When it comes to considering solar as an option for your home, many people want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth.
From 1 January 2020, the Australian Capital Territory “will officially be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity”, the territory’s climate change minister Shane Rattenbury. That makes Canberra only the world’s eighth major city – and first outside Europe – to make the switch.
A microgrid installed on an apartment block in Melbourne will provide clean and affordable electricity to 52 low-income households. It will deliver shared solar PV and batteries to more multi-tenanted buildings in the city.
Peer-to-peer energy trading (P2P) is set to be installed into nine apartments in Perth’s eastern suburbs. The development’s integration with smart energy trading technology will allow the space to share a solar PV system and SENEC battery.
An impressive 1MW rooftop solar array has been installed across a shopping centre in western Sydney that is expected to shave an estimated 25% off its annual electricity bill.
The6.7 MW solar PV array was integrated with an existing diesel power station to become the country’s first fully-integrated commercial hybrid diesel/solar facility.
Western Australia’s very own Big Battery – at least, the first and largest yet to be installed on the state’s grid – has been dispatched to its destination in Kalbarri, where it will become the centrepiece of a solar and wind microgrid that promises to deliver much improved reliability than the local grid.
Experts in the field say a fresh take on distributed energy grids is needed. They suggest a model where electricity is generated from houses, businesses and large-scale renewable developments could decrease bills for those able to install bot batteries and panels, and for those who remain heavily dependent on the grid.
Solar Trust Centre Team
