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By now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about solar power – it’s benefits for the environment, consumers and future generations.
But not all solar companies are equal and it can be confusing navigating the number of options and opportunities out there.
SolarBlu is the local agent for the Forget The Grid range of battery and solar products. Director Philip Symons has been in the solar industry for seven years and he has seen some dramatic changes in rebates and government intervention in the industry.
“The whole world is now watching how Australia's electricity network copes with a rise in solar and battery storage,” he said. “The recent sale of 50 per cent of Ausgrid is the first step in the privatisation of our electricity distribution network and the private owners will want a secure return on their investment.”
The consequence he warned would be an increase in network charges. “We already pay the highest network charges in the world and it is this cost that is set to skyrocket,” he said.
With the 60c rebate coming to an end in December, Mr Symons said it was worth homeowners considering the future.
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“Everyone that has solar is aware the 60c rebate is coming to an end and most homeowners will require a larger system to service their home,” he said.
“Unfortunately, homeowners will only receive 6c per kilowatt excess solar that goes to the grid. The worst thing is, there is no guarantee that even this meager payment will continue.
“There is already legislation that new inverters must be able to be export limited. This means that the network companies can stop the excess solar from going to the grid altogether.”
He said there was a solution though. “The solution for everyone wanting to reduce their electricity bills is to add batteries to their existing solar or if they don't have solar, install new solar with batteries,” he said.
This solution is not without problems, however. “Most battery systems available today still must have the grid connected to work, which means people will be at the mercy of increases in network charges,” Mr Symons said. “We sell standalone solar and batteries, that can disconnect from the grid so it gives truly independent power.”
Many batteries also have a 2kW power output and 4.5kW of storage. Mr Symons’ product puts out 8kW of power with 11 kW of storage.
“Most other systems are also using lithium batteries and there is the potential for them to catch fire,” he said. “Ours are not lithium, but much safer battery technology, which is designed to last 20 years.”
To see how you and your family could benefit from solar batteries, visit www.forgetthegrid.com.au