Australians taking to battery storage solutions

Australians are taking to solar energy storage systems in droves according to a recent report from the ABC News science team.

The article cites an audit carried out by solar consultancy SunWiz, which surveyed manufacturers and suppliers to determine that almost 7000 Australian homes installed battery systems in 2016. SunWiz attributes this in part to the influx of new market entrants, which has helped bring pricing for solar storage down and says that the figure will most likely triple over the course of 2017.

While recent significant instability in electricity supply across parts of Australia is seen as a contributor to these increased sales, it’s also likely that the December 2016 cessation of feed-in tariff schemes in both New South Wales and Victoria played a part as well.

Pricing may have come down, but it will still cost you. Current Australian pricing on the Tesla website puts a new-generation 14 kWh Powerwall 2 battery at $8000 plus an additional $2000 for installation and supporting hardware, but if the projections are right, now looks like a great time to get on board the solar train.