Data provided by the Australian PV Institute shows that NSW was producing 790,718 Mwh of solar power output each month. The attached graph shows the solar installations in postcodes 2126, 2156 and 2158 since 2007.
Cherrybrook has installed 16MW, Kenthurst/ Annangrove 20MW and Dural 11MW. If you compare this to the densely populated new release areas of 2765, they have installed over 110MW.
From the 1st July the Government has introduced a new Solar Battery Rebate Scheme, which will provide up to 30% rebate. These are the details which are known to date (source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/ battery-storage/federal-rebate)
Which Batteries Will Be Eligible?
Batteries will need to meet some requirements:
• The batteries will need to have been approved by the Clean Energy Council and installers must have appropriate battery installation accreditation.
• The minimum amount of usable capacity covered under the scheme is expected to be 5 kWh.
• The maximum amount of usable capacity is expected to be 50 kWh – but you can install systems up to 100 kWh and still receive the rebate for a 50kWh system.
• Solar batteries must be capable of connecting to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), but there’s not expected to be any requirement to join a VPP.
So what is a VPP?
A number of electricity retailers already provide VPP schemes.
This permits them to draw the power stored in your home battery to power the grid in times of high demand. They will pay you a higher price for the power they draw during peak times. There should be safeguards in the scheme that leave enough power stored in your battery for you to use in your home during the evening/ early morning.
Households that can afford to install a larger battery than their own needs, can therefore take advantage of selling the power back to the grid during peak demand. The cost benefit of these options need to be calculated by the householder based on the VPP scheme being offered.
The choice of battery storage systems has increased more recently. Many are now easily expandable, can provide backup in outages and come EV ready. Look out for other options like V2H (Vehicle-to-Home) and V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) capabilities, these will offer further possibilities of storing power and selling excess back to the grid when prices are high.
Most solar and battery systems now provide online monitoring via a smartphone app, which enables the household to plan the timing of power usage. As they say, knowledge is power and changing routines of power usage can also help you save more money.
