Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Finn, you’re a bit old for TikTok, aren’t you?” And you’re not wrong. I’m more of a long-form kinda guy, myself. But, like a dad tryna learn the latest dance moves to impress his kids, I’m not afraid to venture into new territory.
Why? Because the solar revolution needs all the voices it can get, even if those voices are sometimes lip-syncing to Cardi B. So, let’s jump into the top 5 SolarQuotes TikToks of 2023, and see what’s capturing the hearts and minds of the Gen Z solar enthusiasts:
#5 Non-Teslas charging at Tesla superchargers – rolling out now!
26.6k views
In February, Tesla announced that some of it’s Australian Superchargers would now charge non-Teslas. I took my Electric Mini to the Adelaide Supercharger to announce the news. Unfortunately, I managed to get the charging plug stuck in the Mini’s socket. I was about to make an embarrassing phonecall to Tesla when it magically released.
@solar_quotes Non-Teslas charging at Tesla superchargers – rolling out now! #tesla #supercharger
#4 It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Aussie solar installers rate Fronius as the greatest!
29.7k views
Announcing that our annual survey of Aussie installers once again voted Fronius as the best solar inverter money can buy. Plenty of commenters accused us of taking money from Fronius, blissfully unaware that we have a policy of refusing to take money from hardware manufacturers.
@solar_quotes It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Aussie solar installers rate Fronius as the greatest! #solarpower
#3 Building a House? Go for 3-phase power.
121.7k views
If you’re building a house in Australia, get a 3-phase connection. It’s surprisingly cheap if done from the outset (assuming your builder’s not a crook). It means you can install more solar, and will have a higher current rating when you need to charge your car, cook your dinner, and relax in the sauna at the same time.
@solar_quotes Building a house? Go for 3-phase power! #building #electricity #solarpower
#2 Tesla Powerwalls are really expensive. What other batteries should you consider?
177.4k views
Posted in January, before any of 2023’s price drops, an installed Powerwall would not get much change from $20,000. Here, I suggest looking at Sungrow, BYD, Redback and SolarEdge as alternatives. Twelve months later, an installed Powerwall is closer to $15,000, making a much more compelling option as a retrofit. And with the Powerwall 3 with integrated solar inverter promised in Australia for 2024, Tesla will be looking to dominate the market for solar and batteries installed together.
@solar_quotes Tesla Powerwalls are really expensive. What other batteries should you consider? #tesla #battery
#1 Electric Car batteries have some exciting developments
195.4k views
The winning post announced CATL’s high ‘specific energy’ battery using next-level science stuff, like biomimetic tech and superconductive materials. If CATL’s claims stack up this could lead to EVs with 1,000km of range. If your attention can hold for more than 32 seconds, Ronald wrote a long-form blog post about these wonder batteries here.
@solar_quotes #electriccar batteries have some exciting developments
As you can see from the views, I struggle with short-form videos. But if you’re into clean energy and TikTok comes naturally, start creating! We must inspire a whole new generation to embrace clean energy and bust all the anti-progress tropes in those TikTok comments.
That’s something worth dancing for.
Just don’t ask me to join in on the dance challenges. I’ll stick mostly to my blog posts, thanks very much.
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G’day Finn, I’m interested in getting an electric car in the next year or two. I particularly want one that can be used to supply power to the house while connected to the charger, especially during a blackout.
we live in Adelaide, (Eden Hills) and have about 6.5KW of solar on the roof. We also have a 3PH grid supply.
As I understand it the Nissan Leaf is the only car that can do this currently. What is the latest info on suitable cars.
Thanks,
Bob Gitsham
[email protected]
At the moment it’s Nissan Leaf only – but you’ll struggle to get hold of the only bi-directional charger approved in SA – the Wallbox Qasar as it’s been discontinued as far as I know.
An SA mob make a device called a HOEM which claims it can use a car capable of V2L (BYD, Hyundai, KIA) and convert it to V2H – we’re looking into it. Can’t recommend it until we’ve sussed it out properly…
There are a number of vehicles due in the 2nd half of 2024, early 2025 that will support bidirectional charging with the Qasar II release being imminent in Australia as well as Enphase and other brands releasing bidirectional chargers next year.
I came across a website that had all the expected release dates but I’m struggling to find it again, if I can find it, I’ll post it here.
Obviously SAPN will need to approve chargers and cars before they can be connected to the grid but this functionality will be a game changer. Personally, I think this is the easiest way to move the solar duck curve and finally give the buying power back to the consumer, I only have 10.8KW of panels but produce significantly more power than I can consume so having a large battery in the form of a car should just about see me able to eliminate the use of grid power.
Thanks Brendan, I’ll stand by with baited breath. I could increase my solar capacity to 10 or maybe even 12KW, but much of it would be shaded for part of the day, so not sure if it’s worth it. We too can produce more power than we use on a sunny day. An electric car for us would also be a game changer as it would only be used for one or two hours a day, and be hooked up to the house the rest of the day.
Would be very interested in any further investigation into the HOEM VTL/VTH product, it looks like a potential game-changer.