Apartment-dwellers risk being left behind in the rooftop solar boom. But some projects are showing how apartments can join the transition to a distributed renewable energy future.
A new report predicts a boom in household solar and batteries as Australia’s electricity networks move to a more sustainable footing, with some states poised for a 500% boost in rooftop solar.
Despite its name, the National Electricity Market doesn’t reach WA. But those charged with guiding the eastern states’ energy transition should look west once in a while.
Without help, lower-income people could miss out on the clean energy revolution – hence the arrival of community projects aiming to boost access to solar panels, batteries and other green technology.
Managing voltage on the electricity network has always been an issue. But solar panels have the potential to make the situation better, not worse as some have feared.
Joe Wyndham, University of Technology Sydney et Jay Rutovitz, University of Technology Sydney
Now that our rooftop solar industry has matured, we need to reconsider the purpose of feed-in tariffs and align them with our goals for the electricity system in the future.
Individual light-harvesting protein complexes have a remarkable ability. Light, which is normally effectively harvested, is also used to finely control how much of it should be harvested.
It’s not just about finding money for things like solar panels – poorer households can also find it harder to gain access to reliable information about the green energy options they do have.
The Coalition has asked CSIRO to develop a “roadmap” towards commercialised clean energy. It’s a good idea as long as the plan is clear, and there’s enough money behind it.
When will residential solar be cheaper than the cost of power from the grid? This point of ‘grid parity’ is a moving target but moving closer in a number of places.
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg told Q&A that Australia has the highest number of solar panels on people’s roofs per capita anywhere in the world. Is that right?
Homebuyers want energy-efficient homes. The challenge is to present the relevant information in a way that taps into the typical house-hunter’s mindset.
The ‘early adopters’ of home battery storage will pay significantly more than those who come later, but it won’t be long until prices drop enough for many more to get on board.
New prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has stressed the importance of embracing ‘disruptive’ technologies that shake up existing business models. Solar power and battery storage is one of the most enticing options.