Aussies could get a virtual shop to trade surplus solar power
A Sydney-based entrepreneur has come up with a plan that would enable Australians to set up a virtual shop to trade surplus electricity with other households, small businesses and community groups in their grid, reported ABC News Online.
Jitendra Tomar from the Sydney-based start-up Local Volts, said that anyone can become an energy farmer.
And it’s not just households who are looking at battery storage solutions. CitiPower and Powercor, owners of two of Australia’s largest electricity networks, are installing 18 test sites for solar battery storage as part of a three-year trial to look at the network impact of solar batteries.
Glen Thomson, from CitiPower and Powercor, told ABC News that he could see a future where traditional power generation was bypassed and the centralised model will come under threat as home-based generation grows.
"We are looking at what is the best way to enable our grid to use innovative technologies and enable customer choice," he said.
In fact, the Footscray Community Arts Centre in Melbourne's Western suburbs is already looking to become the first organisation of its kind to be powered by solar. The centre has been running a crowdfunding campaign to combine with philanthropic donations to buy the panels and a battery. Their plan is to use the Tesla Powerwall to store solar energy during the day and then use it after the sun goes down so they’re less dependent on the grid-based power sources.
With the Tesla Powerwall hitting the Australian market this year, battery storage is the buzzword in the power sector for 2016. In case you don’t already know, home battery storage is the latest technology in the renewable energy industry, which allows households to store energy from the solar panels in the day to be used at night and could potentially one day put an end to power bills.
Some of the other energy trends to look forward to in the coming months include innovative pricing and products such as prepaid power packs, wholesale energy tariffs and community based energy solutions. To keep up with the latest developments and plans in the energy sector, check out our detailed power guides as well as the free online energy comparison tool.
