Buy now, pay later app aims to be Afterpay for rooftop solar

Solar rooftop installations are one of the fastest-growing sectors of home improvement, with households around the country installing the equivalent of an entire power plant every four months, but not everyone can be part of the growth.

Brighte chief executive Katherine McConnell.CREDIT:

One of the main reasons households don’t install solar panels is because they believe the upfront costs are too high.

The head of the Australian Energy Market Operator, Audrey Zibelman, has warned that these upfront costs have created a growing gap between the rich and poor, because those who cannot afford solar panels are effectively paying for those who can with higher power prices.

Read the story by Cole Latimer from The Age - “Buy now, pay later app aims to be Afterpay for rooftop solar.”

Too much of a good thing: Solar power surge is flooding the grid

The rising number of solar rooftop installations is creating concerns that too much energy is flooding into the electricity grid, and could cause blackouts as the system struggles to control the excess power.

The rise of rooftop solar is a boon for households but
creating a headache for electricity distributors.

"Solar spill", when high levels of energy are generated by rooftop installations in the middle of the day when demand is low, is becoming a problem for Australia’s electricity networks, according to Andrew Dillon, the head of the grid representative body Energy Networks Australia.

Read the story by Cole Latimer from The Age - “Too much of a good thing: Solar power surge is flooding the grid.”