The Australian government’s renewable energy division will trial the capabilities of on-grid energy storage to maximise the value of rooftop solar, announcing yesterday that it will provide funding for a trial by energy storage specialist Reposit Power.
The Australian Renewable Energy Association (ARENA) has pledged AUS$445,000 (US$365,000) to the project, which is a trial of trading and storing energy on the grid aimed primarily at enhancing rooftop PV value. The total cost of the trial has been announced as AUS$930,000, scheduled for completion in July next year.
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GridCredits, a system developed by Reposit Power, allows consumers to access their rooftop generated electricity at night and during peak times, thus reducing the demand placed on the grid. Additionally, as the use of the word “trading” implies, it adds a commercial element to the use of energy – allowing energy to be sold back into the market from batteries.
The development of storage in Australia comes in the face of heavy cuts to support for renewable energy policy from the Tony Abbot-led government, which are taking place despite a recent poll from the WWF showing 89% of 5,000 Australian residents across the country to respond to the survey strongly objecting to the cuts.
The full version of this story can be viewed at the PV Tech Storage site.
