Sun still shining on solar power
Central Victorian solar-system suppliers are hoping new technology will help the sector stay competitive when lucrative feed-in tariffs are scrapped at the end of the year.
Changing the feed in tariff
From New Year’s Day more than 67,000 Victorians will lose a tariff paying them a minimum of 25 cents per kilowatt-hours for excess energy sold back into the grid.
Many Victorians will also lose a ‘one for one’ tariff. This allowed them to trade their solar energy for grid power at night when the sun was not shining.
From 1 January electricity retailers will pay a minimum of 5 cents per kWh for excess energy sold into the grid.
SB Solar Battery Services manager Stephen Breheny said many people were looking at ways to bypass the grid and store their own power.
“It’s gone to the point where people are saying (installing a solar system) is not going to be cost effective unless they also install a battery system,” he said.
Information night in Castlemaine
To inform the public of their options Mr. Breheny organised an information session in Castlemaine. This session had information on new batteries products including a Tesla battery capable of storing half some household’s daily energy output.
He said people would also be able to see Tesla’s new Model S electric car, which could be recharged overnight from energy captured in solar batteries.
The information session was held at the Castlemaine Town Hall on Thursday 1st December.