Australia is generating more energy on rooftops than from coal and gas plants, and the industry is betting on virtual power plants (VPPs) to harness this power for the grid. VPPs work by coordinating solar panels, batteries, and other small energy resources to function as one large, flexible power source. But many consumers are reluctant to join one. James Sturch is a Technical Director at Solar Edge, and he warns that VPPs are set up to fail unless the energy system changes. Whilst governments and industry push for consumers to join VPPs, he argues the system itself creates roadblocks and disincentives. So, what needs to change to make VPPs work for everyone? For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Rosemary Grundy has done a detailed analysis of how long it will take to get a return on her investment in renewables. From the day she moved into her new house in December 2021, she’s diligently recorded how much she saves from not using fossil fuels, and how much she pays for electricity, and calculated that she’ll break even on her solar panels, batteries, and two electric vehicles in just under 9 years. Rosemary is now developing a break-even calculator to help other householders work out when they’ll break even on their renewable investments, and is on a mission to show Australians who have the financial capacity, that making the transition to renewables is not only good for the climate, it makes financial sense. For more information on Rosemary's original break-even analysis: https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au/content/breaking-even-on-2-teslas-solar-panels-and-batteries-in-just-over-8-years For her update: https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/residential-renewables-can-pay-for-themselves-before-they-reach-their-end-of-life/ For more information about electrification and energy efficiency: https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

In just over 8 years the Octopus Group has become one of the largest green energy retailers, generators, installers and investors in the UK. Underpinning and revolutionising the way they do business is Kraken technology. Devrim Celal is the Chief Marketing and flexibility officer at Kraken. He explains why consumer trust in the electricity industry is so important and why the energy transition will not succeed unless we are given incentives to participate in helping balance electricity when it is available and when it is not. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot has landed $5.4 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to run a world first electrification pilot. Under the pilot, 500 residents in the 2515 postcode south of Sydney will receive subsidies and support to install electric hot water, reverse cycle air conditioners, induction cooktops, and home batteries, and a free smart home energy device to track and optimise their energy use. But the main objective of the pilot is to identify the opportunities and challenges that will enable household electrification to be scaled up across the whole country. Kristen McDonald is one of the co-ordinators of the Electrify 2515 project who has helped shepherd the project from idea to reality. She’s also now the mobilisation and engagement manager at Rewiring Australia. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/truly-a-world-first-grass-roots-suburban-electrification-pilot-wins-federal-funding/

By the end of the decade, it’s anticipated every home in Australia will be paying time-of-use, or cost-reflective, tariffs, rather than a flat rate for our electricity. Some households though are getting much higher electricity bills because their electricity retailer didn’t tell them they’d been put on a time-of-use tariff and have to pay more during peak periods. Brendan French, the Chief Executive of Energy Consumers Australia, outlines why cost-reflective tariffs shouldn’t be mandatory, and why we need to simplify consumer bills, not make them more complicated. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

The Federal Government has funded over 400 community batteries to be installed across Australia to provide shared storage for up to 100,000 households. Most of that funding has gone to electricity distributors, the poles and wires companies. One of those companies is Ausgrid, the largest distributor of electricity on the east coast, providing power to nearly 2 million customers. Group Executive of Distributed Services at Ausgrid, Rob Amphlett Lewis, discusses why mid-scale batteries have a big role to play in the energy transition, how they will become cost effective in the future, and how householders can benefit from them. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Poor air tightness of our buildings can lead to draughty, leaky, and uncomfortable homes. It can also increase our energy bills by up to 20 per cent. Senior experimental scientist at the CSIRO, Michael Ambrose, has recently completed Australia’s most comprehensive study on the ‘leakiness’ of recently built homes. He found the air tightness of new homes has improved significantly since he first conducted a similar study in 2015, but there’s still room for improvement. For more information on energy efficiency and electrification https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Brendan Lang is an electrician from Melbourne who swapped his diesel guzzling tradie ute for a Tesla. He calls his business Get off Gas and this week he provides answers to household electrification questions, such as: Do I need to rewire my house to install an induction stove? Do I need 3 phase power if I want to go all-electric? Should I insulate my home before I get rid of the gas and electrify everything? What should I say to a tradie who says heat pumps are no good? How do I navigate the government rebates to get the most out of them? And lots more. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

A new campaign urging the federal government to invest in local energy hubs in regional areas has kicked off. It follows the release of a recent report by the Regional Australia Institute that suggests Australia’s net zero targets are under threat unless regional communities are given a seat at the table to help drive the renewable energy change. Sally Hunter is a farmer from Gomeroy country, near Narrabri, in north west New South Wales. Her family farm is one of the first in the region to go all-electric. She’s also the founder and managing director of Genie Energy, a not for profit that provides information about renewable energy to the Narrabri community. Genie Energy is seen as a template for local energy hubs. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN) – a community energy group in Queensland – is currently working with the Noosa Council to install a community battery in the Noosa region. They’re the only non-industry group in Queensland to receive a federal grant for a community battery. ZEN has published a recent report that acknowledges community batteries aren’t yet financially viable without government grants, but they argue community batteries are still necessary for the energy transition. Vivienne Griffin is one of the report’s authors and co-convener of ZEN’s community batteries initiative. For more on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Household hot water systems account for a quarter of a household’s power load. Finding ways to save on the cost of producing hot water, and reduce emissions, has been the focus of much recent research. But it’s not just what we heat our water with, but when. Energy experts argue we should shift our hot water heating to the middle of the day when there is abundant solar going into the system. Not only will this reduce our emissions, it could save billions of dollars. Recent research shows there is a $6.7 billion missed opportunity if newly electrified hot water systems aren’t used as a flexible resource. Dr Gabrielle Kuiper is a specialist in distributed energy resources, and a guest contributor to IEEFA, the Institute for energy economics and financial analysis, who argues we have to get smarter about hot water. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au