Distributed Storage

Market intelligence company Navigant Research has developed a country forecast of the global market. Incentives and pricing will be the main driver of installations, though the market will continue to be concentrated in certain key regions for now.

Known for its blockchain-based peer-to-peer platform that allows energy trading between households, Power Ledger is now readying for the first large-scale commercial rollout of its technology in Australia. The Perth-based company has partnered with electricity wholesaler Powerclub to allow households to pool net solar and battery storage and act as a virtual power plant.

The Asian Development Bank has signed off a grant for the South Pacific island nation to move on its plans to be 100% renewable by 2025.

The Smart Energy Hub can operate in electrolysis mode to store renewable energy as hydrogen, or in fuel cell mode to produce electricity and heat from previously produced hydrogen or methane. Its developers are the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and start-up Sylfen.

The Victorian government has extended its solar battery rebate from the initial 24 to 104 postcodes. Meanwhile, the demand for solar panel rebates has slightly slowed down.

Australia’s rooftop PV has become the country’s biggest potential energy resource. To harness it requires that millions of household and commercial generators cede control of their hard-won, sunny patch. A new research entity has been launched to understand energy consumers’ passions and motivators, and facilitate a fair and equitable social contract — no pressure!

Hybrid home battery/inverter systems were the hot ticket at All Energy Australia last month. Those that provide back-up capacity will change the lives of people living in blackout-prone areas.

Australian manufacturer RedEarth has announced a new energy storage system for the Australian commercial and industrial market using technology from the global engineering and technology company, Siemens.

AGL, Australia’s biggest power producer, has inked a deal that will see the development of four large-scale batteries in NSW. The agreement is an attempt to secure against fluctuating prices during peak periods.

Meet Afnan Hannan, CEO and co-founder of Okra Solar, an Aussie startup looking to eradicate energy poverty using solar minigrids that has already been recognised with a global sustainability award and a best IoT startup award.