Some people are labeling the arrival of battery storage as the ‘second solar revolution’, with the first being around 5 – 7 years ago when the government started offering rebates, and an entire new industry was born overnight.
I recently looked at a bill for an install I was part of back in March 2010. Back then I used to subcontract to a team of CEC licensed installers, with the qualified electricians doing all D.C. (solar) work, and me taking care of the A.C (normal house power). It was there that I got an introduction to the industry, until I completed my solar grid connect design and install course, and joined the solar teams, and have never looked back.
The bill was for what would be considered today a huge amount, the install was 1kw, in todays terms that is tiny! The government were offering very generous incentives back in 2010, and the industry was booming.
1 kw of grid connected power installed in 2010
Fast forward to today and a lot has changed. Now the systems are 3kw – 5kw, and in some areas up to 10kw’s. The price is about half to a third of 2010 prices for a system which is 3 to 5 times bigger.
10 kw's installed in 2013, this would have been unheard of just 3 years earlier
There are still incentives for going solar, a reduced feed in tariff still exists and all legitimate installs are eligible for small scale green credits, which knocks around $2,000 upwards (depending on the size of the array) off the bill. But a lot of people are getting excited again, and that is because of the new, shiny, all signing all dancing battery storage systems!
In layman’s terms, homeowners and businesses now have the option of storing any excess power they create, either for use after the sun has gone down, or for an emergency back up system if they are cut from the grid. The back up storage is more geared towards rural or off grid customers, particularly important for people in bushfire danger areas who have electric water pumps, but also to city dwellers who just want a UPS.
In my opinion the flood gates are about to burst. We are on the verge of a huge shift in power generation, storage and usage in this country. Within 10 to 15 years, I think we will see almost every house and business with some form of hybrid or off grid system.
What batteries are around at the moment, and what do they cost to install?
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years, you would have heard of the Tesla Powerwall.
It is the rockstar of the battery world, and they have just started installing them in Australia. For around $15,000 to $16,000 a select group of companies are offering a solar panel, inverter and Powerwall combination. The hype has been huge, with billionaire owner Elon Musk at the helm, people are buzzing with excitement. But they are not the only option.
Queensland energy company RedFlow, have announced a ‘plug and play’ home battery, which will be available around June.
When you think of Panasonic and LG, the first items that come to mind are TV’s, white goods and DVD players etc. But they are now both making big inroads into the battery storage industry, along with various other international players.
I believe the industry is in the first wave of the product cycle. There are earlier pioneers who are testing the water, experimenting with new technologies, and starting to push the boundries on what can be achieved. For the customer, a lot of people are keen to get in now, but the vast majority are watching and waiting to see what comes next.
Should I invest now?
The best time to go solar is now. It will always be worth it. If you think that batteries are too expensive, untested or you just don’t understand them, that is understandable, it is very early days and the numbers to compare case studies, or the word around the water coolers are still not really enough for the majority of people to commit.
But, every minute you are not generating your own power, is another minute you are paying 100% of your hard earned straight to the big power companies. If you want control, even a fraction of control, then you need to start generating your own. If the thought of battery storage interests you, then why not bite the bullet, have a future proofed grid connected system designed and installed immediately. You can watch and monitor your usage over a period of 12 Months or more, then decide if the sums work out or not, all the time saving money with the power you produce. In the end if you decide that storage is not for you, then no harm done, you can continue connected to the grid, and receiving the feed in tariff.
The price will drop, and the product options will grow. I suggest you get on board now, and start taking control.