The 9th Energy Storage World Forum in Sydney 14 - 17 September 2015
07.08.2015
Affordable battery energy storage is on Australia’s doorstep and getting an open- armed welcome. And it is the residential sector that is driving demand, likely to overtake utility-scale installations next year to become the dominant grid- connected storage resource. Only the immature supply chain can slow the growth of residential storage and with it the new energy democracy.
Several factors combine to make a perfect storm that will blow away old business models and energy industries unwilling to adapt. Firstly, Australia has lots of rooftop solar PV generation, about 4 GW and over 20% of households, which is significant on a world scale. Secondly, Australia has relatively high and increasing retail electricity prices and low trade barriers, so that solar PV makes sense without subsidy for retail customers, and is increasingly offered with a battery option. Thirdly, existing solar subsidies through feed-in tariff will roll off in coming years, starting with NSW in 2017, creating a strong motive to use energy storage to maximise self-consumption of solar energy. Fourthly, Australia has a disaggregated electricity market that allows new business models to be tried out, and the remaining regulatory hurdles are being scrutinised.
Finally, many Australians are tired of policy uncertainty that has stalled investment in large-scale renewable energy projects, and are happy to take matters into their own hands by installing their own renewable generator, particularly if it also saves money in the medium term. So all eyes are turned to Australia where the population is transforming the energy system in the absence of a credible clean-energy policy from the federal government.
For more informations….
Several factors combine to make a perfect storm that will blow away old business models and energy industries unwilling to adapt. Firstly, Australia has lots of rooftop solar PV generation, about 4 GW and over 20% of households, which is significant on a world scale. Secondly, Australia has relatively high and increasing retail electricity prices and low trade barriers, so that solar PV makes sense without subsidy for retail customers, and is increasingly offered with a battery option. Thirdly, existing solar subsidies through feed-in tariff will roll off in coming years, starting with NSW in 2017, creating a strong motive to use energy storage to maximise self-consumption of solar energy. Fourthly, Australia has a disaggregated electricity market that allows new business models to be tried out, and the remaining regulatory hurdles are being scrutinised.
Finally, many Australians are tired of policy uncertainty that has stalled investment in large-scale renewable energy projects, and are happy to take matters into their own hands by installing their own renewable generator, particularly if it also saves money in the medium term. So all eyes are turned to Australia where the population is transforming the energy system in the absence of a credible clean-energy policy from the federal government.
For more informations….