The entirety of South Australia witnessed a statewide blackout last week. While neighbourhood power outages are something we are all used to, a loss of electricity on this scale is practically unheard of.

A lot of people were left wondering how an advanced nation like Australia – a country who has spent (even overspent) on upgrading and maintaining its grid connection - did not have substantial safety measures in place to prevent millions from losing access to power.

While it might be easy to play off the blackout as a ‘first world problem', something we can laugh about in the future, the consequences were real.

Fertility clinics lost embryos, a hospital had to prevent the death of an infant, and beyond that, millions went without power or communication.

So, why does this matter to you?

The Risk Of Centralised Energy

Well, unless you are part of the very few who have been early adopters of battery storage, you most likely rely on the grid.

And, while there were a number of events that eventually led to the blackout, the number one reason it occurred was because ‘the grid’ is inherently centralised.

This means that the entire state relies on key infrastructure to generate power. It also means that when this infrastructure fails, everyone is affected and SA is not alone.

All statewide grids are interconnected and therefore can and most likely will experience widescale outages in the future.

It was only recently that 200,000 went without power in NSW, not to mention the countless ‘neighbourhood blackouts’ that occur on a regular basis.

Beyond that, the cost of maintaining long-distance connections is huge and has cost taxpayers millions.

Meaning that for all the tax money, power bills and, connection costs, relying on the grid puts you at risk of blackouts and interruptions.

The Lucky 1% Who Kept the Power On

While 99% of South Australians were subject to the blackout there were a lucky few.

The CEO of Redflow, who had installed 10kWh of battery storage, was able to power his home throughout the majority of the blackout.

Stating:

‘I landed (in Brisbane) to the news of a statewide blackout… except for my house, where the teenagers are continuing to charge their smartphones and play computer games perfectly happily.’

Going on to say, ‘It took them an hour to figure out the power had failed – they had to read about it on social media – they hadn’t noticed!”

From our own experience, we have heard similar stories about battery owners not realising they weren't connected to the grid until their neighbours questioned why they weren’t affected by the blackout.

But beyond the experience of a few, being able to lean on independent sources of power has become extremely attractive to hundreds of people.

A 228% surge in home battery inquiries occurred right after the blackout.

Microgrids, Smart Homes and the Future of Power

Millions experienced first hand the issues of relying on a single source of power.

However, there is an alternative to relying on a single system. New York, for example, has pioneered microgrid development.

A system of smaller independent networks that can communicate with the larger grid, but are not directly reliant on it to function.

Microgrids also give way to being able to trade and export power in a more controllable way, as power would be diverted within a more focused area.

Given that, energy marketplaces have begun to emerge from recent government deregulation, microgrids, and decentralised energy communities would give homeowners much greater control over their energy use.

We recently wrote an article talking about a how Reposit Power, and its growing network of energy partners, are changing how battery owners sell electricity.

By adding sophisticated software to your battery unit through smart software, you can repay your battery within half the time.

Then you can go on to sell power at a premium when energy is scarce, for example during blackouts.

This means that you won’t be limited to a flat rate of 6-11c, but can sell power to your neighbours during times of high demand, achieving prices of up to $1.00/kWh.

At the end of the day, it's up to you whether experiencing blackouts and paying excessive bills is worth the expense. We think battery storage is a great solution for those wishing to gain greater independence.

This has never been truer with the advent of smart energy marketplaces allowing you to finally see an ROI on battery storage.

In the long term, maybe we will see a shift towards microgrids and decentralised power. For now, protecting yourself is the best option.

So what do you think?

Do you think battery storage, microgrids, and energy marketplaces would have helped those without power?

Let Us Know.

'Whisper-quiet but wickedly fast.' - Zero Motorcycles

That’s how ZERO describes riding one of their 2016 all-electric line of motorcycles. I think the same can be said for just about any electric vehicle. It used to be that EV’s were seen as chunky, inefficient experimentations.

Today EV’s offer a glimpse of the future, as one ZERO customers put it, ‘...where gasoline engines feel frankly archaic’. ZERO is helping redefine what it means to own an electric vehicle, beginning with a bike that looks ahead of its time and finishing with a 0-60 of 3.3 seconds.

A technology outpacing the competition, and itself

To top it off, ZERO has been able to rapidly improve their technology, dropping the price along the way. In comparison to petrol bikes, Zero, and other electric bike manufacturers have been making leaps and bounds in just about every area.

For example in 2011, a ZERO motorbike achieved:

• Top Speeds of 67mph (107km/h)
• Torque of 44 ft-lb (59.7 N-m)
• Horsepower of 25 hp (18.6 kW)
• Range of 43 Miles (69km)
• Max Capacity of 4.4kwh

Now, for any motorbike enthusiast, those numbers aren’t too exciting. However, today the ZERO SR blows away most petrol-powered motorcycles and is miles ahead of where ZERO was 5 years ago.

The ZERO SR is capable of achieving in 2016:

• Top Speeds of 102 mph (164 km/h)
• Torque of 106 ft-lb (144 Nm)
• Horsepower of 67 hp (50 kW)
• Range of 161 Miles (259 km)
• Max Capacity of 13kWh

When you consider that this bike accelerates just 0.5 seconds slower than free fall, its hard not to be blown away by the progress electric vehicles have made.

GAS2 reported that ZERO also improved their brakes and shocks in 2014, dropping the price $400 as they went. In 2015, ZERO dropped the price on their bikes another $1350.

This is all thanks to the way renewable technology rapidly improves over time. Battery efficiency continues to outdo itself, as well as petrol engines, time and time again.

Out of nowhere, electric vehicles have changed the game and are in some ways becoming a day to day experience.

In fact, right now the fastest production bike, and the fastest four-door sedan are both electric vehicles.

It won’t be long before the world’s fastest hypercar is a fully electric vehicle.

Combining EV’s with Solar + Batteries

With home battery storage, a ZERO bike can be recharged at home, achieving up to 85km (53 miles) of range for every hour of charge. It's things like this that make EV's so attractive, plus their silent but undeniable speed.

Similar to your laptop or smartphone, ZERO bikes provide a way to gain independence from oil and energy companies.

This means that ZERO bikes have an average running cost of $0.01USD per km if you are still buying your electricity from energy providers, that is.

Chances are most people who are interested in an electric bike, would also be savvy in regards to making the switch to solar.

With solar power or even solar + batteries, ZERO bikes could theoretically have a running cost of $0.00.

Imagine being able to go for a ride without worrying about the cost, or having to fill up at a petrol station.

Conclusion

It is this seamless, easy to use, yet ultimately powerful experience that renewable technologies are providing people around the world.

Be it through driving down their electricity bills with solar, storing energy and finding independence with batteries, or driving petrol-less vehicles for next to nothing.

In combination, you can eliminate your utility bills and the cost of petrol, something that is on all our minds every time we jump in the driver’s seat.

As a final note, in the spirit of ZERO's ferocity, anyone who still feels like electric vehicles or even solar energy are underdeveloped technologies, probably haven’t felt their understated power.

We have been writing heavily about batteries recently. We have been discussing everything from their eco-friendliness, the LG Chem Vs Tesla debate, and the coming battery boom.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes after reading everything there is to know about a topic I’m interested in I forget the most basic details… including the price.

So if you guys are anything like me, then you might appreciate this simple price comparison we put together. We looked at a number of different batteries, including the Tesla Powerwall, Redflow, LG Chem and Fronius.

We chose these few for a couple of reasons, firstly we wanted to show diversity in areas such as price, battery type and capacity, but also include the some of the most popular brands.

Other than that, we wanted to compare batteries on the basis that they are offering homeowners a way to store their power and nothing more, rather than excluding batteries which possess certain differing qualities.

Tesla Powerwall

Capacity: 6.4kWh
Max Output: 2.5 - 3.3kW
Efficiency: 92.5%
DoD: 70-80%
Battery Type: Lithium-Ion
Warrantied Lifetime: 10 Years

The star child of the industry, the Powerwall certainly has the looks to match its reputation. It is an easily accessible option for people new to battery storage and solar power.

Advanced fire safety gives this system an edge however it does not come without its issues. For example, if the average ambient temperature of operation is above 30 degrees than Tesla will void the warranty.

As well as this a 2.5kW max output can be very limiting for larger homes. While in America it was hailed as the first affordable system, here this is not so much the case.

A system will cost you around $8000 roughly, which means it would have a total cost per kilowatt-hour of:

$1250/kWh

Redflow Z-Cell

Capacity: 10kWh
Max Output: 3-5kW
Efficiency: 80%
DoD: 100%
Battery Type: Flow (Zinc-Bromide)
Warrantied Lifetime: 30,000 kWh

Redflow is an Australian company trying to shake things up. They have opted to go for a flow battery instead of a Lithium Ion battery. This means that the battery won’t have any overheating issues like the Powerwall or other Lithium-Ion systems.

On top of that, they have chosen to warranty the Z-cell based on usage rather than a time period. This means that it is up to you how to use this system, however, the warranty would last ten years if you used around 8kWh a day.

A system will cost you around $12,600 roughly, all up which means it would have a total cost per kilowatt-hour of:

$1260/kWh

LG Chem RESU 10H

Capacity: 9.8kWh
Max Output: 5kW
Efficiency: 95%
DoD: 95%
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Warrantied Lifetime: 10 Years

It is not currently available in Australia, but will be later this year. Oh and we got some specs pre-release so you can compare the latest systems.

Most people haven’t heard much about this system, but when it arrives, we think it'll be quite popular.

The important things to take from this system is that it has a 5kW output, 95% efficiency, a DoD of 95% and a warranty of 10 years. It also weighs less than a 6.4kwh Tesla Powerwall.

The warranty is especially noteworthy as they are preparing to insure 80% of the system for 10 years, unlike most batteries which taper their warranties to a greater degree.

But, the most surprising thing about this system is the price point. For a capacity of 9.8kWh, it will cost $9722 after GST, meaning it will have a a cost per kilowatt-hour of:

$992/kWh

Fronius Battery

Capacity: 12kWh
Max Output: 6.4kW
Efficiency: 90%+
DoD: 80%
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Warrantied Lifetime:5 Years

Fronius, known mostly for their inverters has also released a battery system. This system is a larger model, showing the full capacity and result stats.

As you can see the advantage to this system is the whopping 6.4kW output that it is capable of. However, given the battery stores around 12kWh, using the battery at this rate, would equate about 2 hours of usable electricity.

Secondly, the warranty for such a system is only 5 years. Overall this system is best for specialist situations, especially given that the system will cost you $15,550 overall.

This will result is a cost per kilowatt hour of:

$1296/kWh

Conclusion

We won’t try to tell which option suits you the best, however, we suggest the LG Chem 10H as a general solution. This is based on a number of things but given this is a Cost Per Kilowatt-Hour Review, $992/kWh is too good to pass up.

Other than that, the Tesla is a good all rounder with some issues which we expect to be fixed in the future, while the Z-Cell shows a promise for Australian made battery manufacturers.

SO what are your thoughts?

Have you ever stopped to think about whether the Powerwall is actually helping the push for CO2 reduction?

For many of us, choosing to go solar or purchase energy storage is more of a financial decision than one entirely focused on reducing emissions. However, it is an added bonus to know that in doing so you could helping lessen the impact of CO2 output.

For decades now, solar power has been hailed as a green, clean, energy reducing machine that is capable of eliminating fossil fuels in the long run.

So, when something like the Powerwall is announced, a product aimed expanding the usefulness of solar power, we automatically assume that it is equally capable of helping the environment.

The Unfortunate Truth About Technologies Like the Powerwall

Well, here is a very large, very bitter pill we must all collectively swallow.

It turns out home batteries, in their current state, actually increase CO2 emissions overall rather than reduce them.

Ok, so by now you must be thinking, why are you telling me this? Don’t you guys advocate for batteries and solar energy?

Despite this unfortunate truth, we still think that purchasing a battery system will only benefit the push for renewable energy in the long run (we will go into a little more depth on this in just a second).

We also think that choosing the battery unit with the lowest carbon footprint, is a better option.

Maybe it’s the smooth, very heavy, exterior shell that puts them in the red, but it turns out that Tesla is significantly less eco-friendly than its closest competition.

LG Chem, the thorn in Tesla’s Side

The reason that we have chosen to compare the Tesla’s eco-friendliness against the LG Chem RESU is because they both use Lithium Ion, High voltage battery system.

Beyond that, they are head to head as competitors in the residential energy storage sector and in a lot of ways are very similar.

In a past article we compared the 10 kWh battery pack from both companies, so we will do the same here for consistency’s sake.

The Real Cost Of Battery Manufacturing

Battery systems expel the most CO2 during the manufacturing process, be it due to mining the base materials required, assembling the unit, or shipping it to its destination.

The same goes for solar panels, however, solar systems are able to produce enough emission-free energy during their lifetime to negate their carbon footprint in a short time. For battery units, given that they don’t actually produce energy but instead strategically move it around, things are a little more complicated.

In fact, for any manufactured product the average carbon footprint equates to roughly 2kg of carbon for every 1kg of weight. However, for products that make use of many different minable metals and materials the ratio of carbon to mass is often higher.

For example, an iPhone produces 95kg of carbon during its lifetime and yet weighs only 129g –– of that 95kg, 85% is produced during manufacture.

The same goes for Lithium-Ion battery systems, which produce roughly 18kg of carbon for every 1kg of weight.

So, given that both companies haven’t released the exact figures relating to their footprint, we will have to compare this average to the weight of the two systems (both of which produce the same amount of power).

LG Chem RESU 10H CO2 = 76kg x 18kg of Carbon = 1.37 Tonnes of CO2
Tesla Powerwall 10kWh = 100kg x 18kg of Carbon = 1.8 Tonnes of C02

This is the first big reason that LG Chem outperforms the Tesla in a measure of eco-friendliness, simply, the Tesla is very large. This is actually surprising given that both systems have a similar capacity, yet the Tesla is only able to output 2.5 kW in comparison to LG’s 5 kW.

Round-Trip Efficiency Goes a Long Way

Once a battery has been manufactured, there is a carbon cost involved with actually running the unit as part of a solar system. This is because any electrical component has a round trip efficiency, meaning that electricity is lost even when it is merely being transported, inverted or stored.

Another example of this is the connect cost of your electricity bill which can make up 40% of your actual expense.

If a solar system did not have a battery unit, it would either send electricity to your home or to the grid, which would then help reduce CO2. By using a battery, the round trip efficiency of your system is reduced and therefore less clean energy is used.

However, it's important to remember that by doing so, you are able to use solar energy during peak times and when it is most expensive. This will save you money in the long run, and eventually put less pressure on the grid.

For now, however, batteries do cause a small increase in CO2 production, so how do our two batteries compare?

The LG Chem has a round trip efficiency of 95%, which is not bad. This means that 95% of the electricity that flows through it will be used, while 5% is lost during discharge and transportation.

The Tesla Powerwall, however, has a round trip efficiency of 92.5%. Over time, as this energy loss compounds, a few percentage points make a big difference.

For example for every kilogram of CO2 your system saves, your battery will contribute:

LG Chem RESU 10h: 5% x 1000g of CO2 = 50g of CO2
Tesla Powerwall: 7.5% x 1000g of CO2 = 75g of CO2

Overall, the Powerwall produces 1.5x more carbon when it is running. Over a ten year period, this could equate to a difference of hundreds of kilograms of CO2.

Conclusion

Home batteries will be able to reduce emissions in the future, but because it is a new industry, supply and demand have not balanced out in the right way, however, it won’t be long before they do.

If you are pragmatic, financially minded person then don’t worry; batteries are still able to produce a return on investment depending on price point.

If you want to give the power over to the grid, simply to maximise the eco-friendly nature of your energy consumption, then go ahead. In the process you’ll be handing over power for pennies on the dollar, all the while helping out energy providers.

We think the best choice is to purchase a battery system that will benefit you most greatly while taking into consideration which batteries output the most carbon which in this case is the LG Chem RESU.

If you have been following along with the rise of home batteries, solar power and electric vehicles you might have, by now, thought to yourself, ‘Exactly how green is all this?’.

Obviously, in comparison to burning tonnes of heavy fuels the ‘renewable revolution’ is a great alternative. But, what about the millions of silicon cells, lithium batteries that have been produced, used and then discarded?

Well, it looks like we may have the answer, for at least one of these questions anyway. According to a report conducted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, around one-third of all lithium batteries produced for electric vehicles will be recycled.

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, there aren’t many options for a retired, high voltage lithium ion battery. However, there is one option for discarded batteries that seems to be a perfect fit, powering your home alongside solar energy.

The report has given an estimate that by 2025 there will have been 29-gigawatt hours of used electric batteries intended for electric vehicles, like the Tesla Model S through to X.

So, if you do the simple math that means there will be 10-gigawatt hours set aside for recycling. To put this into perspective 10-gigawatt hours is enough to power roughly 1.65 million homes or replace around 10 fossil fuel plants.

Well, isn’t that nifty?

For now, the cost to recycle such batteries is rather high given that there isn’t a huge demand for electric vehicles (not until Tesla and other competitors release their affordable models), let alone batteries that have been in use for 8-10 years already.

However as the report suggest, by 2025 production will be in full swing and there will be plenty of lithium to go around, it’ll be just like the 20th century.

On a serious note, as battery recycling ramps up, the cost of doing so will significantly drop. This could help drop battery prices even further, however, by 2025 the cost of homes batteries should be a fraction of today’s expense.

Before you rush down to the comment section to tell us that recycled batteries would be worthless and your thinking something like,'If they can’t power a car, how could they power your home?', give us a second.

Bloomberg estimates that recycled batteries will actually possess around 70% of their original capacity and efficiency. That isn’t enough to power a car, which goes through countless cycles, alongside the grid and solar power it would be enough to help power your home.

Here’s the kicker.

Researchers predict that used batteries will cost as little as $49 per kWh in the future.

On top of that, it will simply be more sustainable in the long run which is sort of what this whole green tech thing is about. Well, that and independence from energy providers, slashed expenses and having a secure energy resource regardless of your finances.

But I mean, imagine getting a 10kWh battery system capable of powering your home through the night for a slick price of $490.00?

Pretty cool, huh.

For anyone who is reading this and thinking, ‘Well, why should I purchase battery storage now when I can wait and pay pennies on the dollar’, consider this.

Well, first of all, these are second-hand batteries with a high rate of failure and reduced efficiency as mentioned above. But, more importantly, if you were to purchase a system now, it will cost you around $7500 and would save you over $700 a year.

If you consider that you could either purchase a battery now, and in ten years own it, or pay electricity bills and wait another decade before reconsidering… the choice is obvious.

But, for all those millennials that will start settling down around 2025, we envy your $500 recycled battery systems. Unfortunately for us, it’s more economical to get started earlier rather than later.

Many times people are down right against solar power it's because their neighbour down the road bought solar power and hasn’t saved a dollar on their power bills since.

Be it an exaggeration or not the sad truth is many people in the past have been left out in the dark, and expressed their disdain all over the town, and it’s their right to do so.

We’ll be the first to admit that solar has gotten a bad name. Being a new technology, a new industry, and a new playing field many people have taken advantage of the hype and sold low quality, unreliable products.

Just like everything, there are premium quality products designed to perform at optimal capacity and there are home brand knockoffs designed to look like the real thing until you sign a contract.

However, you can avoid falling into a trap and paying more or not enough for the wrong system and for the wrong reasons.

We hope this little guide will change your mind on a couple of things and give you insight into exactly two more things.

Has someone you know fallen victim to these 4 common mistakes when purchasing solar?

1. Not knowing what size system they need to fit their usage.

Depending on whether you pay upfront or choose to finance your system, either way, solar power requires an investment before seeing a return.

Many people run into trouble when they don’t understand their energy needs and end up buying a system that is too big or too small. Either you’ll end up paying to much to your energy provider or too much to in financing.

When the prospect of owning a solar system kicks in, either people get excited or stressed. Don't go over the top and buy a 10kW system with a 10KW battery system for your townhouse that you share with one other person.

Likewise, if you have a family of 5 and live in a 4 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms, a pool and 1000L of hot water don't expect to get much out of a 3.5kw system.

2. Thinking they can make money from solar tariffs.

The impact of this common mistake is twofold. Firstly, there is a sore sense of disappointment when families find out that tariffs have dropped significantly since the heydey (from 44c to just 6.5c-11c) leading to many people giving up. Secondly, people try to export as much power as possible instead of using it themselves.

When you use the power yourself you save 22c per kWh, when you export the power you are paid 11c per kW. People are missing out on half their savings without knowing it, simply by taking the wrong approach. In fact, using your power is doubly beneficial, not something to give up on solar about.

3. Failing to optimise their home, and make the most from solar.

Remember when solar hot water was all the rage? Well, some people still think it is and end up spending $3000 for no reason.

The truth is you can heat your hot water, your pool, your home and your kettle all with a single solar system. By using hot water timers and other devices it's possible to maximise your savings, by maximising your usage during sunlight hours.

Furthermore, choosing to opt out of a system with appropriate monitoring can be devastating. Put it this way, imagine the kids are out the back playing backyard cricket and that hard, hurtling ball flies directly into your solar system.

However, you don't hear anything about it given no one wanted to take the blame. Or even worse, no one knew that any damage was done in the first place.

Without proper monitoring software, you wouldn’t have a clue your system was compromised until your next bill. A bill that looked eerily similar to the bills you were getting before you purchased solar. That’s right, by skimping on monitoring you could be spending hundreds without ever knowing it.

4.Thinking All Solar Products Are Made Equal

There is a huge range of quality out there, from unregulated Chinese panels to Tier 1 European equipment that can achieve industry leading efficiency.

Being a financial decision, many people make the mistake of opting for the cheapest system upfront. The truth is cheap systems will cost you thousands in the long run, be it through underperformance, replacement costs or constant repairs.

Obviously, we didn’t cover everything, but these are some of the things we hear about every day, from friends colleagues and customers. Make sure you also look out for quality and qualified installers who give you the right information.

Sometimes, you will get cheated by someone pretending to have your best interests at heart, sometimes you will get the wrong information but we can all start by learning how to make the most of a solar system post-installation.

Things like hot water timers, appropriate monitoring, and a long-term outlook can go miles without costing you thousands.

It’s hard to imagine Tesla working alongside its biggest rival in battery technology, but it seems they want to keep their friends close and their enemies on the payroll.

For a little bit of context, the battery market is only just beginning to flourish, something we have talked about lots in the past month. More importantly, Australia has already been pinned as the early adopters of energy storage technology.

This apparent gold rush has sprung a number of interesting and perhaps surprising competitors. For example, Tesla Motors, primarily a vehicle manufacturer shocked the world when it released the Tesla Powerwall, a slick new home battery system that opened the world's eyes to energy storage.

Another, an even more unexpected competitor gaining a lot of notoriety is LG Chem, a little-known offshoot of the LG Corporation. Other than developing energy storage solutions – as they like to call it – they operate primarily as a chemical and materials manufacturer, as the name suggests.

So just to recap, the two largest competitors in the Australian battery market consist of a luxury car company, run by an eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire and a chemicals manufacturer operating under a South Korean conglomerate known for home appliances and ‘Life’s Good’.

Which brings us to the strangest part of this story.

It looks like Tesla is not only considering making a deal with LG Chem to supply batteries for the Model 3 (more on that in a minute), Tesla’s most ambitious project yet, but LG Chem has actually supplied technology to Tesla in the past.

A while back Tesla announced it would be offering upgrades to its first production vehicle, the Roadster. What it didn’t announce is that for the first time Tesla would source its battery technology from LG Chem, instead of Panasonic alone.

Both companies are now in talks along with Samsung, and SK Innovation about providing batteries to the Gigafactory to assist with the huge production goal of 500,000 Model 3 vehicles per year. Interestingly, LG Display, another affiliate of LG Corp is producing the OLED for the Model 3 as well.

LG Chem isn’t a small time player either, in case the fact that it was wasn’t a stand-alone company made you think so. LG Chem provided battery technology for the Nissan Leaf and will also provide the same tech to Chevrolet, Renault, Ford and Audi.

Put it this way, Tesla has become vertically integrated company with one brand and one product line, similar to Apple. LG Chem, on the other hand, provides its core technology to a number of manufacturers who repackage it and sell it under their brand, like Microsoft did with Windows.

This gives LG Chem the advantage of selling to multiple companies without with the sole task of simply improving its technology.

This is possibly the reason that has led many automotive manufacturers to come out saying LG Chem actually has the superior battery technology, some even choosing LG over their own technology.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said:

“We have opened to competition, our battery business, in order to make sure we have the best batteries. For the moment, we consider that the best battery maker [to be] LG.”

As more and more electric vehicles pop up, many choosing LG Chem to supply the batteries, Tesla might have something a problem on their hands.

Although some could say that in a lot of areas the companies aren’t direct competitors. For example, LG Chem doesn’t produce vehicles and Tesla doesn’t manufacture petrochemicals.

In fact, when it comes to Tesla’s main business, it does makes some sense to bolster their supply with a quality battery supplier to ensure they deliver on their promises to the public.

It get’s interesting, when we are on the verge of a home battery boom and the two biggest contenders, LG and Tesla, are sharing technology in other areas of their business. We know how badly Tesla want’s to be the all-in-one solution, however, LG Chem is understatedly securing its position in the Australian energy storage market as well.

Changhwan Choi, LG Chem’s Australian Business Manager put it this way, “We see a quiet solar revolution brewing and we strongly believe that LG Chem will be at the forefront of this transformation to help unlock the true value of solar storage and better enable the ecosystem.”

Chou went on to say LG isn’t much worried about competition. So far, LG Chem hasn’t shown much reason to worry either.

In a previous article, we talked about how LG Chem actually offers the most efficient batteries on the market and at the lowest price. We concede that LG hasn’t produced something with the elegant curves of a Tesla Powerwall, but it depends on how much you are willing to pay for style.

While the media continues to pump out Tesla evangelism, for a number of reasons including price, efficiency, and support many informed consumers are choosing LG Chem over Tesla when it comes putting pen to paper.

The biggest kicker for Australian homeowners being that LG Chem will only void a warranty if the ambient temperature hits 50 degrees celsius. To put this in context Australia has formally recorded only three days of 50-degree heat since 1910.

Tesla, on the other hand, will void your warrant if the mean temperature recorded is 30 degrees celsius which excludes the top end, many inland residents and even much of Upper North Queensland.

For the rest of us, it depends on where and when you bought a Powerball. Our condolences go out to anyone who purchased one during a South Australian summer and needed a replacement shortly after.

We aren't counting Tesla out, given their reputation to pull through at the last minute. However, there's no denying that LG Chem has the better offer right now, but in contrast, there's no denying the ‘Tesla Hype Machine’.

And, while some might think Elon Musk’s brainchild is the Hoover of home batteries if things keep going the way they are Tesla may not become the industry leader everyone expected it to be, all thanks to a chemicals company out of South Korea.

A company who’s website puts ‘ESS technology’ third in its list of products, coming after petrochemicals, LCD polarizers and OLEDs. A company who’s marketing consists of one annual print advertisement and a bi-annual promotional video.

Solar quotes have become more popular these days than the actual product, in fact, entire businesses have been built around selling consumer information to installers.

It’s always important to shop around, sure, but too many times we have seen people scared away from solar after being inundated with up to 7 quotes at once.

The churn and burn system that has become so popular isn’t good for anyone. Customers are feeling overwhelmed, yet aren’t receiving the information they really need.

On the other end of the spectrum, installers are selling on price instead of quality. Given that companies are sharing around customers, no one is giving or getting the right amount of attention.

Quotes are here to stay, so we thought it was time to talk about exactly what you should expect out of a ‘quote’. Now before we start, it should be a given that an installer makes his way out to your home. Never accept an email or call offering you a ‘one price fits all, only $1499.99, fixed price’ type of quote.

It may seem like the easier option at the time, but we are talking about a 20-year commitment here. Would you rather have a trained installer inspect your home, design a personalised system and get an accurate price from the start or get a rough guesstimate from a salesperson?

Education

Solar systems are becoming more advanced year on year, new technologies are emerging and the market is changing. While solar is actually a fairly simple technology from a user perspective, there are a lot of variables to take into consideration.

If an installer isn’t prepared to give you the proper information then you are being left in the dark and dare we say it, possibly taken advantage of. During an in-home inspection, expect to receive information about:

• Products (Including specifications, manufacturers, output etc.)

• Further reading material from either the company or its partnered manufacturers.

• How solar works and how it could benefit you.

Without the right product information, you are restricted from doing your own research. The same goes in regards to provided further material, and even the specifics on whether solar can help you save.

Full Inspection

The biggest mistake you can make when buying solar is relying on an over-the-phone quote. Solar isn’t the latest iPhone, and a price isn’t the only variable to take into consideration. No installation ever costs the same as the configuration of your roof, installation time and structural limitations are all unique attributes of your home.

With that being said, it is impossible to get an accurate price estimation without a proper inspection of a number of things including:

• Roof Access
• Safety Measures
• Structural Limitations (Shading, Roof Direction)
• The current condition of existing electrical components.

An experienced installer will be able to look at your home, and within 15-20 minutes begin designing a personalised solar system. But, only when they are able to get a close-up look at the condition and layout of your home and roof.

Qualifications

It’s hard to know whether you just spoke to a trained electrician or a salesperson who knows how to bluff. An installer should present his or hers qualifications, references, and experience, along with the appropriate licensing and certification. We doubt there will be many installers unable to do this, but it’s important to check. Here’s a list of things to ask for during a quote:

• Registered Business Number
• Public Liability Insurance
• Workcover
• Contractor License
• Electrical License
• CEC Design and Installation Accreditation
• CEC SPS Accreditation

Final Presentation and Financial Discussion

During a presentation, an installer will go over a few options and present the benefits of solar as well as any limitations they may come across. It should be an honest conversation, not an attempt at a credit card exchange.

In fact, if we believe we need more time to go over our findings we won’t even present a final price during a solar assessment. Instead, we will get back to you in one or two days later with a personalised system, designed to reduce your bills as much as possible.

Rather than push a discount on the spot, we prefer to get an idea of your budget and suggest what direction to go in to meet your needs. If we think we have found a system that will do the job for less, we will offer that system.

On the contrary, if we believe that cheaper products will be detrimental to the efficiency of your system, we will suggest a few tweaks. We aren’t the only ones who take this approach, in fact, any reputable company will act similarly.

It depends whether the installer you are dealing with is concerned about a paycheck, or a long-term relationship, as well as the reputation of solar as a product and an industry.

And, when it comes to getting the numbers make sure it's based off system cost estimations (most companies will and should use a preset calculator) and not how big the commission will be (more commonly known as a price pulled from thin air).

Final Words

A quote is a price estimate and a price estimate alone. We think that the cost is only part of the process which should include education, assessment, savings estimations and all round customer service.

While a solar ‘quote’ is an opportunity to present the customer with a price, it's also a chance for the customer to talk face-to-face with an expert and in the process, become informed about their future with solar.

Tasmania has announced it will be offering a new renewable energy scheme for small business and homeowners. Rather than additional rebates, or increased tariffs, the government announced that it will offer no interest loans for anyone who is interested in purchasing solar power.

The loans will be offered at $4000 for homeowners and $10,000 for small business. While this amount won’t cover the entire cost of larger systems, any additional finance will be offered by private low-interest lenders.

Regardless of the system, one chooses to purchase, this is good news for all prospective solar owners in Tasmania.

The policy comes after the government announced it wanted to support a previous scheme which allowed low-income homeowners struggling with electricity bills, to borrow money interest-free.

While the details surrounding the bill are vague, given it is a recent announcement, it has been confirmed that the government has set aside $10 million to fund the project. The government also stated that that tariffs would most likely stay stagnate in the near future.

Tasmanian Minister Mr. Groom had this to say:

"I don't want to give people the impression the Government is on the verge of increasing the feed-in tariff.”

Currently, the feed-in tariff (the price solar owners can sell electricity back to the grid for) sits around 6.67c/kWh, which is an increase of around 22% since 2015.

A recent study conducted by the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance stated that the electricity was actually worth 22c, however, the hope is that changes to financing will have an enormous effect on the uptake of renewable technology within Tasmania.

Financing is one of the most common ways to purchase solar power, due to a solar system’s unique ability to cover its own cost, either entirely or partially. Meaning families can plan for the future with little to no additional expense.

However, financing a system means paying more overall due to interest, leaving a lot of people either undecided or simply turned off by the idea. Tasmania has therefore removed a very imposing obstacle for thousands of families across the state.

Could we see something similar in Queensland? Currently, financing options come at a price. Usually, an installer will work side-by-side with a financier to enable a seamless purchasing experience. While interest rates are comparatively low, it doesn’t seem like there is much talk about offering interest-free loans as of yet.

However, that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. Given that solar rebates are being reduced year on year as of 2017, it would not be a surprise to see state or federal level policies being implemented .

Interest-free loans are a great way of reducing the cost of solar, and yet will save more for the Liberal government in the long run. We all know how much they like that.

We don’t shy away from the reputation that solar installers have gotten over the years, instead, we aim to challenge it every chance we get. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board, and many are still caught up in bad habits.

Many companies are trying to do the right thing, however feel that they are being bogged down by the challenges that come with new and exciting technology, namely... people trying to make a quick buck.

The thing is, solar power is often a financial decision for most people, rather than a materialistic one. While it’s justifiable to spend thousands on a flashy car, most people only see the numbers when it comes to a solar system.

This had lead to companies adopting a race-to-the-bottom tactic which involves undercutting the competition with cheap and ineffective panels, advertised as the top of the range.

It has made it hard on dozens of companies who want to do the right thing by their customers by providing quality panels, inverters and most of all installations. It is very easy to sell someone on price, but a lot of time, doing so relies on withholding vital information from the customer and focusing intently on being the cheapest system out there.

More so than the companies, it has made it hard on consumers who thought that they would spend the next ten years with heavily reduced uy bills and a reliable system under their name. Instead what they got was either an ineffective system or a system that blew up on them shortly after the warranty ended.

This has given the whole industry a bad rep and for a technology as important as solar, it’s simply devastating. There are number of hidden costs to a cheap installation, some that will hit you once the system is installed and some years later after looking further into your questionable contract.

Lack of Proper Inverter and Panel Monitoring

Most cheap systems don’t come with appropriate monitoring and reporting services. This means you won’t know how well your system is performing until you get your next bill.

When you have a great system that is reliable and safe, this isn’t such a huge issue. However, cheaper systems mean a greater chance of failure.

Now when a cheap system does fail, a lot of the time it goes unnoticed until you get your next bill on top of your financing payments, doubling your expenses when in reality they should be decreasing.

Poor Installations

Profit focused companies always try to go for the cheaper option, which in this case are subcontractors. Subcontractors aren’t always synonymous with bad quality, in fact, in some cases the opposite is true. However, the cheapest on the market are in a rush to get to the next job, due to the fact they accept less money each time.

This means they are constantly rushing highly important procedures which can mean the difference between a safe system and a fire hazard capable of physical harm.

Product Efficiency

Not all solar technology is made equal. Due to solar being a technology that is constantly being upgraded and improved upon, it is very easy to source panels that achieve 22% efficiency and some that achieve 10%.

A lot of people haven’t had the time to learn about the difference, and when a company tells you that their product is Tier 1, you should feel comfortable trusting them. Some companies don’t even include the name of their products outside of ‘solar panel’ as a way of stopping people doing their own research.

Commission Only Employees

A great way to maximise profits is by only paying people when they directly bring in sales, meaning you’ll never have to spend a dime unless you make something in return.

Salespeople are naturally energetic, but when they are only being paid when they make a sale, under the pump, is an understatement. Who is more likely to skew the truth to make a sale, a commission only contractor or a salaried employee?

Price Baiting

The price you see might not be the price you get once you choose to go with the cheaper option. Many companies advertise extremely low rates . Companies go as far as having subclauses in their contracts allowing them to switch out the advertised products for that products equivalent.

What actually happens is that they will quote one system, then swap it out for a cheaper one and maximise their profits. We don’t try to shame companies individually, however, we will stand by saying that this practice is dishonest and deceitful.

We hope to see a day where such practices are all but gone from the industry, so that customers and companies have positive and valuable relationships, rather than playing cat and mouse on price and profit.

To summarise, when a company is focused on selling to maximise profit, rather than selling to facilitate a customer’s transition to a renewable technology aimed at saving money, only bad things will come from it.

Solar is one of the only products that a person can buy, and see a direct financial return. Think about it, a car depreciates in value as soon as you drive it out of the lot, an iPhone is great to have but will put you back $900+.

Solar power is a product that aims to save you more money than you spend, so it's time it gets the reputation it deserves, not one inherited from bad practice.

Being in the industry, we often hear about the breakthroughs being made in development stage solar power, and to be honest, it excites us nearly as much as energy storage. It was a shock to the industry when it was reported that panels were exceeding 20%, reaching up to 22.5%.

There have been a number of limitations placed on the industry in the past, that have affected R&D, one being a lack of investment (which has made strides recently) and one being the laws of physics. It looks like we are beginning to figure it out and work around both.

Previously it was thought that solar panels (or single junction silicon panels) weren’t capable of achieving more than an efficiency of 33.7%, due to a number of factors outside of our control. For example black mass radiation, simply occurs when radiation is absorbed and not converted for no apparent reason other than a material's inherent properties.

Recently a company called Alta Devices exceeded a 30% efficiency rating and is planning on hitting a 50% rating soon. It's important to recognise the huge gap between R&D solar and commercially available solar. For example, the best solar panel currently on top of Australian roofs most likely has an efficiency of 15%-17%. However, Such a system is still very capable of generating electricity for your home.

Alta achieved this feat by using thin film gallium arsenide panels which are much more efficient, and double the cost of your standard silicon panel. For now, these types of panels aren't ideal for most, given their exuberant costs. However, they give us an excellent idea of what to expect in the future.

These new super-efficient panels are employing a number of techniques to truly stretch the available energy within a photon by reflecting and recycling the momentum multiple times before ‘releasing’ it. So far simulations show that a 50% efficiency is possible and the company is hopeful.

People are wary of the costs of such technologies, but when there is a demand the invisible hand of the market will always help bring down production costs and increase supply. Solar power has always increased in efficiency and it looks like it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Thin film arsenide panels are not the only technology in development which are aiming greatly improve our ability to harvest the sun’s energy. For example, quantum dot technology is able to split light waves into the visible spectrum and infrared, harvesting only concentrated wavelengths. Meaning that solar panels can be made to be transparent. This opens the doors for solar windows, sunroofs, and even smartphone screens.

On the other end of the spectrum, technologies which aim to bring down costs are also being heavily invested in. Perovskite panels have recently been shown to achieve 18% efficiency (higher than most standard silicon panels) at a cost ‘1000 times cheaper [than three-junction panels like Alta’s]’.

While 18% might not sound impressive after hearing about Alta’s plan for a 50% efficiency rating, perovskites have only been in development for just a couple of years, and efficiencies are continuing to increase. This is in stark contrast with silicon panels which took 20 years to achieve 20% efficiency ratings.

The sheer number of technologies in development which are hoping to be the next big thing in renewables are indicative of a bright future, one in which 50% efficiency ratings are a definite possibility.

Arguably, your inverter is the most important piece equipment you’ll own if you are considering going solar. If you already own a solar system, you will understand this already. We have written a lot about what an inverter’s main function is, and we have even discussed their limitations and how to get around them.

For those of you who don’t know an inverter ‘inverts’ your electricity, as the name suggests, from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). But, that is really just the tip of the iceberg. Given that the inverter directs electricity from your panels to your home, energy storage and the grid itself, it is able to monitor exactly how much energy you are using, how much you are producing and how much you are exporting.

Because of this, many companies have gone on to develop web apps, iPhone apps and even in-home touchscreen monitoring devices to keep track of your systems performance, using the data collected by your inverter.

In 2016, it’s not surprising that even electricity usage has been 'appified', but within any new industry, there is a definite range of quality. Some inverters still want you to go outside and check the inverter itself, some provide a basic web app, and some provide a comprehensive analysis of your system’s performance and energy production.

The list below will try to give you an idea of what you are getting into, and what you can look forward to in regards to keeping up to date with your system.

SMA

The ‘grandfather’ of the industry, SMA has a reputation for reliability, quality, and experience. However, their greatest strength is in some ways their greatest weakness . This is because many large, entrenched organisations can often find it more difficult to adapt to new technologies than smaller more nimble companies.

WEBCONNECT is the most commonly used web app by SMA owners, providing insight to peak production times and other useful data. In many ways, it can be considered a comprehensive snapshot of your solar production, however, there is something lacking.

It doesn’t feel modern or user-friendly and in a lot of ways looks like it was developed a decade ago. It may seem pedantic to be so caught up on an apps design, but it’s often a sign of things to come in regards to functionality and support.

Not to mention that it will cost you thousands in additional costs to install a system capable of monitoring your home.

Fronius

If SMA is the grandfather, Fronius is the hotshot star child of the bunch. While a much younger inverter manufacturer, in recent years Fronius has made leaps and bounds in regards to industry reputation, ahead of the game technology and great quality.

Forced to find a way to compete, Fronius has become known for getting it right in regards to innovative tech. More importantly, monitoring comes standard with Fronius systems, with a more advanced home consumption app (able to monitor where exactly the power is being used within your home, through a Fronius Smart meter) available for around $300.

We suggest Fronius for anyone who wants to get the most out of their monitoring service and is keen to get the facts and figures in an easy to digest user-friendly way.

Fronius provides their service through Solar.web, which is available on both your phone and desktop. You’ll be able to see where your electricity is going, how much you are generating and how much is being sent to the grid, live.

Growatt

Growatt is for those looking for a budget inverter, you will have to pay more to get wifi capability. We do acknowledge that Growatt does provide a fun and friendly plug and play system, in which additional components can be added when needed. However, expect a black-on-grey remote which is eerily similar to an AC remote.

Delta

Delta is also considered to be a cheaper option for most. While Delta has developed more than a remote control (at extra cost), the web app that customers are given has the same design issues as the SMA monitoring software. Outdated user interfaces are a bummer, especially when the population is becoming increasingly tech savvy.

Our Conclusion

All in all, it’s obvious not all monitoring systems are equal. We’d like to say, we don’t like to speak poorly of any company, especially our fellow renewable sector compatriots, however, the facts are the facts. A simple monitoring app is perfect for many people who just want to quickly check in with their system’s health and energy production.

Increasingly, we have found that our customer base and the industry as a whole is becoming more and more focussed on providing a modern and seamless monitoring experience. We believe that Fronius, second to that SMA, have so far provided the best monitoring applications so far. For anyone interested in modern monitoring systems, we implore you to ask our team about the options we provide.

Our "4 Step Guide to Going Solar" will show you how easy going solar can be. From checking your bill to living without one.

• Step 1: Understand your needs
• Step 2: Quote
• Step 3: Installation
• Step 4: Time To Save

With 1.6 million Australians already running on the sun, solar power is quickly becoming the norm and an essential investment to reduce your energy expense. We are here to provide honest advice, backed by experience to help make the process of going solar simple.

Check out the infographic below for your simple guide!

Battery storage is touted as being the next big energy revolution after efficient solar arrived around a decade ago. If this is anything like last time, in which global solar capacity skyrocketed from 4.1 GW in 2003 to 141 GW 2013, then we will be in for a ride.

Battery storage has gained a lot of attention in the past year, partly due to the increase in efficiency, cost being on the cusp of affordability and credit given to the Powerwall.

Unfortunately, the verdict is out as to whether battery storage will actually save you money at the current price point. Luckily, the price of battery storage is dropping at a cool ~20% year on year, meaning that we are edging ever closer to a clean utopian society.

Well maybe not, but it will mean that battery storage will help thousands save extra on their power bills, or become completely independent from the grid. This could also open the floodgates of the newly coined sharing economy, as electricity becomes a decentralised commodity.

Despite its many critics, consumers are flocking to the new technology, regardless of whether it will produce a sizeable return on investment or not. This may seem naive, but the industry is in need of an increase in desirability.

To put it one way, sometimes it is the cheaper option to use public transport but years of marketing have trained us to purchase flashy and often unnecessary vehicles. On the other, most prospective solar owners would most likely hire a data scientist to calculate down to the penny how much they will save over a 10 year period.

So when exactly will the scales tip? Well, it is a difficult thing to predict given that it is up to the companies who own the technology, however, Stefan Jarnason, the CEO of Solar Analytics predicts that by the end of 2016 installations will jump tenfold in comparison to 2015 figures.

For a sense of scale, around 4000 units were estimated to have been installed last year, Stefan believes that number will be closer to 40,000 in 6 months to 12 months time. This is a big jump and given how the economics of scale work, it will only be up from there.

The market shows this as well, as companies release more models and variations to keep up with the demand to be able to service everyone's unique situations. For example, one of the biggest issues was battery size, LG Chem has just released its RESU 48V and 400V battery.

This behemoth will have a run time of around ten hours, more or less the night time in its entirety. While in the past costs would be out of range for most people, we are edging closer to systems that incorporate batteries of this size being an affordable option.

If you consider that most families won’t use 9.8kWh a night, there is a chance that many will experience perpetual charge, in that their energy production will outperform their consumption.

This is an interesting concept, as it means energy will become abundant rather than scarce. Something only made possible by the arrival of affordable batteries in the coming months.

Microinverters are said to be disrupting the industry by promising a 5-25% increase in output efficiency, however their greatest competitor, the ever reliable string inverter continues to dominate the market internationally.

The type of inverter you end up choosing is one of the most important decisions to make when looking to get solar, so it’s important to get it right and understand the pros and cons of both options.

What exactly is the inverter responsible for?

Firstly, before we get into string length and power optimisation, it’s important to understand exactly why inverters are important to your system. A solar inverter is often referred to as the ‘brains’ of a solar system due to the fact it is able to detect power input and output and subsequently guide electricity to your home, the grid or your battery storage.

They also are responsible for ‘inverting’ the DC (direct current) into grid compatible AC (alternating current). This allows for the electricity from your solar panels to become usable, as well as exportable to the grid.

The Popular Choice: String Inverters

The first inverter to gain popularity was the central, or string inverter, which inverts all your electricity at a single point. The image above shows a Fronius inverter, as you can see, they are about the size of a meter box, if not bigger.

When a system uses a central inverter, the solar panels are arranged in ‘strings’, hence the name string inverter. This means that a number of panels are arranged in tandem, and direct power to the inverter using the same cables and circuitry.

For example, a 20 panel system will usually be arranged into 2 strings each containing 10 panels each.

The main issue people have with central or string inverters is that the entire array of panels usually have to be installed under similar conditions. This means that if a string of panels is partly shaded, the entire system will be compromised.

An easy way to understand this is to think about having a kink in a hose, it slows down the flow of water entirely. Similarly, if the array of panels is installed on multiple roof panels, this can have a negative effect on the system’s efficiency.

Another issue is being able to monitor the health of individual panels, as the inverter is usually responsible for providing system reports and feedback, as well as measuring the system’s overall output. However, central inverters can’t determine how each panel might be functioning as it receives power from each string simultaneously.

Many companies have begun producing monitoring equipment which allow for not only each panel to be checked up on, but optimised so that a system requires less strings. In fact, Tigo (a leading monitoring company) claims that it is able to increase string length by 20%.

This means that if Tigo monitoring equipment is installed alongside their respective panels, your system will require less “...combiners, fuses, disconnects, and copper home-runs per installed kW of solar”. Meaning you will save money on your system installation cost.

The New Kid on the Block: Microinverters

Microinverters have gained a lot of popularity in Europe and the US however have still not surpassed string inverters as the popular choice among consumers. The main reason for this being the cost, which is around 40-50% more expensive than your average inverter.

Couple that with the fact that microinverters are not as efficient as a standard inverter, it's easy to see why microinverters have not yet taken off in this sun rich country.

While there are many advantages to microinverters, it seems that the price point still outweighs the possible pros for a lot of people.

Firstly, microinverters minimise the chance of fire, and therefore are considered safer in many ways, however it's important to mention that monitoring systems allow for safety optimisation of string inverters for anybody worried about the possible hazard of a solar system.

More importantly, it is rarely mentioned that in the Australian climate, microinverters, which are positioned directly behind a systems panels, can often be destroyed by heat, despite minimizing fire risk.

While microinverters don't suffer the same fate in European climates, many dissapointed customers in Australia will end up having to replace system parts after a couple of years.

Microinverters are also capable of measuring the output of individual panels, meaning that monitoring software is not required. On top of this, microinverters are modular, meaning that additional panels can be more easily installed.

Another benefit of modularity is that if one panel is shaded or damaged, the entire system will not be compromised.

The Conclusion

In many ways microinverters are in a similar place to energy storage. They present a lot of benefits, however their price seems to much to ask. Standard inverters on the other hand are still a reliable and efficient option, and continue to be the favourite of new and existing solar owners.