Distributed Storage

While it has seen growing market acceptance of its zinc-bromine flow battery technology in the past 12 months, Redflow has reported a slowdown in delivery of batteries with cash receipts of only $74,000 received in the FY2019 final quarter.

The analyst has published its latest Energy Storage Outlook report and says large scale deployment will provide the majority of the 1,095 GW/2,850 GWh of battery storage worldwide in 2040, with prices driven down further by grid services demand and EVs.

The program will test the potential of distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar systems, battery storage and controllable load devices, aggregated into virtual power plants (VPPs), to provide scalable energy and network services traditionally performed by large-scale, conventional electricity generators. With registration open, the Australian Energy Market Operator wants VPPs to register to accelerate the shared learning on how to safely and efficiently integrate, operate and regulate these emerging technologies into the National Electricity Market.

After it deployed a record $1.3 billion into the clean energy sector in a 12-month period, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation said it will sharpen its focus on energy storage and other technologies to support the stability of the national grid.

WA’s regional utility Horizon Power will supply homes and businesses that install rooftop PV and batteries with Secure Gateway Devices (SGDs) to allow for higher penetration levels in the northwest town of Onslow. Newcastle-based SwitchIn has been selected by Horizon to supply the SGDs.

With miners around globe stepping up their production capacities to cater to the demand of the electro-mobility and energy storage sectors, supply has outpaced demand leading to a steep decline in lithium prices. Amid slowing growth in China, a number of Australian lithium miners are hurting.

South Australia’s virtual power plant is nearing the potential Phase 3, which could see 50,000 homes connected becoming the equivalent of a 250 MW network of decentralized power generating units.

Elon Musk’s EV and energy company is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the U.S. rooftop solar market, but battery sales are booming.

The South Australian government is looking to extend its Home Battery Scheme subsidy of up to $6000 and low interest loans to rental properties, property developers and aged care facilities.

A report published by New Zealand’s state-owned transmission grid operator Transpower finds the widespread uptake of distributed battery storage could play an important role in supporting the power system as rooftop PV and electric vehicles are increasingly adopted.