Australians installed 22,661 home battery systems in 2019

Australian households invested in almost two-and-a-half “Big Batteries” worth of home energy storage in 2019, installing 22,661 systems over the course of the year with a total capacity of 233MWh, and taking further control over their energy supply.

The numbers were published this week as part of the 2020 Australia Battery Market Report, the latest annual market estimates from solar analytics group SunWiz, based on figures reported by leading manufacturers. (You can purchase a copy here).

SunWiz, which has been tracking battery numbers in Australia since 2015, said 2019 home battery uptake was actually slightly down on 2018 numbers, but that an increase in non-residential installations had delivered a new annual record.

Read the story from One Step Off the Grid by Sophie Vorrath - “Australians installed 22,661 home battery systems in 2019.”

Alarmingly low' oil supplies may prompt more drilling in Great Australian Bight, minister warns

Concerns about national security and energy supply could prompt further bids to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, the Federal Resources Minister has warned.

Statoil has permission to explore the two light blue areas of the Bight.

In his address to the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's (APPEA) annual conference in Adelaide on Tuesday, Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan said the Bight could play a vital role in bolstering Australia's domestic oil supply.

Mr Canavan said Australia's oil production had dropped to alarmingly low levels.

Read Isabel Dayman’s story from ABC News - “‘Alarmingly low' oil supplies may prompt more drilling in Great Australian Bight, minister warns.”

(Rather than taking the easy way out and engage some high-risk drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, our government should be following the advice of the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and in applying some innovative thinking, explore and understand how we can use renewable energy to power the country and in doing so leave the fossil fuels in the ground - Robert McLean)

Liddell power station: What do AGL and the Prime Minister want, and how much will it cost?

An ageing power station is in the spotlight as the Prime Minister tries to stop it closing in 2022.

Liddell was commissioned in 1971 and is due to close in 2022.

Liddell power station in NSW is seen by its owner as ready to close, yet regarded by the Prime Minister as the key to energy supply for five years beyond that.

The short answer is that it is unreliable and expensive to run.

Liddell is the oldest coal-fired power station still running in Australia. It was commissioned in 1971 and is due to close in 2022.

Its owner AGL notes it is likely to be more unreliable as it nears the end of its life.

Read the ABC News story - “Liddell power station: What do AGL and the Prime Minister want, and how much will it cost?”