Distributed Storage

The number of battery storage systems being installed alongside PV doubled in 2017. The latest data from the Clean Energy Regulator shows that 3,763 battery storage systems were installed alongside a small-scale PV array, up from 1,566 in 2016.

An academic event held last week in the U.K. presenting the results of two major research projects on energy storage provided an update on the current and future directions of battery storage technology and development.

Victorian homebuilder Porter Davis has announced its plans to equip 50 new knockdown rebuild homes in Victoria with the Bradford Solar ChargePack, which comes with free solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall 2 battery, offering a chance to new home owners to insulate their households against rising power prices.

The territory government announced on Friday that it has paid more than $3 million in grants to six companies. The money will support the roll out of storage installations in homes and businesses across the capital territory, in the form of rebates for customers buying energy storage systems.

The latest in a series of international players in the residential storage space, French hybrid inverter supplier Imeon Energy has announced plans to open a new service center in Melbourne, providing further evidence of Australia’s attractiveness in this market.

Under the Cooperative Research Center Program 4th Selection Round, the Australian Federal Government will extend a grant for a smart home energy management system. Other awarded green projects involve an energy storage technology alternative for lithium-ion batteries and innovative generation of low cost, zero-emission, reliable electricity.

The not-for-profit Alternative Technology Association (ATA) has launched a free service through which homeowners looking to install a solar+storage system can get information on how to best size their system.

Not-for-profit Kopernic provides disaster relief in Bali with the distribution of solar-powered televisions and kits.

Undeniably popular and, according to a new report, important for future energy systems, distributed battery storage is tipped by many to be set for rapid growth. But how realistic is the proposition for homeowners today?

Australia tipped by BNEF to be distributed storage hotspot, despite a lack of policy support. BNEF forecasts global storage market to double in size more than six times between now and 2030.