Distributed Storage

The Berejiklian government is gearing up to deliver on its election pledge and roll out interest-free loans for home battery systems. The program holds the promise to help up to 300,000 households save hundreds of dollars on their power bills.

Mining company Neometals and Manikaran Power have started a jointly funded study into the feasibility of establishing India’s first lithium refinery, which would process ore from the Mount Marion mine in Western Australia.

On the back of a successful trial in South Australia, AGL is expanding its virtual power plant to other states. Under the program, customers will be able to save up to $280 a year on their electricity bills and be offered an upfront payment of $1,000 towards the cost of their battery.

The South Korean battery manufacturer has joined forces with Victorian recycler Envirostream to develop processing solutions and reduce battery waste stream in Australia.

As commercial operations begin to more routinely factor battery storage into their solar-energy-powered plans, insurance companies are assessing the accompanying fire risks. One such company has publicly released its guidance for property protection.

Lithium ion battery technology continues to hog the limelight, powered by the growing demand for the battery chemistry from the EV sector. But long established lead acid batteries also have a future, argues Alistair Davidson, the Director of the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI).

The International Energy Agency says more than 2 million electric vehicles hit the road last year, to take the total to more than 5 million. The agency has stressed the importance of public policy, charging infrastructure and a fall in costs for continued EV uptake, and says up to 43 million EVs could be sold in 2030.

Rebates and zero-interest loans for solar panels, solar hot water systems and batteries account for one of the major spends in Victoria’s 2019/20 budget and come at a cost of $1.3 billion.

Victorian households can now sign up for sonnenFlat, an energy plan that offers a guaranteed annual energy allowance including solar, storage and grid energy usage for a fixed fee.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis has estimated the effect on the payback period of PV systems when adding EVs and storage in Germany and Britain. In both cases, system owners are likely to reduce their payback period by significant margins as increased self-consumption can offset the incremental phase out of government incentives.