumers Australia Policy Officer and social scientist Taneesha Amos-Hampson said of the households who don’t have solar panels, only 26% are intending to buy a system or considering it.
“We also see this reticence play out similarly across other technologies such as home batteries and electric vehicles,” said Ms. Amos-Hampson.
The barriers to adoption include – and no surprises here:
- Upfront costs.
- Renters and those living in apartment buildings unable to.
- Able, but not willing due to a perceived lack of good information – or trust.
On the latter, Ms. Amos-Hampson says “both tend to amplify doubt and uncertainty and frustrate action.”
But of the group who don’t have solar panels, 43% are renters and 61% are under financial pressure. It’s a tricky situation – solar panels will save households money and alleviate financial pressure. But the up-front costs even with the solar rebate can still be too great a barrier for many to clear. There are various ways to finance a solar power system, but some need to be approached with caution – such as “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) solar arrangements.
“Despite the motivating forces brought by the energy crisis we can see an element of gridlock when it comes to adoption of these new technologies and measures,” says Ms. Amos-Hampson. “Consumers, through their lack of action, are telling us that they need more support in moving from interest to action.”
More on the latest ECBS results can be found here, and Ms. Amos-Hampson’s interpretation of the findings here.
About Michael Bloch
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Hi Guys…..
have a question. I have 6.5kw solar system and a 10kwh battery…..still need more power at home and at by business premises (which has a 12kwh system, with no battery). I have an EV and plan to get a second one….also my wife has a home baking business. In short we use ALOT of power.
I was wondering about the cheapest/best way to increase our renewable power production. Have seen home sized wind turbines maybe connected to a second battery…..dont have any space left on the best facing side of my roof….but alot on the south facing side…..any and all ideas welcome
Having waited 12 months for my 8kWh system to be installed My problem is now the cost of batteries. The rising USD has destroyed my dream of becoming solar self sufficient. At $10,000 AUD (roughly $1,000 dollar per kWh) The “Smart Solar home” batteries like the Tesla and SolarEdge were just making sense.. At $16-18,000 they now longer make any sense financially – let along common sense.. and are now prohibitively expensive. So much so, I have had to ditch my dream of ever owning battery storage. Let alone the 2 batteries giving me >20kWh storage I really need (I am exporting 50-75% of my surplus solar energy to the grid at an absurd 6c kWh)
What am I to do? Yes there is older battery tech – like lead etc.. which are way cheaper, but my inverter company (SolarEdge) – even though the inverter is capable of charging DC – seems to lock me into only the SolarEdge DC battery. Is this anti-competitive behaviour?
To be honest I now feel trapped in the tentacles of a US corporation without the ability to easily add solar battery storage at a half decent reasonable price.
This is the number one problem right now IMHO with self sufficient solar energy. The costs of energy collection are no longer an issue. It’s the costs of energy storage that is now the no. 1 problem and it’s only getting worse.
What am I to do?
Suggestions please!
Thanks!
There is currently a consultation paper out for the federal government’s National EV Initiative:
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/news/consultation-nev-opens
I have major concerns about the lack of reference to vehicle safety in the consultatiom paper. Here is my submission:
http://www.vdrsyd.com/mp/Submission%20to%20Electric%20Vehicle%20Strategy%20Paine%20McIntosh.pdf
A lot is being written about electric vehicles. I understand that the battery life of these vehicles is around the 10 year mark. My query relates to the value of vehicles after that time. Will the cost of battery replacement significantly devalue these vehicles? And would anyone want to buy a second hand EV as it approaches 10 years of life.
Any observation on this would be appreciated.
I tackle EV battery deterioration in myth #4 in this article:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/top-10-electric-car-myths/
Frank Wilson,
“Will the cost of battery replacement significantly devalue these vehicles? And would anyone want to buy a second hand EV as it approaches 10 years of life.”
When considering purchasing one’s next vehicle, perhaps thinking sticking with an ICEV choice is much less risky than a BEV, I’d suggest one should also be considering what would be the likely price and availability of petroleum fuels during the life of that vehicle.
Accumulating evidence/data I see indicates the era of cheap and abundant crude oil and petroleum fuels has ended forever. See my slides #33-47, with particular emphasis on #42, in the pdf file (10.4 MB) at: https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/resources/pac/media/files/pac/project-submissions/2022/05/mt-pleasant-optimisation-project-ssd-10418/20220708t144208/theclimateenergycrisis20220708.pdf
Data indicates Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production has already plateaued and it may be beginning to decline. It seems from the production graph, Saudi Arabia’s oil production can’t be sustained near or above 11 Mb/d for very long – select the 10-year graph at: https://tradingeconomics.com/saudi-arabia/crude-oil-production
What if the OPEC+ alliance’s decision to cut oil production by 2 Mb/d from November 2022 is because OPEC+ cannot meet or sustain its current quotas?
Saudi Arabia & Russia crude oil productions both appear to have peaked. Most other oil producing countries are in production decline. The world is fast running out of pre-peak oil producing countries.
Gasoil/diesel fuel is becoming scarcer than petrol/gasoline because the proportion of crude oils being produced globally, that contain the necessary heavier compounds needed to refine into diesel, is decreasing.
With our civilisation configured as it currently is, diesel is the workhorse of the global economy. When the price of diesel goes up, then the price of nearly everything else follows.
Thanks Ronald. If a car does need a replacement battery, what would you estimate the cost to be? I am assuming, of course, that you have Nostradamus-like qualities of prediction.
Batteries will continue to fall in price, so the cost of replacing an EV battery pack in 10 years should not be high. If the cost comes to $100 per kWh then a 50 kWh battery pack will cost $5,000. If batteries go back to falling in cost at the rate they were a couple of years ago, then it could cost much less than that.
But I see a real problem with whether or not third party batteries will be able to be easily installed in older EVs. If it is allowed, then car manufacturers will – presumably – have to charge reasonable prices for new battery packs. But if people are forced to only buy manufacturer battery packs they would be able to charge a fortune for them. Obviously, governments should tackle this problem now rather than leave it for the future. If there are going to be subsidies for EVs they should go to cars were it’s possible to get a third party battery pack replacement.
Thanks for these links and information.
I should add that my next vehicle will be an electric one, but I do have concerns re long term replacement costs.