26th June 2020 One of the common refrains heard about the electricity sector is the danger of too much rooftop solar – and the voltage surges it allegedly causes that can fry domestic appliances such as kettles, toasters, fridges and…
Australia’s black coal industry uses enough water for over 5 million people
5th May 2020 Water is a highly contested resource in this long, oppressive drought, and the coal industry is one of Australia’s biggest water users. Research released today, funded by the Australian Conservation Foundation, has identified how much water coal mining…
Redflow zinc bromine batteries help take W.A. farm off-grid
27th March 2020 A Western Australian farm has taken its 26-year old business off-grid using solar PV and 40kWh of zinc bromine flow batteries from Australian energy storage company Redflow. The owners of the 34-hectare property near Gingin, 90km north…
Home battery boost as NSW launches interest-free loans, Victoria expands rebate
Image Credit: Reposit Power 4th March 2020 A couple of small wins for the Australian residential energy storage market this week, with the Victorian government’s rebate scheme extended to 150 more postcodes in the state, and in New South Wales,…
Don’t like election result? Then go 100 per cent renewables, right now
20th May 2019 Yes I know, we actually had the chance to drag Australia into the 21st century, and it was taken away from us by lies and deceit. I’m not happy either. One thing you can do right now…
Rising coal and gas costs push Australia electricity prices to record highs
17th May 2019 Electricity prices across much of Australia’s main grid rose to record highs in the first quarter of 2019, the Australian Energy Market Operator notes in its latest quarterly report, and it puts the blame on the record…
How sharing solar, batteries and EVs will make energy system more resilient
How can you and I use our own and each other’s energy resources to lessen our exposure to severe weather events? Climate change is already causing destructive impacts to electricity systems in Australia as elsewhere in the world. These…
The switch is on: Consumers are turning away from gas
19th September 2018 In 2008, the demand for grid-supplied electricity in eastern Australia began its fall. Back then, industry planners and commentators thought the phenomenon just a temporary response to the Global Financial Crisis. After an expectedly-brief lull, and as…
How do you solve a problem like fixed charges?
1st March 2018 Credit: David Kingham/flicker Everyone hates the fixed or daily charges on their electricity bills, right? So why do they keep going up? Because retailers take us for mugs, right? What to do about fixed charges represents one…
Australia’s pumped hydro storage potential worth thousands of Tesla big batteries
4th August 2017 Australia has enough untapped pumped hydro energy storage potential to support a 100 per cent renewable energy grid – 35 times over, a team of Australian National University researchers has found. The ANU team – led by…
