Distributed Storage

ARENA has opened the first application round for the government’s national community battery program, allocating $120 million (USD 81 million) to be split equally between networks and other applicants. The program was last week accused of rorting, with independent politicians revealing the locations for a proportion of the promised batteries were selected by the Labor party alone and not based on merit or need.

Record numbers of battery energy storage systems were installed in Australian homes and businesses in 2022 with energy industry consultancy SunWiz reporting more than 47,000 residential batteries were installed across the country last year, a 55% increase on the previous year.

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, estimates the country could require a 10 to 14-fold increase in its electricity storage capacity between 2025-2050. It has released its energy storage report, forecasting demand in different sectors and summarising storage technologies.

Amprius has obtained third-party performance verification for a battery cell that offers high power density in a lightweight package.

Australian battery technology innovator Sparc Technologies is reporting “exceptional” results in its campaign to develop sustainably sourced hard carbon material for the production of anodes for the nascent sodium-ion battery market.

Queensland is continuing its rollout of publicly-owned batteries, announcing the town of Emerald in its Central Highlands Region will soon host a 4 MW / 8 MWh battery. While the announcement doesn’t make reference to buzz term ‘community batteries,’ it seems the state is effectively rolling out a storage fleet to deliver on the promises of the concept.

Australian battery designer and manufacturer PowerPlus Energy will look to accelerate its growth plans after technology investment company PPK Group announced plans to acquire a large stake in the company.

The “Solar Box” mobile power plant is a container consisting of solar modules, a battery storage system, and a hydrogen storage system. According to Austria’s Alternative Energy Projects (AEP), the system starts at 94 kW and can be scaled up to more than 5 MW.

On the back of Covid-19 lockdowns, geopolitical energy crises, a cost-of-living crisis and evermore congested cities, some people are looking for alternate ways of living, while others are just looking for an cosy getaway that doesn’t come with a Sasquatch-sized carbon footprint. Enter Stella the Stargazer, a solar-powered holiday destination that makes living off-grid the lap of luxury.

The electric vehicle and storage manufacturer shared insight into its Megapack energy storage business and the Megapack XL, the stationary battery storage product that Tesla says has the highest energy density on the market.