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The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Everything you need to know about Australia's new home battery subsidy
It's not an overstatement to say Australians love solar power. Without batteries, though, households have struggled to take full advantage of their rooftop systems. Either they don't capture all the energy produced during the day or they lose their power when the grid goes down. Now the Australian government is looking to fix that with its cheaper home batteries program, which will come into effect from 1 July. Here's everything you need to know. The $2.3bn plan will subsidise the installation of small batteries for households, businesses and community facilities. It will be available to households with existing systems and those looking to get solar, and will not be means tested. The scheme is modelled on the subsidy used to encourage the introduction of rooftop solar and will similarly be phased out over the next decade. Households aren't expected to feel this change because the price of a home battery is expected to drop sharply, as happened with solar. The Smart Energy Council's chief executive, John Grimes, says those looking to install a home battery will get a discount of at least 30% on the retail and installation cost – though this is a 'rule of thumb'. 'There's actually a dollar figure attached to this, so it could be more,' Grimes says. 'The way the rebate is structured is that it's a one-time deal, whether you buy a small battery or big battery, but the rebate is larger for a bigger battery.' The discount will apply to batteries up to 50kWh; someone buying a 100kWh battery will still get the subsidy on the first half of their installed capacity. Tristan Edis from Green Energy Markets says there are two main problems the government is working to solve. The first is that Australians generate heaps of power during the day but there is no way to store for use at other times. The other is that even though the technology is developing fast, the cost of batteries has not come down as manufacturers have not prioritised the residential market. This policy seeks to address both and, long-term, it will enable a phase-out of oil, gas and coal in the power grid. 'First and foremost, it will reduce household power bills, not just for the person installing the battery but other consumers,' Edis says. 'In the longer term it's also reducing the revenue that a coal or gas generator is able to capture over a full 24-hour period. That will bring forward the date at which they are likely to close.' Emissions reductions aside, this will save you money. Grimes describes a battery as acting like a rainwater tank: if you have a solar system, you can bank power generated during the day when it is free and use it at night when it would be more expensive. According to Labor's modelling, this will knock $1,100 extra off household power bills each year, or $2,300 a year for those with newer systems – but this is a guide and may vary based on your circumstances. Now, effectively. The subsidy comes into effect from 1 Julybut Grimes says many installers are able to set up a system tomorrow but only turn it on after the start date to ensure you get the discount. The Smart Energy Council surveyed 9,500 energy users and found a 5kWh to 6kWh battery will cover nine out of 10 households. The price for a battery that size ranges from $5,000 to $9,000 – though there could be other costs if an older solar system needs a retrofit to accommodate a battery. Getting an entirely new solar array and battery setup is much pricier, with systems starting well above $15,000. Some companies will charge $26,000 before subsidies for large 'future-proofed' systems. Remember, your power bills will be near zero for the lifetime of the system and you will not be paying for fuel if paired with an electric vehicle. State subsidies are also available to further reduce the price on top of the federal rebate. For some people, a smaller battery will suit their needs but a bigger one may be a good idea to take full advantage of the subsidy. Every home is different and how much capacity you may need comes down to questions such as: are you on the grid? Is your region prone to blackouts or other natural disasters? What stage of life are you in? Do you work from home? Do you work nights or from nine to five? Do you drive an EV? Does that EV have vehicle-to-grid capacity? If it does, will it be parked most of the day at work when your solar array is producing the bulk of its free power? And, ultimately: what can you afford right now? There are lots of numbers involved when it comes to the 77 different battery systems on the Australian market. It is also possible a rush in demand will prompt a number of fly-by-night operators to appear, so it is strongly advised to do your research on the company and the system it is offering, and to ask around for the best deal.
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
The home solar battery rebate is coming soon. Here's what you need to know
Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed. From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment. Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time. But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy. "I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said. "My main reason was it's just better for the environment. "And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup." According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar. Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3. "Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said. "We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days." The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council. As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in. The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030. The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation. For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery. That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount. The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent. According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually. Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024. The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these. "The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said. Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy. James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code). This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers. "There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said. Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes. "We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said. She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon. "I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said. "We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it." The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings. "We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said. The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes. Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out. Existing programs include: Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed. From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment. Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time. But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy. "I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said. "My main reason was it's just better for the environment. "And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup." According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar. Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3. "Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said. "We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days." The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council. As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in. The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030. The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation. For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery. That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount. The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent. According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually. Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024. The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these. "The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said. Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy. James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code). This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers. "There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said. Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes. "We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said. She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon. "I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said. "We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it." The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings. "We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said. The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes. Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out. Existing programs include: Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed. From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment. Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time. But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy. "I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said. "My main reason was it's just better for the environment. "And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup." According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar. Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3. "Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said. "We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days." The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council. As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in. The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030. The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation. For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery. That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount. The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent. According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually. Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024. The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these. "The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said. Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy. James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code). This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers. "There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said. Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes. "We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said. She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon. "I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said. "We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it." The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings. "We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said. The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes. Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out. Existing programs include: Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed. From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment. Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time. But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy. "I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said. "My main reason was it's just better for the environment. "And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup." According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar. Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3. "Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said. "We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days." The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council. As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in. The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030. The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation. For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery. That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount. The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent. According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually. Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024. The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these. "The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said. Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy. James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code). This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers. "There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said. Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes. "We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said. She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon. "I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said. "We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it." The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings. "We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said. The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes. Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out. Existing programs include:
ABC News
06-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Labor's home battery subsidy kicks off 'strong demand'. Here's what you need to know
Slashing the price for home batteries was one of Labor's flagship policies during the election campaign. With the election now in the review mirror after an overwhelming win for the Albanese government, many Australians want to know more about the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. We unpack how much it can save, when it starts, and how it can benefit Australians with and without solar systems on their rooftops. What's in Labor's home battery subsidy? Labor's $2.3 billion program applies to people with existing solar, or for those wanting to invest in a new solar-plus-battery set-up. It won't be means-tested and offers a 30 per cent discount on batteries for households, businesses and community facilities like sports centres or town halls. The scheme is being directly funded by the Federal Government, and will be delivered through the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which has been providing similar subsidies on solar for Australians since 2011 and is credited with driving the country's early uptake of rooftop solar. The scheme provides incentives to purchase renewable energy systems like rooftop solar. ( ABC News ) "I think that this scheme is going to change Australia," said the CEO of the Smart Energy Council, John Grimes. "If you deploy one solar panel or one rooftop solar system, it doesn't mean very much, but we've now deployed over 4 million rooftop solar systems. "Combined, they have a greater energy generation than the entire coal-fired power fleet in Australia. " We're going the next step and we're actually unlocking that and making it dispatchable so you can actually use it when you need the electricity. " According to Labor's modelling, households with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1,100 extra off their power bill every year, and up to $2,300 a year for those with new solar, about 90 per cent of a typical bill. The discounts are based on the size of the battery and will apply for up to 50 kilowatt-hours. When can I get a discounted battery? Today! That's the short theoretical answer. The scheme officially kicks in at the start of the financial year, July 1, but it's designed so batteries can be purchased and installed now and are eligible when they are "switched on" in the new financial year. Photo shows A man's hand near a solar battery in a house. WA's Labor promise to introduce a $5,000 subsidy for residential batteries if re-elected has been welcomed in principle but it has thrown the industry into turmoil. This avoids a situation like in New South Wales and Western Australia where recent battery subsidies were introduced with a long lag between their announcement and start-date, leading to people delaying their purchases and causing frustrations in the industry. The national battery scheme can be used in addition to those state discounts, leading to even bigger savings for households in those states. The CEO of the Smart Energy Council said he knows businesses already selling batteries based on the scheme. "One of our contractors actually runs a small solar business in rural New South Wales. He sold three batteries on the weekend alone," Mr Grimes said. " I think that the demand for this has been unbelievably strong. It's been unprecedented. " What are the benefits of getting a battery? Batteries help maximise Australia's solar energy, with the country having the highest rate of rooftop solar in the world. In Queensland and Western Australia, every second home on average has solar. Australia is now in the situation where we have abundant solar power in the middle of the day, and homes with solar don't need any power from the grid and are instead sending their excess into the system. Batteries can help making the most of the solar power households produce. ( Supplied: Halfpoint ) But when solar production drops off in the evening, just as people return home, the electricity grid has a sudden spike in demand. Solar households with a battery can charge it when they are producing more power than they need, and then use that solar power later in the evening, thereby reducing the amount of power being used from the grid at crunch times in the evening. Think of it as time-shifting solar power from the daytime to the evening. "It's like putting a rainwater tank on your house to capture water and then have it on tap when you need to drink," Mr Grimes said. Using that stored solar power also saves on power bills. What size battery do I need? Obviously, every home is different and energy needs vary, but the Smart Energy Council crunched the numbers recently on household power usage and came up with this conclusion: the battery you need to lower bills is smaller, and therefore cheaper, than you might think. It found that to avoid using power during that evening peak, over 90 per cent of households could get by with a battery as small as 6 or 7 kilowatt-hours. That's smaller than the average battery installation, with two of the most popular batteries in Australia being around 13 kilowatt-hours. Mr Grimes cautions people to consider what suits them best. "You get one chance to apply for and receive the rebate for your house. And so, really, people should be thinking about getting the biggest solar battery they can afford," he said " But the converse of that is, a small battery is better than no battery at all. " Batteries are usually "stackable" meaning additional capacity can be added at a later date but the rebate won't apply. In terms of size, the intention isn't to go completely off-grid with a battery-and-solar system; instead, it's about maximising how much of your own rooftop solar you can use throughout the day, reducing reliance on the grid and also thereby also reducing power bills. However, if there's a blackout, homes can use their battery to keep the power going without disruptions, and in the event of a multi-day outage, like the recent ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, can keep the lights on for days. How much does a battery cost? Some of the most popular batteries currently in Australia, from BYD and Tesla, are both about 13 kilowatt-hours and cost roughly $12,000 and $14,000 installed, before any subsidies. At the launch of the policy, Labor said the average saving would be $4,000 off a typical household battery. Remember, other state subsidies could reduce the costs further. The economic case for getting a battery will change for each household depending on their typical power consumption and solar production, so it's important to work out if a battery makes financial sense in your situation. Household batteries are the same technology as electric car batteries, so the unprecedented growth in electric cars is also driving down costs. "The competition in the market is really fierce. That's a good sign for consumers because it means there'll be a race to the top in terms of quality … it produces competitive pressure in terms of price," Mr Grimes said. How do batteries help the grid? One of the caveats for the battery rebate is that they have to be compatible with virtual power plants, or VPPs. VPPs work by coordinating household batteries and how they interact with the grid as a whole. For example, if there's a threat of a blackout, batteries could be instructed to push power into the grid to stabilise it. Photo shows Pippa Buchanan shows the battery that lives in her shed. Experts believe virtual power plants could play a vital part in our future energy system. Under the scheme, the batteries won't be connected to any VPP scheme but will just be required to have the technical capability to be integrated into one at any future date. Marnie Shaw is an associate professor at the Australian National University's school of engineering and her research focus is energy storage. She believes having some control over household batteries is a huge opportunity. "If we are able to coordinate our household batteries and our electric vehicles, it means that we'll require many fewer grid upgrades. And so that can potentially save us billions. "We need to have smart control of our energy resources to result in a lower-cost future grid." Ms Shaw says more batteries will help displace coal from the grid entirely, reducing Australia's overall emissions. What if I can't get a battery? This scheme is great if you are one of the lucky Australians who own a home and can afford a battery. There have been frustrations that renters and low-income home owners are missing out, and the Greens campaigned on a household solar and battery package for these groups. Ms Shaw says the government funded a number of community batteries during the last election that help out all households. Photo shows A chart shows the breakdown of energy generation over the course of a day, including coal, gas and renewables Our energy system is evolving at breakneck speed. Here we look at how our power grid works, what more renewables mean for energy prices, how nuclear fits into the picture, and how we might build a grid fit for the future. "Those [community] batteries are important because they provide more equitable energy storage. You don't have to have your own house, you don't have to be a house-owner to participate in a community battery scheme," he said. There's also been significant investment in grid-scale batteries, and Ms Shaw says household batteries were the missing piece. "It's got to the point now with grid-scale batteries that they no longer need government subsidy. So it makes sense now that the government is shifting the priority to look at different scales of storage." But even homes without a battery will still benefit from more of them around the country. The electricity system works as a market, so when power demand spikes in the evening, the wholesale cost of power is driven up. If more Australian homes have batteries, they won't be drawing power from the grid at those critical moments, leading to lower peak prices across the entire market. The Smart Energy Council modelled what would happen to peak power prices if there were 1 million batteries installed in Australia, and found that it would save $1.3 billion every year on wholesale power prices. Plus, the electricity system is built to have capacity for those peak moments so lowering peaks means that less investment is needed for those maximums. Battery boom by 2030 Labor is expecting to hit over 1 million new batteries installed under the scheme by 2030, a huge boost from the current estimate of 320,000, according to the solar consultancy Sunwiz. While it's an exciting opportunity for many home owners, there isn't much time between the election and the official start of the scheme, which concerns some in the industry. Mr Grimes says there are still details that need to be worked out and won't happen until the relevant minister — likely Chris Bowen, continuing as energy minister — is sworn in to cabinet. "This is an area of concern and needs to be an area of genuine focus," Mr Grimes said, urging people and the industry not to get too impatient. He said while details may not be clear for a couple of weeks, it was important the government nutted them out quickly to avoid flow-on effects on the market and business. But overall, Mr Grimes was bullish about the impact the battery policy would have. "Not only will it change Australia, but I think this program will actually change the world because the world will see what's possible when you unleash distributed renewable energy, empower individuals who are making their own investment, but actually help them get over the line to do that," he said. " Then this is a model for how we should think about energy across the whole world. " This might sound hyperbolic, but Australia's solar rollout leads the world and has driven prices significantly lower than in other countries.
Sky News AU
06-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Absolutely transparently incorrect': Energy expert Aidan Morrison exposes Labor's nuclear fearmongering campaign
Centre for Independent Studies director of energy research Aidan Morrison has exposed the 'key lies' the Albanese government ran with during the federal election campaign. Speaking to Sky News Australia, Mr Morrison broke down Labor's nuclear lies, which he claimed should have been exposed by the Coalition early on in the campaign. The first lie identified by the energy expert was the government's claim 'experts' had rejected the Coalition's nuclear plan in favour of renewables. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said throughout the campaign experts had warned former Liberal leader Peter Dutton's nuclear plan was too expensive and economically risky for Australia. 'Nuclear isn't the answer for Australia - it means higher bills, more risk of unreliability and exposure in an uncertain world,' he said. 'The experts have rejected Mr Dutton's risky ideas and on May 3, Australia can too.' Mr Bowen's words came after 60 Australian economists from a range of Australian universities and other tertiary institutions signed an open letter opposing the Coalition's nuclear plan. Mr Morrison suggested many experts would simply 'repeat back' the government's plans rather than engaging in criticism or comparing it with alternative policies. 'This idea the experts are all behind them is just not the case and so I think that really should have been called out very early,' he told Sky News' Peta Credlin. 'It should have been absolutely front of the lips of every Coalition candidate to say that, no, the experts don't back the plan, they repeat back the plans and that's a very, very important distinction.' Moving to another of Labor's "lies", Mr Morrison claimed the government campaigned from start to finish by pushing the Smart Energy Council's $600 billion nuclear figure, which 'came from nowhere'. He highlighted the figure was five times greater than costings from the CSIRO and claimed it was also double the highest cost of a nuclear project built in the United Kingdom. Mr Morrison also singled out Simon Holmes à Court, a senior advisor to the Smart Energy Council, for being 'absolutely transparently incorrect' when producing the $600 billion nuclear figure. Moving to what he said was the third lie, Mr Morrison rubbished Labor's claim nuclear would only deliver output equivalent to four per cent of the nation's grid. 'That relies on a transparent nonsense,' he said. 'The idea that rooftop solar, which only operates at about 15 per cent of its capacity, provides the same amount of energy as a nuclear plant, which operates at over 90 per cent, and that even storage, which provides no energy at all, also provides the same amount of energy as a nuclear power plant which operates at 90 per cent of the output (is wrong). 'So that was transparent nonsense.' He then exposed Labor's fourth lie: that implementing nuclear power would force households to leave their solar panels 'switched off'. 'Now this was only possible to be run because basically the market operator (AEMO) quashed a story about how they need to turn off everyone's solar panels this year,' he said. 'Actually, in the third quarter of 2025 we're going to have to start switching off solar panels because of the glut of new solar that's being built. 'It's not actually nuclear that's solar's worst enemy, it's more solar because it produces it at exactly the same time.' Mr Morrison added Mr Bowen campaigned 'extremely heavily' on reports from the Smart Energy Council, which analysed the impact Mr Dutton's nuclear plan would have on the millions of Australian solar households. The fifth lie Mr Morrison focused on arose from what he claimed was a misleading report produced by the Climate Change Authority. The government agency modelled the potential impacts of the Coalition's promise to build seven nuclear power plants by 2050 and concluded it would result in an additional 2 billion tonnes of emissions. Mr Morrison argued the finding was irrelevant as it was based on the assumption Labor would achieve its 'absolutely crazy' goal of 82 per cent renewable supply by 2030 - which would also see Australia achieve a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by the same year. 'Of course, nobody serious who's not basically part of the Renewables Cheer Squad seriously believe that target's approachable,' he said. 'So again, nothing to stand on there. The baseline should have been challenged, and sadly, it just wasn't.'
